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Best time to visit Morocco

With destinations including the Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert and Atlantic Ocean to consider, working out the best time to visit Morocco isn’t always easy. However, the seasons are very well defined. Winter brings serious snow in the High Atlas. Spring brings cooler temperatures in the Sahara while summer is impossible in the desert, but gorgeous in the mountains. And autumn brings lovely balmy beach life.

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Best time to visit Morocco

Whatever the time of year, make sure you catch both sunset and sunrise in the Sahara.

The best time to visit Morocco is outside of the hot summer (June to August). Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) are great for cultural touring and family holidays, while Morocco is also a brilliant destination for winter sun. The country is divided by the High Atlas Mountains, where you can enjoy hiking year-round, as they can be refreshingly breezy in summer. The summer temperatures in the Sahara Desert are uncomfortable to unbearable, but at other times of year it’s much more manageable to explore the Sahara’s vast, empty sands, which are pleasantly cool after sunset.

Call us for the best time to go to Morocco

A month by month guide on when to go to Morocco

January in Morocco

Coldest & wettest month

Midwinter

Budget-friendly

As winter sun destinations go, Morocco in January makes a good bet. But don’t expect to get bronzed – temperatures average around 14°C, and showers are possible. This midwinter month is good for culture vultures, with crowd-free sites and budget-friendly hotel prices. Trekking in the desert is fine, but it’s chilly at night, and there’s snow in the mountains.

February in Morocco

Desert trekking

Almond Blossom Festival

Anti-Atlas walking

Morocco in February is ideal for walking. Temperatures are mild in the Sahara Desert, while the Anti-Atlas Mountains are snow-free – cold, yes, but sunny. Rain can cause rivers to swell, though, affecting some routes. February is also the best time to visit Tafraoute, when the landscapes surrounding this Berber heartland are pinkened with almond blossoms.

February is great for our Morocco cultural tour

March in Morocco

Spring wildflowers

International Nomads Festival

Atlas hiking season

March is a good month to visit Morocco – not super busy but with good weather – expect chilly nights, though. Morocco in March welcomes a cultural extravaganza with the International Nomads Festival, held in the Sahara Desert – pack a scarf and sunglasses as dust storms are not uncommon. This is also the start of the main mountain hiking season.

April in Morocco

Easter family crowds

Lovely hiking weather

Occasional showers

April is a popular month to visit Morocco – it’s a great family option for Easter. Barring the odd light shower the weather is beautifully warm and sunny, ideal for hiking in the mountains or the desert (though temperatures drop swiftly at night). Morocco in April sees the Marathon des Sables, a challenging desert foot race, and the Sufi Cultural Festival in Fes.

May in Morocco

Valley of the Roses

Book early

Good all-round for travel

With gorgeous weather for mountain hiking, browsing labyrinthine souks or sunning yourself on the coast, it’s no surprise that May can be the best time of year to visit Morocco, so be sure to book early. Morocco in May is known for the M’Goun Valley (Valley of the Roses), with the petals in high demand as ingredients for fragrances, soap and even tea.

May is great for our Mount Toubkal walking holiday

June in Morocco

Summer

Mountain trails

Lovely on the coast

June is the start of summer in Morocco, but temperatures haven’t peaked yet. Coastal locations like Tangiers and Essaouira are lovely at this time of year, with the sea a good temperature for swimming. There are music festivals in Fes and the Cherry Festival in Sefrou to enjoy. Mountain trekking is fab in Morocco in June too, but cover up from the strong sun.

June and September are my favourite times. The temperature is perfect; it's sunny yet there is a cool breeze.

– Meryem Benkhati, a guide for our partner Intrepid Travel

July in Morocco

Temperatures soar

Coast or mountains

Crowds in cities

Prepare for temperatures of 40°C and beyond if visiting Morocco in July, and give the desert a wide berth. It’s significantly cooler in the mountains and on the coast, but inland cities like Marrakech are sweltering, and you may see the occasional storm. Aim to get sightseeing done in the mornings or late afternoons, and find a cool drink and some shade at lunchtime.

August in Morocco

Hottest month

Family holidays

High prices

Temperatures in the Sahara are baking in August so stay clear, but if you can stand the heat this is a popular month for walking in places like the Todgha Gorges. Book early for Morocco in August and expect higher prices, because despite the stifling temperatures it is busy. City streets tend to be quiet in the daytime, but come dusk there’s a thrilling energy to them.

September in Morocco

Temperatures (and prices) falling

Quieter beaches

Clear blue skies

Visit Morocco in September and you’ll find temperatures a lot more bearable, and with the summer holiday crowds subsiding as well, the beaches and historic cites are much less busy. You can find deals on flights and hotels in September, so if you fancy some walking in the High Atlas Mountains (the skies are wonderfully clear and blue) then this is a good month.

October in Morocco

Date season

Windy on the coast

Marrakech

Pack a sweet tooth for Morocco in October, because it’s date season and nature’s candy is in abundance. Weather-wise it’s a mixed bag: warm but distinctly cooler than August, with some cloudy days and brief scatterings of rain. October can be the best time to visit Marrakech as it’s typically mild and quiet. On the coast it’s windy – Essaouira is popular with surfers.

October is great for our Morocco family holiday with teenagers

November in Morocco

Rain likely

Sahara Desert

Imperial Cities

Expect to encounter some rain if you go to Morocco in November. This is one of the wettest months of the year, with the Atlantic coast seeing a lot of it. Don’t be put off, however, as November is still a good month to visit Morocco, particularly for exploring the Sahara Desert and the Imperial Cities of Fes, Rabat, Meknes and Marrakech, where temperatures are mild.

December in Morocco

Winter trekking

Snow in mountains

Falling temperatures

There’s snow in the High Atlas Mountains, but that doesn’t impede hardy trekkers staying in mountain gites or refurbished kasbahs, walking alongside expert Berber guides and warming up in community hammams. Meanwhile, Sahara camps swaddle you in thick blankets as you gaze up at canopies of stars. Morocco in December can be cold, but magical.

Marrakech Weather Chart

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Best times to visit Morocco for festivals & events

Almond Blossom Festival (February)

February, with the winter snows receding, sees one of Morocco’s most charming festivals take place around the town of Tafraoute. This community in the Berber heartlands of the Anti-Atlas Mountains is surrounded by almond trees that blossom in a vibrant display of pinks and whites. Visitors are rewarded with spectacular colours and an array of almondy treats. And do visit, because climate change represents a serious threat to this agricultural region, and the growers here need all the income they can get.

International Nomads Festival (April)

Taking place near the small oasis town of M’Hamid El Ghizlane in the Draa Valley, a gateway to the Saharan sands, the International Nomad Festival is a celebration of nomadic culture with the camel, that venerable and indispensable beast of burden, a centrepiece of the event. Nomadic peoples gather to set up camp, share stories, feast and take part in traditional desert sports such as camel racing. The dunes throb to the sound of drumming, and the thwack of wood against leather as crowds watch thrilling games of sand hockey, which, as you can probably guess, is like regular hockey, just on sand.

Sufi Festival (April)

Fes, one of Morocco’s Imperial Cities, is the setting for the week-long Sufi Festival, an event honouring the spirituality and culture of this strand of Islamic thought. Sufi leaders, musicians and worshippers congregate for workshops, poetry readings and ritual music performances that can get so intense that it’s not unknown for audience members to enter a form of trance. If you’re lucky you might witness a whirling dervish performance, a spectacular form of meditation practised by an order that was founded by the legendary Sufi poet, Rumi.

Rose Festival (May)

May sees the annual Rose Festival held in the M’Goun Valley, in the Atlas Mountains. The fields surrounding the town of Kalaat M’Gouna are full of fragrant pink roses, said to have first been planted centuries ago by a Damascene trader. The festival is the culmination of the harvest, when tonnes of petals are carefully plucked and preserved, to be used for perfumes, rose water and oil. The town has a lovely atmosphere in the days leading up to the festival, as locals string together rose garlands and bouquets, and the air is full of scent.

Imilchil Marriage Festival (September)

The Berber people believe that it is the liver, not the heart, that is the main organ of love, so at this traditional tribal event, held in the mountain village of Imilchil, participants are hoping to hear those magic words: “You have captured my liver.” Thousands of Berber people congregate as women choose their partners, taking them by the hand as a mark of acceptance and releasing it if they have a change of liver. In recent years the festival has opened itself up to visitors so that you can join in the celebrations, as well as the feasting, music and dancing.

Our travellers also ask…

What month is best to go to Morocco?

Morocco is a year-round destination, but the best months to go tend to be March to May (spring) and September to October (autumn). During these periods you can expect a pleasant climate whether you’re hiking in the mountains, touring the medina of Marrakech or sauntering through the Sahara on the back of a camel. Summer is lovely up in the Atlas Mountains, though, and winter is a popular time both in the mountains and in the desert.

Is January a good time to go to Morocco?

January, and February as well, is a good time to go to Morocco, but while you may get the odd patch of winter sun, don’t expect to come home with a deep tan. The winter weather tends more towards the cloudy and rainy, and you’ll want to bring warm clothes, especially for night. If you can cope with the chill, January is a great month both for trekking in the Atlas Mountains, or venturing into the Sahara Desert.

What is the rainy season in Morocco?

Rainy season in Morocco is from November through to February, peaking in December, with showers likely in October and March. But don’t be discouraged by the thought of a little rain, as these tend to be quieter months to travel with deals available, and milder temperatures ideal for walking and city sightseeing.

What is the hottest month in Morocco?

August is the hottest month in Morocco, with temperatures encroaching above 40°C in some areas, making the Sahara Desert particularly unappealing. This is a popular month for families, but most stick to the mountains and the coast in August. If you’re in the cities, try to get your sightseeing done early, seek shade from midday and enjoy warm evenings with a lively atmosphere in the streets.