Update September 2023:
Following the earthquake that stroke Morocco on 8 September, theproper sequence of our private tours or tourism in Morocco at large is not and will not be impacted considerably by these events.
In a nutshell:
Having lived in Morocco since 2006, I believe the country is best visited all year round. It all depends on what you wish to see and do while in Morocco. The Sahara ? All year round, but in July and August temperatures usually exceed 100 Fahrenheit / 40 Celsius ( most camps in Erg Chigaga close but those in Erg Chebbi stay open). Avoid the crowds ? January and February is your best bet, even December before Christmas, with plenty of sunshine. Best rates all year round ? July and August, but keep to the Atlas mountains and the Atlantic coast, if you can’t take the summer heat. March, April, May and October/ November ? Great weather, warm enough to sun tan and enjoy a pool, but it’s also when Morocco gets most tourists, so you’ll have to mingle with the crowds. Naturally, you can avoid them and explore Morocco off the beaten track: the Sahara desert, the Anti Atlas mountains and Morocco’s southern regions cover enough tracts for anyone to feel remote. Travel with the children ? By all means, they will remember it for the rest of their lives.
The details:
You’re just coming out of the pandemic blues and you’re looking for that special destination, somewhere a million miles away from mask wearing and travel bans ? On top of a saffron dune, overlooking Sahara’s infinite rolling hillocks, can you picture it ? Can you see yourself there, gently being swayed away on top of a camel, arriving at your Sahara desert camp ? Yet, not everyone is afforded the luxury of choosing when to visit Morocco. Is October the best time to visit ? Is Christmas busy ?What about Ramadan ? What are the temperatures in March ?
The good news is that there isn’t really a bad time of year to visit Morocco. What makes me say that ? Well, first of all, sunshine. Sunshine 300 days a year ? More like 350. And yes, sometimes it can get too hot, but even in July and August choices abound: after all, Morocco is blessed with 2500 km of Atlantic coast and at least that or more of mountain ranges. Stroll around the dreamy or picturesque villages as Essaouira, Oualidia and Chefchaouen or trek up in the High Atlas mountains over 2000 ( have you heard of the Valley of Happiness, by the way ?) meters high, and you’re guaranteed dispensing with air conditioning.
{ Read: What to experience and see in Morocco in summer }
WHERE TO VISIT MOROCCO
Now of course, Morocco has different climate zones and the difference in temperature in some areas is quite important between summer and winter. It is also known to be an incredibly diverse country when it comes to landscapes. From green lush areas where forests and lakes have earned Ifrane, the village in the Middle Atlas close to Fez, the nickname ‘ Switzerland of Morocco’ to the Sahara with its oceans of dunes, from wild Atlantic beaches to lush palm groves, from wine producing regions around the cities of Meknes and Rabat to the resort towns of the Mediterranean and Atlas Mountains with their spectacular gorges and over 4000 meters high peaks. In Chefchaouen, a picturesque village in the northern Morocco, famous for its blue- washed houses and alleys, you may glimpse palm and pine trees growing side by side.
{ Read: Book a 10 day private Morocco itinerary}
MOROCCO BEST TIME TO VISIT: THE TRAVEL AGENTS’ TAKE
Some travel agents think that October or perhaps March is best to visit Marrakech or Fez. The reality is somewhat different. Morocco is incredibly diverse in landscapes, altitudes and latitudes. While it may be snowing in Ifrane or Imlil, you are almost guaranteed sun bathing in Laayoune or Dakhla, by the Atlantic or in Tata or Tafraoute, in the Anti Atlas. If you want to just tick some boxes in your travel notebook, you can hire the services of any tour operator or travel agent. For someone that can customize a once- in- a- lifetime experience and choose the best places to visit and things to do based on the time of year you wish to visit,go for a local specialist. It may be that you’ll even need your agent to customize your holidays after you arrived in Morocco. On a few occasions, we had to reverse the order of a private tour when snow had blocked the Tizi n Tichka pass, while keeping the same start and end dates and encompassing the same local experiences.
Of course, one could argue that temperatures are ideal to visit Morocco in March and October. Um, it’s not that black and white. It is the peak tourist season with most other tourists on all inclusive holidays being taken around by charter buses. This means cues to enter monuments, rubbing shoulders with everyone else visiting smaller venues and the night in a desert luxury camp you’d so long anticipated risking to resemble more an attraction park than the soothing, unforgettable experience you’d been dreaming of for years. Peak season time means also peak season rates. Most Riads/ hotels consider these months high season (given the volume of tourists) and raise their rates accordingly.
So instead, why not visit before Christmas ? Or just after NYE ? You get low rates on hotels and other services. Perhaps not quite the temperatures to swim in a pool, but at 20 plus Celsius day- time and constant sunshine, you are far from the rainy and cold winter affecting most of Europe and US. The rain season in Morocco, if such a thing exists, falls late February or March with a few showers in November. Maybe.For those interested in the best photography shots, the winter months are ideal – the light is at its best then when air is depleted of any dust.
{ Read: Morocco on a honeymoon}
With so many things to do and see, in Fes, it isn’t the weather that decides when visitors come. As Vanessa Bonnin, former manager of Dar Roumana guest house, puts it: “The best time to travel to Morocco is in June to coincide with the incredibly inspiring Fes Festival of Sacred Music. It showcases an eclectic mix of world music and always has fabulous head-liners too. During the festival the medina is even more alive and buzzing than usual, with the added energy of happy music lovers visiting from all over the world. It shows this magical city at its best!”.
In July and August one should consider staying away from the desert and inland cities like Marrakech, Fez or Ouarzazate. But even in Fez and Marrakech, with careful preparation from a knowledgeable local travel agent, one can still enjoy the beauties of these two cities. The best way to do it is to choose to stay just outside the city and come into the city early in the morning to sightsee. You can then return to your guesthouse in the afternoon to relax and enjoy the lush gardens and pool. After all, it is only a 10- 15 minutes drive and if you are on a private tour of Morocco, you will have your driver and 4×4 available 24 hours a day.
You may also choose to spend the night in the Medina and travel to the coast to either Essaouira, Oualidia or Agadir (each within less than 3 hours drive from Marrakech and considerably cooler during the summer). Max Lawrence, of Lawrence of Morocco agrees: “Marrakech is wonderful all year round but if the summer heat is too much for you then you should head to the ideally temperate Atlantic coast in July and August. Oualidia, Essaouira and Agadir all provide 28 C whilst in Marrakech it can be 45 C.”Some parts of Morocco like Agadir and Dakhla benefit from all year round mild temperatures. Further north, Essaouira yields more charm and character than a resort as Agadir, but the cold current makes it too cold to swim even in summer.
When it comes to Christmas and NYE, Marrakech is on the top of the list to foreign visitors’ preferences. Marrakech is definitely worth visiting, but if you expect to find the same festive ambiance as in Europe, you are in for a disappointment. Mostly because Morocco’s population being largely Muslim, they do not celebrate winter holidays as Westerners do.
{ Read: Off the beaten track Morocco}
Maria Joao, a travel adviser who has made Morocco her second home, says: ‘For me the best time to visit Morocco is the whole year. At any time of year there are spectacular places to discover or revisit. Morocco is a very diverse country in terms of landscape and climate, has imperial cities, desert, mountains, snow, Atlantic and Mediterranean beaches.’’
Max agrees: ‘Morocco is a country which offers perfect travel conditions all year round as one is able to move geographically to different areas for different periods. The Atlas mountains are wonderful all year but if you are thinking of trekking then avoid the winter months of December, January and February as there can be too much water flowing in many of the rivers and snow covering the slopes to allow hikers to easily pass. During these months, trekking in the Anti Atlasis ideal.
The only place you should avoid in July or August is the desert. Temperatures can soar over 45 degrees Celsius and there is no tent provided with A/C ( as of 2023, there is). Max says: ‘Southern Morocco and the desert is ideal from September to June (10 months of the year) and should not be missed.’ If you really have to do the Sahara in July or August, think of booking a room in an air conditionedkasbah by the dunes, where early next morning, you can take a short camel ride into the dunes to witness a sunrise as you’ve never seen before.But spending a full day in the dunes is not an option, unless you are training for Marathon de Sables.
CONCLUSION:
Morocco best time to visit is any time of the year, subject to what you wish to experience and see.
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