Season guide · Marrakech · Morocco
Marrakech in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Boris Macek, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Mild, sunny days around 19°C, cold nights and snow on the High Atlas; busy over Christmas and New Year. Expect highs up to 20°C (68°F) and lows around 6°C (43°F), with about 12 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 6°C (43°F) to 20°C (68°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 12
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°C (66°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 4 | 10.3 h | 3/5 |
| February | 20°C (68°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 4 | 11 h | 3/5 |
| December | 19°C (66°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 4 | 10.1 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 19°C (66°F) against a yearly 27°C (81°F), and 12 of the year's roughly 33 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Marrakech Marathon (usually late January)
- February: 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (usually February)
- December: Marrakech International Film Festival (usually early December)
- December: New Year's Eve celebrations at hotels and riads (31 December)
Good choices for winter
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Museum · Medina
Dar Si Said
Visit before shopping for carpets to learn regional styles and what good quality looks like.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Medina
Hammam experience
A hammam — a hot steam room, black olive soap (savon beldi) and a vigorous scrub with a kessa glove — is a weekly ritual for many Moroccans.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- Rainy day
Gallery · Medina
Maison de la Photographie
Finish with mint tea on the roof terrace, one of the calmest views in the northern medina.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Views
- Off the beaten path
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Museum · Medina
Marrakech Museum
Housed in the 19th-century Dar Menebhi palace beside the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Marrakech Museum shows Moroccan art and crafts around a vast tiled central courtyard hung with an enormous brass chandelier.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Gueliz
Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech
Buy a combined ticket with Jardin Majorelle and see the museum first while the garden is at its busiest.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Day trips in winter
- Ouzoud Falls (About 2.5–3 hours by car) — Morocco's tallest waterfalls drop about 110 metres in tiers into a red-rock gorge, with olive trees, viewpoints and Barbary macaques along the paths.
- Agafay Desert (About 45 minutes by car) — A rocky stone desert of bare hills south-west of the city, with views of the Atlas, where camps run camel rides, quad-biking and dinners under the stars.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Marrakech?
It is a trade-off: Mild, sunny days around 19°C, cold nights and snow on the High Atlas; busy over Christmas and New Year. The best months overall are March–May and October–November.
+What is the weather like in Marrakech in winter?
Highs of up to 20°C (68°F) and lows around 6°C (43°F), with about 12 rainy days over the season.