Marrakech in December: weather, what to wear and what to do

December is one of the sunniest, calmest months of the year in Marrakech. Most days are clear and blue, warm in the sun at midday and cool in the shade. The real change comes after dark: once the sun goes down, the temperature drops quickly.

These are the average highs and lows for Marrakech from the NOAA climate normals for 1991 to 2020. December gets about 24 mm of rain in the whole month, usually in short showers, and around 7 hours of sunshine a day. On the coldest nights it can get close to freezing: the lowest December temperature on record is -1.6°C.

From the city you can often see snow on the peaks of the High Atlas. It's one of the best sights of a winter trip.

Warm enough for a T-shirt in the sun at lunchtime on most days, but not hot. Think of a sunny spring day in northern Europe. Mornings start cool, the afternoon is the warmest part of the day, and evenings need a jumper and a jacket.

Riads, the traditional houses with an inner courtyard, can feel cold at night because they are built to stay cool in summer. Many have heaters or fireplaces: ask when you book, and pack something warm to sleep in.

In December the sun rises at about 07:15 to 07:30 and sets at about 17:30 (Morocco time). That gives you a little over 10 hours of daylight. Morocco went back to GMT on 20 September 2026, so sunsets come an hour earlier on the clock than in recent winters, and Marrakech is now an hour behind Paris and Madrid. The best light for photos is the hour before sunset, from about 16:30.

Plan anything outdoors, like gardens, rooftops or a desert trip, for the middle of the day and the late afternoon, and keep the evening for dinner.

• Layers. A T-shirt or light top, a jumper or fleece over it, and a warm jacket for the evening.
• Comfortable closed shoes. The medina's lanes are long, uneven and sometimes dusty.
• Sunglasses and sun cream. The winter sun is still strong at midday.
• A scarf. For the cool evenings, the dust on a quad, and to cover your shoulders when you need to.
• Something warm for the night. Riads and desert camps get cold after dark.

Marrakech is relaxed about clothes, but covering your shoulders and knees in the medina and at religious sites is polite and draws less attention.

Walk the medina and the souks

The cooler weather makes December perfect for long walks through the old city. Go in the morning when the souks are calmer, and come back to Jemaa el-Fnaa square at dusk, when the food stalls light up.

See the gardens in the sun

The Majorelle Garden and the Menara gardens are at their best on bright winter mornings, with fewer crowds than in spring.

Look at the snow on the Atlas

The High Atlas starts about an hour from Marrakech. In December its peaks are often white, and the valleys make an easy day trip.

Warm up in a hammam

A traditional steam bath and scrub is the best way to warm up after a cool evening.

Spend an evening in the Agafay desert

The Agafay desert is about 45 minutes from the city. Winter evenings there are clear and still, the Atlas is often white on the horizon, and the sunset is huge. Our evenings pick you up in the afternoon, so you ride a quad or a camel before sunset, then eat dinner and watch the fire show under the stars. Prefer to drive yourself? Try our buggies and quads by the hour.

OUR EVENINGS IN AGAFAY

7 hoursFull desert evening€20 per person 5 hoursSunset camel and dinner€10 per person quad, 30 minBuggy or quad ridefrom 200 DH per vehicle

Yes, after sunset. Agafay is a stone desert, and on a clear December night it can drop to about 5°C. Days are pleasant, so the cold comes as a surprise to many visitors. Bring a warm jacket, a hat and closed shoes for an evening there. The camp's fires and a hot mint tea help too.

The good news: winter skies are usually the clearest of the year, so the stars after dinner are at their best. Read more in our Agafay desert guide.

You can sunbathe by a pool in the middle of the day on warm, windless days, but most outdoor pools are too cold for a swim unless they are heated. Some hotels and riads heat their pools in winter, so ask before you book.

Marrakech is inland. The nearest beach is Essaouira, on the Atlantic, about 3 hours away by road. It's lovely for a day trip, but the ocean is cool and the town is often windy.

The first three weeks of December are among the quietest of the year, with lower prices and shorter queues. Then European school holidays start, and from Christmas to New Year the city is full. If you travel between about 20 December and 2 January, book your riad, restaurants and tours early.