Africa

Morocco in August

Same heat, plus European vacation crowds on the coast. If this is your window, build the trip around Essaouira and the mountains.

Think twiceVery hot inland, Marrakech highs near 99F (37C)

Blue stairway in Chefchaouen, Morocco — MoroccoPhoto: Fbrandao.1963, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

August is a month to think twice about visiting Morocco. Same heat, plus European vacation crowds on the coast. If this is your window, build the trip around Essaouira and the mountains.

Weather: Very hot inland, Marrakech highs near 99F (37C)
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What August is like in Morocco

August is just as hot as July, with Marrakech highs near 99F (37C). The desert is punishing by midday, and the coast gets busy with European and Moroccan vacationers. Prices stay moderate inland, but Essaouira rooms fill up. Everything is open.

This is another month to avoid for the full Morocco loop. If school holidays leave no choice, base the trip in Essaouira and the Atlas, visit Marrakech briefly, and skip the Sahara overnight. For a far better trip, late September or October is the answer.

Make the most of August

What is especially good about Morocco this month.

Atlantic coast escape

Essaouira's steady winds keep things comfortable, and its white-and-blue medina is easy to wander with kids.

High Atlas walks

Short morning hikes in the mountain valleys stay pleasant while the plains bake.

Late Marrakech evenings

Rooftop dinners and a night walk through the square are the best way to enjoy the city this month.

What to pack for August

Light cotton or linen clothes that cover shoulders
A sun hat and high-SPF sunscreen
A reusable water bottle
A light layer for breezy coast evenings

Our timing tip

Book Essaouira early, since August is its busiest month, and keep Marrakech to one or two nights with a pool.

Book Morocco for August.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Morocco
Opens a hotel search for Morocco in August, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for August
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Morocco
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Morocco
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Morocco for August. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in August

Ramadan in Morocco

Dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window

The country stays open to visitors: riads, tourist restaurants, and sights operate, while many local cafes close until sunset and daytime medina energy dips. Evenings after iftar are festive and late. Alcohol availability shrinks for the month.

Things to do in Morocco

Full guide

Jemaa el-Fnaa and the Marrakech souks

The famous square ramps from juice stalls by day to food-stall theatre at night. Enter the souks with time to get lost; haggling is expected and good-natured.

Tickets and tours →

Fes el-Bali medina

The world's largest car-free urban area. Hire a licensed guide for the first pass, then wander; the Chouara tannery terraces and medersa courtyards are the headliners.

Tickets and tours →

A Sahara camp at Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga

Merzouga's Erg Chebbi is the accessible classic; Erg Chigaga beyond Zagora is wilder and farther. Sunset camel ride, drum fire, dawn over the dunes: do the overnight, not the day trip.

Tickets and tours →

The Tizi n'Tichka pass and Ait Benhaddou

The High Atlas crossing en route to the desert, with the fortified mud-brick ksar of Ait Benhaddou, a longtime film location, on the far side. Best light in late afternoon.

Tickets and tours →

Essaouira

The Atlantic counterweight: a fortified white-and-blue port town with a working fish harbor, steady breezes, and a laid-back arts scene. Two nights reset any itinerary.

Tickets and tours →

Majorelle Garden and Marrakech's museums

The cobalt-blue garden restored by Yves Saint Laurent, with the YSL museum next door. Book the first timed slot; midday queues are real in season.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Work the medinas at the edges of the day: souks are calmest in the early morning, and Jemaa el-Fnaa's food-stall spectacle is the evening reward. Midday is for riad courtyards and long lunches.
Book Majorelle Garden's first slot of the morning and any high-profile restaurants a week or more ahead in spring and fall; both queue hard in season.
Sleep inside the medinas rather than day-tripping into them: riad guests get the quiet hours before the tour groups arrive and after they leave.
Choose Erg Chigaga over Erg Chebbi if you want dunes with almost nobody on them; the extra drive past Zagora filters the crowds out.

Know before you go

Morocco has no seasonal shutdown: medinas, souks, and sights run year-round, and the real seasonal variable is heat, not access. The desert circuit operates in every month, but July and August overnights are only for the heat-hardened, and December through February camp nights need serious bedding.
During Ramadan, tourist infrastructure stays open (riads, tourist restaurants, guides, camps), while many local cafes and eateries close until sunset, some sites shorten hours, and alcohol becomes scarce outside hotels. Evenings turn festive. Dates shift about 11 days earlier each year.
Non-Muslims cannot enter mosques in Morocco with few exceptions, most notably the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca by guided tour; plan around exteriors, medersas, and museums instead.
On Fridays, the holy day, many souk stalls and local businesses close for midday prayers and family couscous, and parts of the medinas go quiet until late afternoon; sights generally remain open.

Morocco in August, quick answers

Is August a good time to visit Morocco?

August is a month to think twice about visiting Morocco. Same heat, plus European vacation crowds on the coast. If this is your window, build the trip around Essaouira and the mountains.

What is the weather like in Morocco in August?

Very hot inland, Marrakech highs near 99F (37C).

Is Morocco crowded in August?

Crowds in Morocco are moderate in August; timed bookings still help at the biggest sights.

What is happening in Morocco in August?

Ramadan in Morocco (dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window).