Africa

Morocco in December

Sunny days and chilly evenings, with a holiday-week price spike in Marrakech. Desert camps need serious bedding now.

Quiet valueMild days, cold nights, Marrakech highs near 66F (19C)

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

The straight answer

December is a quiet, good-value month to visit Morocco. Sunny days and chilly evenings, with a holiday-week price spike in Marrakech. Desert camps need serious bedding now.

Weather: Mild days, cold nights, Marrakech highs near 66F (19C)
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 3 of 5

What December is like in Morocco

December brings sunny days and cold evenings. Marrakech highs sit near 66F (19C), riads get chilly at night, and desert camps need serious bedding. Snow can close the Atlas passes for short spells. Most of the month is calm, but holiday week brings a price spike in Marrakech.

This month suits travelers who like winter sun and do not mind cold nights, and families on holiday break who book early. If you want warm desert evenings, choose October or November instead. For a December trip, keep the itinerary flexible around mountain roads.

Make the most of December

What is especially good about Morocco this month.

Winter sun in Marrakech

Bright, mild afternoons are perfect for rooftop lunches and garden visits.

Film festival season

In some years the Marrakech International Film Festival runs into December, adding buzz to the city.

Cozy riad evenings

Mint tea by a fire in a riad courtyard is one of the nicest parts of a winter trip.

What to pack for December

A warm coat and thermal layers
A hat and gloves for desert nights
Warm socks for tile floors
Sunglasses for bright days

Our timing tip

Book holiday week in Marrakech months ahead, or travel in early December for low prices and quiet souks.

Book Morocco for December.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Morocco
Opens a hotel search for Morocco in December, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for December
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 December. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in December

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.

Marrakech International Film Festival

Usually late in the year

A major film festival that brings red-carpet energy, and full hotels, to Marrakech.

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 December, quick answers

Is December a good time to visit Morocco?

December is a quiet, good-value month to visit Morocco. Sunny days and chilly evenings, with a holiday-week price spike in Marrakech. Desert camps need serious bedding now.

What is the weather like in Morocco in December?

Mild days, cold nights, Marrakech highs near 66F (19C).

Is Morocco crowded in December?

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

What is happening in Morocco in December?

Ramadan in Morocco (dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window); Marrakech International Film Festival (usually late in the year).