Africa

Morocco in July

Interior cities and the Sahara are brutal by midday. Essaouira and the Atlas valleys become the sensible Morocco.

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

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

The straight answer

July is a month to think twice about visiting Morocco. Interior cities and the Sahara are brutal by midday. Essaouira and the Atlas valleys become the sensible Morocco.

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

What July is like in Morocco

July is very hot inland. Marrakech highs sit near 99F (37C) and spike higher, Fes is similar, and the Sahara is brutal by midday. Everything stays open and prices are fairly low, but the interior is only pleasant early in the morning and after dark. Essaouira and the Atlas valleys stay much cooler.

This is a month to avoid for the classic circuit of Marrakech, the desert, and Fes. If July is your only option, build the trip around Essaouira and the High Atlas, with just a night or two in Marrakech. For the full itinerary, aim for October or April instead.

Make the most of July

What is especially good about Morocco this month.

Essaouira beach days

The breezy Atlantic coast sits in the 70s F (mid 20s C), which is exactly where Moroccans head to escape the heat.

Atlas mountain villages

Cool evenings in a Berber guesthouse above Imlil feel a world away from the hot plains.

Night life in Jemaa el-Fnaa

Marrakech comes alive after sunset, when the food stalls fire up and the square fills with families.

What to pack for July

Loose, breathable clothing in light colors
A wide-brim hat, sunglasses, and SPF 50
Electrolyte packets and a large water bottle
A windbreaker for Essaouira

Our timing tip

Spend midday in the riad or at the pool and save the souks for after 6pm, when the heat finally breaks.

Book Morocco for July.

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

What's on in July

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 July, quick answers

Is July a good time to visit Morocco?

July is a month to think twice about visiting Morocco. Interior cities and the Sahara are brutal by midday. Essaouira and the Atlas valleys become the sensible Morocco.

What is the weather like in Morocco in July?

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

Is Morocco crowded in July?

July is one of the quieter months in Morocco; most sights can be done without long waits.

What is happening in Morocco in July?

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