Africa

Morocco in May

Still excellent, with the interior warming late month. The coast and mountains are in top form.

BestWarm to hot, Marrakech highs near 85F (29C)

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

The straight answer

May is one of the best months of the year to visit Morocco. Still excellent, with the interior warming late month. The coast and mountains are in top form.

Weather: Warm to hot, Marrakech highs near 85F (29C)
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 3 of 5

What May is like in Morocco

May is still excellent, with Marrakech highs near 85F (29C) and warming through the month. The coast and the mountains are at their best, and the desert is warm but manageable if you plan around midday. Crowds ease a little after April and prices soften slightly.

This month suits travelers who like it warm, and families happy to rest in a riad courtyard at midday. Heat-sensitive travelers should go early in the month or lean on Essaouira and the Atlas. Music lovers may catch the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, which usually falls in late spring.

Make the most of May

What is especially good about Morocco this month.

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

This festival of sacred and traditional music from around the world is usually held in late spring in Fes's historic venues. The city books out, so plan early if dates line up.

Rose harvest

The Valley of Roses around Kalaat M'Gouna can still be in harvest mode in May, depending on the year.

Essaouira at its best

Breezy Atlantic days and warm evenings make two nights in Essaouira a perfect reset.

What to pack for May

Lightweight, loose clothing
A wide-brim hat and strong sunscreen
A windbreaker for Essaouira
Sandals plus closed shoes for the medinas

Our timing tip

Go in the first half of May for the desert leg, and plan medina walks for early morning and evening.

Book Morocco for May.

Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.

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

What's on in May

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.

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

Usually late spring; dates vary year to year

A renowned festival of sacred and traditional music from around the world, staged in Fes's historic venues. The city books out around it.

Rose Festival, Kalaat M'Gouna

Usually around the rose harvest in spring

The Valley of Roses celebrates its damask rose harvest with processions and markets, en route between the Atlas and the desert.

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 May, quick answers

Is May a good time to visit Morocco?

May is one of the best months of the year to visit Morocco. Still excellent, with the interior warming late month. The coast and mountains are in top form.

What is the weather like in Morocco in May?

Warm to hot, Marrakech highs near 85F (29C).

Is Morocco crowded in May?

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

What is happening in Morocco in May?

Ramadan in Morocco (dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window); Fes Festival of World Sacred Music (usually late spring; dates vary year to year); Rose Festival, Kalaat M'Gouna (usually around the rose harvest in spring).