Morocco in November
November is one of the best months of the year to visit Morocco. Still excellent with thinning crowds. Desert nights turn cold late month; pack accordingly.
Weather
Mild, Marrakech highs near 73F (23C)
Crowds
Prices
What's on in November
Dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window
Ramadan in Morocco. 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.
Usually late in the year
Marrakech International Film Festival. A major film festival that brings red-carpet energy, and full hotels, to Marrakech.
Things to do in Morocco
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
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 ↗
- 7
Chefchaouen. The blue-washed mountain town of the Rif, most easily paired with Fes or Tangier. Photogenic to the point of cliche, and still worth it, especially at dawn.
- 8
A hammam and a cooking class. The public or spa hammam scrub and a tagine-from-the-market class are the two participatory classics; both convert a half day into a core memory.
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.
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.
Morocco in November: quick answers
Is November a good time to visit Morocco?
November is one of the best months of the year to visit Morocco. Still excellent with thinning crowds. Desert nights turn cold late month; pack accordingly.
What is the weather like in Morocco in November?
Mild, Marrakech highs near 73F (23C).
Is Morocco crowded in November?
Crowds in Morocco are moderate in November; timed bookings still help at the biggest sights.
What is happening in Morocco in November?
Ramadan in Morocco (dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window); Marrakech International Film Festival (usually late in the year).