Morocco in December: Warm Days, Cold Nights and How to Plan Around Both

Morocco in December surprises almost everyone who goes. The days are bright and often warm enough for a T-shirt in Marrakech, the medinas are calmer than in spring, and the desert sky is at its clearest. Then the sun drops and you remember it’s winter: nights fall to single digits, the High Atlas turns white and old riads can be colder inside than out. This guide gives you the real numbers by region, the places to favour and avoid, and the small decisions, like which room to book, that make the trip.

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December is a good time to visit Morocco if you plan for cold nights. Marrakech averages about 20 °C (68 °F) by day and 7 °C (45 °F) at night with around four rainy days; Agadir is the mildest at about 22 °C (72 °F); the Sahara is sunny but near freezing before dawn; Fes and the north are cooler and wetter; and the High Atlas often has snow. Early December is quiet and good value, while Christmas to New Year is busy and pricier.

Is Morocco in December a Good Idea? A Region-by-Region Verdict

Mostly yes, as long as you want sightseeing, food and desert landscapes rather than a beach holiday. December is the start of the quieter season in most regions, and Rough Guides’ Morocco in December guide notes that riads, flights and tours generally cost less than at peak times, with the first half of the month the calmest. The weather varies sharply by region, so the region you pick decides the trip.

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Weighing North Africa options against each other? Our guide to Egypt in December covers the warmer, drier alternative, and our round-up of warm-weather destinations in December compares both with the rest of the world.

Morocco Weather in December: Warm Sun, Cold Nights

The headline is the gap between day and night. Morocco’s dry inland air warms quickly under the winter sun and loses that heat as soon as it sets. The figures below are long-term averages from national weather station records, so use them as a baseline, not a forecast.

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Read the rain column from bottom to top and you see Morocco’s December pattern: the north, facing the Atlantic storms, is wet; the south, behind the mountains, is dry. Tangier gets more than five times Marrakech’s rainfall, and Ouarzazate barely any. If you have a week and want sun, that tells you where to spend most of it.

Marrakech in December: The Best Base, With One Catch

Marrakech is the easiest place to spend December in Morocco. Afternoons around 20 °C are ideal for the souks, the Jardin Majorelle and rooftop lunches, and on clear days you can see snow on the High Atlas from the medina terraces. The catch is the evening. By 6 p.m. it’s jacket weather, and by midnight it’s close to 7 °C.

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The riad heating tip nobody tells you

Riads are built around an open courtyard to stay cool in summer, which is exactly why they can be chilly in winter. Thick walls hold the cold, tiled floors are cold underfoot, and rooms that open straight onto the courtyard lose heat every time the door opens. Ask these three questions before you pay: does the room have a heater or reversible air conditioning, are there extra blankets, and is the room on an upper floor (they’re usually warmer and drier than ground-floor rooms off the courtyard)?

The Sahara in December: Clear Skies and Cold Nights

The desert is at its most comfortable by day in December: dry, sunny and pleasantly warm, with none of the heat that makes summer treks punishing. The nights are a different story. Ouarzazate, on the way to the dunes, averages about 3 °C (38 °F) at night, and the open desert around Merzouga’s Erg Chebbi or the dunes near Zagora can feel close to freezing before dawn.

That cold is also what gives December its best desert asset: very clear, dry night skies for stargazing. A well-run camp makes the difference. Choose one with proper beds, thick blankets and enclosed tents, ask whether there’s a fire in the evening, and bring a hat and warm socks to sleep in. A night in early December, before the holiday rush, is the sweet spot: quiet camps and clear skies.

If dark skies are a big part of your plan, our guide to stargazing in December covers what makes a night good for it.

The Atlas Mountains in December: Snow, Passes and Plan B

The High Atlas is beautiful in December and the one region where weather can change your route. Snow is common at altitude, and mountain towns such as Ifrane in the Middle Atlas often drop below freezing at night. That’s great for snowy scenery and winter walks, but it affects anyone driving between Marrakech and the desert.

The main road from Marrakech to Ouarzazate crosses the Tizi n’Tichka pass. When heavy snow falls it can close completely in both directions; on one recent closure, reported by Hespress, traffic came to a full halt and authorities urged drivers to postpone non-essential trips. Closures can last from a few hours to a day or more, which is why a spare day belongs in every December desert route.

Skiing? Oukaïmeden, south of Marrakech, is Morocco’s best-known ski area, with a base around 2,600 m. Its best months are usually January and February, so treat December snow as a bonus rather than something to plan a trip around.

Agadir and Essaouira: Morocco’s Mildest December Coast

If you want warmth more than anything else, go south-west. Agadir is the mildest major town in December, averaging about 22 °C (72 °F) by day and 10 °C (50 °F) at night, with over 220 hours of sunshine in the month. It’s good for long beach walks, the promenade, the souk and day trips into the Anti-Atlas and Souss-Massa National Park.

Be realistic about the sea, though. The Atlantic is around 18 °C here in December, which most people find bracing rather than inviting. Essaouira, further north, is milder at night but windier and more changeable, with around five rainy days in the month. It’s a good two-night stop from Marrakech for the ramparts, the fishing port and the grilled-fish stalls; just bring a windproof.

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Fes and Chefchaouen: Worth It, If You Can Handle Rain

The north is Morocco’s wettest region in December. Fes averages about 62 mm of rain over six or seven days, with highs around 17 °C (63 °F) and nights around 5 °C (41 °F). Chefchaouen, higher in the Rif mountains, is cooler still, with daytime highs around 13 °C (55 °F). Tangier, on the coast, gets around ten wet days.

That doesn’t mean skip them. The Fes medina is mostly covered lanes and indoor sights, so a wet day still works, and Chefchaouen’s blue lanes look calm and soft in winter light. Two adjustments help: wear shoes with grip, since medina stones get slippery in rain, and give yourself one flexible day for the Roman ruins at Volubilis or the walk to Chefchaouen’s Spanish Mosque, so you can do them on the dry one.

Crowds, Prices and the Christmas–New Year Rush

For most of the month, December is one of Morocco’s quieter times, and the first half is the calmest of all. That changes around Christmas. Holiday visitors arrive in numbers, and prices rise at the end of the month, especially in Marrakech riads and desert camps, which are small and fill quickly.

If you’re tied to the holiday weeks, book riads and desert camps before anything else, and expect flights from Europe to be busy. Our December travel tips to avoid crowds and save money cover the booking tactics, and if you want somewhere quieter altogether, see our guide to places that stay quiet in December. Planning a New Year trip? Compare the options in our guide to where to spend New Year’s Eve.

What to Pack for Morocco in December

• A warm jacket or down layer: for evenings everywhere and the desert night.
• Thermal base layer, hat and warm socks: light to pack, and the difference between a good and a bad night in a camp or unheated room.
• Light long sleeves and trousers: for sunny afternoons, and modest enough for medinas and rural villages.
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm: the sun is strong and the air dry, especially in the desert and mountains.
• Waterproof layer and grippy shoes: essential for Fes, Chefchaouen and the coast.

For a full list, see our December winter packing list or try the free Packing by Season Generator.

A 7-Day Morocco in December Itinerary That Follows the Sun

This route keeps you in the dry south, with a spare day built in for the mountain pass.

Comparing seasons? Our guide to Morocco in October shows how the same route feels in autumn, and the Morocco travel overview covers the basics.

When Not to Go: The December Weeks to Think Twice About

December has no bad weather week as such, but two situations are worth avoiding. The Christmas to New Year fortnight brings the month’s highest prices and the busiest riads and desert camps, so skip it unless the holiday is the point. And if your route is north-only, Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier, December is one of the wetter months there, so you may prefer spring or autumn. If snow-free Atlas hiking is the goal, December isn’t your month either.

Unsure about your dates? Use our free tool to check whether your month is a bad one, or browse the When NOT to Go hub.

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Morocco in December: Your Questions Answered

The one rule for Morocco in December is to plan for the night as carefully as the day: warm rooms, warm layers and a spare day for the mountains. Do that and you get sunny souks, clear desert skies and quiet medinas at one of the best-value times of the year. For more ideas this month, browse our best travel destinations in December and our Morocco travel guides.