When to go to Morocco
Tell me the month and I will build the route around it. Morocco changes with the season, and so does the journey I would choose for you.
January
Cold nights in the desert, snow in the Atlas, and bright sunny days. The medinas are at their quietest and the prices at their best. I build the days around the sunshine and keep the evenings warm.
February
Still winter in the Atlas and still cold after dark in the dunes. Bright days and quiet medinas make this a good month if you like room to wander. It is one of the best months for prices, too.
March
The first of my best all-round months. Wildflowers begin in the Atlas and the desert heat is comfortable. I can build a route that takes in the cities, the mountains and the dunes without working around summer afternoons.
April
Wildflowers in the Atlas, comfortable heat in the Sahara, and days that suit a journey across the country. If you ask me for one all-round month, April is one I would give you.
May
Another of the best all-round months. The Atlas still has its wildflowers and the desert is comfortably warm. This is a month when the whole-country route works well.
June
Inland Morocco heats up. Marrakech and the desert can be very hot in the afternoon, so I move the day earlier. The Atlantic coast, Essaouira and the mountains stay cooler. The desert still works if you sleep out and move early.
July
I would build more of your days around Essaouira, the Atlantic coast and the mountains, where it stays cool. Marrakech and the Sahara are very hot in the afternoon. If the dunes are part of the plan, we sleep out and start early.
August
Hot inland, especially in Marrakech and the desert during the afternoon. The coast and the mountains give the route a cooler rhythm. The Sahara is still possible: sleep out, move early, and leave the afternoon for rest.
September
The second great window begins. Warm days, cold nights in the desert, and a route that can take you across the country again. I keep something warm on the packing list for the dunes.
October
Warm days and cold desert nights. Along with spring, this is one of the months I most often choose for a first visit. Cities, mountains and Sahara fit together well.
November
The last month of that second best window. The days are warm and the desert nights are cold. I plan for both, rather than treating the country as though it has one temperature.
December
Bright sunny days, cold nights in the desert and snow in the Atlas. The medinas are at their quietest and prices are at their best. I choose the mountain route with the snow in mind and make sure the rooms are warm.
The good riads and desert camps for March to May and September to November fill about six months ahead. Tell me early and I can hold the rooms that fit your journey.