Discover the best time of year, based on historical climate, temperature, and precipitation.
The best weather in Marrakesh is from April, November, December. — consistent weather climate
🌡Hot & dry
| Score | 82 | 90 | 90 | 94 | 83 | 68 | 34 | 36 | 67 | 88 | 95 | 92 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant | Pleasant | Pleasant | Hot & dry | Hot & dry | Hot & dry | Pleasant | Mild | Mild |
| Temperature | 5–20°C | 7–21°C | 9–23°C | 12–26°C | 15–31°C | 18–33°C | 21–39°C | 22–38°C | 19–33°C | 15–30°C | 10–24°C | 7–21°C |
| Feels like | 3–17°C | 5–19°C | 7–22°C | 11–25°C | 15–30°C | 18–34°C | 21–39°C | 22–39°C | 19–34°C | 15–29°C | 8–22°C | 5–19°C |
| Precipitation | 19mm 4 days | 33mm 5 days | 39mm 6 days | 23mm 5 days | 15mm 3 days | 3mm 1 days | 2mm 0 days | 4mm 1 days | 7mm 1 days | 17mm 3 days | 20mm 4 days | 20mm 3 days |
| Sunshine | 9.2h ☀︎ 89% | 9.7h ☀︎ 88% | 10.3h ☀︎ 86% | 11.4h ☀︎ 88% | 12.0h ☀︎ 87% | 12.3h ☀︎ 87% | 12.6h ☀︎ 90% | 12.2h ☀︎ 92% | 10.7h ☀︎ 87% | 10.0h ☀︎ 88% | 9.3h ☀︎ 88% | 8.9h ☀︎ 88% |
| Wind | NE · 13 km/h | N · 14 km/h | N · 16 km/h | N · 17 km/h | N · 19 km/h | N · 19 km/h | N · 18 km/h | N · 17 km/h | N · 16 km/h | NW · 15 km/h | NE · 13 km/h | E · 11 km/h |
| Humidity (%) | 59% | 58% | 59% | 55% | 49% | 48% | 40% | 41% | 50% | 51% | 55% | 61% |
| Day length | 10.3h | 11.1h | 12.0h | 13.0h | 13.8h | 14.2h | 14.0h | 13.3h | 12.4h | 11.4h | 10.6h | 10.1h |
International stars and filmmakers descend on the city for red-carpet screenings in late November or early December, whe…
Thousands of runners race through the city's avenues and past the historic ramparts in late January, taking advantage of…
Troupes from across Morocco gather in July to perform traditional music, dance, and folklore in open-air venues, despite…
Standard advice points to November or the spring rush for Marrakesh, but October is the true masterstroke: you trade a sliver of November's textbook coolness for empty courtyard riads, quiet alleyways, and room to actually breathe in the Medina.
Marrakesh was built out of clay and sandstone at the foot of the snow-tipped Atlas Mountains, an imperial outpost created nearly a millennium ago to command the desert trade routes. Most visitors arrive expecting an exotic postcard, but what you actually encounter is pure sensory theatre: the scent of cedar shavings and orange blossom cutting through diesel fumes, the resonant thrum of the call to prayer echoing from the Koutoubia Mosque, and narrow pink alleyways built to baffle cavalry. Yet the city's magic is intensely fragile. Jam the ramparts with tour groups or scorch them under a midsummer sun, and the enchantment curgeons into exhaustion. Navigating this city isn't just about reading a thermometer; it is about knowing when the alleyways loosen their grip.
If you look purely at meteorology charts, November appears to be the undisputed champion. That calculation misses the human reality on the ground. November brings tour coaches, film crews, and a surge of autumn travelers that turns every corridor into a bottleneck. October sits in that rare, blissful vacuum where summer's searing heat has broken, but the winter rush has not yet materialized.
Midday in October still carries a golden, dry warmth around 30 degrees, perfect for lingering over spiced mint tea in the sunken courtyards of the Mellah or wandering the shaded tilework of Bahia Palace without jostling for elbow room. By late afternoon, the sun dips behind the red ramparts and leaves behind soft, balmy air that invites aimless strolls past spice stalls and leather tanners. It is the single month where Marrakesh feels generous rather than overwhelming.
By late November, the daytime temperatures drop to an effortless sweet spot, crisp in the morning and mild all afternoon. The Atlas peaks in the distance gather their first heavy coats of snow, creating an arresting backdrop of white powder towering over red clay walls. Late autumn also marks the arrival of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which draws cinema royalty and floods the city's grand venues with red-carpet glamour and evening buzz.
Yet this idyllic weather comes at an unmistakable price. December marks the absolute peak of the city's visitor calendar. The labyrinthine souks pack tight from mid-morning to dusk, boutique riads command premium rates months in advance, and crossing Jemaa el-Fnaa at sunset requires cutting through dense walls of tour groups. If you come now, you trade peaceful contemplation for pure, electric spectacle.
Winter in the Red City surprises people who assume North Africa is perpetually balmy. While January afternoons are mild and bright—drawing thousands to the city's avenues for the Marrakech Marathon—the desert chill bites hard once the sun disappears. Stone floors inside historic riads turn icy, and you will find yourself grateful for crackling cedar-log fireplaces and wool djellabas.
February shifts swiftly back into high gear. European travelers seeking an early reprieve from northern grey sky descend in droves, driving foot traffic back near capacity. The reward is sharp, crystalline mountain air and brilliant blue skies over the reflecting pools of the Menara Gardens, but you will share every garden bench and rooftop terrace with a crowd.
Spring is the traditional darling of the travel industry, bringing flowering jacarandas, perfumed orange trees, and temperatures that climb steadily from gentle spring warmth toward the edges of summer. In April, the climate is technically sublime, but the city operates under maximum strain.
The winding paths around the Saadian Tombs and the modern art galleries of Guéliz see a relentless churn of visitors from breakfast until dusk. By May, the heat begins to assert itself, frequently nudging above 30 degrees while crowds taper only slightly. Spring delivers Marrakesh in full, vibrant bloom, but it requires patience to negotiate the constant press of humanity in the lanes.
Summer in the inland basin is unforgiving. By July and August, afternoon temperatures routinely approach 40 degrees, baking the terracotta brickwork until the Medina radiates heat like a clay oven. Pavement softens, donkey carts slow down, and walking the alleyways between noon and five in the evening is simply miserable.
The genuine shock of the data is July: despite punishing conditions, the city remains extraordinarily busy. Domestic travelers, diaspora returns, and cultural devotees arrive for events like the National Festival of Popular Arts, braving the heat to watch dancers and musicians take over historic open-air grounds after twilight. September brings a slow, grudging decline in the heat, but the city remains exhausted from the summer burn. Unless you plan to spend your days submerged in a shaded courtyard plunge pool and emerge only after dark, save this city for the cooler turn of the year.