Marrakech in December: winter sunshine just three hours from France

Rather than using the approximate averages circulating everywhere, we calculated the values for the weather in Marrakech in December based on the last eleven Decembers in Marrakech, from 2015 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data.

The wide gap between day and night

It's the one piece of data no one remembers, yet it's the one that ruins trips. Between the afternoon peak and the early morning, there is a difference of nearly 14 °C. In practical terms, your day looks like this: 8 °C when you wake up in a riad with thick walls, 15 °C around 10 a.m., a peak around 21 °C between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., then a rapid drop as soon as the sun sets, around 5:30 p.m. At 8 p.m., you either dine on a heated terrace or you head inside.

Marrakech is located at an altitude of 460 meters, at the foot of the High Atlas, and this altitude explains the nighttime coolness. The thermometer has already dropped to 0.6 °C during the studied period, an extreme but real case.

Does it rain often in Marrakech in December?

No. December is among the wettest months of the year in Marrakech, though that remains very relative: 38 mm and 5 days of rain, compared to 25 to 30 days of clear or lightly cloudy skies. Showers are short, often falling at the end of the day, and the sun returns immediately after. Plan for a light waterproof jacket, not an umbrella.

Watch out for the wind, however: when it blows from the south or from the Atlas Mountains, the perceived temperature easily drops by three to four degrees.

Visiting Marrakech in December is even one of the best choices of the year, provided you know what you are looking for.

December is ideal if you want to walk. The medina, the souks, the Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, and the Guéliz district are best visited on foot, and a dry 21 °C is infinitely more comfortable than a 40 °C in July. It is also the right time if you are looking to see the city without the crowds, outside of peak tourist seasons, with more accessible riads and tables that are easier to book. To compare with other months, we analyzed the best time to visit Morocco.

December isn't ideal if you're coming for the pool and lounging around. Unless there's a heated pool, the water remains too cold for swimming, and the days are short: the sun sets around 5:30 PM. If your plan is to sunbathe, aim for May or September instead.

To dress for Marrakech in December, the rule can be summed up in one word: layers. You dress for two different climates in the same day.

• During the day: t-shirt or light shirt, light trousers, an open shirt or a thin sweater in your bag for the shade of the covered alleys.
• In the evening: a real sweater and a jacket, or even a light puffer jacket if you are sensitive to the cold. Restaurants and riads are rarely heated like in Europe.
• Shoes: closed and comfortable sneakers. The souks are explored on foot, and the ground there is uneven.
• Rain: a foldable waterproof windbreaker, more useful than an umbrella in narrow alleys.
• Respecting the surroundings: shoulders and knees covered to visit religious sites and feel comfortable in the medina.
• If you head up into the Atlas: a beanie, gloves, and a real down jacket. In Oukaïmeden, the December average is 6 °C during the day and -2.3 °C at night.

The medina and the souks, finally accessible

It's the number one argument for activities in Marrakech in December. In July, crossing the Semmarine souk is a test of endurance. In December, you stroll. Jemaa el-Fna square picks up its rhythm in the late afternoon, with orange juice stalls, snail vendors, and storytellers, and the atmosphere is denser than in summer because the Marrakchis themselves come out more often.

The must-sees are effortless: Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa, Marrakech Museum, and the ramparts at sunset.

Gardens and museums

The Majorelle Garden and the neighboring Yves Saint Laurent Museum are absolute classics, and December suits them well: low light, vibrant blue, and reasonable queues outside of the holiday season. The garden is open every day from 8 am to 6:30 pm, with last entry at 6 pm, and the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts from 8:30 am to 6 pm. Tickets can only be purchased online on the official website; remember to book the day before.

Also worth seeing, more peaceful: the secret garden in the medina, the Menara gardens with the snowy Atlas mountains in the background, and the palm grove north of the city.

The hammam, the ultimate activity for the cool season

A traditional hammam with a black soap scrub is pleasant in summer and frankly delicious when it's 8 °C outside. All types exist, from a neighborhood hammam for a few dozen dirhams to a hotel spa. It's the perfect activity for the end of the day, when night falls early.

The Agafay Desert and the Ourika Valley

The Agafay Desert, 30 kilometers from the city, is an expanse of stony hills that can be visited in half a day or as an overnight stay in a tent. In December, walking there is pleasant and the sunsets are superb, but the nights are cold: check that the camp offers real heating before booking.

The Ourika Valley, an hour's drive away, offers Berber villages, waterfalls, and tables by the river. Remember to download your maps before heading up, as signal becomes scarce in the gorges: our eSIM for Morocco covers the entire country, not just the city. It's the simplest excursion to gain altitude and see the snow up close.

Skiing in Oukaïmeden, 1.5 hours from Jemaa el-Fna square

It is the contrast that no one expects from a stay in Morocco. At 2,600 meters, the Oukaïmeden station receives an average of 20.3 centimeters of snow in December, spread over nearly 6 days of snowfall, with 6 °C during the day and -2.3 °C at night over the same eleven years of measurements.

Snowfall is irregular from one year to the next, so don't organize your trip around skiing. But if it has snowed, you can have breakfast on a terrace in Marrakech and lunch in front of the slopes. Even without snow, the road leading up there is worth the detour.

Spending Christmas in Marrakech requires knowing one thing: Morocco is a Muslim country, December 25th is not a public holiday, and businesses and administrations operate normally. This doesn't stop anything; on the contrary. Riads, hotels, and large restaurants in Guéliz and Hivernage offer holiday menus, decorations, and special evenings, catering to a largely European clientele.

For a family, December outside of the holiday season is probably the best window of the year: mild temperatures, walking days that are manageable for children, and a less crowded city.

An important point, because many articles get it wrong. The Marrakech International Film Festival, the city's major cultural event, does not necessarily take place in December. In 2025, it spanned from November 28 to December 6, but the official regulations for the 2026 edition announce the dates as November 20 to 28, 2026. In other words, if you leave in December 2026, the festival will already be over. Always check the dates on the official website before planning your stay around it.

What remains in December: New Year's Eve parties, the medina markets that run all year round, and the Marrakech International Marathon, which takes place in January, not December. The month is quiet in terms of schedule, and that is precisely what makes it charming.

If your goal is to visit the city, December beats summer without question. If your goal is the pool, it's the opposite.