In short: Marrakech in December gives you mild, sunny days and genuinely cold nights. Afternoons usually sit around 18 to 20C with clear skies, while after dark it can drop to 5 to 8C, colder still out in the desert. It is one of the best months for walking the city without breaking a sweat, and the Atlas peaks on the horizon often carry fresh snow. December is comfortable for sightseeing, busier around the holidays, and still fine for a desert trip as long as you pack for the chill. Here is how to plan it.
Spending the holidays in Morocco? See our Agafay Desert guide.
December weather in Marrakech
Days are pleasant. Highs typically run 17 to 20C, and in full sun it feels warmer, so a light jacket over a t-shirt is often enough at midday. The catch is the temperature swing. Once the sun drops, it gets cold fast, and nights fall to single digits. Bring real warm layers for the evening; a summer wardrobe will not cut it.
December sees a little more chance of rain than the summer, but it is still a mostly dry, sunny month, with the odd cloudy or wet day rather than long spells of it. The upside of winter is the light and the clear views: on a crisp day the snow-capped Atlas stands out sharply behind the city.
Crowds over the holidays
Early December is fairly quiet and a good time to visit. That changes around Christmas and New Year, when Marrakech becomes a popular winter-sun escape and the riads, restaurants and desert camps fill up. If you are coming for the holidays, book your rooms and any desert night well ahead, and expect higher prices over that stretch. For 31 December specifically, our guide to New Year’s Eve in Marrakech compares the desert options and what each one costs. Come in the first two or three weeks of the month and you get the good weather with thinner crowds.
What to do in December
This is the month to walk everywhere. The mild days make the medina, the souks and the outdoor sights a pleasure without the summer heat draining you. Do the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Medersa and the Majorelle garden at whatever pace you like, since the temperature is on your side all day.
Rooftop terraces are lovely in the December sun for a long lunch. Evenings turn cold, so this is prime time for a warming tagine, a harira soup and a mint tea somewhere with heaters or a fire. A hammam feels especially good in winter. And the clear air makes December one of the best months for a day out to the Atlas or the desert, where the views go for miles.
The desert in December: dress for the cold
Winter is a fine time for the desert, with one rule: it gets cold at night, more so than the city. The Agafay desert is about 40 minutes from Marrakech, and a December afternoon out there is beautiful, with soft low light on the stone hills and the snowy Atlas behind. You ride a camel or take a quad in the golden hour, then eat dinner in a camp. The camps are set up for winter with blankets, rugs and fires, but you should bring a warm coat, a hat and layers for after dark. Clear winter skies also make for excellent stargazing. It runs year-round, and December daytime conditions are among the most comfortable for the ride itself. The Agafay desert tours handle the timing and the warm setup, and for longer winter trips our Morocco desert guide covers the Sahara routes, which get very cold at night this time of year.
December versus other seasons
| December | Summer (Jul-Aug) | Spring (Apr-May) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime high | 17-20C | 38C+ | 26-32C |
| Night low | 5-8C, cold | Warm | Mild |
| Sightseeing comfort | Great all day | Mornings only | Great all day |
| Watch for | Cold nights, holiday crowds | Heat | Higher prices |
December trades warm evenings for cool, easy days. If you would rather walk all day than sit out the midday heat, winter is a strong choice; you just carry a coat for the nights.
Where December really shines
The thing winter does better than any other season is the light. The low sun gives the medina walls a warm color in the afternoon, and the clear, dry air pulls the snow-capped Atlas into sharp focus behind the city. Photographers love December for exactly this. It is also the season for slow indoor pleasures: long lunches on a sun-warmed terrace, then retreating to a fire-lit room for dinner as the cold sets in.
If you want to combine snow and desert in one trip, December can do it. The peaks around Oukaimeden sometimes carry enough snow to ski, an hour or two from the city, while the Agafay hills stay dry and clear for a sunset ride. Few places let you stand in a stone desert with a white mountain range on the skyline, and winter is when that view is at its best.
What to pack
- Layers: t-shirts for midday, a warm sweater and a proper jacket for evening
- A hat, scarf and closed shoes for cold nights and the desert
- A light rain layer just in case of a wet day
- Sunglasses and sunscreen; the winter sun is still bright
- An extra warm layer specifically for the desert camp after dark
What we arrange in Marrakech in December
December is our busiest month in the Agafay Desert, because the light is at its best and the Atlas summits are often white. Days are mild and evenings genuinely cold, so every camp we book heats its tents. Here is what a December visit costs with us.
- Private transfer Marrakech to the Agafay Desert: 80€ per car, one way, door to door
- Camel ride at sunset: 30€ per person; quad biking 35€ for one hour
- Dinner show under the stars, in a heated tent: 55€ per person
- New Year’s Eve in the desert on 31 December: 220€ per person, round-trip transport from Marrakech included
The desert calendar for the season, including the Trail Desert Agafay on 20 to 22 November and New Year’s Eve, is in our Agafay Desert events calendar. For the evening itself, see New Year’s Eve in the Agafay Desert.
Christmas and New Year week: what to book early
Between 20 December and 2 January, camps and dinners fill first, and the desert is fully booked on 24, 25 and 31 December. If your dates fall in that week, fix the camp and the transfer first, then add activities around them. We send one itemised price that includes the transfer, so there is no surprise on the day.
December temperatures at a glance
One table saves a lot of guesswork. These are the figures that decide what goes in your suitcase.
| Where | Daytime | After dark | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marrakech, city | 17 to 20 C | 5 to 8 C | T-shirt and light jacket at midday, real coat in the evening |
| Agafay, 40 min away | Mild and clear | Colder than the city | Camps use blankets, rugs and fires; still bring a warm layer |
| Sahara, Merzouga side | Mild at midday | Colder again | Nights can approach freezing in deep winter |
December also brings a little more chance of rain than summer, though it stays a mostly dry, sunny month. Expect the odd wet or cloudy day rather than a run of them.
A three-day December plan that uses the weather properly
Winter changes the shape of a Marrakech trip. The best hours are the middle of the day, not the evening, so front-load anything outdoors.
- Day one, the medina on foot. This is what December is for. Walk the souks, the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs at your own pace, because the temperature is on your side all day. Keep a sunny rooftop terrace for a long lunch, then move indoors as the light goes.
- Day two, gardens and a hammam. The Majorelle garden and the Ben Youssef Medersa are comfortable in winter light. A hammam in the late afternoon is one of the few things that is genuinely better in December than in July.
- Day three, the desert in the golden hour. Leave Marrakech after lunch for Agafay, ride a camel or take a quad while the sun is low, then eat in a camp. Clear winter skies make this the best stargazing season of the year.
If you have a fourth day and the peaks are white, Oukaimeden sometimes holds enough snow to ski, an hour or two from the city. Few trips let you stand in a stone desert with a snow line on the skyline the same week.
What our December experiences cost
These are our published prices. Everything is confirmed with one itemised quote, so the transfer is never a surprise added at the end.
| Experience | Price | Charged per |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer Marrakech ↔ Agafay | 80 EUR | Vehicle, up to 6 passengers |
| Camel ride at sunset | From 30 EUR | Person |
| Quad biking | From 30 EUR | Person |
| Dinner with show in a heated tent | From 45 EUR, luxury version 55 EUR | Person |
| Swimming pool day pass | From 65 EUR | Person |
| Hot-air balloon over Marrakech | 185 EUR | Person |
| New Year’s Eve in the desert, 31 December | 220 EUR | Person, round-trip transport included |
The pool day pass starts at 65 EUR per person and does not include the transfer. In December the pass suits a mild, sunny afternoon by the water rather than a swimming holiday, so read it as scenery and lunch with the option of a dip.
Coming from another city in December
Plenty of December visitors arrive from the coast or from Casablanca airport. One rule matters more than any other here: the 80 EUR rate applies only to the Marrakech to Agafay corridor. Longer runs are priced separately, and all of them are per vehicle rather than per person, up to six passengers.
| Route | Price per vehicle |
|---|---|
| Marrakech ↔ Agafay | 80 EUR |
| Casablanca | 250 EUR |
| Essaouira | 250 EUR |
| Agadir | 250 EUR |
| Taghazout | 320 EUR |
| Rabat | 400 EUR |
Because the price is per vehicle, a group of five or six splits it five or six ways. Two people pay the same total as six, which is worth knowing before anyone books separate seats.
Booking order for the Christmas and New Year week
Between 20 December and 2 January the sequence you book in matters more than the dates themselves.
| Step | What to fix | Why first |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your room in Marrakech | Riads fill earliest over the holidays |
| 2 | The desert camp or dinner | The desert is fully booked on 24, 25 and 31 December |
| 3 | The transfer | It is the link between the two; fixing it last creates gaps |
| 4 | Activities | Camel, quad and balloon slots are easier to move than camps |
For 31 December specifically, the evening in the desert is 220 EUR per person with round-trip transport from Marrakech included. The seasonal calendar is in our Agafay Desert events calendar.
Who December does not suit
December is an excellent month for some trips and the wrong month for others. Being straight about it saves disappointment.
- If you want warm evenings outdoors. City nights fall to 5 to 8 C and the desert is colder. Dinner outside without a coat is not a December plan.
- If the pool is the point of the trip. Afternoons are mild and sunny, but this is not swimming weather in the way May or September is.
- If you need guaranteed snow on the Atlas. The peaks often carry snow and the views are superb when they do, but nobody can promise it for a given week.
- If you want quiet and cheap over the holidays. Around Christmas and New Year, rooms, restaurants and camps fill up and prices rise. Come in the first two or three weeks instead and you get the same weather with thinner crowds.
- If you are hoping for Sahara dunes on a short winter break. Agafay is a stone desert about 30 km and 40 minutes from Marrakech, with no sand dunes. The nearest tall dunes, at Merzouga, are roughly 560 km and 9 to 10 hours away each direction.
What December does better than any other month
Two things, and both are free. The first is the light: a low winter sun turns the medina walls warm in the afternoon, and the dry, clear air pulls the snow-capped Atlas into sharp focus behind the city. The second is the night sky. Cold air holds less haze, so December stargazing from the Agafay hills is as good as it gets near Marrakech.
The practical version of all this: plan outdoors for the middle of the day, plan indoors or in a heated camp after dark, and carry the warm layer with you rather than leaving it at the hotel. Do that and December is one of the easiest months to visit Marrakech.
Useful next reads: the Morocco desert in November if you are deciding between the two months, our Agafay activities and prices guide for the full list, and the camp guide if you want to stay the night.
FAQ
Is December a good time to visit Marrakech?
Yes, especially for sightseeing. Days are mild and sunny at 17 to 20C, ideal for walking. Just pack warm clothes for the cold nights.
How cold does it get at night?
City nights drop to around 5 to 8C, and the desert is colder still. A warm coat and layers are essential after dark.
Can you visit the desert in December?
Yes. The Agafay desert runs all year. December afternoons are lovely and clear; the camps provide blankets and fires, so just dress warmly for the evening.
Is Marrakech busy at Christmas?
Around Christmas and New Year, yes. The city is a popular winter-sun spot, so book rooms and desert nights early for that period. Early December is quieter.
What does a December desert evening cost?
A camel ride or quad run starts at 30 EUR per person and dinner with a show in a heated tent from 45 EUR per person, with a luxury version at 55 EUR. The private transfer from Marrakech is 80 EUR per vehicle for up to six passengers.
How much is a transfer from Casablanca or Rabat in December?
Casablanca, Essaouira and Agadir are 250 EUR, Taghazout 320 EUR and Rabat 400 EUR, each per vehicle for up to six passengers. The 80 EUR rate applies only to the Marrakech to Agafay corridor.
Can you swim in Marrakech in December?
Afternoons are mild and sunny, and the Agafay pool day pass starts at 65 EUR per person, but December is better read as scenery and lunch by the water than as a swimming holiday.
Are there sand dunes near Marrakech in winter?
No. Agafay, about 30 km and 40 minutes from the city, is a stone desert with no dunes. The nearest tall dunes are at Merzouga, roughly 560 km and 9 to 10 hours away each direction.
Planning a winter trip? Message us on WhatsApp and we will set up an Agafay afternoon with the warm camp gear sorted, so you get the sunset and the stars without the cold catching you out.