December is winter sun in Marrakech: clear, dry days at about 19°C, nights down to 7°C, and the High Atlas white behind the city. It is cheap for three weeks and then expensive for one, as Europe arrives for Christmas and New Year. The desert is at its best, the medina is comfortable all day, and the cold after dark is the only thing that catches people out.
Winter sun, with a caveat
Marrakech is one of the closest genuinely sunny winter destinations to Europe, and December delivers on that – roughly 19°C, clear skies, low humidity and the light that makes the red walls worth the trip.
The caveat is the same as January’s and it is worth repeating: nights fall to around 7°C, and riads are built for summer – thick walls, open courtyards, tiled floors, often minimal heating. Confirm your riad has heating rather than assuming, and pack a proper jacket. A rooftop dinner in December needs a coat.
The desert at its best
December is one of the strongest months for the Sahara, and the reason is the day-night split. Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes are comfortable to walk and ride in by day and genuinely cold at night – which is what a desert camp is supposed to feel like, and is impossible in summer.
Take real warm layers for an overnight: a fleece, a hat and something windproof. The camps provide heavy blankets, but the temperature drop after sunset is dramatic and consistently underestimated.
Agafay, forty minutes from the city, works as a shorter version of the same thing.
Weather
December averages about 19°C by day and 7°C at night, with roughly 25 mm of rain. Days are reliably clear, and the Atlas carries snow through the month, with Oukaïmeden opening when conditions allow.
Christmas and New Year
Morocco is a Muslim country and 25 December is not a public holiday – the city works normally. What happens instead is commercial: riads, hotels and the Gueliz restaurants run Christmas and New Year programmes for European visitors, and many require a compulsory gala dinner on 24 or 31 December.
The pricing consequence is sharp. From about 20 December to 3 January, Marrakech is at its most expensive of the entire year, with minimum-stay requirements common. Either book months ahead or take the first three weeks of December instead, which have identical weather at a fraction of the cost.
What December is for
- Winter sun, three hours from most of Europe.
- The desert, at its best.
- The medina all day, without heat.
- The Atlas in snow, and the view it gives the city.
- Value, specifically from 1 to about 19 December.
Prices and crowds
Two months in one. The first three weeks are low season with excellent conditions. From about the 20th, Christmas and New Year pricing takes over and Marrakech becomes as expensive as it ever gets.
See the Marrakech travel budget.
What to pack
Layers and a genuinely warm jacket – for the evenings, for unheated riads and above all for a desert night. Sun protection for the days, which are strong despite the temperature. Modest clothing for the medina, and warm gear if the Atlas or the Sahara is on the itinerary. See the Morocco packing list.
The December 2027 calendar
- 1–19 December – low season with clear 19°C days; the best value window of the month.
- Late November or early December – the Marrakech International Film Festival, with free screenings in Jemaa el-Fna.
- Through December – the desert at its best; Merzouga and Agafay both in season.
- Through December – the Atlas in snow; Oukaïmeden opens when conditions allow.
- Saturday 25 December – not a public holiday in Morocco; the city works normally.
- From about 20 December – Christmas and New Year pricing; compulsory gala dinners and minimum stays.
- Friday 31 December – New Year’s Eve; the most expensive night of the Marrakech year.
Read alongside
- Marrakech in November – the film festival and falling prices.
- Marrakech in January – the coldest nights of the year.
- Best time to visit Marrakech – all twelve months compared.
- Marrakech to Sahara desert tour – December is among its best months.
- Marrakech travel budget – low season and the New Year peak.
- Where to stay in Marrakech – and why heating matters.
- Morocco packing list – the winter version.
Frequently asked
Is Marrakech good for winter sun?
Yes – it is one of the closest reliably sunny winter destinations to Europe, at about 19°C with clear dry days. The qualifier is the nights, which fall to around 7°C in riads that often have minimal heating.
How cold does it get in December?
Around 7°C at night, and colder in the desert and the Atlas. Confirm your riad has heating before booking, and pack a proper jacket for evenings and rooftops.
Is December good for the Sahara?
It is one of the best months. Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes are comfortable by day and genuinely cold at night – which is what a desert camp should feel like. Take real warm layers for the overnight.
Is Christmas a holiday in Morocco?
No. Morocco is a Muslim country and 25 December is an ordinary working day. Riads and hotels run Christmas and New Year programmes for European visitors, often with a compulsory gala dinner.
When is the cheapest week in December?
The first three weeks – 1 to about 19 December – which have identical weather to the holiday period at a fraction of the cost.
Why is late December so expensive?
European demand for winter sun over Christmas and New Year. From about the 20th to 3 January, Marrakech is at its most expensive of the entire year, with minimum-stay requirements and compulsory gala dinners common.
Is there snow near Marrakech in December?
On the High Atlas, yes – visible from the city rooftops, with Oukaïmeden opening when conditions allow. It is a ski area and a warm city within about 75 km of each other.
Is the medina comfortable in December?
Very – it is one of the best months for it. The days are warm enough to walk all day and the souks are not the heat refuge they have to be in summer.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
