People often ask us when they should come to Morocco. Our honest answer is that it depends on what you want from the trip. We’ve lived here for fourteen years, and there’s still something we look forward to every month, whether it’s the almond blossom in February, the rose harvest in May or the saffron crocuses in the autumn.
This is the calendar we’d give a friend: where to go each month, where we’d have you stay, and the one thing we’d tell you not to skip.
January: Snow and the Berber New Year
Morocco gets two new years. In mid-January, Amazigh families celebrate Yennayer, the Berber New Year, with music, dancing and very generous meals. Head up into the High Atlas and you’ll often find snow on the peaks, blue skies overhead and villages where the old traditions are still very much alive.
Where to go: The Atlas Mountains
Where to stay: Olinto
Don’t miss: Paragliding over the foothills, then a long lunch with a Berber family
February: Fez and the almond blossom
The almond trees flower in February, and for a few weeks the countryside is covered in white blossom. Photographers love it. It’s also a good month for a romantic break around Valentine’s Day, or a family trip over half-term.
This year we point you to Fez. Palais Jamaï, the 19th-century palace hotel on the edge of the medina, has reopened after a long restoration. One thing to know for 2027, Ramadan is expected to begin in early February. The days are calmer, and the medina really comes alive after sunset.
Where to go: Fez
Where to stay: Palais Jamaï
Don’t miss: An evening tasting trail through the souks of Fes el-Bali
March: Spring in the Sahara
Spring brings soft light and comfortable temperatures, which makes it a great time for walking. In the desert, the days are warm and the nights are cool and very clear. In 2027, March also brings Eid al-Fitr, the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan.
Where to go: The Sahara Desert
Where to stay: A luxury desert camp among the dunes
Don’t miss: Stargazing with an astronomer. The skies out here are some of the darkest you’ll ever see
April: The gardens of Marrakech
Marrakech’s gardens are at their best in April. Flowers spill over the walls, the Jardin Majorelle is in full bloom, and migrating birds pass overhead on their way north.
Where to go: Marrakech
Where to stay: Le Farnatchi or Royal Mansour
Don’t miss: A private visit to Villa Oasis and some of the city’s hidden gardens
May: The rose harvest
In May, the Dadès Valley harvests its roses. The town of Kelaat M’Gouna holds a festival to celebrate, with music, dancing and stalls of local crafts, while the petals are distilled into rosewater. For a few weeks, the whole valley smells of roses.
Where to go: Skoura and the Dadès Valley
Where to stay: Dar Ahlam
Don’t miss: Private lunches and dinners set up in remote corners of the oasis
June: Music in Essaouira
June means the Gnaoua and World Music Festival in Essaouira. Gnaoua masters play alongside musicians from all over the world, and the hypnotic rhythms carry through the town late into the night. The Atlantic wind keeps things cool while the rest of the country heats up.
Where to go: Essaouira
Where to stay: L’Heure Bleue Palais
Don’t miss: Lunch among the vines at Val d’Argan, paired with Moroccan wines
July: Figs and slow summer days
There’s not much better than a warm fig eaten straight off the tree. July is fig season, and a good time to do very little at all. We have some lovely private villas in the countryside where you can spend the hottest part of the day by the pool and save the exploring for later.
Where to go: The countryside just outside Marrakech
Where to stay: A private villa
Don’t miss: Exploring the nearby villages and valleys by vintage sidecar
August: The Mediterranean coast
Inland, August is hot. Up on the Mediterranean coast it’s a different story, with sea breezes and quieter days. It’s also low season across much of Morocco, so some of the country’s best hotels are noticeably better value.
Where to go: Tamuda Bay
Where to stay: Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay
Don’t miss: A guided day trip to Tétouan and its whitewashed, UNESCO-listed medina
September: Tangier
Tangier has drawn artists and writers for over a century, and September is a lovely time to see why. The heat eases off, the evenings stay warm, and the Tanjazz festival brings concerts to the city’s palaces, gardens and medina streets. On a clear day you can see right across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain.
Where to go: Tangier
Where to stay: Villa Mabrouka
Don’t miss: A private visits to some of Tangier’s most beautiful homes and gardens
October: Rabat in autumn
The summer crowds have gone, the pomegranates are ripe and the evening light turns a deep gold. It’s a good month for Rabat, the capital, which many visitors skip. They’re missing out. The old city is UNESCO-listed, the Kasbah of the Udayas is a maze of blue-and-white lanes above the ocean, and Zaha Hadid’s Grand Theatre sits just along the river.
Where to go: Rabat
Where to stay: Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, a former sultan’s palace on the seafront
Don’t miss: A private sunset walk through the Kasbah of the Udayas and its Andalusian gardens
November: Kitesurfing in Dakhla
When Europe goes grey, it’s worth heading south to Dakhla, where the Sahara meets the Atlantic. The peninsula curls around a huge, flat-water lagoon, and the trade winds blow for most of the year. November is warm, quieter than peak season and still reliably windy, so it works for beginners and experienced riders alike. Further north, it’s harvest time: saffron is picked at dawn in Taliouine and the olives are going to the press.
Where to go: Dakhla
Where to stay: La Tour d’Eole, an eco-lodge on the lagoon
Don’t miss: A private kitesurfing session on the lagoon, then a downwinder to the White Dune
December: Firelight in the Agafay
December mornings are chilly, but the days are sunny and clear, and the High Atlas is usually white with snow. Just outside Marrakech, the Agafay Desert welcomes you. Fires are lit as the sun goes down over the stony hills, and later the sky fills with stars. It’s a wonderful spot for a festive dinner, or to see in the New Year somewhere completely different.
Where to go: The Agafay Desert
Where to stay: Les Roches Noire
Don’t miss: A private dinner by the fire, under the stars
Planning your trip
Tell us when you’d like to travel and what you love, and we’ll take care of the rest, from the hotel and private guides to a table for two in the middle of the desert. Get in touch and let’s start planning.
