Weather in the winter months in Morocco can vary considerably depending on where you`re going. From the north of the country down the coast, and into the inland areas, the temperatures will be in the low to mid 60s Fahrenheit during the day and in the mid to upper 40s at night. Note that this is the rainy season, so you will most likely encounter rain on some portion of your trip if you visit Morocco during this time of year. You will find the same conditions, more or less, whether you are traveling to Tangier, Fes, Meknes, and even Rabat and Casablanca. Lows in the mornings will rise into the low 50s in Rabat and Casablanca by the end of March.

Marrakech and Essaouira cool down in the winter months as well, but they are a tad milder, with highs in these months averaging in the upper 60s and low 70s, and lows in the upper 40s and low 50s. While you will see rain in these cities in the winter months, the number of rainy days per month averages between 2-3, compared to 5-7 in Casablanca and Rabat and as many as 10 closer to Tangier. Snow is to be expected in the higher elevations of the High Atlas range, which is bordered to the west by Marrakech and environs and to the south by Ourzazate and environs. In many parts of the country you will find lower hotel prices, as the winter is considered a lower season than spring and summer.

Holidays and Festivals:

January 1 – New Year’s Day (Ras l’âm in Arabic / Le jour de l’An in French.) National holiday in Morocco.

Early January – Fes Marathon, Fes

January 11 – Proclamation of Independence (Takdim watikat al-istiqlal / Proclamation d’indépendence). One of Morocco`s `national days`, the Day of the Proclamation of Independence celebrates the day in 1944 on which the Istiqlal Party wrote their independence manifesto and sent it to France and Spain, Morocco`s two colonizers at the time. National holiday in Morocco.

Late January – Marrakech Marathon, Marrakech

Early March – Rabat Marathon, Rabat

Temperatures continue to rise in the months of April and May, as Morocco transitions from a rainy season to a dry season. You will notice that fields and valleys are at their most green and vibrant, nourished by the plentiful rain of the winter months. Elevated chances for rain can still be seen in April, but by May the number of rainy days per month on average has dropped to three and below for the entire country. In the south, like in Essaouira, you will see an average of just one rain day in the month of May. Temperatures rise from the upper 60s Fahrenheit to the lower 70s from April to May in Tangier, with lows rising from the low 50s to the mid 50s. Fes and Meknes, being inland, will warm up faster: from around 70 degrees in April to the upper 70s in May, with nighttime lows in the upper 40s and low 50s. Temperatures in Rabat and Casablanca start out in the 50s in April and May, warming to the upper 60s by April and the low to mid 70s by May. Marrakech is much warmer, with April highs in the upper 70s and May highs in the low 80s, and nighttime temperatures in the mid-50s. Essaouira`s lows hover around 60 and highs warm up to the low 70s. April and May are considered shoulder season months in Morocco, and you might be able to find discounted hotels available for those dates.

Holidays and Festivals:

Late April – Agadir Marathon, Agadir

Shawwal 1 – Eid ul-Fitr (Eid Sghir / Eid al-Fitr) The end of Ramadan, it is marked by festivals, feasts and time with family and friends. It is the first day of the month of Shawwal on the Islamic calendar, which corresponds to June 4-5 in 2019, May 23-24 in 2020 and May 12-13 in 2021. National holiday in Morocco.

May 1 – Labour Day (Eid Ash-Shughl / Fête du Travail) Workers are celebrated in morning parades across the country. In the afternoon, privately-owned shops and souqs will re-open, but government buildings, including banks, are closed the entire day. National holiday in Morocco.

May to early June – Festival of the Roses, Kalaat M’Gouna. Timed to coincide with the rose harvest, the festival lasts for an entire weekend and tourists will be able to admire the fresh roses and buy rose-related souvenirs such as Moroccan oils and rosewater.

June and July is the beginning of the high season for tourists in Morocco. Not only does the school year end for students in North America and Europe, Moroccan children will be out of school during this time as well. All of these people, as well as their families, will be competing for time and space at various attractions throughout the country, in addition to single travelers and couples without children. In short, you will notice lines if you visit many attractions in the early afternoon hours. If there is something you feel you must see, either visit within the first hour of opening or the last two hours before closing. (Many attractions stop taking new tour groups in the final hour.) Expect to pay the highest rates of the year for accommodations.

The weather in Morocco varies a lot more in the summertime than it does in the winter. Tangier`s position near the sea allows it to stay temperate through the summer months, with highs in the upper 70s Fahrenheit in June and low 80s in July, and lows in the 60s. Fes and Meknes`s highs will rise into the low and mid-90s by July, and lows will routinely fall into the low to mid 60s. Rabat will see highs around 80 by July, and Casablanca will warm into the upper 70s. By the end of July, Casablanca`s lows will hover around 70, while Rabat is cooler in the mid-60s. Marrakech will heat up quickly to the low 90s by June and the upper 90s to near 100 by July, with lows in the mid-to-upper 60s. Essaouira provides some respite, with highs in the low to mid 70s and lows in the low to mid 60s. By June, much of the country will see days, even weeks, of completely dry conditions. You will also notice that even though parts of the country are hot, these dry conditions will feel less oppressive since the humidity is low.

Holidays and Festivals:

May to early June – Festival of the Roses, Kalaat M’Gouna. Timed to coincide with the rose harvest, the festival lasts for an entire weekend and tourists will be able to admire the fresh roses and buy rose-related souvenirs such as Moroccan oils and rosewater.

Third or fourth weekend in June – Gnaoua World Music Festival, Essaouira. As many as 500,000 people come to Essaouira every year to listen to performances from Gnaoua musicians, which mix Sufism with African traditions which predate the arrival of the Arabs in Morocco. The Gnaoua musicians mix a number of world music genres with their traditional sounds, such as jazz and electronica.

Last week in June – Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, Fes. Performances from religious musicians, music groups and choirs fill the four-day extended weekend. Participants transcend religious and geographic boundaries; Morocco`s religious diversity is put on full display, as are musicians from the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths, to name a few.

July – Marrakech Popular Arts Festival, Marrakech. Held every year since 1960, Moroccan performing arts are honored in a nearly-weeklong celebration, typically attended by the Moroccan royal family. Popular music performances are interspersed with performances using ancient instruments, allowing lovers of the arts to bridge the divide between the Morocco of yesterday and the one of today.

July – Horse Festival, Meknes, which features a legendary `fantasia`, an elaborately-staged Maghreb horsemanship performance.

First week in July – Timitar Festival, Agadir. One of the largest folk music festivals in Africa, nearly 500,000 people attend every year to listen to the music of the Amazigh people, better known as the Berbers.

Dhu al-Hijjah 10 – Eid ul-Adha (Eid Kbir / Eid al-Adha) One of the most sacred holidays on the Islamic calendar, it is celebrated with acts of charity, social gatherings, the giving of gifts, and big feasts. The tenth day of the month Dhu al-Hijjah, it corresponds to August 10-11 in 2019, July 30-31 in 2020 and July 19-20 in 2021. National holiday in Morocco.

July 30– Throne Day (Eid Al-Ârch / Le couronnement) The current king, Mohammed VI, took the throne on July 30, 1999. The King speaks on state television on this date and outlines his vision for Morocco for the next year. National holiday in Morocco.

The heat of August gives way to milder temperatures in September which are enjoyable in most parts of the country, in particular the Northern coast around Tangier and the Rif Mountains in the north of the country. Expect sunny conditions and highs in the lower 80s Fahrenheit and lows in the mid-60s. Fes and Meknes are still dry and hot, with highs in the upper 80s and low 90s, and lows in the low to mid 60s. Dry conditions should keep in place for the rest of the country through the end of September. Rabat and Casablanca will enjoy mild conditions with highs around 80 and lows in the mid-60s. Marrakech will see highs in the 90s and lows near 70. Essaouira warms to its highest temperatures of the year, a daytime average of about 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with lows in the mid-60s. Rain chances will begin to rise in September for Tangier, the Rif Mountains, and Marrakech, to an average of one or two days of rain per month. September is the beginning of the second of the two `shoulder seasons` in Morocco, and hotel prices will begin to retreat from their summer peaks. By the end of September, lines at attractions should begin to shrink in size.

Holidays and Festivals:

Muharram 1 – Islamic New Year (Fatih Muharram / Le nouvel an musulman) The first day of the year on the Islamic calendar. The first month of the year is the holiest of all the months, even more than Ramadan. The celebrations correspond to the dates September 11-12 in 2018, August 31-September 1 in 2019, August 19-20 in 2020, and August 9-10 in 2021. National holiday in Morocco.

August 14 – Oued Ed-Dahab Day (Zikra Oued Ed-Dahab / La journée Oued Eddahab) Oued Ed-Dahab is the Arabic name for the province of Western Sahara, and this day commemorates the Moroccan military`s 1979 victory over the Spanish, which had colonized Western Sahara. National holiday in Morocco.

August 20 – Revolution of the King and the People (Thawrat al malik wa shâab / La journée de la révolution du roi et du peuple) On August 20, 1953, the French colonizers exiled King Mohammed V to Madagascar. His exile would eventually culminate in full independence for Morocco in 1956, coinciding with his return to the throne. National holiday in Morocco.

August 21 – Youth Day (Eid Al Chabab / La journée de la jeunesse) A holiday to celebrate the younger generations of Moroccans and King Mohammed VI, whose birthday falls on this day too. National holiday in Morocco.

Late August and early September – Imilchil Marriage Festival, Imilchil. Imilchil is a small village in the High Atlas Mountains, and many of the villages are difficult to access by car. The area is very conservative, and due to cultural norms and geography, it has traditionally been difficult for men and women to find spouses. A local legend tells the story of two star-crossed lovers from rival tribes who ended their lives tragically when their families and communities did not approve of their union. In response, as the legend goes, each year the tribes `allowed` marriages between tribes without complaint or strife. As many as 40 local couples are married in Imilchil each year at the festival.

The shoulder season gives way to the low season for most areas of the country by December. Ski resorts in the Atlas Mountains will see business pick up by the month of December. For most of the country, the rainy season begins in earnest in the month of October and continues through the new year. Many locations go from 0-2 rain days in September to 5-8 by December, so pack for rainy weather because you will encounter rain the later in the year you decide to go.

Conditions cool down substantially from October to December. Highs in Tangier cool from the mid-70s Fahrenheit in October to the mid-60s in December, and the lows drop from the 60 degree range to the upper 40s in the same time frame. The temperature drop is more pronounced in Fes and Meknes, from the upper 70s to near 80 in October to the low 60s in December. (Lows descend from the mid-50s to the mid-40s from October to December for those locales.) Rabat and Casablanca start out the final three months of the year with highs in the mid-70s and lows around 60; by the middle of December the temperatures are firmly in the 60s during the day and in the 40s at night. The nights become cooler and longer in Marrakech, dropping from an average of 60 degrees in October to 45 in December. Highs during the same period drop from approximately 82 to 67, respectively. Weather in Essaouira cools a few degrees to the upper 60s by December, with lows in the mid-to-upper 50s. Snow can be seen in the High Atlas Mountains in November and December.

Holidays and Festivals:

October – Fes Festival of Sufi Culture, Fes. The largest festival in the world dedicated to the Sufi branch of Islam and the music and musicians that keep Sufi music and culture alive for generations across the world to experience and admire.

Late October – Salon du Cheval d’El Jadida, Rabat. One of the most popular horse shows in the country, it is attended by the King of Morocco and features judging rounds and a `fantasia` performance.

Late October – Casablanca Marathon, Casablanca

Rabi` al-awwal 12 – Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Eid Al Mawled / L’anniversaire du prophète Mahomet) Celebrated on the twelfth day of the month of Rabi` al-awwal, this observance coincides with the dates of November 20-21, 2018, November 9-10, 2019, October 28-29, 2020, and October 18-19, 2021. National holiday in Morocco.

November 6 – Green March (Eid Al Massira Al Khadra / Marche Verte) This day commemorates the `Green March` of 1975, when 350,000 demonstrators marched into Western Sahara (then called Spanish Sahara) to demand that Spain cede the disputed territory to Morocco. National holiday in Morocco.

November 18 – Independence Day (Eid Al Istiqulal / La journée du manifeste de l’indépendance) King Mohammed V returned from exile on this date in 1956, marking Morocco`s full transition to independence from France. National holiday in Morocco.

Late November to early December – Tangier International Film Festival, Tangier, one of the two largest film festivals in the country, screening dozens of films from all over the world.

Late November to early December – Marrakech International Film Festival, Marrakech, the second of the two most prestigious film festivals in the country.

The currency of Morocco is the dirham (abbreviated Dh). U.S. dollars are not accepted. One dirham is divided into 100 santimat. A dirham is equivalent to approximately 10-12 U.S. cents, making the exchange rate roughly 8 to 10 to the U.S. dollar. The dirham is a closed currency, which means you cannot buy any until you have arrived in Morocco. Bureaux de change are available at your arrival airport, at major banks, and in many tourist hotels. Keep your conversion receipt as you may need it when exchanging your dirhams for dollars upon leaving Morocco. ATMs will offer good exchange rates, and it is recommended to withdraw a couple days` worth of cash at a time if you do not decide to convert a large amount while at the airport or on your arrival day. Keep in mind that away from major tourist attractions, ATMs may only present options for use in Arabic and French.

If your bill doesn`t already have a surcharge on it, it is customary to leave 10 or 15% of the bill`s cost as a tip. Note that service in Morocco tends to be more relaxed, so if you are basing your tip on prompt and fast service, note that dining habits in the U.S. and dining habits in Morocco are quite different. If you`re in a nightclub or bar, tip between 10 and 20 dirhams on the bill, more if the bill is larger. Tip about five dirhams for an order at a cafe, or round to the nearest five dirhams on the bill.

Hotel staff do expect tips in Morocco. Be sure to tip your bellboy either 10 or 20 dirhams, depending on the number of bags handled. The maids should be tipped 20 dirhams per day, or at least 100 dirhams per week, with the money tipped at the end of the stay/week. Tipping in hotel restaurants will ensure more prompt service. Tip a certain amount per day if you know you will be eating multiple times at the same hotel restaurant.

Rounding up your fare to the nearest 10 dirhams is a sufficient tip for a cab driver who operates on a meter. In many cases, you will have to negotiate a fare before leaving instead of using a meter, and tipping is not required then.

If your tour is led by a tour guide from a reputable company or organization, they are usually very well-paid in Morocco, and a tip is not necessary. In some areas, such as medinas in major cities, you might be able to enlist the help of a local who can steer you in the direction of certain stores and products. You can tip those people between five and ten dirhams.

Other Services: Spa workers will be happy with a tip of approximately 20 to 25 dirhams. Keep in mind that many people may give you treatments over the course of a spa visit, and you will need to tip all of them individually — 20 to 25 dirhams is an insufficient amount to split between four or five people. Store your tip money in a robe and make sure to wear that specific robe for all of your treatments, or you can tip the cashier on the way out and have them divide the money between the people who served you that day. Hairdressers will expect a tip of approximately 10%.

Morocco`s economy places a high priority on tourism and hospitality. As a result, many of the people who come from countries where tipping is commonplace have allowed many hospitality workers to come to expect tips. Depending on the hotel worker`s position, they may use tips to supplement their income. In many other situations, rounding up to the nearest five or ten dirhams is a nice gift to the person who provided you a service, from taxi rides to street guides.