Marrakech weather in December
Marrakech weather in December: highs of 20.1 °C, lows of 7.3 °C and about 24 mm of rain over four days. Mild afternoons; a warm coat for the evening.
In December, Marrakech is mild by day and cold at night: the average high is 20.1 °C, the average low 7.3 °C, and about 24 mm of rain falls over roughly four days. It is the month of the shortest days, with sunset at its earliest, around 5:30 pm.
What is the weather like in Marrakech in December?
December afternoons are mild and often sunny: 20.1 °C on average, three degrees below November. Nights fall to 7.3 °C, and mornings start cold, with the sun not up until about 7:25 am. The gap between afternoon and night is close to 13 degrees, so the same day can call for a light top at 2 pm and a coat at 8 pm.
Rain comes on about four days in the month, with at least 1 mm each — 24 mm in all on average. Only March has more rainy days in the year. As in the rest of the year, it usually falls as a short shower or a stormy afternoon rather than a wet week.
The sun still shines for about 227 hours, a little over seven hours a day, and humidity averages 65 %. The light stays low all day, and the High Atlas, visible from the city and from the desert, often turns white.
December compared with November and January
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Rainy days | Sunshine | Sunset (15th) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 23.1 °C | 10.7 °C | 29.8 mm | 3.8 | 229 h | 17:32 |
| December | 20.1 °C | 7.3 °C | 24.2 mm | 4.1 | 227 h | 17:29 |
| January | 19.1 °C | 5.9 °C | 25.0 mm | 3.0 | 230 h | 17:50 |
December is the step into winter. From November it loses three degrees by day and three and a half at night, with slightly less rain but a few more rainy days. January is only a little colder — one degree less by day, about one and a half at night — with fewer rainy days and sunsets already moving later.
Sunrise and sunset in December
On 15 December, the sun rises at 7:24 am and sets at 5:29 pm, at GMT (UTC+0), the time in Morocco since 20 September 2026: about 10 hours 5 minutes of daylight, the shortest of the year. Sunset barely moves through the month — three minutes earlier than in mid-November — and it is already 21 minutes later by mid-January.
Morocco’s time changes neither in summer nor during Ramadan.
In December, the afternoon departure in Agafay is at 4:00 pm, and the meeting point at the base is at the start time. Sunset in mid-December is at about 5:29 pm. Agafay at sunset gives the sunset time for every month and the fixed afternoon departures.
The Agafay desert in December
The Agafay desert, 45 minutes from the city, has the same climate as Marrakech, but it is an open plateau of stone with very little shade and nothing to hold the heat. In December the afternoon is the time to be out there: it is the warmest part of the day, at around 20 °C. Mornings start cold, and once the sun has gone the plateau cools fast towards 7 °C.
A 1-hour camel ride fits neatly into a December afternoon. For an evening, the dinner and live music (departures at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm) is served under tents whose sides are closed when it turns cold, but you arrive and leave in the open: bring a proper coat.
What to wear in Marrakech in December
- By day: a long-sleeved top or light jumper for afternoons around 20 °C, and sunglasses; the sun is low but bright.
- Morning and evening: a warm coat; nights fall to about 7 °C.
- In the desert: closed shoes and something to cover your head by day, and your warmest layer after dark.
- For the rain: a light waterproof, for the four or so rainy days.
What to wear quad biking in Agafay covers the kit for an outing on the plateau, piece by piece.
Is December a good time to visit Marrakech?
Yes, if you plan around the short days. December afternoons are mild and mostly sunny, which suits the city and the desert alike, as Marrakech weather month by month notes for the whole winter. The limits are the cold nights, at about 7 °C, the four or so rainy days and sunset at 5:30 pm, which leaves about ten hours of daylight. Start outings earlier than you would in autumn, and pack for the evening.
For the months either side, see Marrakech weather in November and Marrakech weather in January.
