Morocco in January | Travel Trips

Even though January is the coldest month of the year in Morocco, it’s still a fantastic time to go if you want to see the country without crowds and go on a desert walk. This monthly guide will tell you where to go and what to do.

The weather

Morocco has moderate winters. However, January is the wettest and coldest month of the year. The Atlas Mountains can experience significantly cooler temperatures and warmer temperatures in the desert, but generally speaking, highs and lows are in the high 60s and 40s, respectively. Morocco typically experiences warm, sunny January days, while it can get chilly after nightfall. January typically receives seven or eight days of rain.

Costs & Crowds

January is a great month to visit Morocco from a tourism standpoint because major tourist attractions are less crowded and many hotels have low-season pricing. If you have your heart set on a certain boutique hotel or riad, you’ll have better luck arranging a stay in January—particularly in the second half of the month, when fewer people are competing for rooms

Where to Go

While January temperatures are generally mild across the nation, larger towns like Marrakech and Tangier typically get higher than average precipitation. Carry an umbrella, or choose to avoid the rain completely and head to the mountains or desert. January is very pleasant (and dry) for trips to places like Ouarzazate, which provides quick access to the High Atlas mountain range and the Sahara.

The Atlantic coast, which includes the coastal city of Essaouira, is an excellent choice as well because the weather there is warmer than it is in other parts of the nation. The further south you go in January, the less you’ll need to layer up in winter clothes because southern Morocco is milder than northern Morocco. Keep this in mind while making travel plans.

How to Proceed

January is a great month to walk in the High Atlas highlands and explore the Sahara Desert because of the comparatively pleasant temperature. However, be advised that rain can cause river levels to rise in the highlands, making some pathways impassable. In the desert, trekking is a safer option.

In locations like Fes and Marrakech, which get extremely crowded with tourists during the peak season, January is a peaceful time to visit. It’s also the ideal time to grab your camera because wintertime in Morocco offers the best lighting and dust-free air for pictures.

How to Proceed

Events for January, Yennenayer. On January 12–13, Morocco observes Yennayer, popularly called the Amazigh New Year. Around the nation, traditional Berber communities celebrate the event as the beginning of the harvest year. In the Middle Atlas Mountains, Berber villages host especially vibrant celebrations, with inhabitants performing traditional songs, dancing, and cooking. If you want to visit a town like Agadir or Tiznit, you may experience Yennayer.

anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and Independence Manifesto. Although January 11th is recognized as Morocco’s first effort at independence from French colonial control, March is the country’s official day of independence. Morocco celebrates the Proclamation of Independence with street parades and festivals across the nation.

Are you visiting Morocco in January? Take a look at these fantastic routes.

Atlas Mountain Hiking and the Moroccan Desert. January in the desert is clear, dry, and chilly. This 10-day itinerary departs from and returns to Marrakech (which may see some rain). It transports visitors to the highest points of the High Atlas Mountains, the vastness of the Sahara Desert, and a local family’s house.

Grand Tour of Morocco: Cities, Desert, and Coast. Experience a wide range of sights during this ten-day comprehensive tour of Morocco, which starts and ends in Casablanca. See imperial cities, the mountains, the desert, and the seaside. Highlights include exploring Fes’s ancient medina, camping in the desert, kitesurfing in the Atlantic, and taking a tagine cooking class.