Planning your Sahara trip? Here's when to go — and when to avoid the desert heat.
Southern Morocco rewards travellers who time their visit well. The desert and the valleys south of the High Atlas run hot for a good part of the year, and the difference between a comfortable trip and an exhausting one often comes down to the calendar.
The best months: October to May
The most comfortable window for exploring the Sahara and the kasbah valleys runs from October through to May. Days are warm and clear, nights in the desert are cool enough to make a bivouac under the stars genuinely enjoyable, and the light across the dunes and gorges is at its best for photography.
Avoid the three hottest months
Summer — roughly June, July and August — brings the desert's three hottest months, when daytime temperatures in the Drâa Valley, Zagora and the dune fields of Erg Chegaga and Merzouga can become punishing. If you're set on travelling in summer, plan desert activities for the early morning and late afternoon, and rest through the midday heat.
For rose season, aim for spring
If a stop at the rose water cooperative in Kalaat M'Gouna is on your itinerary, March to May is when the Mgoun Valley's Damask roses are in bloom — though the cooperative itself welcomes visitors year-round. October and November are also excellent months to travel, with mild temperatures across the whole route from Marrakech to the dunes.