When is the best season to ride in Morocco?

It is the first question we get, and the answer depends a great deal on where you want to ride. Morocco does not have one climate, it has three: the coast, the mountains and the desert. They are not visited in the same months.

Spring: March to May

This is the best window, without hesitation. Temperatures sit around 22-28 °C in the south, the Atlas passes are clear, and the valleys are green after the winter rains. The Dades Valley in April, with the rose bushes in bloom, is one of the finest moments of the year.

Book early: it is also the busiest period.

Autumn: September to November

Almost as good, with one advantage: fewer people. Days are still long in September, the southern heat drops back to comfortable levels, and the October light on the kasbahs is superb. November starts to feel cold at altitude — bring a thermal layer.

Winter: December to February

The south is perfect: 18-22 °C by day, clear skies, no crowds. The Atlas, however, can spring surprises. The Tizi n’Tichka occasionally closes for a few hours after snowfall, and nights drop below zero at altitude.

Summer: June to August

We frankly advise against it for the south. Temperatures in the Draa Valley regularly pass 45 °C, and riding in full gear in that heat is an ordeal, not a pleasure. The dehydration risk is real.

If summer is all you have, stay high: the Atlas, the Ifrane region, or the Atlantic coast between Essaouira and Agadir.

In short

• Sahara and south: October to April
• High Atlas: April to October
• Atlantic coast: all year

Tell us your dates when you write: we will say honestly whether they suit the route you have in mind.