Merzouga Desert Weather, Month by Month

Distances, drive times and access verified by the Merzouga Desert Tours team — last checked 2026-09-03

Merzouga is Köppen BWh, hot desert, and the year swings from 19 °C in January to 43 °C in July. That range does not just change what you pack — it changes when the camels leave, which tent tier is worth paying for, and whether the road over the Atlas is open. Compare every 3-day Merzouga Desert tour from Marrakech once you have picked your month.

What the weather does to a visit here

Three things move with the season, and none of them is comfort alone.

The camel timings. Treks always run at dawn and dusk, but in summer that is the only part of the day anyone is outside. In winter the middle of the day is the pleasant part and the evening is the cold one.
The tent tier. Air conditioning is worth paying for in June, July and August. Heating is worth paying for from November to February. In March, April, October and November the standard tent is genuinely fine.
The road. Snow on Tizi n’Tichka from November to March can delay or reroute a Marrakech departure. The Fes road crosses lower ground and is far less affected.

Rain is not the variable here. Merzouga averages about 63 mm across a whole year — October is the wettest month at 8.7 mm and July the driest at 1.2 mm. Temperature and wind are what you plan around.

Merzouga Desert month by month

Average daytime maxima, and what each month does to the trip.

January — 19 °C

Days average 19 °C and nights near the erg fall to about 6 °C. That gap is what people pack wrong for. Camel treks run at their usual times because the middle of the day is comfortable. Snow can close Tizi n’Tichka on the Marrakech road, and operators reroute rather than cancel.

February — 21 °C

21 °C by day, and the nights are still cold. The passes carry snow into this month, so a Marrakech departure can lose an hour to a diversion. Skies are usually clear, which makes February one of the better months for the stars. Camps are quiet before the March rush starts.

March — 26 °C

26 °C, and the desert is at its most comfortable. This is when the camps fill: March through May is the first of the two peaks and the small departures sell out first. Wind picks up through the month, and a strong chergui can push the camel crossing back by a few hours.

April — 30 °C

30 °C by day and warm enough at night to sit outside after dinner. Wind rather than heat is the variable now. Rain, when it comes at all, arrives in short bursts that fill Dayet Srji and bring flamingos to it. Book early, because April is the busiest month on this road.

May — 34 °C

34 °C, and the afternoon becomes something to plan around rather than walk in. Camel treks stay at sunset and sunrise, which is where they always were. The high crests are hard work by ten in the morning. Camps still run their full programme and the nights are pleasant.

June — 39 °C

39 °C by day. Trips run, and reviewers who came in June describe the heat as making sleep difficult rather than the days impossible. A tent tier with air conditioning stops being a luxury in this month. Rain is effectively nil — June sits with July as the driest part of the year.

July — 43 °C

43 °C is the annual peak and nights stay near 29 °C. Everything still operates. The camel legs move to the very edges of the day and the middle is spent under canvas or in the vehicle. July is also the driest month, averaging 1.2 mm of rain across the whole of it.

August — 42 °C

42 °C, barely down from July, and the busiest month for Moroccan families travelling internally. Book accommodation earlier than you would expect. The sand is unusable barefoot in the afternoon and holds its heat well past sunset. Everything worth doing happens before nine and after six.

September — 37 °C

37 °C, and the month turns halfway through. The first fortnight reads like August and the second like a good October. Camps that emptied in August fill again. It is a reasonable month to travel if you can take the back half of it rather than the front.

October — 30 °C

30 °C, and with March this is the month that gets almost everything right. It is also the wettest, averaging 8.7 mm, which by Merzouga standards is a great deal and is what fills the seasonal lake. Nights are cool rather than cold. The second peak of the year runs through it.

November — 24 °C

24 °C by day and genuinely cold after dark. Snow returns to Tizi n’Tichka from this month, which matters if you have booked a Marrakech departure. The light is at its best and the crowds have gone. Pack the warm layer you did not think you would need.

December — 20 °C

20 °C, clear skies, and the coldest nights of the year alongside January. Christmas and New Year fill the camps for a fortnight and empty them either side. Travellers cross the Atlas in snow in late December with ploughs keeping the road open. A fine month if you pack for it.

The seasons, and which one you want

Season	Days	What it is good for	What it costs you
Spring, March to May	26–34 °C	The most comfortable desert of the year, and Dayet Srji may still hold water.	The busiest camps of the year and the highest chance of wind.
Summer, June to August	39–43 °C	Empty camps, the cheapest fares and a sky nobody else is looking at.	The middle of every day, and a night that never really cools.
Autumn, September to November	24–37 °C	October in particular: warm days, cool nights, and the clearest light.	The second peak, so book ahead; and cold nights from November.
Winter, December to February	19–21 °C	Clear skies, quiet dunes and the best stargazing of the year.	Nights near freezing and snow on the Marrakech passes.

Month	Average daytime maximum
January	19 °C
February	21 °C
March	26 °C
April	30 °C
May	34 °C
June	39 °C
July	43 °C
August	42 °C
September	37 °C
October	30 °C
November	24 °C
December	20 °C

Best time of day

The desert has two good hours and they are the first and the last. Everything the operators build a day around sits inside them.

The hour before sunset. The camels leave now, the dunes throw shadows, and the sand is the colour it is in every photograph of this place.
After dinner. Two hours after dark the generators go off and the sky opens. This is the part reviewers write about second, after the camel.
First light. Camels leave the camp before dawn so you are on a crest when the sun comes up. It is cold, briefly, and then it is not.
The middle of the day. In summer, indoors. In winter, the best time to walk a dune barefoot.

Travel tips covers what to carry for each end of that swing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to visit the Merzouga Desert?

March or October. Both average daytime maxima in the high twenties, both give you nights you can sit out in, and neither carries the risk of snow on the passes. They are also the two busiest months, so book earlier than you would for June.

Is it too hot to go in summer?

No, but the shape of the day changes completely. July and August average 43 and 42 °C, so the camel legs run at first and last light and the middle of the day is spent in the vehicle or under canvas. A tent tier with air conditioning is worth paying for in those two months.

How cold does it get at night?

About 6 °C in January and around 29 °C in July. The camps supply blankets rather than heating unless the tier you booked says otherwise. The single most common packing mistake here is arriving without a warm layer because the afternoon was pleasant.

Does it rain in the desert?

Rarely. Merzouga averages about 63 mm across an entire year, with October the wettest month at under nine millimetres. When it does rain properly it fills Dayet Srji and brings flamingos, which is worth knowing if you are travelling between November and April.

When is sandstorm season?

Spring, broadly March to May, when the chergui blows in from the east. It does not stop trips: the camel crossing to the camp shifts by a few hours or runs by 4x4 instead. Keep a scarf and a zipped bag for your camera within reach on the drive rather than in the boot.

Merzouga Desert Tours lists every departure, and each card states the group cap and the tent tier you are buying.