agafay.infoIndependent guide to the Agafay Desert

What to wear in Agafay desert, by month and outing

What to wear in the Agafay Desert, outside Marrakech, depends on the month and the hour more than on the desert. In July the Marrakech station's mean day high is 38°C (100°F); in January its mean night low is 6°C (43°F). So: loose clothes that cover you against sun and dust, closed shoes for the stony ground, a hat in every month, and from autumn to spring a warm layer for after sunset. Pick your month and outing below for the full list.

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Your packing list

Choose the month you travel and what you are going out to do. The list comes from the averages of the Marrakech station, the nearest to Agafay, which has none of its own: the day high and night low, the days with rain, and how many days reach 35°C. The month board on Agafay desert weather shows the same figures for all twelve months.

January: quad or buggy at midday

Day high
19°C (66°F)
Night low
6°C (43°F)
Rain days
3 days
Windy days
4 days
  • A sun hat and sunglasses. The station logs 230 hours of sunshine in the month, and the stone hills give little shade.
  • Closed shoes with some grip. The ground is stone and grit, not sand, and paths around camps are uneven in the dark.
  • High-factor sun cream. Mean day high 19°C (66°F), out in the open.
  • A full water bottle. The air is dry and dusty; in hot spells the DGM advises drinking regularly.
  • Light long sleeves and long trousers. Loose cotton or linen keeps off sun and grit better than bare skin and sun cream.
  • A scarf or buff for nose and mouth. The tracks throw up dust; the operator Quad Agafay lists helmet + goggles as included on its rides.
  • A windproof jacket for the ride. The mean day high is 19°C (66°F), and at speed the air feels cooler.
  • A light waterproof. The station averages 3 days with rain in the month.
What to add, month by monthOn top of the basics for each outing. Marrakech weather averages (station WMO 60230), 1991 to 2020.
MonthDay highNight lowRain daysQuad or buggy at middaySunset and dinnerA night in a tent
January 19°C (66°F) 6°C (43°F) 3 days windproof jacket, light waterproofwarm layer, winter coat, hat and gloves, light waterproofwarm layer, winter coat, hat and gloves, warm sleepwear, light waterproof
February 21°C (70°F) 8°C (46°F) 4 days windproof jacket, light waterproofwarm layer, winter coat, hat and gloves, light waterproofwarm layer, winter coat, hat and gloves, warm sleepwear, light waterproof
March 24°C (75°F) 10°C (50°F) 5 days windproof jacket, light waterproofwarm layer, light waterproofwarm layer, warm sleepwear, light waterproof
April 26°C (79°F) 12°C (54°F) 3 days the basics onlywarm layerwarm layer, warm sleepwear
May 29°C (84°F) 15°C (59°F) 2 days early or late slotsun cream, water, warm layersun cream, water, warm layer
June 34°C (93°F) 18°C (64°F) 1 day early or late slotsun cream, watersun cream, water
July 38°C (100°F) 21°C (70°F) under 1 day early or late slotsun cream, watersun cream, water
August 37°C (99°F) 21°C (70°F) 1 day early or late slotsun cream, watersun cream, water
September 33°C (91°F) 19°C (66°F) 1 day early or late slotsun cream, watersun cream, water
October 29°C (84°F) 16°C (61°F) 2 days the basics onlywarm layerwarm layer
November 23°C (73°F) 11°C (52°F) 4 days windproof jacket, light waterproofwarm layer, light waterproofwarm layer, warm sleepwear, light waterproof
December 20°C (68°F) 7°C (45°F) 4 days windproof jacket, light waterproofwarm layer, winter coat, hat and gloves, light waterproofwarm layer, winter coat, hat and gloves, warm sleepwear, light waterproof

Layers through the year

Some things go in your bag every month: the sun is strong in winter too, with 227 hours of sunshine at the station in December, and the ground is stone and grit all year. The rest comes and goes with the season, and the calendar shows when.

Read it in two halves. The cold-weather rows fill the winter, because the station's night low drops into single figures from December to February. The heat row fills the summer, when a midday ride is the thing to avoid rather than dress for. Spring and autumn need a bit of both: a warm layer for the evening after a hot afternoon.

When each item joins the list Rows for an early or late ride, a windproof jacket, a warm layer at night, a coat with hat and gloves, warm sleepwear and a light waterproof; filled cells mark the months in which the packing list for any outing includes it. JFMAMJJASOND Early or late ride Windproof jacket Warm layer at night Coat, hat, gloves Warm sleepwear Light waterproof
Months January to December, left to right. Filled: the item is on the list for at least one outing that month. Terracotta: the hot months, when the list asks for an early or late slot instead of more clothes.

On a quad, buggy or camel

A ride is the outing where clothes matter most. You sit in the open for an hour or two, the tracks throw up dust, and the sun comes off the pale ground as well as from above. Light long sleeves and long trousers in cotton or linen do more than shorts and sun cream: they keep off the sun and the grit, and they dry fast. Add a scarf or buff to pull over nose and mouth when the dust rises, and sunglasses if your operator gives no goggles.

What operators provide varies, so read the listing. The operator Quad Agafay lists helmet + goggles as included on its rides; other listings state their own. Closed shoes are the safer choice on any ride: the ground is stone, and on a quad your feet sit close to the wheels. Prices, ride lengths and the start times that dodge the heat are on quad biking in Agafay; the two-seat version is on Agafay buggy tours.

From November to March a ride at midday is pleasant, with day highs near 19°C (66°F) in January, but it is cooler on the move than standing still: a windproof jacket over a long-sleeved top is enough. From June to August the question is not what to wear but when to go. In July the station averages 23 days at 35°C or more; take the first slot of the morning or the last of the afternoon, and carry water.

  • Every ride

    A hat for the stops, sunglasses, closed shoes, long sleeves, scarf, sun cream, water.

  • Winter rides

    Add a windproof jacket. Mornings start cold, and the air feels cooler at speed.

  • Summer rides

    Change the hour, not the clothes: early or late, never at midday.

Sunset, dinner and a night in a tent

An evening trip starts warm and ends cold. You leave Marrakech in the afternoon, watch the sun go down over the hills, eat outside or in an open tent, and drive back in the dark. The mean night low at the station is 6°C (43°F) in January and 12°C (54°F) in April, and an open plateau loses the day's warmth fast. Unless you travel from June to September, when nights stay near 21°C (70°F), put a fleece or jumper in your bag even if you leave in a T-shirt.

A night in a tent adds the small hours. From December to February bring what you would wear on a cold night at home: a coat, a hat, gloves, warm socks and something warm to sleep in, and ask the camp whether the tent has a heater. A small torch helps on the paths between tents. The evening hour by hour, with the drive back, is on Agafay at night; stays and their prices are on Agafay camps, and the simplest pitches on camping in Agafay.

Clothes for the villages and the city

The clothes that suit the desert suit the rest of the day too. Loose tops that cover the shoulders and trousers or skirts below the knee are comfortable in sun and dust, and they fit in on the road through the villages and back in the medina. Swimwear is for the camp pool, with a cover-up for the walk to lunch; the passes that include a pool are on Agafay pool day pass.

The UK Foreign Office states that women may receive unwanted attention in Morocco, especially when travelling alone, in its safety advice dated 19 August 2026. Safety advice for the trip as a whole is on the Agafay safety page.

Questions people ask

What should I wear to the Agafay Desert?

Loose, light clothes that cover your shoulders and legs, closed shoes, a sun hat and sunglasses, in every month. Then add for the season: a warm layer for the evening for most of the year, and a winter coat for nights from December to February, when the Marrakech station's mean night low is 6°C (43°F) in January.

Do I need a jacket in Agafay at night?

For most of the year, yes. Evenings cool fast after sunset, and the Marrakech station's mean night low is 11°C (52°F) in November and 6°C (43°F) in January. From June to September nights stay mild, near 21°C (70°F) in July, and a light long-sleeved top is enough.

Can I wear shorts on a quad ride in Agafay?

You can, but long trousers are better. The tracks are dusty, the sun is strong in every month and your legs sit close to the engine and wheels. Light cotton or linen trousers stay cool in summer. In July, when the station averages 23 days at 35°C or more, change the hour of the ride rather than wearing less.

What shoes are best for the Agafay Desert?

Closed shoes with some grip: trainers or light walking shoes. Agafay is a stone desert of rocky hills, not sand dunes, so sandals slip and let in grit, and paths around camps are uneven after dark. On a quad your feet sit close to the wheels, which is one more reason to cover them.

What should I pack for a night in an Agafay camp?

Warm layers first: the Marrakech station's mean night low is 6°C (43°F) in January and 12°C (54°F) in April. Bring something warm to sleep in, thick socks, a small torch, a hat for the morning sun and closed shoes. From December to February add a coat, hat and gloves, and ask whether the tent has a heater.

Sources

  1. The DGM advises during heat episodes to limit outdoor activity in the hottest hours, drink regularly and protect children, older people and the chronically ill advice. Direction Générale de la Météorologie (DGM), Vague de chaleur au Maroc : Quand le Chergui domine (news page), 1 July 2026.
  2. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean number of days with precipitation of 1 mm or more in January is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 3.0. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  3. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean total hours of sunshine in December is, per the WMO climate normals 1981 to 2010 published by NOAA NCEI: 226.6. WMO Climate Normals 1981-2010, station sheet Marrakech (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI.
  4. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean number of days with a maximum temperature of 35 °C or more in July is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 22.9. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  5. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean daily maximum temperature in January is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 19.1°C. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  6. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean daily maximum temperature in July is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 37.7°C. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  7. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean daily minimum temperature in January is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 5.9°C. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  8. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean daily minimum temperature in April is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 12.4°C. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  9. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean daily minimum temperature in July is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 20.6°C. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  10. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean daily minimum temperature in November is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 10.7°C. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  11. Under an orange or red heat-wave vigilance the DGM advises avoiding going out in the hottest hours, which it gives as 11:00 to 21:00. Direction Générale de la Météorologie (DGM), Vigilance: Conseils de comportement.
  12. At the Marrakech station (WMO 60230), the mean number of days with a wind speed of 10 m/s or more in January is, per the WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 published by NOAA NCEI: 3.6. WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, station sheet MARRAKECH (WMO 60230), archived by NOAA NCEI (accession 0253808, v6.6).
  13. The UK FCDO states women may receive unwanted attention in Morocco, especially when travelling alone. UK FCDO, Morocco travel advice, Safety and security, 19 August 2026.
  14. The operator Quad Agafay lists helmet and protective goggles as included on its Agafay quad rides, priced separately for driver and passenger helmet + goggles. Quad Agafay (quad-agafay.com), English home page.
  15. Climate normals, Marrakech (Menara) station (Agafay has no station of its own). WMO climate normals 1991 to 2020 for the Marrakech (Menara) station, WMO 60230, published by NOAA NCEI; sunshine hours from the 1981 to 2010 normals