Marrakech in September: weather, temperatures and tips
Summer turning: 33°C (91°F) by day, 19°C at night, the heat pulling back week by week. Start of the year's second fine window, pool still good, sea at its highest. Crowds and prices, meanwhile, climb back up.
September marks summer’s turn. The average high drops back to 33°C, the low to 19°C, and heat - still heavy early in the month - pulls back week by week. It’s the start of the year’s second fine window, September to mid-November: warm enough for the pool, no longer overwhelming for afternoon visits. And the sea, on the coast, stays at its highest - you swim better at Essaouira in late September than in high July.
Marrakech weather in September
At 33°C average high and 19°C low, September stays a hot month, but the gap with July and August is soon felt, especially at night. Early September can still hit 40°C spikes on a last chergui, then the heat calms and the evenings turn pleasant again. Rain returns lightly, two to three days, sometimes as a thunderstorm, for about 15 mm.
It’s one of the good months to combine the city and the coast: the Essaouira sea sits at 21-22°C, its yearly high, and the air stays cool. On the Atlas, the peaks are bare, the first snow only landing in late autumn.
Your day, hour by hour
| Time | Feel | What you do with it |
|---|---|---|
| 7-11am | 21-28°C | Medina, souks, monuments in the cool |
| noon-5pm | 31-33°C, sharp sun | Pool, shade, shaded gardens |
| 6-9pm | 24-28°C | Rooftops, dinner outside, long evening |
| night | 19°C | Light, no heating |
What to pack
September stays a summer month for packing: light-coloured, loose clothes, swimsuit, hat, sunglasses and high-factor SPF for the midday sun, still sharp. A light layer earns its place for late-month evenings, which start to cool. Riad heating not needed. For a coastal or high-altitude day trip, keep a windproof jacket: Essaouira is windy and the Atlas cooler.
Crowds and prices in September
September closes the summer low season. European visitors return as the heat drops, lightly at first, then in earnest in the second half. Riad rates follow: reckon on £72-£104 a night double in a boutique riad, on a steady rise towards October. No French school holiday falls on the month - the back-to-school just past - but international footfall is enough to tighten the best addresses. Booking two to three weeks ahead stays wise. To compare, see our riads.
What to do in Marrakech in September
September loosens summer’s grip: full days of visits return without the furnace, and the desert becomes doable again. Medina, souks, gardens and monuments in the morning and late afternoon; pool or spa in the peak hours, still warm; rooftops and open-air dinners in the evening. On the coast, the sea is at its yearly high.
On day trips, it’s a good moment for the coast: Essaouira enjoys its warmest sea and cool air. The Agafay desert becomes doable again in the evening and at night, temperatures dropping. The Ourika valley and the Atlas stay green and doable as a day trip. Further-desert circuits become an option again as heat drops.
On the bill in September
Our verdict on September
September comes in two acts: an early stretch still summery, hot and quiet, and an end that recovers the comfort of autumn and the return of visitors.
For pool and coast without the summer furnace, it’s a decent window, especially around mid-September. The only trade-off is between quiet, more likely early in the month, and ideal weather, more likely late.
Mildness settles in October, one of the year’s finest months; the full panorama is on our best time to visit.
