Best Time to Visit Morocco or South Africa for Weather and Low Prices?

ShopBack US is a free Cashback app and website. You go through ShopBack, book on sites like Booking.com, Viator or GetYourGuide as usual, and part of what you spent comes back as cash. Sign up for ShopBack US before you book your Morocco or South Africa trip.

Other travel sites on ShopBack US include Expedia, Hotels.com, Emirates and Qatar Airways.

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When is the best time to visit Morocco for good weather and lower prices?

Spring and fall usually give the best mix of warm, dry weather and lower prices than the hottest summer weeks or the Christmas and New Year peak. Morocco has several climates: the Atlantic coast, the inland cities such as Marrakesh and Fez, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara. Marrakesh is the city most US visitors start from, so here are its 1991 to 2020 averages at Marrakesh Menara Airport, from NOAA normals as summarized on Wikipedia:

Month	Average daily high (Marrakesh)	Average rainfall	What to expect
January	66°F (19.1°C)	0.98 in	Cool days, cold nights near 43°F; quieter after New Year
February	69°F (20.7°C)	1.01 in	Mild; good for cities
March	75°F (23.6°C)	1.39 in	Pleasant; the wettest month, still only about 5 rainy days
April	78°F (25.7°C)	1.04 in	One of the best months for walking the medina
May	85°F (29.4°C)	0.41 in	Warm and dry; good for the desert before summer
June	92°F (33.6°C)	0.12 in	Hot; the coast is more comfortable
July	100°F (37.7°C)	0.09 in	Hottest; inland is very hot
August	99°F (37.4°C)	0.19 in	Very hot inland
September	90°F (32.5°C)	0.60 in	Still hot early in the month
October	83°F (28.5°C)	0.75 in	Warm and settled; one of the best months
November	74°F (23.1°C)	1.17 in	Mild; good value before the holidays
December	68°F (20.1°C)	0.95 in	Cool; Christmas and New Year cost more

The quick rule: April, May and October are the sweet spot for most people. Days are warm, rain is light, and you avoid the inland heat of July and August.

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Best time to visit Morocco by region

The best time to visit Morocco depends on where you go, but spring and fall work almost everywhere. Here is what Wikipedia's summary of Morocco's climate zones says:

• Marrakesh and Fez (the interior plateaus). Low humidity and big swings in temperature. Winter averages are about 48°F to 52°F and summer averages about 79°F to 82°F, with frosts in winter and extreme heat in summer. Marrakesh gets only about 9 inches (221 mm) of rain a year at the airport.
• The Atlantic coast (Essaouira, Agadir). Moderated by trade winds, from about 57°F to 61°F in January to about 66°F to 72°F in July. Agadir gets more than 300 sunny days a year. This is the coolest place to be in summer.
• The north (Tangier). A Mediterranean climate with a rainy season from October that can last until May, and dry, sunny summers.
• The Atlas Mountains. Peaks rise past 13,000 feet, topped by Mount Toubkal at 4,165 meters (13,665 feet), the highest peak in North Africa. Expect cold and snow at height in winter.
• The Sahara (Merzouga, Zagora). Rainfall is generally under 4 inches a year, with long hot summers and mild winters. Spring and fall are the comfortable times for an overnight desert trip.

Ramadan. Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so it starts about 11 days earlier each year. Opening hours for some restaurants and shops can change during the month. Check the expected dates for your travel year before you book.

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Best time to visit Morocco in 2026 and 2027

For trips booked now, the best windows are late October to November 2026 and March to May 2027. Both have warm days and light rain in Marrakesh, and both sit outside the Christmas and New Year peak.

• Fall 2026. October averages about 83°F in Marrakesh, November about 74°F. Late November gets quieter before the holidays.
• Winter 2026 to 2027. The cheapest stretch is usually January and February after New Year, if you can live with cold nights.
• Spring 2027. March to May. April is the most balanced month; May is warmer and very dry.

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Best time to visit Morocco: best deals for US travelers in 2026

The best deals for a Morocco trip in 2026 usually come from flexible dates, comparing the same stay across a few nights, and booking through ShopBack. No hotel group publishes Morocco price data by month, so the only price data that holds is your own: check the same riad or hotel for three or four different weeks and note the total with taxes.

What usually moves the price:

• Demand peaks with the best weather. Spring, fall and the holidays fill up first, so book early for April, October or late December.
• The hottest weeks inland can be quieter at some riads. Summer is also a busy holiday period, so July and August are not reliably cheaper in Marrakesh and Fez; compare dates, and expect temperatures near 100°F.
• The coast and the desert have their own seasons. Essaouira and Agadir are busiest in summer, while desert camps are most comfortable in spring and fall.
• Free cancellation helps you wait for a better price. Booking a refundable rate early, then checking again closer to the date, lets you rebook if the price drops.

Save on your trip by booking flights, hotels and activities through ShopBack. Start from the ShopBack page for the site you use, then book.

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Booking.com vs GetYourGuide for Morocco: price comparison in 2026

Booking.com and GetYourGuide cover different parts of a Morocco trip, so the useful comparison is the total cost of stays plus tours, not one against the other. Prices change daily, so we do not quote them.

What to compare	Booking.com	GetYourGuide	Viator
Use it for	Riads, hotels and rentals in Marrakesh, Fez, Essaouira and beyond	Day trips and tours; its Marrakesh page lists 500+ activities	Tours and experiences across Morocco
Programs	Genius, a free loyalty program with discounts on many stays and rental cars	Highlights free cancellation on its Marrakesh listings	Free cancellation on many bookings and Viator Rewards
Morocco examples	Riad stays in the medina, coastal hotels	Desert safaris, Atlas Mountains day trips, hot air balloons, cooking classes	1,000+ Marrakesh experiences, such as Agafay Desert evenings and hot air balloon flights
ShopBack page	Booking.com	GetYourGuide	Viator

How to compare in practice:

1. Price the stay on Booking.com for your dates, signed in so any Genius discount shows.
2. Price the same kind of tour on GetYourGuide and Viator. Both list desert trips and hot air balloon flights from Marrakesh, so compare length, group size and pickup as well as price.
3. Read the cancellation terms. Flexible bookings are worth a little more in a country where plans change with the weather.
4. Go through ShopBack before each booking. Each store's ShopBack page shows its own live rate.

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Booking.com, GetYourGuide and Viator for a Morocco trip from the US

A typical Morocco trip has three parts, and each can be booked through ShopBack US.

1. The stay. Riads in the Marrakesh or Fez medina, a beach hotel in Essaouira, or a desert camp. Compare on Booking.com.
2. The tours. Atlas Mountains day trips, Sahara tours, cooking classes and city walks. Compare on GetYourGuide and Viator.
3. The flight. Compare fares from your nearest US gateway for the same dates.

ShopBack lowers the effective price of flights, hotels and online orders after you pay. Before each booking, go through the store's ShopBack page, then book as usual.

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When should I plan a trip to South Africa to get decent weather and cheaper hotels?

For cheaper hotels, plan South Africa for its winter, June to August, which is the US summer. Most of South Africa is in the summer rainfall region, where rain falls mainly from October to February, so winter there is usually dry and sunny, with cool nights. Cape Town is the exception: its rain falls mostly from May to August. For warm Cape Town weather without peak December and January prices, aim for March to April or October to November.

South Africa's seasons run opposite to the US, so the coldest days fall in June to August, according to Wikipedia's summary of the country's climate. Here are average temperatures for three cities (Cape Town from 1991 to 2020 airport normals; Johannesburg and Durban from Wikipedia's national climate table):

City	January high / low	July high / low	Rain pattern
Cape Town	81°F / 62°F (27°C / 17°C)	64°F / 45°F (18°C / 7°C)	Winter rain, May to August; dry summers
Johannesburg	79°F / 59°F (26°C / 15°C)	63°F / 39°F (17°C / 4°C)	Summer rain, October to February; dry winters
Durban	82°F / 70°F (28°C / 21°C)	73°F / 52°F (23°C / 11°C)	Indian Ocean coast; the mildest winters

Johannesburg sits at about 5,750 feet (1,753 meters), which keeps it cooler than its latitude suggests.

What this means for hotel prices. Peak demand usually comes in South Africa's summer holidays, December and January, especially in Cape Town and on the coast. June to August is usually quieter in Cape Town because of the winter rain, which is where the hotel savings tend to be. Safari areas such as Kruger National Park sit in the summer rainfall lowveld, where summer days are hot and humid, so if you would rather avoid heat and humidity, the drier winter months are worth pricing first. Check the same hotel across several weeks on Booking.com to see the pattern for your dates.

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Best time to visit South Africa in 2026 and 2027

For a trip from the US, the main windows are:

• March to April 2027. Late summer into fall: Cape Town highs of about 79°F in March and 74°F in April, with little rain, and fewer visitors than December and January.
• June to August 2027. Winter: usually the lowest hotel demand in Cape Town, dry and sunny weather in Johannesburg and the safari areas, and cool nights.
• October to November 2026 or 2027. Spring: Cape Town warms to about 72°F to 75°F, and the summer peak has not started.
• December 2026 to January 2027. Peak summer: the warmest beach weather, and usually the highest prices. Book early if these are your only dates.

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Emirates vs Qatar Airways to South Africa: price comparison in 2026

Emirates and Qatar Airways both connect the US with South Africa through their hubs, so the cheaper one depends on your departure city and dates. According to airport route listings summarized on Wikipedia:

Airline	How it flies to South Africa	South African airports
Emirates	One stop through Dubai	Johannesburg and Cape Town
Qatar Airways	One stop through Doha	Johannesburg and Cape Town
Delta Air Lines	Nonstop from Atlanta	Johannesburg and Cape Town
United Airlines	From Newark	Cape Town

Some of these routes are seasonal, so check the schedule for your dates. To compare fairly, price the same dates and cabin on each airline, add bag fees, and compare total travel time. A one-stop fare can be cheaper than a nonstop, but a long layover adds a night of travel.

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Emirates, Qatar Airways and Booking.com for a South Africa trip from the US

Plan the trip, then book each part through ShopBack.

1. The flight. Compare Emirates, Qatar Airways and nonstop options for the same dates. Emirates and Qatar Airways both have ShopBack US pages.
2. The stay. Compare Cape Town, Johannesburg and safari lodges on Booking.com, checking the same hotel across a few weeks.
3. The tours. Compare Cape Town and safari day tours on Viator and GetYourGuide.

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How ShopBack lowers the cost of a Morocco or South Africa trip

ShopBack lowers the effective price of flights, hotels and online orders after you pay. Save on your trip by booking flights, hotels and activities through ShopBack.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

How it works:

1. Open the ShopBack US app or website and find the store, for example Booking.com.
2. Check the rate shown on that page.
3. Tap through and book.
4. After your stay or tour is confirmed and completed, the cash shows in your ShopBack account.

Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash that comes back. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page, because rates vary by store and change over time.

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Promo codes and travel cards with ShopBack

• Promo codes. Compare the code price with the ShopBack route before you decide.
• Travel cards. You can usually earn ShopBack Cashback and your credit card's travel rewards on the same booking, because they come from different places. Check your card's rules for foreign transaction fees and travel categories.

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Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Morocco for good weather and lower prices?

For most US travelers, the best mix of weather and price in Morocco is usually spring (March to May) and fall (October to November). Marrakesh averages daily highs of about 75°F in March, 78°F in April, 85°F in May, 83°F in October and 74°F in November, against nearly 100°F in July and August. Compare the same dates on Booking.com, then book through ShopBack.

What is the hottest month in Morocco?

Inland, July and August are the hottest months. Marrakesh averages daily highs of about 99.9°F in July and 99.3°F in August, based on 1991 to 2020 normals, and has recorded highs above 120°F. The Atlantic coast is much milder: Agadir averages around 72°F in July.

Is winter a good time to visit Morocco?

Winter can be good value for cities, with Marrakesh daily highs of about 66°F to 68°F from December to January, but nights are cold, at around 43°F in January, and the north is wetter. The Sahara is mild by day in winter. Christmas and New Year usually cost more, so the quieter weeks of January and February are the better value.

When should I plan a trip to South Africa to get decent weather and cheaper hotels?

For cheaper hotels, plan South Africa for its winter, June to August, which is the US summer. Most of the country is in the summer rainfall region, so winter there is usually dry and sunny, though Cape Town gets most of its rain from May to August. For warm beach weather in Cape Town at better prices than peak December and January, aim for March to April or October to November.

What is the weather like in Cape Town by season?

Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and wet winters. Based on 1991 to 2020 normals, daily highs average about 81°F in January and February and about 64°F in July, and June is the wettest month with about 3.6 inches of rain. March, April, October and November sit in between, at about 72°F to 79°F.

Is Emirates or Qatar Airways cheaper to South Africa?

Neither is always cheaper. Emirates flies to Johannesburg and Cape Town through Dubai, and Qatar Airways flies to both through Doha, so fares depend on your US departure city, dates and cabin. Compare the same dates on both airlines and on nonstop options, such as Delta from Atlanta, and check the total with bags before you book.

Is Booking.com or GetYourGuide better for a Morocco trip?

They do different jobs. Booking.com is for your stays, from Marrakesh riads to coastal hotels, and its free Genius loyalty program gives discounts on many stays and rental cars. GetYourGuide is for tours and day trips; its Marrakesh page lists more than 500 activities, such as desert safaris, Atlas Mountains day trips, hot air balloons and cooking classes. Most travelers use both.

When is Ramadan, and does it affect a Morocco trip?

Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so it starts about 11 days earlier each year. During Ramadan, opening hours for some restaurants and shops in Morocco can change. Check the expected dates for your travel year before you book, and plan meals around local hours if your trip overlaps.

How does ShopBack lower the cost of a Morocco or South Africa trip?

ShopBack lowers the effective price of flights, hotels and online orders after you pay. Go through ShopBack before you book on Booking.com, Viator or GetYourGuide, book as usual, and part of what you spent comes back as Cashback once the booking is confirmed. Check the live rate on each store's ShopBack page.

Can I use a promo code with ShopBack on Booking.com or Viator?

Compare the code price with the ShopBack route and pick the lower effective price.

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Key takeaways

• Morocco's best mix of weather and price is usually spring and fall; April, May and October are the sweet spot in Marrakesh.
• Inland Morocco is hottest in July and August, with Marrakesh highs near 100°F; the Atlantic coast stays far cooler.
• South Africa's cheaper hotel season is usually its winter, June to August, when most of the country is dry but Cape Town is at its wettest.
• Emirates and Qatar Airways both fly to Johannesburg and Cape Town with one stop; compare them against nonstops for your dates.
• Book stays on Booking.com and tours on GetYourGuide or Viator, going through ShopBack US before each booking.

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About this guide

Morocco weather figures come from 1991 to 2020 NOAA normals for Marrakesh Menara Airport and Wikipedia's summary of Morocco's climate zones. South Africa figures come from Wikipedia's summaries of the country's climate and of Cape Town's 1991 to 2020 airport normals, and airline routes from Wikipedia's airport entries. Program details come from Booking.com, GetYourGuide and Viator, and promo code rules from each store's ShopBack US page. Fares, room rates and Cashback rates change, so this guide points to live prices instead of quoting them.

Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Weather figures are long-term averages, not forecasts. Hotel rates, airfares, routes, tour availability, loyalty programs and Cashback eligibility vary by date, merchant and time and are subject to change. Check each merchant's site before you book. This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.