In late October, in Taliouine, families pick the saffron flowers at first light, before they fully open. A few weeks earlier, the palm groves of the Draa valley started their date harvest. Autumn is when southern Morocco works its land, and that is what makes it such a good season for a group: living landscapes, encounters nobody stages, and mild temperatures again after the summer.
September, October or November?
October is the most balanced month, but each of the three has its strengths.
September is still hot in the south and at the edge of the desert, especially early in the month. It suits a circuit that favours the coast and the mountains, with visits early in the morning.
October brings mild days almost everywhere and cool nights in the valleys that lead to the Sahara. It is also when the autumn school holidays start in France and the UK: from the end of the month, hotels and riads in Marrakech and the south fill up fast.
November is quieter and cooler. Days get shorter, the olive harvest begins in the plains, and the first snow can reach the High Atlas passes at the end of the month.
The circuit, day by day
A loop of eight days starting from Marrakech. Driving times are approximate and do not include stops.
- Day 1, Marrakech. Arrival and a first evening in the medina.
- Day 2, Marrakech to Ouarzazate (about 4 h). The Tichka pass, then the ksar of Aït Benhaddou.
- Day 3, Ouarzazate to Zagora (about 3 h). The Draa palm groves, in the middle of the date harvest.
- Day 4, Zagora to Taliouine via Tazenakht (about 5 h). The carpets of Tazenakht, then a saffron cooperative.
- Day 5, Taliouine to Taroudant (about 1 h 30). The ramparts and souks of Taroudant.
- Day 6, Taroudant to Essaouira (about 4 h). Reaching the Atlantic at the end of the day.
- Day 7, Essaouira. The medina, the fishing port and some free time.
- Day 8, Essaouira to Marrakech (about 3 h). Return and departure flights.
The circuit deliberately leaves out the big dunes. For a group that wants them too, add two days from Zagora to Merzouga; what the desert involves is covered in our article Taking a group into the Sahara. And for the last stop, our article on Essaouira says everything about the town and its wind.
What does autumn change for the logistics?
Mostly the timings, the bookings and the luggage.
- Leave early. On legs of four or five hours, the coach leaves in the morning to arrive before dark, which comes quickly in November.
- Book before the school holidays. From late October, European demand weighs on availability and on the quote, as we explain in How the price of a Morocco circuit is built.
- Pack layers. In Zagora it can be hot at noon and cool in the evening. A light jacket is enough in October, a warm jumper becomes useful in November.
