Best Time to Visit Merzouga: Day & Night Temps by Month

The short answer

The best months for the Merzouga desert are October to April, and within that window March, April, October and November are the pick: comfortable days for walking the dunes and cool but bearable nights.

We close in July. In midsummer the temperatures here are extreme, and we would rather not open than sell a night nobody could enjoy.

A traveller takes a selfie on top of a Merzouga dune, with a couple behind him, on a sunny day

Why does the Sahara get cold at night?

The Sahara gets cold at night because the air is very dry and the sky is almost always clear: with no water vapour or clouds to trap heat, the sand radiates the day’s warmth back into space within a few hours. In Merzouga nights are about 15 °C (27 °F) cooler than the day, and January nights drop to about 4 °C (39 °F), occasionally below freezing.

In summer the same thing happens from a much higher starting point: in July and August nights stay around 25 °C (77 °F). That is why our tents have heating and air conditioning, and why a warm layer belongs in your bag most of the year. See what to pack for the desert.

Merzouga temperatures by month (day and night)

Approximate averages for daytime highs and night-time lows around Merzouga. They are averages: any given year can run warmer or colder, and in the desert the gap between day and night is always large.

Month	Day	Night	What to expect
January	19 °C	4 °C	Pleasant days, genuinely cold nights
February	21 °C	6 °C	The same, a little less cold
March	25 °C	9 °C	The good season starts
April	29 °C	13 °C	Probably the best month
May	34 °C	17 °C	Hot by day, perfect nights
June	39 °C	22 °C	Midday is already hard work
July	42 °C	25 °C	We close
August	41 °C	25 °C	Extreme, we do not recommend it
September	36 °C	21 °C	Eases off from mid-month
October	30 °C	15 °C	One of the best months
November	23 °C	9 °C	Very good month, cool nights
December	19 °C	4 °C	Clearest skies, cold nights

This is why the tents have heating and air conditioning: without it, neither a January night nor a June one is comfortable.

Spring: March, April and May

The best season along with autumn. Days sit between 20 and 30 °C and nights between 10 and 15 °C. By May the midday heat starts to bite.

It is also the windy season. It is unusual for sand to stop you going out to the dunes, but it can happen, mostly in March and April. If it does, we rearrange the afternoon at the camp and head out as soon as it drops.

Camel caravan crossing a sea of dunes in the Merzouga desert

Summer: June, July and August

Midday heat can pass 45 °C. July we close. June and August are possible, but the day runs backwards: life happens at sunrise and sunset, and the middle of the day is spent in the shade.

The upside of summer is the night: you sleep well with the air conditioning and the sky is at its clearest.

Autumn: September, October and November

September is still hot, but October and November are among the best months of the year: comfortable days, fewer people than in spring and long, slow sunsets.

Photographer with a tripod on top of a Merzouga dune, with camel caravans in the distance and the sun on the horizon

Winter: December, January and February

Days are mild and perfect for walking, but nights drop a long way and can approach freezing. This is when the heating in the tent earns its keep.

In exchange, the winter sky is the cleanest of the year for stars, and the dunes at dawn with frost on the sand are something very few people have seen.

If you are coming at the end of the year, here is what New Year’s Eve in the Merzouga desert is like.

Inside a tent, with the air conditioning and heating unit above the bed

How to choose your dates

If you are coming for the dunes and the walking: March, April, October or November.
If you are coming for the stars: any month, but at new moon and ideally in winter.
If you are travelling with children: October to April, avoiding the midday heat.
If price matters more than heat: June or September.
July: we are closed.

Questions about when to come

How cold is the Sahara at night?

It depends on the month. In December and January, about 4 °C (39 °F) on average, sometimes below freezing; in April about 13 °C (55 °F); in October about 15 °C (59 °F). Day and night usually differ by around 15 °C.

Is the desert cold at night in summer?

No. In July and August the night-time low is around 25 °C (77 °F), which is why the tents have air conditioning. The real cold comes from November to February.

What is the best month for the Merzouga desert?

April and October, by a small margin. Days of 25 to 30 degrees and nights around 13-15, which is the most comfortable of the year. March and November come right behind.

Can you go in summer?

In June and August yes, by turning the day around: life happens at dawn and at sunset, and the middle hours are spent in the shade. We close in July because the temperatures make it impossible to enjoy.

Is it very cold in winter?

Nights from December to February drop to about 4 degrees and can approach zero. That is why the tents have heating. The days, on the other hand, are mild and perfect for walking.

When are the sandstorms?

Mostly in spring, in March and April. It is uncommon for them to stop you going out to the dunes, but it can happen on a given day. If it does, we rearrange the plan at the camp and head out as soon as it drops.

When are the stars best?

The winter sky is clearest, but what matters most is the moon: at new moon you see far more. Tell us your dates and we will tell you which phase it will be in.

Are there high and low season prices?

Our rate is the same all year. What changes is availability: there are only ten tents and in spring and autumn they fill up well in advance.