Yennayer · 2977
Amazigh New Year 2027 Yennayer 2977, 14 January
An earthen kasbah · the south
The year at a glance
Yennayer in the 2027 calendar
January is the quietest month of the year: clear days, cold nights and snow on the High Atlas. Two public holidays fall in the same week, Independence Manifesto Day on 11 January and Yennayer on 14 January. Tap any month and we start your quote from it.
- Best for this trip
- Excellent
- Good
- Mixed (very hot inland)
- Ramadan, about 8 Feb to 8 Mar
- Festival, usually that month
- Public holiday
- Eid (about)
What to know
What Yennayer is, and why 2027 is a good year to see it
Snow on the High Atlas behind a dry valley and kasbahs The start of the farming year
Yennayer marks the first day of the old agrarian calendar used by Amazigh communities across North Africa. The year count starts in 950 BC, so 14 January 2027 opens the year 2977.
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The ksar of Ait Benhaddou above its palms A national holiday, still young
King Mohammed VI made Yennayer a paid public holiday in 2023, and it was first observed on 14 January 2024. Tamazight has been an official language since 2011, and you will see its Tifinagh script on public signs.
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Walkers on the riverside path below the red cliffs of the Todra Gorge A meal, not a parade
The heart of Yennayer is a family dinner, usually on the eve. Many homes serve couscous with seven vegetables. Some families hide a date stone or an almond in the dish, and whoever finds it is said to have luck for the year.
Camel riders crossing orange Sahara dunes Every region has its own table
Customs vary from valley to valley. In the Souss many families cook ourkimen, a slow stew of pulses and grains; tagoula, a maize porridge served with butter, is served in many Amazigh homes. Names and recipes change from place to place.
A riad courtyard with a tiled fountain and orange trees January travel is quiet
Mid-January has the fewest visitors of the year. Days in Marrakech and the south are bright and mild, desert nights are cold and starry, and the High Atlas is often white with snow.
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Routes for 2027
January routes through Amazigh country
Every trip is private, with your own driver and a local guide where you want one. Celebrations happen at home, so we never promise a public event; where a host invites guests to share the meal, we tell you.
6days
Kasbahs, oases and the Sahara
Marrakech, Tizi n’Tichka, Ait Benhaddou, Dades, Tinghir, Merzouga, Marrakech
The classic southern loop through Amazigh villages and earth-built ksour, with a cold, clear night among the dunes. We watch the weather on the Tichka pass, which can close briefly after snow.
Best: October to April
2days
Tinghir and the Todra Gorge
Tinghir, Todra Gorge, the palm oasis
A slow stop in a Tamazight-speaking oasis town: walks through the palm groves, the gorge in winter light and a warm guesthouse dinner.
Best: September to May
1day
Snow and villages in the High Atlas
Marrakech, Asni, Imlil, Marrakech
Amazigh villages under snowy peaks, an hour and a half from Marrakech. Walk with a local guide and warm up with tea in a village house.
Best: All year; snow usually December to March
Illustrative5days
Into the Souss
Marrakech, the Souss plain, Agadir
The Souss is the heartland of Tashelhit-speaking Amazigh culture and of argan country, and the coast is mild in January. Agadir often hosts Yennayer concerts and cultural events; we can add the walled town of Taroudant on request.
Best: November to April
In pictures
Amazigh New Year 2027, in pictures
Photographs from our own trips, with any illustration clearly marked. Every caption says where it was taken.
Ait Benhaddou rising above palms and a terrace 
The town and palm oasis of Tinghir below red hills 
Cacti and the cobalt-blue villa of the Jardin Majorelle 
IllustrativeDades-style canyon valley and earthen villages 
Aerial view of a white-tent desert camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes 
A wide view over the Tinghir oasis and the Todra valley
Dates to know in 2027
The 2027 dates that shape this trip
“About” means the date depends on the moon; “usually” means the 2027 dates are not announced yet. We confirm both in your proposal.
Good to know
Travelling in January 2027
Pack for two seasons
Days are often sunny and mild, but nights in the mountains and the desert drop close to freezing. Bring warm layers, a hat and good shoes.
Expect a few closures
On 14 January government offices, banks and some shops close. Hotels, riads, restaurants and monuments open as normal.
Learn the greeting
The usual greeting is “Aseggas amaynou”, new year, in Tamazight. A host will be delighted to hear it.
Meet Amazigh culture all year
Music, carpets, silver jewellery and the earth-built villages of the south carry Amazigh culture every month of the year. Our Amazigh guide covers the history and the places to visit.
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After you ask for a quote
What you get within 24 hours
Your proposal contains
- A day-by-day route, with the driving time between stops
- Stays matched to your style (riads, kasbahs, desert camps or hotels), named so you can look them up
- Which moments are private to you, and which are shared, such as a camp’s dining tent
- An itemised quote: what is included and what is not
- Who is planning your trip, and how to reach them on WhatsApp
- Free, with no obligation to book
Before you pay a deposit, we confirm
- Opening days for the places on your route, including Friday and holiday closures
- Meal stops along the way, and any dietary needs
- Prayer or Shabbat timing, if it matters to you
- Step-free access, wherever you need it
- The vehicle class for your group and your luggage
Every trip is private and priced to your dates, so there is no fixed price list. Ask, and the proposal shows the full cost before anything is booked.
Amazigh New Year 2027: your questions
When is the Amazigh New Year 2027?
Yennayer falls on 14 January 2027 and opens the Amazigh year 2977. Many families celebrate on the evening of 13 January with a shared meal.
Is Yennayer a public holiday in Morocco?
Yes. Since 2024, 14 January has been an official paid public holiday in Morocco. Offices and banks close; hotels, restaurants and monuments stay open.
What year is it in the Amazigh calendar in 2027?
The Amazigh calendar is 950 years ahead of the Gregorian count, so Yennayer on 14 January 2027 opens the year 2977.
What do people eat for Yennayer?
Many families share couscous with seven vegetables. In the Souss ourkimen, a stew of pulses and grains, is common, and tagoula, a maize porridge with butter, is served in many homes. Dishes vary by region.
Where is Yennayer celebrated in Morocco?
In homes across the country, and most visibly in Amazigh regions such as the Souss around Agadir, the Atlas and the south-east. Agadir and other towns often hold concerts and cultural events.
Is January a good time to visit Morocco?
Yes, if you like quiet travel. January 2027 has clear, mild days, cold nights, snow on the High Atlas and very few visitors. Pack warm layers for the mountains and the desert.
The 2027 collection
More ways to spend 2027 in Morocco
- Morocco tours 2027Private routes for every length of trip, fitted to your 2027 dates.
- Sahara desert tours 2027Dunes, camps and the best desert months of the year.
- Morocco honeymoon 2027Riads, desert nights and the coast, paced for two.
- Family holidays 2027School-holiday routes with short drives and room to play.
- Ramadan 2027 in MoroccoWhat changes, what stays open and how lovely the evenings are.
- Eid al-Adha 2027Travelling around the biggest family holiday, without the closures catching you out.
- Easter 2027 in MoroccoSpring break routes for the Easter holidays.
- New Year's Eve 2027See the new year in under Sahara stars, in a Marrakech riad or on the coast.
Start the year where Morocco began
المغربⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱThe Kingdom of Morocco