What is Marrakech like in June?

June is when Marrakech turns up the heat in earnest. Daytime temperatures climb to 33 to 37°C, and the dry, baking quality of that heat is something to take seriously. It is not the humid swelter of a tropical city — it is a fierce, radiant warmth that bounces off the medina walls — but the middle of the day in June is for shade, water and a swimming pool, not for marching around the souks. Manage it well and June is perfectly enjoyable; fight it and you will tire quickly.

The way to do June, and the way I plan it for guests, is to treat the day in two halves. Get out early — the medina at 8 in the morning is cool, calm and golden — see the gardens and the major sights before 11, then retreat to a shaded riad courtyard or a rooftop pool for the searing midday hours. The temperature drops pleasantly in the evening, and from around 6pm the city wakes up again: the rooftops, the night-time energy of Jemaa el-Fnaa, and dinner under the stars are all at their best. A riad with a genuine plunge pool stops being a luxury and becomes essential this month.

The upside of the heat is space and value. June sits firmly outside the spring peak, so the crowds noticeably thin, the queues shorten, and riad rates fall from their April highs. For travellers who can handle the temperature and prioritise a quieter, more affordable city, early summer offers a very different Marrakech — calmer, cheaper, and with that drowsy, sun-soaked stillness in the afternoons. The light is intense and beautiful, and photographers in particular tend to love it.

Where June draws a firm line is the desert. Saharan daytime temperatures now routinely exceed 40°C, and I will not send guests to a dune camp in this kind of heat except for a dawn-and-dusk-only itinerary, and even then with caution. If you are set on the desert, save it for autumn. Within Marrakech, though — and on a cooler day trip up into the Atlas, where the altitude brings real relief — June works well for the prepared traveller. Pack light, breathable clothing, a hat, strong sunscreen, and book that pool.