What is the Sahara desert like in December?

December brings the Sahara firmly back into winter, and it has a very particular character that I love. The days are mild and bright rather than warm — usually 16–19°C — with strong, clear sunshine that makes the sand glow and keeps you perfectly comfortable in a fleece while you walk the dunes. It is crisp, invigorating daytime weather, the kind where a glass of hot mint tea in the sun feels like the best thing in the world.

The nights, as in midwinter generally, are cold. Plan for around 2–6°C once the sun is down, dropping toward freezing on the clearest, stillest nights, when frost can settle on the tents by dawn. This is exactly when the difference between a good camp and a cheap one becomes obvious: the quality camps load you up with thick Berber blankets, hot water bottles and a big central fire, and a December night by that fire under the stars is genuinely magical. I never let people book a flimsy camp for December.

What you get in return for the cold is the clearest skies of the year. December air is dry and dust-free, so the stargazing is simply extraordinary — the Milky Way blazing overhead, shooting stars, a silence so complete you can hear it. The low winter sun also rakes the dunes with dramatic long shadows all day, which is a gift for photographers. For sheer atmosphere, a winter desert night is hard to top.

Two practical notes. First, pack seriously warm gear — thermals, an insulated jacket, hat and gloves for the dusk camel ride, warm socks for the tent. Second, mind the calendar: the Sahara gets busy and pricey over Christmas and New Year, so if you want the quiet, beautifully empty version of December, aim for the weeks on either side of the holidays. Either way, December delivers a crisp, starlit, deeply memorable desert.