What should I pack for Morocco in winter?

The biggest misconception I correct is that Morocco is warm year-round. In winter it is mild and sunny by day in the cities and on the coast — pleasant t-shirt weather at midday in Marrakech — but the evenings are genuinely cold, riads are often unheated stone buildings that hold the chill, and the mountains and desert can be bitter. So winter packing is all about layering: a base of t-shirts and long-sleeve tops, a mid-layer fleece or wool sweater, and a warm insulated jacket you can throw on the moment the sun drops, which it does fast around 5pm.

Rain is the other winter reality people forget. From December through February the north and the coast get real downpours, and medina streets turn to slick puddles. I pack a packable waterproof shell and a small travel umbrella, and I always recommend closed, water-resistant shoes rather than canvas trainers that soak through within minutes. Wet feet on a cold day in Fes ruins an otherwise lovely afternoon, and there is nowhere convenient to dry shoes overnight in most riads.

If your trip touches the High Atlas or the Sahara — and most winter itineraries do — you need to pack as if for a genuinely cold trip, not a warm one. Desert nights in December and January can fall to near freezing, and the camps are canvas. I send clients out with thermal base layers, a proper hat, gloves, warm socks and that insulated jacket, plus a scarf that works for both warmth and the occasional dust. The mountains see real snow; Oukaïmeden has a ski station above Marrakech, which surprises a lot of visitors.

A handful of practical notes from winter trips: a scarf is the single most useful item in the bag, equally good against cold wind, low sun and chilly mornings. Hand cream and lip balm matter because the dry cold and indoor braziers crack skin quickly. The plug is type C/E, so one European adapter does it. And do still pack sunglasses and sunscreen — the winter sun at altitude and in the desert is strong despite the cold. The goal is to be warm in layers you can shed by midday, not bundled in one heavy coat you sweat in at noon and shiver in by night.