Ouarzazate in December

December settles the high desert into winter. Daytime highs of around 18°C under brilliant, dry blue skies make for pleasant, clear sightseeing at the kasbahs and the Atlas Film Studios, but the nights drop close to freezing, so warm layers are essential after dark. The air is crisp and the light exceptionally clean, ideal for photographing the earthen towers of the old kasbahs against a sharp midwinter sky.

The film-and-kasbah trail is at its photogenic best in December's low, raking sun. The great ksar of Ait Benhaddou and the Taourirt Kasbah frame superbly in the clear morning and late-afternoon light, and the studios are comfortable to tour by day. With almost no rain — Ouarzazate is among Morocco's driest places — sightseeing days run uninterrupted, just bookended by cold mornings and genuinely cold nights, especially out toward the desert.

December suits travellers who want the desert gateway calm, dry and crowd-free, and who pack for real cold after sunset. It works as the high-desert leg of a winter southern circuit — over the Tizi n'Tichka from Marrakech, down the valleys and on toward a chilly but starlit Sahara. For clear skies, dramatic low-sun light and a peaceful, off-season atmosphere, midwinter is rewarding here, provided you come prepared for the cold.