What to wear in the Sahara desert in Morocco: season by season, and how to tie a chech

In the Moroccan Sahara, wear loose, long, light clothes by day, add a warm layer for sunset and, from November to March, a real jacket for the night, when it can get close to freezing. Wrap a chech (the desert scarf) or a light scarf around your head against sun, wind and sand, and wear shoes you can slip off on the dunes. What changes with the season is how warm that evening layer needs to be.

This guide is about how to dress, hour by hour and month by month. For everything else you need to bring (toiletries, a torch, the small bag for the camp), see our desert packing list.

A desert day in five outfits

In the desert the sun is strong and shade is rare, the air is very dry, the afternoon wind lifts the sand, and the temperature swings between afternoon and dawn: by about 13 to 14 °C on average at Errachidia, the closest station to Merzouga with official averages, and by more than 20 °C on some clear days.

A desert day on our tours has five moments, each with its own outfit:

1. The drive: hours in an air-conditioned vehicle, over Atlas passes much cooler than Marrakech. Dress for comfort, with a layer within reach.
2. The camel ride, late in the afternoon: long trousers, the chech, sunglasses.
3. The evening at camp: the fleece or jacket comes out as soon as the sun sets.
4. The night: from November to March, warm clothes to sleep in.
5. Sunrise: the coldest moment of the day. Put on everything, then peel off layers as the sun climbs.

What to wear in the desert, season by season

The figures below are the official 1991–2020 averages for Errachidia, published by the World Meteorological Organization. Merzouga lies about 300 metres lower, so expect the dunes to be slightly warmer. For Zagora, where our 2-day desert tour spends the night, the closest station the WMO lists, Ouarzazate, has almost the same averages: 17 °C by day and 2 °C at night in January, 39 °C and 23 °C in July.

Months	Afternoon (average high)	Before dawn (average low)	By day	Evening and night
December–February	16–18 °C (61–65 °F)	2–5 °C (36–40 °F)	Trousers, long sleeves, a fleece	Down jacket, hat, warm socks, gloves
March–May	22–30 °C (72–87 °F)	9–17 °C (48–63 °F)	Light trousers, long sleeves, a windproof layer	Fleece, a jacket in March
June–August	35–40 °C (96–103 °F)	22–26 °C (72–78 °F)	Loose cotton or linen over arms and legs, wide-brimmed hat, chech	A light layer is enough
September–November	21–33 °C (69–91 °F)	8–20 °C (46–68 °F)	Light clothes, long sleeves against the sun	Fleece, then a warm jacket in November

December to February. Days are pleasant in the sun, but in January the average night at Errachidia falls to 2 °C, and some nights come close to freezing. For the evening and sunrise, bring a down or padded jacket, a hat, warm socks, and gloves if you feel the cold.

March to May. Spring warms up fast, from 22 °C in March afternoons to 30 °C in May. It is also the windiest season: a sandstorm can blur the horizon for a few hours, so keep the chech within reach and pack a light windproof jacket. March evenings still call for a proper fleece.

June to August. July averages 39.5 °C in the afternoon at Errachidia, and 40 to 45 °C is common in Merzouga. Cover up rather than strip off: loose cotton or linen over your arms and legs, a wide-brimmed hat or the chech, and sunglasses. In summer we leave early, rest through the hottest hours and ride at sunset. Nights stay around 25 °C, so a T-shirt or a thin long-sleeved top is all you need.

September to November. September is still hot (33 °C on average in the afternoon), October is mild (27 °C by day, 14 °C at night) and November brings the cold back: about 21 °C in the afternoon and 8 °C before dawn.

Why cover up instead of wearing shorts and a vest top, even in the heat? Loose clothes keep the sun and the wind off your skin while air moves underneath, and densely woven fabric stops more UV than thin or sheer cloth, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The cut matters more than the colour: a 1980 study published in Nature found that a man in a loose black Bedouin robe gained no more heat in the desert than in a white one. Light colours feel cooler in direct sun; dark or bright ones block more UV.

If you are still choosing your dates, our guide to the best time to visit the Sahara compares the seasons.

What to wear for the camel ride

On our 3-day Merzouga tour, the ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes takes about two hours, so dress for the saddle:

• Long, loose trousers. Shorts and short skirts rub on the saddle and leave your legs in the sun, and a long dress is awkward when you sit astride.
• Sandals with a back strap, or trainers, which stay on your feet when you step down into the sand.
• The chech, sunglasses and sun cream: you ride with the low sun in your face.
• Zipped pockets or a small cross-body bag. A phone that slips out of a pocket on a camel is hard to find in the sand.

Long flowing dresses look lovely in photos at the camp: change into one after the ride rather than for it.

What women wear in the desert

There is no special rule in the dunes, and you don't need a headscarf. On the way, though, you pass through villages and small towns such as Rissani, the Draa Valley and the Todra Gorges, where covering your shoulders and knees is respectful. The UK government's travel advice for Morocco suggests loose clothing that covers the arms, legs and chest. The most comfortable combination is loose trousers with a long tunic or shirt, and the chech doubles as head cover against the sun. Our guide to what to wear in Morocco as a woman covers the cities and the rest of the trip.

What men wear in the desert

Light long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt protect you from the sun better than shorts and a T-shirt. In the villages, keep a shirt or T-shirt on: a sleeveless top or a bare chest is out of place there. The chech is as useful for men as for women. For the rest of the trip, read our guide to what to wear in Morocco as a man.

The chech: the desert scarf, and how to tie it

What it is

A chech (also spelt cheche or chèche, from the Arabic shash) is a long strip of light cotton wrapped around the head like a turban, with a loose end you pull over your nose and mouth when the wind picks up. It keeps the sun off your head and neck and the sand out of your face. In southern Morocco, camel handlers, drivers and many travellers wear one, in every colour. For the djellaba, the kaftan and Morocco's other garments, see our guide to traditional Moroccan clothing.

Chech or tagelmust?

The word cheche is also used for the tagelmust, the indigo veil-turban of Tuareg men, which can be more than ten metres long. Tuareg men first wear it as they come of age, and its indigo dye, which rubs off on the skin, earned them the nickname "blue men of the desert". The Tuareg live further south and east, mainly in Algeria, Libya, Mali and Niger, so the turbaned camel handlers you meet in Merzouga or Zagora are not Tuareg: in Morocco, the chech is simply practical headwear for the desert.

Where to get one

In the souks of Marrakech before you leave, or on the way: shops in Rissani, Merzouga and Zagora sell them. Choose cotton, which breathes, and a length of a few metres.

How to tie a chech, step by step

There are many ways to tie one. This simple method is adapted from a tutorial by the outdoor retailer Decathlon:

1. Tie a loose knot about 30 cm from one end of the cloth.
2. Put the cloth on your head with the knot at the back and the long part hanging in front.
3. Twist the long part firmly over your forehead so that it grips.
4. Wrap it around your head once or twice, depending on its length.
5. Tuck the end in at the back of your head, just above the knot.
6. Undo the knot and bring the short end round to the front, over your nose and mouth, and tuck it into the wraps on the other side.

When the wind drops, pull the face part down under your chin. In a sandstorm, raise a fold of cloth to just below your eyes. If it comes undone on the first try, our guides will show you how on the spot.

Shoes and feet

Many travellers walk barefoot on the dunes, and it is half the fun. The sand is hot on summer afternoons and cold at dawn, so wear sandals or trainers you can slip off easily, and socks in winter. Heavy hiking boots are unnecessary. With low shoes, trousers that fall over them keep out some of the sand.

What to wear at night in the camp

Standard camps provide thick blankets, and some luxury camps also have heaters: our page on the luxury desert camp in Merzouga shows what the tents offer. From November to March, sleep in a base layer or a tracksuit, warm socks and a hat, and keep your sunrise layer next to the bed: you will want it before dawn. In summer, light pyjamas are enough, and some travellers sleep outside under the stars.

Agafay is different

Agafay, 45 minutes from Marrakech, is a stony desert of bare hills, visited for an afternoon and an evening. Light clothes are fine in the afternoon, but evenings can be cool even in spring and autumn: bring a warm layer for dinner. If you choose a quad or a buggy, wear closed shoes and keep a scarf or chech to pull over your face against the dust. Our Agafay desert trip and our page on short desert trips from Marrakech explain the options.

Tell us your travel month on WhatsApp and we will tell you what the nights are like, or browse our Sahara desert tours from Marrakech, from 2 to 5 days.