Fez · Morocco
December
Cool and quiet — winter light on an ancient city, low prices, and almost no tourists.
Best match
#10 of 12 months
There are better months for Fez — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
15.2°C
Low
5.4°C
Rain
72mm
Sun
5.8hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Fez
Weather
Good
Value
Excellent
Crowds
Excellent
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in December
- ↑December in Fez is a genuinely compelling experience for those prepared for cool weather: the medina in winter has a raw, unlayered quality that summer and spring visitors never see. The hammams (public baths) are central to medina life in December — visiting the Hammam Sidi Azouz in Fez el-Bali is a legitimate local institution at 7 dirhams (65 US cents), and December is when you share it entirely with residents.
- ↑Christmas and New Year have essentially no presence in this Muslim city: Fez continues its normal daily rhythm unchanged, making it one of the very few destinations in the Northern Hemisphere where the Christmas-New Year tourist premium simply doesn't exist. A December riad booking in Fez costs a fraction of equivalent accommodation in Marrakech, which has been heavily marketed to Western tourists.
- ↑The Madrasa Bou Inania in December is extraordinary: the 14th-century theological college with its carved cedar wood and zellige tilework is best appreciated when rain and cold drive away the tour groups, and you can sit in the courtyard beside the water basin in relative quiet.
What you sacrifice
- ↓15.2°C highs and 5.4°C lows require proper winter clothing: the medina has no central heating and the beautiful riads with their central courtyards are cold at night without good fires or efficient heating. Check the heating situation before booking.
- ↓Rainfall (72mm across the month) is the second highest of the year, and December rain in the medina alleyways is challenging. The earthen walls absorb moisture and the ancient drainage struggles under sustained rain — a rainy December day in Fez el-Bali tests patience.
How December compares to October (best month)
| Factor | December | October ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 6 | 9 |
| Value | 8 | 7 |
| Crowds | 8 | 7 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Ho Chi Minh City (31°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.4°C)Cairo (20.8°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)Las Vegas (14.7°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (6.8°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (26.8°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Fez, not across destinations. Methodology →