Marrakech in February: Almond Blossom, Mild Days and the Last of the Quiet

February is the month you feel winter starting to release Marrakech. Afternoon highs edge up to around 19-21C with roughly eight hours of sun, so the warm midday window is longer and more reliable than in January and comfortable for extended medina walks and garden visits. The nights, though, stay firmly cold: overnight lows sit at 7-8C, and unheated riad rooms hold that chill just as they do in deep winter. In practice February feels like a gentler January by day and an almost identical January by night, so the packing brief barely changes even as the afternoons improve.

Rainfall is similar to January at around 28mm over roughly six days, again mostly as short showers rather than sustained rain, and February often serves up long runs of clear, bright weather. Days are lengthening quickly, from about 10h45m of daylight early in the month to 11h25m by the end, which means later, warmer afternoons for sightseeing as February goes on. The reliable strategy remains the same: pack the open-air sights into the warm midday-to-mid-afternoon band and keep a jacket handy for the fast evening cool-down.

February's signature is the almond blossom. Across the High Atlas foothills and valleys, the almond trees, which flower before their leaves, break into clouds of white and pale-pink blossom, typically peaking from the middle of the month into early March depending on altitude and the winter's timing. It is one of the loveliest and least-touristed sights of the Moroccan year, and it turns an ordinary foothills day trip into something memorable. The blossom is best in the valleys rather than the city, so this is a month to head out.

The easiest options from Marrakech are the Ourika Valley and the Asni and Imlil approaches, roughly an hour to ninety minutes out, where terraced orchards sit against still-snowy peaks for a striking blossom-and-snow contrast. Morocco's most famous almond-blossom celebration, the Almond Blossom Festival, is actually held far to the south around Tafraoute in the Anti-Atlas, not near Marrakech, so do not expect a city festival, expect scenery. Combine the blossom with a valley lunch and you have one of February's best days. Our Setti Fatma and Ourika waterfalls guide and the three valleys day trip both run through prime foothills orchard country.

February is quiet on the formal-events front, but Valentine's Day (14 February) is well marked by the tourist-facing side of the city. Riads, international hotels and the Gueliz and Hivernage restaurants that cater to visitors run set Valentine's dinners, often with rooftop or courtyard tables and live music, and the better ones book up a week or two ahead. Prices for these set menus vary widely, so confirm what is included when you reserve. Away from the couples' dinners, the month has no large public festival, which is part of why it stays so calm.

The other February date to know in 2026 is the start of Ramadan, covered in the next section. Note too that mid-February coincides with several European school half-terms, which brings a modest, brief uptick in family visitors and a slight firming of room rates for a week or so, nothing like the spring peak, but worth booking ahead for if your dates fall in that window. Outside that, February keeps January's easy, uncrowded feel.

Ramadan shifts about 11 days earlier each year on the Islamic calendar, and in 2026 it is expected to begin around 18 February, meaning the final ten or so days of the month fall within the holy month (exact dates depend on the moon sighting, so confirm nearer the time). During Ramadan, many locally-oriented cafes and restaurants close or run reduced hours in daylight, the pace of the souks slows in the afternoon, and the city comes alive after sunset for iftar, the fast-breaking meal. Sights, gardens and museums generally stay open, and tourist-facing restaurants and riads continue to serve meals through the day.

For a traveller, a Ramadan visit is atmospheric rather than difficult: the evening energy on Jemaa el-Fnaa after iftar is memorable, and it is a respectful courtesy not to eat, drink or smoke conspicuously in the street during daylight. If your February trip runs into the last third of the month, plan lunches around hotels and tourist restaurants that stay open, and expect a slightly slower daytime rhythm. For the detail see our Marrakech during Ramadan guide, and note that Morocco also moves its clocks back for Ramadan, explained in the Morocco Ramadan time change guide.

February holds onto January's excellent value for most of its length. The major sights are quiet, riad rates sit well below the spring and autumn peaks, and it is a strong month to stay above your usual budget or to negotiate in a slow souk. The only firm-ups are the short Valentine's and half-term bumps in mid-month, and, in 2026, a softening of the general tourist crowd once Ramadan begins, which can make the last part of the month even quieter at the sights even as the city buzzes after dark.

Everything a visitor wants remains open. The gardens, palaces, museums, souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa food scene run as normal, with the Ramadan caveat above for the last part of the month. This is a fine time for a value city break with warmer afternoons than January and the bonus of the blossom. For a fuller cost breakdown across the year, see our Marrakech prices and costs guide.

February rewards a mix of city and foothills. In town, the warmer afternoons make garden days genuinely pleasant, the Majorelle and Menara gardens, the palaces, the souks and a slow lunch on a sun-trap rooftop. Out of town, the blossom-and-snow foothills day is the month's standout. It is also a good month for hammams and cooking classes, which suit the cold ends of the day when the sun has gone.

The packing list barely differs from January because the nights are still cold, though you will use the lightest layers more in the warmer afternoons. Treat any mountain or snow day as a proper winter outing.