What to Wear for a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Marrakech
Dress for the coldest part of the morning, not for Marrakech. You will be standing on open ground before dawn, when the city’s average low runs from 5.9 °C in January to 21.1 °C in August — and you will land into a day that climbs to 37 °C in summer. Layers you can shed, closed shoes you can climb in, and nothing loose near the burners. That is the whole answer.
The detail below is the month-by-month version, with the actual temperatures.
What it will really be like, month by month
The number that matters is the daily minimum, because the overnight low happens around dawn — precisely when you are standing on the plain watching the balloon inflate. The daily maximum tells you what you are walking back into by late morning.
These are the 1991–2020 climate normals for Marrakesh Menara Airport. The launch site sits on open ground outside the city, which cools further overnight than the city does, so plan for the low end of each figure.
| Month | Avg. low (dawn) | Avg. high (by midday) | What to wear at take-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.9 °C | 19.1 °C | Thermal or fleece, proper jacket, hat, gloves |
| February | 7.6 °C | 20.7 °C | Fleece and a windproof jacket |
| March | 10.3 °C | 23.6 °C | Long sleeves, light jacket, scarf |
| April | 12.4 °C | 25.7 °C | Long sleeves plus a layer you will take off |
| May | 15.2 °C | 29.4 °C | Light jumper over a t-shirt |
| June | 17.9 °C | 33.6 °C | Light long sleeves, nothing heavy |
| July | 20.6 °C | 37.7 °C | T-shirt plus a thin layer for the drive |
| August | 21.1 °C | 37.4 °C | T-shirt; the mornings are genuinely mild |
| September | 18.6 °C | 32.5 °C | Light long sleeves |
| October | 15.7 °C | 28.5 °C | Long sleeves and a light jacket |
| November | 10.7 °C | 23.1 °C | Fleece and a jacket |
| December | 7.3 °C | 20.1 °C | Thermal or fleece, jacket, hat |
The gap between the two columns is the whole problem. In October you leave your riad at 6.5 °C-and-dark and you are back in it at 28 °C-and-bright. Nothing you own is right for both, which is why layers are not a suggestion.
A useful surprise: the basket is not windy
People overdress for the flight itself. A balloon travels with the air, so there is no wind chill in the basket — the air around you is the air moving you. It is normally a degree or two warmer than the ground because of the burner above your head.
The cold part of the morning is the twenty minutes on the ground, standing still, watching the inflation, before sunrise. Dress for that, and be ready to remove a layer once you are up.
The five rules
1. Three layers, not one thick one
A base layer, something insulating, and a windproof outer. You will take the outer off in the basket and the middle one off at breakfast. One heavy coat gives you two states: too hot, or carrying a coat.
2. Closed shoes, flat, that you can climb in
You get into the basket by climbing over the side, and you get out the same way, often into a field. Trainers or light boots. Not sandals, not heels, not anything you mind getting dusty.
3. Nothing loose near the burners
The burners are directly overhead and they are hot. Long scarves, flowing sleeves, wide hats and anything trailing should be tied back or left in the car. Long hair goes up.
4. A hat for after, sunglasses for during
The low sun at take-off is straight in your eyes. Sunglasses matter more than you would think. A brimmed hat is for the breakfast afterwards, when the sun is properly up — pack it rather than wearing it at take-off, where it will blow off.
5. Trousers over a dress
You are climbing over a waist-high wall in front of strangers and standing for an hour. If a dress is part of the plan for photographs, wear it over leggings and bring the climbing-appropriate option too.
What to bring, what to leave
Bring: a small crossbody bag or a zipped pocket for your phone, sunglasses, sunscreen for after landing, and a layer you are happy to carry.
Leave at the riad: anything valuable you would grieve, a big camera bag with nothing to put it in, umbrellas, and the wide-brimmed hat you want to keep.
Your hands will be busy holding the basket rim on landing, so anything you cannot zip away needs to go back in your bag before the descent. The crew will tell you when.
Three mistakes people make
- Dressing for the forecast high. The app says 34 °C. You will be standing in 20 °C, in the dark, for half an hour.
- Underestimating winter. Marrakech in January is genuinely cold before dawn — 5.9 °C on average, and less out on the plain. Gloves are not an overreaction.
- Choosing shoes for the photographs. The landing field decides your footwear, not the sunrise.
What you are dressing for, in order
Pickup in the dark, between roughly 05:00 in June and 07:00 in January — the exact time follows sunrise, and the month-by-month table is in why Marrakech balloons fly at dawn. Tea at the base. Twenty minutes standing outside while the envelope fills. Forty to sixty minutes in the basket. Then a landing in a field, a 4×4 recovery, and breakfast under a caidal tent as the day warms up.
Five distinct temperature environments in four hours. Layers.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cold in a hot air balloon in Marrakech?
The basket itself is not cold — you move with the air, so there is no wind chill, and the burner adds warmth. The cold part is standing on the ground before sunrise, when Marrakech averages 5.9 °C in January and 21.1 °C in August.
What shoes should I wear?
Flat, closed, comfortable — trainers or light boots. You climb in and out over the side of the basket and you may land in a ploughed field.
Can I wear a dress?
Yes, over leggings, if it is not loose enough to catch. Bear in mind you are climbing over a waist-high basket wall twice.
Do I need gloves?
In December, January and February, yes — you will be glad of them during the inflation. The rest of the year, no.
What should I wear in summer?
A t-shirt with a thin long-sleeved layer for the drive and the ground time. July and August mornings average 20–21 °C, which is comfortable, and you will not need it once the sun is up.
Can I bring a bag?
A small one you can wear across your body or zip shut. Your hands need to be free for take-off and landing.
Is there anything I am not allowed to wear?
Nothing loose or trailing near the burners — long scarves, flowing sleeves, wide hats. Tie long hair back.
What about sunscreen?
Not needed for the flight itself, which finishes while the sun is still low. Needed for the breakfast afterwards and for the rest of your day.
Our flights over Marrakech
- Classic Flight — 170 € per person: shared basket, hotel pickup, 40 to 60 minutes in the air, Berber breakfast under a caidal tent after landing.
- Private Flight — 500 € per person: your own balloon, your own pilot and ground crew, private VIP car from your hotel.
- Royal Flight — 650 € per person: seated at a table rather than standing, with a Bacha Coffee breakfast served in the air by a steward.
All three include roundtrip transport from your hotel or riad in Marrakech and a flight certificate with your name in Arabic. Book directly on WhatsApp, or call +212 661 45 47 38 — our office in Gueliz answers 8:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday.
Temperature figures: climate normals for Marrakesh Menara Airport, 1991–2020.
