---
title: "Company Christmas Party in Marrakech: Dates and Costs"
description: "Company Christmas party in Marrakech: when to book, dates to avoid in December and January, evening weather and a costed two-day programme for 50 and 100."
image: "https://saphyyrevents.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/A3-soiree-fin-annee-entreprise.webp"
---

Source: https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/company-christmas-party-marrakech
Date: 2026-10-13
Language: en

For a company Christmas or end-of-year party in Marrakech, aim for the first three weeks of December, from Monday 30 November to Friday 18 December 2026: French Christmas school holidays start on Saturday 19 December, Christmas bank holidays follow, and Morocco has no public holidays in December. Plan the evening indoors or in a closed, heated tent, because average overnight lows are around 7°C and the sun sets at about 5.30pm. For a two-day, one-night format in a 4-star hotel, with an afternoon review of the year, a dinner with a DJ and airport transfers, our cost model gives roughly €12,300 to €20,900 for 50 people, flights excluded. And if December is already too close, January offers the same weather and some extra advantages.

## When should you book a December party?

For a group, hotels are generally booked three to six months ahead, and room blocks are best negotiated around six months out. For an early-December party, the right time to start looking is therefore between June and September.

If you are reading this in October for a party this December, it is not too late to try. December falls in Marrakech’s low season, which runs from June to August and again from December to February, so venues are under less pressure than in March to May or September to November. A precise request, with two possible dates and a headcount, lets you check availability quickly. Our [corporate retreat planning timeline](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/corporate-retreat-marrakech-planning-timeline) helps you line up the steps, even on a short schedule.

## Which dates should you avoid in December and January?

The calendar involves at least two countries: yours, where holidays and school breaks take people away with their families, and Morocco, where public holidays are best avoided. The table covers England and Wales, France and Morocco.

| Date | England and Wales / France | Morocco |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mon 30 Nov to Fri 18 Dec 2026 | Normal working weeks | No public holiday |
| Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Sun 3 Jan 2027 | French Christmas school holidays, all three mainland zones (A, B and C) | No public holiday in December |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day, bank holiday in both countries | Ordinary day |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day substitute bank holiday (England and Wales) | Ordinary day |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year’s Day, bank holiday in both countries | New Year’s Day, public holiday |
| Mon 11 Jan 2027 | Ordinary day | Proclamation of Independence, public holiday |
| Thu 14 Jan 2027 | Ordinary day | Amazigh New Year, public holiday |

Two windows stand out. The first runs from 30 November to 18 December 2026: three full weeks before people leave for the holidays. The second runs from Monday 4 January to the end of January 2027, avoiding the 11th and 14th. It has a practical argument in its favour: the party becomes a new-year kick-off rather than a wrap-up, and you gain time to book. February is less suitable in 2027, as Ramadan is expected to begin around 8 February, give or take a day depending on the moon sighting. Our [month-by-month calendar for 2027](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/corporate-retreat-marrakech-2027-best-time) covers the rest of the year.

UK dates come from the GOV.UK bank holidays page; French dates from Service-Public (in French), which also notes that 26 December is a holiday only in Alsace-Moselle.

## What is the weather like in Marrakech in December?

Mild by day, cool at night. The climate normals for Marrakech-Menara give an average high of about 20°C in December and an average low of about 7°C. January is very similar, at 19°C and 6°C. Around mid-December, the sun rises at about 7.25am and sets at about 5.30pm, local time.

Those figures shape the programme. Outdoor activities belong between late morning and mid-afternoon, when it is warmest. The evening starts after dark, and temperatures fall quickly: dinner on an open terrace needs heaters, a riad courtyard needs covering or heating, and a desert evening takes place in a closed tent with braziers and blankets. The simplest option is an indoor room with a terrace for drinks at sunset.

The choice between hotel, riad and desert, with its implications for capacity, late-night transport and music curfew, has its own article: our comparison of the [corporate gala dinner in Marrakech](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/corporate-gala-dinner-marrakech).

On timing, Morocco now stays on GMT all year round: in December, Marrakech is on the same time as London and one hour behind Paris. A direct flight from Paris takes a little over three hours. Flights are booked by you or by your travel agent.

For a team based in the UK, there is no time difference in winter, so colleagues who need to stay in touch with the office during the working session can do so on their usual hours.

## What does a two-day, one-night programme look like?

The format has two things going for it at the end of the year: it is long enough to break from routine, and short enough to cost only one hotel night and two days away from the office.

### Day 1: arrival, review of the year, party

Arrive on morning flights, transfer from the airport to the hotel, lunch. In the afternoon, one working session: the year in review, next year’s objectives, awards if you plan any. Around 5pm, a break to watch the sunset from a terrace. Dinner starts at about 7.30pm, then the DJ takes over until the venue’s finishing time, often between midnight and 1am.

### Day 2: free morning or activity, home

A late breakfast, then a free morning or a group activity during the mildest hours. A [treasure hunt in the medina](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/medina-treasure-hunt-marrakech-teams) suits a December morning well. A light lunch, then the airport transfer in the early afternoon.

## How much does an end-of-year party in Marrakech cost?

The figures below come from the model behind our budget calculator, with one night in a single room, one working day (room, breaks, lunch), AV, the evening with dinner, venue hire and DJ, and airport transfers. They include a 10% contingency.

| Scenario | Total budget | Per person |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 50 people, 4-star hotel, party at the hotel | €12,300 to €20,900 | €250 to €420 |
| 50 people, 4-star hotel, party at the hotel plus medina treasure hunt | €13,900 to €23,400 | €280 to €470 |
| 50 people, 4-star hotel, party in a private riad with shuttles | €15,000 to €27,700 | €300 to €550 |
| 50 people, 5-star hotel, party at the hotel | €17,500 to €29,400 | €350 to €590 |
| 100 people, 4-star hotel, party at the hotel | €22,800 to €37,500 | €230 to €380 |
| 100 people, 5-star hotel, party at the hotel | €33,200 to €54,600 | €330 to €550 |

Moving from 4 to 5 stars is the change that weighs most: for 50 people it adds roughly €5,200 to €8,500, mostly on the accommodation line. Holding the party in a private riad instead of the hotel costs less than upgrading the hotel, and changes the atmosphere more.

These estimates exclude flights, alcoholic drinks, tourist tax and the management fee. Bespoke festive décor, gifts for staff or a photographer are quoted separately. If your team is employed in France and the company is paying for a trip abroad, read our article on [company retreats abroad and benefit in kind](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/company-retreat-abroad-benefit-in-kind-france).

## How do you handle a group’s arrival in December?

The first day is short in winter: with sunset at about 5.30pm, a group landing in early afternoon has only a few hours of daylight. Favour morning flights and start the working session straight after lunch. If colleagues fly from several cities, each arrival needs someone waiting at the terminal, and the afternoon programme should begin after the last scheduled flight.

Check travel documents at sign-up, not the week before departure. French nationals need a passport valid for the whole stay; an identity card alone is no longer accepted. Other nationalities should check their own government’s travel advice for Morocco.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is October too late to plan a December party?

Not necessarily. December is low season in Marrakech, which leaves more choice than in spring or autumn. Send two possible dates and a headcount to check availability. Otherwise, January is a good alternative.

### Can we eat outdoors in December?

Only with heaters. The average December low is about 7°C and night falls at about 5.30pm. Drinks on a terrace at sunset work well; dinner is better indoors or in a closed, heated tent.

### What does an end-of-year party for 50 people cost?

For two days and one night in a 4-star hotel, with a review session, a party with DJ and transfers, our model gives roughly €12,300 to €20,900, or €250 to €420 per person, excluding flights and management fee.

### December or January?

The weather is almost identical. December closes the year before the holidays; January avoids the year-end rush and leaves more time to book. In Morocco, avoid 1, 11 and 14 January 2027, which are public holidays.

We find the venue, organise the arrivals and run the evening until the last guest leaves: see our [event planning in Marrakech](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/event-planning-in-marrakech), try your headcount and hotel category in the [seminar and corporate event budget calculator](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/seminar-team-building-budget-calculator-marrakech), or ask for a [free quote](https://saphyyrevents.fr/en/free-quote) with your dates.

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