The only sensible time to come to Chinguetti is the cool half of the year, broadly mid-October to early March. Daytime temperatures in those months are bearable — often 25 to 30 Celsius — and the nights can be properly cold, especially in January, when you will want a sleeping bag if you camp out in the dunes. From April through to September, daytime temperatures regularly clear 45 Celsius and sightseeing on foot in the ksar becomes seriously unwise.
The annual Festival of Ancient Cities (Festival des Villes Anciennes), held in December or January, is a good time to come if you want to see Chinguetti at its liveliest — camel races, poetry, music, manuscript exhibitions. It runs in alternate years in Chinguetti, Ouadane, Oualata and Tichit.