Best time to visit Egypt
General information
The best time to visit Egypt is during spring and autumn, when temperatures are warm without being scorching hot and it’s easier to enjoy the ancient sites and cities. But with its warm climate and very little rainfall year-round, you could visit Egypt at any point as long as you’re prepared, and it’s a popular winter sun destination too.
Typical Monthly Climate in Egypt
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo & Giza | 20°C 🌤️ | 22°C 🌤️ | 26°C ☀️ | 31°C☀️ | 35°C☀️ | 38°C☀️ | 39°C☀️ | 39°C☀️ | 36°C☀️ | 32°C☀️ | 27°C 🌤️ | 22°C 🌤️ |
| Luxor, Aswan & Nile Valley | 25°C ☀️ | 27°C ☀️ | 32°C ☀️ | 37°C☀️ | 41°C ☀️ | 43°C ☀️ | 44°C ☀️ | 44°C ☀️ | 40°C☀️ | 36°C ☀️ | 30°C ☀️ | 25°C ☀️ |
| Desert & Oases | 21°C ☀️ | 24°C☀️ | 29°C ☀️ | 35°C ☀️ | 39°C☀️ | 43°C☀️ | 42°C☀️ | 43°C☀️ | 38°C ☀️ | 34°C ☀️ | 28°C☀️ | 22°C☀️ |
| Red Sea Coast | 23°C ☀️ | 24°C ☀️ | 27°C ☀️ | 30°C☀️ | 33°C ☀️ | 36°C☀️ | 37°C☀️ | 38°C☀️ | 35°C☀️ | 32°C☀️ | 28°C☀️ | 24°C ☀️ |
Summer in Egypt
During the summer months, it’s not unusual for temperatures to rise to over 40C between June and August. If you’re travelling during this period, you’ll need to plan your sightseeing early or late, or stick to air-conditioned attractions during the hottest part of the day. There is often a breeze on the Nile though if you’re planning a cruise, and there are fewer tourists to share the sights with.
Winter in Egypt
During the winter months, temperatures hover around the low 20Cs so it’s also a tempting option for some winter sun. Nights are much colder though, dropping to below 10C at times, and you’ll need to bring layers for early mornings and evenings. If you’re travelling south of Cairo, you’re extremely unlikely to see any rain, and even the capital gets less than 7mm rainfall during the wettest midwinter months – the UK, by contrast gets at least 10 times as much, often a lot more.
Egypt’s climate: what you need to know
Egypt has a typical desert climate, with only two seasons during the year; hot summers, running from May to October, and milder winters, from November to April. You’ll find some distinct differences between the north and the south too. Along the Mediterranean coast at Alexandria and in Cairo, it’s noticeably cooler than further south, usually at least 5C less. This is also where Egypt receives most of its rainfall, particularly in Alexandria, although even Cairo only has a handful of rainy days every year.
In southern Egypt, or Upper Egypt, the temperatures are regularly hotter, rising highest as you travel further south to Aswan. Luxor tends to be at least 5C warmer than Cairo, and much drier, although during the winter, it’s at least as chilly overnight, sometimes even cooler with January lows of under 10C.
The area around the Red Sea is good to visit year-round as well, including the main resorts of Hurghada, El Gouna, and Sharm el-Sheik. In winter, it can be windy which makes it feel cooler, especially in the evenings and you may want a wetsuit for snorkelling, although the water temperature rarely drops below 20C. It’s never quite as hot as southern Egypt, although temperatures do climb to the high 30Cs during midsummer, and tends not to be as cold overnight, only dropping to 12C on average in January.
Visiting Egypt during Ramadan
Egypt is an Islamic country so if you travel to Egypt in the spring, you may experience the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr celebrations which take place immediately afterwards. During Ramadan, people fast from sunrise to sunset, and while tourists aren’t expected to do the same, local restaurants are likely to close during the day, alcohol sales may be more limited and it’s worth being sensitive to the restrictions.
By contrast, in the evenings it’s busier and livelier as families eat together before going out, and local restaurants will often get booked up. Some cultural attractions may close a little earlier during Ramadan, and those which would ordinarily open in the evening will often close too. Otherwise, excursions continue as normal and the major tourist sites also open throughout the month of Ramadan.
The exact start date of Ramadan depends on the position of the moon, so the dates are not fixed but we’ve listed the periods around which Ramadan is projected to take place over the next few years, if you’d be interested in visiting or would prefer to plan your visit for another time.
* Ramadan 2027: February 8 to March 9 (Eid al-Fitr on March 10)
* Ramadan 2028: January 28 to February 27 (Eid al-Fitr on February 28)
* Ramadan 2029: January 15 to February 13 (Eid al-Fitr on February 14)