The Best Time to Visit Egypt
Egypt's calendar is written by the desert: a long, comfortable 'winter' from October to April when the pyramids and Nile cruises are a joy, and a summer when Luxor and Aswan top 40°C by mid-morning. The Red Sea resorts play by their own, kinder rules.
When is the best time to visit Egypt?
The best time to visit Egypt is October to April, when Cairo runs a comfortable 20-30°C and Luxor and Aswan are warm rather than punishing - ideal for the pyramids, temples and Nile cruises. December and January are the peak, with the biggest crowds and prices. The shoulders (October-November, March-April) offer nearly the same comfort with more space. Summer (June-August) is brutally hot at the inland sites but the cheapest time, and the Red Sea resorts (Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh) stay pleasant year-round thanks to sea breezes.
Best time to go
October–April
Cheapest time
June–August (inland heat discount)
When to avoid
June–August for Luxor & Aswan (40°C+)
Egypt climate at a glance
Avg daytime high (°C / °F) · rainfall · season- 19°66°FJan
- 21°70°FFeb
- 24°75°FMar
- 29°84°FApr
- 33°91°FMay
- 35°95°FJun
- 35°95°FJul
- 35°95°FAug
- 33°91°FSep
- 30°86°FOct
- 25°77°FNov
- 21°70°FDec
Every month in Egypt is rated for weather, crowds and price. Drag the slider to find your sweet spot - the greener the month, the better value the trip.
Cheapest window: June–August (inland heat discount)
May: $ · Low crowds · 33°C, hot
Egypt month by month
Every month rated for weather, crowds and price, so you can match the trip to the month.
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Price | What it's like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19°C, mild, sunny | Peak | $$$ | The heart of high season: cool mornings at the pyramids, perfect Nile-cruise weather and the year's biggest crowds at Luxor's temples. |
| Feb | 21°C, mild, clear | High | $$$ | Superb sightseeing weather continues; Abu Simbel's sun festival (Feb 22) lights the inner sanctuary at dawn. |
| Mar | 24°C, warm | High | $$ | Warm days and thinning crowds; the occasional khamsin dust wind blows through, but it rarely costs more than an afternoon. |
| Apr | 29°C, warm, dry | Moderate | $$ | The last comfortable month inland before summer - great value, and the Red Sea is already at its best. |
| May | 33°C, hot | Low | $ | Heat builds fast in Upper Egypt; early-morning temple visits still work well, and prices drop noticeably. |
| Jun | 35°C, very hot inland | Low | $ | Luxor and Aswan push past 40°C by late morning. Cheap, and manageable with dawn starts - but the Red Sea is the smarter base. |
| Jul | 35°C, extreme south | Low | $ | The hottest stretch: inland sightseeing is a dawn-only activity. Divers and beach travellers still do fine on the coast. |
| Aug | 35°C, extreme south | Low | $ | Same story - fierce inland heat, quiet sites, bargain prices, and 29°C water temperatures off Hurghada and Sharm. |
| Sep | 33°C, hot, easing | Low | $ | The heat begins to break; late September is a genuine bargain window for Nile cruises before high season pricing returns. |
| Oct | 30°C, warm, pleasant | Moderate | $$ | High season opens: warm but comfortable across the country - one of the best months to combine Cairo, Luxor and the coast. |
| Nov | 25°C, mild, sunny | High | $$ | Prime weather everywhere and slightly softer prices than the December peak - the value pick of the high season. |
| Dec | 21°C, mild | Peak | $$$ | Perfect sightseeing weather and peak demand: Nile cruises and Giza-view hotels sell out over the holidays. |
When to book Egypt
On the table above, May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep sit in the bottom price band and Jan, Feb and Dec in the top one. Find the row that sounds like your trip.
| If you want | Months | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The best trip for the money | Mar, Apr, Oct and Nov | Rated good above without hitting the top price band, so you are not paying peak rates for the conditions. |
| The lowest price, whatever the weather | May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep | The bottom price band. Check the weather column first, because some of these are cheap for a reason. |
| Peak season anyway | Jan, Feb and Dec | Busiest and dearest. This is the window where booking early changes the price, not just what is left. |
| To know what to skip | Jun, Jul and Aug | Rated off-peak here. The low price is the compensation, not a bargain. |
- Free cancellation on most rooms
- No booking fee
- Prices on Trip.com
Time it right: Egypt's seasonal highlights
Nile cruise season
October–AprilThe classic Luxor-Aswan cruises run year-round but are at their best in the mild months - book December-January departures well ahead.
Abu Simbel Sun Festival
22 February & 22 OctoberTwice a year the rising sun reaches the temple's inner sanctuary, lighting the statues of Ramses II - a dawn spectacle worth planning around.
Ramadan
Late Feb–late March 2026 (shifts yearly)Sites stay open with shorter hours and evenings turn festive after iftar. Travel works fine - just plan daytime meals as a visitor.
Red Sea diving season
Year-roundHurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab dive in every month; water is warmest June-October and coolest (but clearest) in winter.
Khamsin winds
March–MayOccasional hot, dusty winds sweep through for a day or two at a time in spring - an inconvenience rather than a trip-wrecker.
Best time to visit Egypt: FAQ
The timing questions travelers ask most before booking.
Staying in Egypt? Book the area before the hotel
Picking the month is half of the decision. The other half is the area, because that is what sets how far you walk and what a room costs in Egypt. These go into the detail:
- Free cancellation on most rooms
- No booking fee
- Prices on Trip.com
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Photo credits (3)
Photos via Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.
- Nile cruise season: Myousry6666 - CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Abu Simbel Sun Festival: Diego Delso - CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Ramadan: Ibrahim.ID - CC BY-SA 3.0 · source