The short answer
For most travellers the best time to visit Egypt is October to April. The days are warm and sunny, the evenings are cool, and sightseeing in Luxor and Aswan is comfortable from morning to sunset. If you want the same trip with fewer people and better prices, look at the shoulder months of October, November, March and April.
Winter (December to February): high season
This is Egypt at its most pleasant. Days in Luxor and Aswan are usually in the low to mid twenties Celsius, perfect for long days at Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel. Cairo is mild, and early mornings and nights can be genuinely cold, so bring a warm layer, especially for a sunrise balloon flight or a night in the desert.
The trade-off is popularity. Christmas, New Year and the February school holidays are the busiest weeks of the year, so hotels and the best Nile cruises fill up early. If you plan to travel then, book a few months ahead.
Spring (March to April): our favourite
The weather is still lovely, the light is beautiful for photos and the crowds start to thin. It is an ideal time for a classic tour with a Nile cruise, and the Red Sea water is warming up again for snorkelling. Some years a dusty spring wind, the khamsin, blows for a day or two: it rarely spoils a trip, but sunglasses and a light scarf help.
Summer (May to September): hot, quiet and good value
Summer in Upper Egypt is very hot, often well above 40°C in Luxor and Aswan in the afternoon. It is still possible to travel well, and many people do, because the sites are quiet and the prices are lower. The secret is the timing: start sightseeing at sunrise, rest at your hotel or on your cruise in the afternoon and go out again in the evening.
Summer is also the best season for the Red Sea. Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Marsa Alam have warm water and a cooling sea breeze, so a few days on the coast after Cairo is a very good plan.
Autumn (October to November): the hidden best season
The summer heat breaks, the high season has not started yet and the sea is still warm. October and November give you the best of everything: comfortable temples, quiet museums and beach days that still feel like summer. It is also a great time for the White Desert, when the nights under the stars are cool but not cold.
What about Ramadan?
Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier every year. Sites, hotels and restaurants for visitors stay open, and the evenings are wonderful, with streets full of life after sunset. Some opening hours are shorter, so a good guide plans the day around them. Many travellers find it a special time to see Egypt.
Best time by experience
- Pyramids and Cairo: October to April. Go early in the morning in any season.
- Nile cruise: October to April for comfort; summer for quiet decks and lower prices.
- Hot-air balloon in Luxor: all year, at sunrise. Winter mornings are cold in the basket. See the balloon trip.
- Abu Simbel: all year. Twice a year, around 22 February and 22 October, sunlight reaches the inner sanctuary, a spectacular but very crowded day.
- Red Sea: April to November for the warmest water.
- White Desert and Siwa: October to April. Avoid the hottest summer months.
Our advice
There is no wrong time to see Egypt, only a wrong plan for the season. Tell us when you can travel and what you want to see, and we will build a private itinerary that fits the weather: early starts in summer, sunsets on the Nile in winter, and always your own guide and car.