The short answerالإجابة المختصرة
October to April is the sightseeing season. Days are warm, evenings cool, and a full morning at Karnak or the Giza plateau is pleasant rather than survivable. Within it, October, November, March and April give the best mix of weather, price and crowds, while December and January are the busiest and most expensive weeks of the year and can be genuinely cold after dark.
May to September is hot — regularly above 40°C in Luxor and Aswan, and heavy in Cairo. Cultural trips at this time need early starts and long afternoons indoors, but they cost much less and the temples are almost empty. The Red Sea stays busy throughout, as the sea is at its warmest.
Month by monthشهراً بشهر
| October | Heat breaks inland; sea at its warmest. Excellent all round, and the Abu Simbel sun alignment falls on the 22nd. |
|---|---|
| November | Arguably the best month: warm days, cool nights, everything open, crowds building. |
| December–January | Peak season. Cairo can drop to single figures at night and Luxor mornings are cold. Book early and expect queues. |
| February | Cool, clear and quieter after New Year. Sun alignment at Abu Simbel on the 22nd. |
| March–April | Warm and excellent, with the first khamsin dust winds possible; Easter weeks are busy and pricey. |
| May | Inland heat arrives. Still workable with early starts, and prices begin to fall. |
| June–August | Very hot inland, 40°C+ in Upper Egypt. Red Sea warm and busy with European holidaymakers. Cheapest cultural travel of the year. |
| September | Heat easing late in the month; a good shoulder period before the October rush. |
Ramadan and Egyptian holidaysرمضان والأعياد
Ramadan moves roughly eleven days earlier each year and falls in the northern winter months for the rest of this decade. Archaeological sites, museums and resorts operate normally, though opening hours shift and some restaurants close during daylight. Cairo after sunset during Ramadan is one of the best atmospheres in the country. Eid al-Fitr at the end and Eid al-Adha later in the year are national holidays when domestic travel is heavy and sites are crowded with Egyptian visitors.
Coptic Christmas on 7 January and Sham el-Nessim in spring also fill domestic travel routes. If your dates are fixed near any of these, book internal flights and cruise cabins early.
Common questionsأسئلة شائعة
What is the hottest month in Egypt?
July and August, when Luxor and Aswan regularly exceed 40°C and Cairo sits in the high thirties. Sightseeing is limited to early mornings and evenings.
Is Egypt cold in winter?
Days are mild to warm, typically around 18–23°C in Cairo and warmer in the south, but nights are cold — especially on a Nile cruise deck or at Luxor before sunrise. Bring layers and a proper jacket for December and January.
When is the cheapest time to visit Egypt?
May through September, excluding European school holidays. Cultural trips in particular discount steeply in the summer heat.
Does it rain in Egypt?
Very little. Alexandria and the Mediterranean coast get modest winter rainfall; Cairo sees a handful of wet days a year; Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea are effectively rainless, with occasional flash-flood events in the eastern desert.