Best Time to Visit Egypt: A Season-by-Season Guide

By Panda Travel Egypt 2026-10-27 3 min read

October to April is the best time to visit Egypt for sightseeing. Here is what each season is like in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and on the Red Sea, and when the crowds come.

The best time to visit Egypt is from October to April. Days in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan are warm rather than hot, roughly 20 to 28°C, and the temples and tombs are comfortable to walk around. June to August is very hot in Upper Egypt, where Luxor and Aswan regularly pass 40°C, though the Red Sea coast stays pleasant for swimming.

The best time to visit Egypt is from October to April. It is the season when a day at the Giza pyramids, the temples of Luxor or a felucca on the Nile at Aswan is warm and bright rather than draining, and it is when most of our Egypt tour packages run.

Egypt season by season

October to April: the high season

Days of roughly 20 to 28°C in Cairo and Luxor, cool evenings, and nights that can be cold in the desert. This is the easiest time for a programme that combines Cairo with a Nile cruise, and the best time for the White Desert and the oases, where summer heat is hard going.

December to February is the most comfortable for long days at the sites. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest weeks of the year, and our holiday programmes are the ones to plan earliest.

May and September: the shoulder months

Hotter (Luxor and Aswan reach the mid-30s) but quieter at the sites. Start visits early and the days work well.

June to August: summer

Upper Egypt is very hot: Luxor and Aswan regularly pass 40°C in the afternoon. Visits start at sunrise and the afternoon is spent on the boat or by a pool. The Red Sea coast is the exception: the water is at its warmest and a Nile and Red Sea programme makes good use of the heat.

Daytime temperatures by city

Approximate average daytime highs. Nights are 10 to 15°C cooler, and in the desert in winter they can fall close to freezing.

Months	Cairo & Giza	Luxor & Aswan	Red Sea (Hurghada)
December to February	19–22°C	23–27°C	22–24°C
March to April	24–29°C	29–35°C	25–28°C
May	32°C	38–40°C	31°C
June to August	34–35°C	40–42°C	33–34°C
September	33°C	38–39°C	32°C
October to November	25–30°C	29–35°C	26–30°C

What to pack for each season

Winter (December to February): layers. T-shirts for the afternoon, a warm jumper or light jacket for early starts, evenings on deck and the desert at night.
Spring and autumn: light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and a light layer for air-conditioned coaches and cabins.
Summer: loose cotton or linen that covers the shoulders, a wide hat, sunglasses and high-factor sun cream. Carry water at every site.
All year: comfortable shoes for uneven temple floors, and shoulders and knees covered for mosques and churches.

Dates worth planning around

Abu Simbel sun festival, 22 February and 22 October. The rising sun lights the sanctuary of the Great Temple of Ramesses II. See tours that go to Abu Simbel.
Ramadan. Sites stay open, sometimes with shorter hours. It moves about eleven days earlier each year.
Christmas, New Year and Easter. The busiest weeks for hotels and Nile cruises.

Which trip fits which month

Cairo and Giza: any month; winter is the most comfortable. Read our guide to the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
A Nile cruise: October to April. See what each day of a Luxor to Aswan cruise looks like.
The desert: October to April only.
The Red Sea: all year.

Tips for travelling in the busy season

Plan ahead for the peak weeks. Nile cruises and the hotels by the pyramids fill first around Christmas, New Year and Easter.
Start early. The first hour at the Giza plateau or the Valley of the Kings is the quietest and the coolest, in every season.
Keep a flexible day. A free afternoon in Luxor or Aswan absorbs a delayed flight without losing a site.

Not sure how long to stay? How many days you need in Egypt sets out 4, 5, 8 and 10-day plans.

Cover: Feluccas on the Nile at Aswan. Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Plan this trip with us

Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We reply with the programme day by day, and its price.

Get the Price

#Aswan #Cairo #Giza #Luxor #Nile cruise #Planning #Pyramids #Red Sea #Weather

Frequently asked

Is Egypt too hot in summer?

In Luxor and Aswan, yes for many people: afternoon temperatures above 40°C are normal from June to August. Sightseeing is still possible if visits start at sunrise and the middle of the day is spent on the boat or at the hotel. Cairo is a few degrees cooler, and the Red Sea coast is at its best for swimming.

When is the best time for a Nile cruise?

October to April, when the days on deck are warm and the evenings cool. December to February is the most comfortable for temple visits; March, April, October and November are warmer but still pleasant.

When is the Abu Simbel sun festival?

On 22 February and 22 October each year the rising sun reaches the inner sanctuary of the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel. Visitors arrive before dawn, so it needs a night in Aswan or at Abu Simbel.

Is it worth visiting Egypt in Ramadan?

Yes. Sites stay open, though sometimes with shorter hours, and the evenings after iftar are lively. Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year, so check the dates for your year.