When to Visit Egypt
The best time to visit Egypt
The best time to visit Egypt is in the fall - September through November - or in the early spring - February through April. If picking just one month, it’d probably be October. If you’re looking for the best prices and discounts though, opt for September or May.
The fall has lots of sunny days with clear blue skies and relatively moderate temperatures. Summer vacation is also over so the majority of international and domestic tourists are back home. This means you’re looking at fewer crowds and lower prices. Early fall can still be hot though, especially the further south you go. With that in mind, if you want to be sure to beat the heat while still avoiding the major crowds, October and early November are ideal.
The spring season offers pretty similar conditions to the fall, albeit a bit cooler. Spring winds also bring sandstorms which can leave the air somewhat dusty. If you plan on visiting places like Luxor or Aswan and/or cruising the Nile river, any period outside of summer is a fine time to visit. High season for Nile cruises is over the winter.
In general, winter and summer are best avoided. The winter months are actually fairly cold in northern Egypt and the summer months are intolerably hot everywhere. Both periods are also the busiest with tourists.
Throughout the year you also have many holidays which can both enhance travel on one level and complicate it on another. While these festivities and religious events make for a fascinating time to visit culturally, they can also be logistical nightmares. Banks, government offices, shops, tour operators, and even some tourist sites may close or operate with very reduced schedules. When planning a visit to Egypt, timing is everything.
Read on for expert info on visiting in all four seasons.
Meet Sherif, your Local Expert in Egypt!
Sherif, the author of this guide to visiting Egypt, is a local travel agent based in Cairo.
Sherif has spent the last 20 years helping travelers explore his country, first as a tour guide and now as a travel agent.
He offers Egypt Travel Consultations for DIY travelers and Tailor-Made Trips for those who want a pro to handle it all for them!
Learn more on his page at www.goaskalocal.com/sherif.
When is high season in Egypt?
You have two high seasons in Egypt: winter and summer.
The winter months are very popular with visitors who want to avoid the summer heat, especially when visiting the south of the country. December through February is the busiest period. If you’re planning to head to the beaches of the Red Sea or cruise the Nile river, you’ll have lots of company. The resorts of the Sinai peninsula are a popular winter break for Northern Europeans, especially Russians, and are becoming more and more popular with Americans as well.
The summer months bring crowds from all over the world as well as vacationing Egyptians. Despite the scorching temperatures, both domestic and international visitors are out in full force over the summer. Northern Egypt tends to get the most visitors in this period as the Mediterranean coast, while still quite hot, is a far better alternative to the sweltering temperatures in Cairo and southern Egypt.
Visiting Egypt in Fall
Fall is an ideal time to visit Egypt due to milder temperatures and smaller crowds. In order to decide when to come in the fall, there are two major considerations: the school calendar and the temperature.
North American schools begin in late August, the Egyptian school year starts in the first week of September, and European school starts by mid September. As these three groups make up the vast majority of tourists within Egypt, knowing when the kids are back at school will give you some guidance as to when the crowds start to thin.
Your next consideration is temperature. For a baseline, we’ll use the average daily temps for Cairo. In September, you’re looking at a daily average of 80° Fahrenheit with highs around 90° and lows around 70°. To give you a sense of how that changes through the fall, by November the daily average drops to 67°. Your sweet spot will vary depending on your preferences and tolerance for exploring in the heat. We don’t mind a little sweat, so late September is our favorite. Prices in September are also some of the cheapest. Not that we’re counting…
For most visitors, October is probably the ideal month to come to Egypt as the swimming is good, the hiking is good, the cruising is good, the sightseeing is good, the date harvesting is good… You get the idea! Keep in mind that by late October the line between shoulder season and high season starts to blur, and you’ll begin to see hotels and tour operators start raising their prices.
Major holidays:
September 27 - Mawlid
October 6 - Armed Forces Day
Best places to visit:
Countrywide
Where to avoid:
Early fall in southern Egypt (Luxor, Aswan, etc.), Cairo, and the Sinai peninsula can still be quite hot.
Visiting Egypt in Spring
After fall, spring is our favorite time to visit Egypt. With pleasant temperatures throughout the country and a host of national holidays, spring is a lovely time to explore any part of Egypt. And in 2023 spring visitors will have the added bonus of being here during the month of Ramadan.
March and April are gorgeous months to visit. Resorts in the Sinai are warm without being unpleasant, Cairo is sunny, any hints of winter rains in Alexandria are gone, and light breezes drift along the Nile. With average temperatures around an almost perfect 75° Fahrenheit, everywhere from Alexandria to Aswan is pleasant for sightseeing. One thing to consider, however, is that winds can result in sandstorms and the sky may be dusty at times throughout the spring. The sandstorms are usually worst in March, but can occur at other times as well.
Be aware that during Ramadan public services, government offices, shops, and even tourist sites will be running on shortened hours. Be prepared for some logistical challengers and for everything to take longer than you want. While non-Muslims and tourists are not expected to observe the daytime fast (and you will find restaurants open), its best to be discrete and respectful about eating and drinking while the sun is up.
Major holidays:
March 22 to April 20 - Ramadan
April 21 - Eid-al-Fitr
April 17 - Sham Ennesim (Easter)
April 25 - Sinai Liberation Day
May 1 - Labour Day
Best places to visit:
Countrywide
Where to avoid:
Northern Egypt can still be chilly in early spring.
Visiting Egypt in Winter
While you might think that winter would make a good choice to beat the heat and avoid the crowds, you’d only be partially right. First of all, because of the extreme summer heat, winter is actually high season, especially in southern Egypt, so you certainly won’t have empty temples and tombs all to yourself. For those planning a Nile cruise, know that prices increase dramatically over the winter. This is also a popular period to hike Mt. Sinai.
And then there’s the fact that outside of the south, the winter months can actually be quite cold. December, January, and February see average lows in the 40s and 50s (Fahrenheit) in Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor. Day time temperatures will be fairly pleasant, sweater weather basically, but the temperature drops quickly once the sun goes down. While this might be a balmy winter compared to colder parts of North America and Northern Europe, it’s still not great sightseeing weather.
In December and January, don’t be surprised if you see rain on the weather forecast for Alexandria and Cairo.
Major holidays:
January 7 - Coptic Christmas
January 25 - Revolution Day/National Police Day
Best places to visit:
Luxor, Aswan, Nile cruises, Sharm el-Sheikh, Western Desert, Mt. Sinai, Hurghada
Where to avoid:
Alexandria, North coast, Cairo
Visiting Egypt in Summer
The summer months in Egypt are simply unbearably hot for those coming from colder climates. June, July, and August regularly see highs around 105 (with high humidity) and you’re unlikely to get much respite from the heat even at nighttime. Considering that so much of what you’ll want to be doing in Egypt is outdoors, even the most heat impervious amongst us would struggle with a full day of sightseeing in 100 degree temps.
Add to this toasty equation the fact that most Egyptians also take their vacations over the summer and your result is extreme heat with extreme overcrowding. Not the best mix. If the only time you can come is the summer, as long as you’re prepared and make reasonable accommodations, you can still have a wonderful visit. However, if you have the option of coming at a different time, do yourself a favor and plan on a trip in the fall or the spring.
For serious snorkelers and divers, the summer months are the best for calm seas and underwater visibility. But prepare to be hot. All the time.
Major holidays:
June 28 - Eid al-Adha
June 30 - 30 June Day
July 23 - Revolution Day/National Day
Best places to visit:
Mediterranean coast, Alexandria
Where to avoid:
Southern Egypt, Red Sea resorts (except for divers), Cairo, Western Desert
Plan your trip to Egypt with a local expert!
If you’re looking for even more personalized help as you plan your Egypt adventure, connect with local expert Sherif!
With over 20 years as a guide and travel agent planning luxury tours all over Egypt, Sherif knows a thing or two about travel here.
He offers Egypt Travel Consultations for DIY travelers and Tailor-Made Trips at www.goaskalocal.com/sherif.
