Best Time to Visit Egypt: Month-by-Month Guide (2025)

Egypt's climate is one of the most predictable on the planet — dry, sunny, but with clear seasonal contrasts between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea. The "best time" depends on what you want to do: dive in Marsa Alam, tour the temples in Luxor, or both. Here's our month-by-month breakdown.

Peak season: October to April

The classic window, and for good reason. Pleasant temperatures everywhere, no risk of heat stroke, optimal conditions for ancient sites.

• October – November: 25-30°C daytime, 15-20°C nights. Ideal for combining Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada. Sea still warm (26-27°C).
• December – February: 18-25°C daytime, 8-12°C nights (cool indoors). Excellent for archaeological sites. Red Sea at 21-23°C, divable with a wetsuit.
• March – April: 25-32°C, low humidity. Top season for the Red Sea. Crowded at Easter.

If you can't decide when to go, October-November and March-April are the sweet spots: perfect weather, fewer crowds than at major holidays.

Low season: May to September

Inland Egypt (Cairo, Luxor, Aswan) gets hot — 38-42°C in mid-summer. Visiting Karnak at 2pm in July is rough, even for locals. But the Red Sea stays very manageable:

• Hurghada in July-August: 32-34°C daytime, sea breeze, water 27-28°C. Perfect for swimming and snorkelling.
• Marsa Alam: slightly hotter, but excellent for diving (peak visibility, dolphins common).

Tip: travelling mid-May or late September gets you low-season prices (-20 to -30%) without the brutal summer heat. Our favourite window for tight budgets.

Month by month

| Month | Cairo/Luxor | Hurghada/Red Sea | Recommendation | |---|---|---|---| | January | 18-22°C, cool nights | 21-23°C water | Sites great, sea chilly | | February | 20-24°C | 22-24°C water | Excellent everywhere | | March | 23-28°C | 23-25°C water | Sweet spot | | April | 27-32°C | 25-27°C water | Easter busy, otherwise top | | May | 32-36°C | 26-28°C water | Cairo too hot, sea perfect | | June-August | 38-42°C | 28-30°C water | Red Sea only | | September | 33-37°C | 28-29°C water | Cairo manageable again | | October | 26-30°C | 27-28°C water | Top window | | November | 22-27°C | 25-26°C water | Top window | | December | 18-23°C | 22-24°C water | Sites OK, holidays packed |

By destination

• Cairo and the pyramids: October to April. Avoid July-August unless you handle heat well.
• Luxor and Valley of the Kings: October to March. Tombs aren't air-conditioned, and Luxor runs 5°C hotter than Cairo.
• Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab: year-round. Best diving May to October.
• Marsa Alam: April to November for optimal diving (dolphins, mantas, whale sharks in season).
• Nile cruise (Luxor → Aswan): October to April. Avoid summer.
• Siwa and the White Desert: October to March only. Too hot the rest of the year.

Travelling during Ramadan?

Ramadan subtly shifts the atmosphere: local restaurants closed during daylight, calmer streets, festive iftar meals at sunset. Tourist hotels, excursions and guides operate normally. It's a quieter and culturally richer time to visit, often at lower prices — recommended if you like travelling off the crowd path.

Our Belivavoyage recommendation

If you're flying from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow or Edinburgh:

• First-time visitors: target October-November or March-April (perfect climate everywhere).
• Tight budget: mid-May to late September, sticking to Hurghada/Marsa Alam.
• Serious divers: May to October in Marsa Alam.

See our packages — we adapt every itinerary to your travel dates.