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Nile Cruise and Red Sea Holidays: Two-Week Egypt Trips
White Desert Tours from Cairo: Oases and Desert Camping
Short Breaks in Egypt: Three and Four Day Cairo Trips
Tailor-made Egypt Tours: Private Trips Built Around You
Red Sea
The best time to visit Dahab is March to May or October to November. Daytime highs then run from about 24C to 33C, and the sea is 21C to 26C. You can dive, sail and climb Mount Sinai on the same trip. Summer is very hot on land, at about 37C. Winter is mild by day, cold at night, with the coolest water. Here is each month and what it means for diving and wind.
March to May and October to November are the best times to visit Dahab. The water is warm, the air is fine for walking, and there is usually enough wind on the lagoon.
These are also the months to aim for if you want everything on one trip. You can dive, windsurf and climb Mount Sinai without fighting the heat or the cold.
Summer suits divers who stay in the water. Winter suits people who want quiet, mild days and can live with cool water.
These are long-term averages for daytime highs and sea temperature. Any one year can run a degree or two either way.
January: air 20C, sea 22C. February: air 21C, sea 21C. March: air 24C, sea 21C. April: air 29C, sea 22C.
May: air 33C, sea 24C. June: air 36C, sea 25C. July: air 37C, sea 26C. August: air 37C, sea 27C.
September: air 35C, sea 26C. October: air 30C, sea 26C. November: air 25C, sea 25C. December: air 21C, sea 23C.
Dahab's sea is a little cooler than Hurghada's or Marsa Alam's. It sits on the Gulf of Aqaba, further north.
Winter days are mild, about 20C to 21C. Nights are cold, especially inland and on the mountain.
The water is at its coolest from February to March, about 21C. Most divers want a 5 mm wetsuit then, and some add a hood.
Wind in winter is unreliable. Some days blow well, and some give windsurfers nothing at all.
Christmas and New Year are the busiest and priciest weeks across Egypt. February half-term from Europe adds a busy week or two.
On land, yes for most people. Highs reach about 36C to 37C from June to August. Inland Sinai is severe in July and August.
On the coast, the sea and the afternoon wind take some of the edge off. The water is at its warmest, about 26C to 27C, and many divers dive in a shortie.
Summer is the wrong season for a long desert day. Dive in the morning, rest at midday, and save the walking for the evening.
The lagoon at the south end of town is Dahab's sailing spot. It is shallow, flat and wide, which makes it a good place to learn.
The wind is strongest roughly from spring to early autumn. In winter you will get some days with no wind at all.
The same afternoon breeze cools the beachfront and can stir up exposed dive sites. Dive in the morning and sail in the afternoon.
If windsurfing matters, keep an afternoon or two free. The wind decides the timing, not you.
You can dive in Dahab all year, from the shore at sites like the Lighthouse, Eel Garden and the Blue Hole.
Late spring and autumn are the most comfortable. The water is 22C to 26C and the air is warm enough between dives.
Summer gives the warmest water, about 27C in August. Winter gives the coolest, about 21C in February and March, so bring or hire a thicker suit.
Our Dahab diving guide covers the sites, courses and freediving.
Mount Sinai is climbed overnight for sunrise. You leave Dahab late at night and walk two to three hours up, then climb steep steps to the summit.
It is cold at the top in every month. In winter it is very cold, so bring proper warm layers, a hat and gloves.
Spring and autumn give the easiest balance. The night walk is cool, and the day after is not too hot to rest in Dahab.
Dahab is busiest around Christmas, New Year and the European school holidays.
Egyptian holidays fill the coast too. In 2027, Eid al-Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March and Eid al-Adha on 16 May. Book rooms and transfers early around those dates.
Ramadan in 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 8 or 9 March. Islamic dates are estimates until the moon is sighted.
We sell the tours of one Egyptian operator, Memphis Tours. None of our set tours includes Dahab. Send a request and we will ask them to plan a trip around your dates.
April, May or October. Highs are about 29C to 33C, the sea is 22C to 26C, and the lagoon usually has wind.
Mild by day, about 20C to 21C from December to February, and cold at night. The sea is about 21C to 23C.
August, at about 27C. It is coolest in February and March, at about 21C.
Yes. The water is about 21C to 23C, so most divers wear a 5 mm wetsuit. Shore diving runs all year.
Roughly spring to early autumn. The lagoon at the south end of town gets reliable afternoon wind then. Winter wind is patchy.
About 36C to 37C by day from June to August. Inland Sinai is hotter still. The sea and the afternoon wind help on the coast.
Spring or autumn. The summit is cold at sunrise in every season, and very cold in winter. Bring warm layers whenever you go.
Read the current US State Department and UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt before you book. Both are updated as things change.
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
Written and checked by the Nile Trip Guide editorial team · Last reviewed . Entry rules, prices and opening hours change — check anything critical against the official sources linked on this page.
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