By type of trip
Nile Cruises Luxor to Aswan: Routes, Boats and Prices
Classic Egypt Tours: Cairo, Luxor and Aswan Itineraries
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 Sharm el Sheikh is March to May or October to November. Daytime highs then sit between about 24C and 32C, and the sea is 22C to 27C. Summer is hotter, about 35C, with the warmest water for diving. Winter is mild at about 20C, with cool water and wind that can stop the boats. Here is each month, with crowds, prices and the 2027 holiday dates.
Winter, December to FebruarySummer, June to August| Winter, December to February | Summer, June to August | |
|---|---|---|
| Air, daytime high | About 20C to 22C | About 34C to 35C |
| Sea | About 22C to 25C. A 5 mm wetsuit for most divers by February | About 26C to 28C |
| Boats to Tiran and Ras Mohammed | Wind can stop them for a day or two | The easiest diving of the year |
| Evenings | Cool. Bring a jacket | Warm |
| Crowds and prices | Peak at Christmas and New Year | European school holidays in August |
| Best for | Sun without heat | Diving and long days in the water |
The short answer
Spring and autumn suit most people best. Pick summer if diving is the point and you can rest through the hottest hours. Pick winter for mild sun, and accept cooler water.
March to May and October to November are the best times to visit Sharm el Sheikh. Days are warm, the water is comfortable, and hotel rates sit below the Christmas and Easter peaks.
If diving is your main reason to go, late spring and autumn are best. In May the sea is about 25C, and in October about 27C. The air is still comfortable on the boat.
Sharm has its own airport close to the resorts, and the flight from Cairo takes about an hour. That makes it easy to add a few beach days to a Cairo trip.
Summer is hot, about 34C to 35C from June to August. On land, the middle of the day is for shade, the pool or the sea.
The water is at its warmest, about 28C in July and August. Diving is at its easiest then.
August brings European school-holiday crowds to the Red Sea resorts. June is quieter, with the water already near 26C.
Wind is the thing people forget in Sharm. The northerly blows hardest in spring. A strong day can stop the boats to Tiran for a day or two at a time.
Plan a diving week around four or five boat days, not six. Book the trip that matters most early in your stay, so there is room to move it.
Ras Mohammed, at the southern tip of Sinai, is the dive most people come for. Spring is the windiest season, so a diving week in summer or autumn tends to lose fewer boat days.
The busiest and priciest weeks are Christmas, New Year and Easter. August is busy with European families.
Late spring, June and autumn outside the school holidays usually give the best value. The weather is good and the resorts are quieter.
Egyptian holidays fill the coast too. Hotels fill with Egyptian families at Eid. In 2027, Eid al-Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March and Eid al-Adha on 16 May.
Ramadan in 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 8 or 9 March. The resorts run as normal. Opening hours change in town.
The Sharm el-Sheikh Museum has split hours during Ramadan, 10am to noon and 8pm to 11pm. The evening slot is the easy one to plan around.
Islamic dates are estimates until the new moon is sighted. Check the final dates a few days before you travel.
Mount Sinai is climbed overnight for sunrise. It is cold at the top even in summer, and very cold in winter. Bring warm layers whatever the month.
Petra in Jordan is possible from Sharm as a long trip. Our Petra from Sharm el Sheikh guide covers the routes.
We sell the tours of one Egyptian operator, Memphis Tours. None of our set tours includes Sharm. Send a request and we will ask them to build a trip around your dates.
April, May or October. Highs are about 28C to 32C, and the sea is 23C to 27C. Rates sit below the Christmas and Easter peaks.
Mild. Daytime highs are about 20C to 22C from December to February, and evenings need a jacket. The sea is about 22C to 25C.
July and August, at about 28C. It is coolest from February to April, at about 22C to 23C.
Yes. The sea is about 25C in December, warmer than the air. Divers and snorkellers usually want a wetsuit.
About 35C by day. It is the hottest month along with July. The sea is about 28C, so many people spend the middle of the day in the water.
Yes, at times. The northerly blows hardest in spring. On a strong day the boats to Tiran stop, so leave a spare day in a diving week.
Outside Christmas, New Year, Easter and August. Late spring, June and autumn are usually the best value.
They are close. Both have highs of about 20C to 23C in winter and a sea of about 22C to 25C. Hurghada is easier to pair with Luxor. Our Hurghada vs Sharm el Sheikh page compares the two.
Read the current US State Department and UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt before you book.
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.
Plan this trip
A real itinerary with real prices, usually within 24 hours. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged until you say yes.
8 days · Classic Egypt
The route most people take first, at the length it was built for: Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then a flight to Luxor and four nights sailing down to Aswan.
from US$2,135 / per person
8 days · Nile & Red Sea
No boat on this one. Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, a night in Luxor for both banks, two nights on the Red Sea, then back to Cairo for the Citadel, Coptic Cairo and the Royal Mummies.
from US$2,040 / per person
10 days · Classic Egypt
Five nights in Cairo either side of a four-night sail from Luxor to Aswan. The Cairo days are private, just your party and a guide; the sightseeing off the boat is shared with a small group.
from US$2,635 / per person
