Month by month
Egypt in December
The best weather for the temples and the worst prices of the year.
What Egypt in December is actually like
Egypt in December has the largest search demand of any month and the highest prices to match. Christmas and New Year are the two most expensive weeks in the Egyptian calendar, routinely running well above shoulder-season rates.
The weather is the reason. Twenty-four degrees in Luxor is close to ideal for walking temples all day, and Cairo is comfortable rather than hot.
Evenings are genuinely cool, particularly on deck on a Nile cruise and in the desert, where it can approach freezing at night. Pack a warm layer; people routinely do not.
What Egypt in December is good for
- ▲Temple walking in the best conditions of the year.
- ▲Christmas and New Year on a Nile cruise, if you book far enough ahead.
- ▲The Western Desert, where the cold nights are the point rather than a drawback.
One thing to plan for
Evenings are genuinely cold on deck and in the desert, occasionally near freezing at night. A warm layer is not optional, and it is the single most common packing mistake.
On in December
Coptic Christmas is 7 January, not 25 December, so the Egyptian holiday sits just after the Western one.
Egypt in December at a glance
| Cairo | 20°C |
| Luxor and Aswan | 24°C |
| Red Sea water | 23°C |
| Crowds | Very busy |
| Prices | Peak season |
Typical daytime highs. Sea temperature is Hurghada. Approximate.
Common questions
Is December a good time to visit Egypt?+
The best weather for the temples and the worst prices of the year. Expect about 20C in Cairo and 24C in Luxor, with the Red Sea around 23C.
How hot is Luxor in December?+
Typical daytime highs are around 24C. Upper Egypt is consistently hotter than Cairo, and the Valley of the Kings has almost no shade, so morning visits are better than afternoon ones whatever the month.
Can you swim in the Red Sea in December?+
The sea is around 23C, which is swimmable but cool. It is fine for a quick swim and less pleasant for a long snorkel without a shortie wetsuit.
Is December expensive?+
Peak season. Expect the highest rates of the year, particularly over Christmas and New Year, and book the cruise element months ahead.
Official sources
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
- UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt ↗It updates continuously, and most UK travel insurance follows it.