Month by month
Egypt in January
The coolest month, and the busiest. Excellent for the temples, poor for the beach.
What Egypt in January is actually like
Egypt in January is peak season and priced like it. The compensation is real: walking Karnak at 23C rather than 40C changes what you can do with a day, and the Valley of the Kings is bearable at midday rather than punishing.
The catch is the Red Sea. At around 22C the water is swimmable but not warm, and evenings on the coast can drop enough for a jacket. If your trip is weighted towards the beach, January is the wrong month.
Book early. Nile cruise cabins for January are usually gone by autumn, and the boats that remain are the ones nobody wanted.
What Egypt in January is good for
- ▲Temples all day without planning around the heat — this is the month for a full morning at Karnak followed by an afternoon on the West Bank.
- ▲Cairo is genuinely pleasant for walking, so Islamic Cairo and the bazaar are more rewarding now than at any other time.
- ▲Desert trips to the White Desert are at their best: cold nights, clear skies and no haze.
One thing to plan for
Nights are cold. On a Nile cruise the deck after sunset is chilly, and in the Western Desert it can approach freezing. People routinely pack for a hot country and regret it.
On in January
Coptic Christmas falls on 7 January and is a public holiday; some sites keep shorter hours.
Egypt in January at a glance
| Cairo | 19°C |
| Luxor and Aswan | 23°C |
| Red Sea water | 22°C |
| Crowds | Very busy |
| Prices | Peak season |
Typical daytime highs. Sea temperature is Hurghada. Approximate.
Common questions
Is January a good time to visit Egypt?+
The coolest month, and the busiest. Excellent for the temples, poor for the beach. Expect about 19C in Cairo and 23C in Luxor, with the Red Sea around 22C.
How hot is Luxor in January?+
Typical daytime highs are around 23C. 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 January?+
The sea is around 22C, which is swimmable but cool. It is fine for a quick swim and less pleasant for a long snorkel without a shortie wetsuit.
Is January 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.