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Classic Egypt Tours: Cairo, Luxor and Aswan Itineraries
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Short Breaks in Egypt: Three and Four Day Cairo Trips
Tailor-made Egypt Tours: Private Trips Built Around You
Weather · Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam is warm, sunny and dry all year. Highs run from 23C in January to 35C in July and August. The sea is 23C to 30C, among the warmest on the Egyptian coast. Rain barely registers. Winter is mild, summer is hot, and autumn is the sweet spot for diving. Here is each season in numbers, then the wind, what to pack and the best months.
Marsa Alam sits far down the Red Sea coast, south of Hurghada. The chart shows the average high, low and sea temperature for each month. Air ranges from 23C in January to 35C in July and August. The sea ranges from 23C in winter to 30C in August.
Marsa Alam weather by month
Typical daytime highs, with night lows, sea, sunshine and rain below.
| Daytime high | Night low | Sea temperature | Sunshine, hours a day | Rain days a month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23°C | 13°C | 23°C | 9 | 0 |
| February | 24°C | 14°C | 23°C | 10 | 0 |
| March | 27°C | 16°C | 23°C | 10 | 0 |
| April | 30°C | 20°C | 24°C | 11 | 0 |
| May | 32°C | 23°C | 26°C | 12 | 0 |
| June | 34°C | 25°C | 27°C | 13 | 0 |
| July | 35°C | 25°C | 29°C | 13 | 0 |
| August | 35°C | 26°C | 30°C | 12 | 0 |
| September | 34°C | 25°C | 29°C | 11 | 0 |
| October | 32°C | 22°C | 28°C | 10 | 0 |
| November | 27°C | 18°C | 27°C | 10 | 0 |
| December | 25°C | 15°C | 25°C | 9 | 0 |
Winter, December to February, is mild. Highs are 23C to 25C and nights fall to 13C to 15C. You get 9 to 10 hours of sun a day.
Spring warms steadily. March is 27C, April 30C and May 32C. Nights climb from 16C to 23C.
Summer, June to August, is hot. Highs are 34C to 35C and nights stay at 25C or 26C. That is about two degrees cooler by day than Hurghada in July and August.
Autumn cools slowly. September is 34C, October 32C and November 27C. The sea is still 27C to 29C.
The sea is coolest from January to March, at about 23C. It warms to 26C in May and peaks at 30C in August. October is still 28C and November 27C.
Many hotels here sit on a fringing reef you can swim off. That makes Marsa Alam good for snorkelling in any month. Most divers want a 5 mm wetsuit in January and February.
Abu Dabbab and Marsa Mubarak have shallow seagrass bays where turtles feed. Elphinstone is the famous offshore reef. Oceanic whitetip sharks are more likely there in autumn.
A northerly wind is normal on this coast. When it gets up, the exposed offshore sites are cancelled first, sometimes for several days. Elphinstone is usually one of them.
So plan a few spare days, and keep the house reef as your backup. A reef you can swim to does not need a boat.
Rain hardly ever falls. The averages round to zero rain days in every month. From late March into April, the khamsin can bring a hot, dusty wind for a day or two.
December to March: summer clothes for the day, a warm layer for the evening, and a windproof top for boat days.
April, May, October and November: light clothes, a thin layer, a hat and strong sun cream.
June to September: the lightest clothes you have, high-factor sun cream and a rash vest for long snorkels. Your own mask and fins help if you plan to swim the house reef every day.
For diving, September to November is the best season. The sea is 27C to 29C and the offshore reefs run well.
For a beach holiday without fierce heat, go in April, May, October or November. Highs are 27C to 32C.
For winter sun, Marsa Alam is a little warmer than Hurghada, at 23C to 25C. Flights from Europe are busiest in the winter months.
For the lowest prices, travel from May to September, when prices are low across Egypt. Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks.
Yes, by day. The average high is 25C with about 9 hours of sun. Nights drop to 15C. The sea is about 25C.
July and August average 35C by day and 25C to 26C at night. June and September are 34C.
August, at about 30C. July and September are about 29C. The coolest water is from January to March, at about 23C.
Almost never. The long-term averages round to zero rain days in every month.
Slightly. January averages 23C in Marsa Alam and 22C in Hurghada. The sea is about the same, at 23C.
Often, yes. A northerly blows on this coast, and strong days cancel offshore dives such as Elphinstone. House reefs keep you in the water.
October is a good all-rounder. Highs are 32C, the sea is 28C and the offshore reefs are running.
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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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