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
Sharm el Sheikh weather · January
Sharm el Sheikh in January is mild and sunny, with highs of about 22C and nights of about 14C. The sea is 24C, warmer than the air. You get about 8 hours of sun a day and about one day of rain in the month. It suits a winter sun break better than a hot beach holiday. Below are swimming, wind, crowds, packing and day trips for January.
Yes, if you want sun without heat. 22C is T-shirt weather by day, and you can walk around town at noon in comfort.
It is a poor month if you want long, hot afternoons by the pool. The sun is lower, the days are shorter, and a breeze can make the beach feel cool.
January suits couples and older travellers escaping a northern winter. It also suits snorkellers who are happy in a wetsuit. Families chasing hot sun do better in April or October.
Yes. At 24C the sea is a little warmer than the air, so the first step in is easier than you expect. Getting out into a breeze is the cold part.
Most divers wear a 5 mm wetsuit this month. Snorkellers stay in longer with a wetsuit or at least a rash vest. A towel and a warm top for after the swim make a real difference.
Heated hotel pools vary. If a warm pool matters, ask the hotel before you book.
A northerly wind blows down this coast for much of the year. In winter it is usually gentler than in summer, but a strong day can still stop the boats to Tiran for a day or two.
Ras Mohammed is about 20 km south of town, and its walls are the dive most people come for. Book that trip early in your stay, so there is room to move it if the sea is rough.
On the boat, the wind makes the deck feel colder than the 22C high. Bring a windproof layer for the ride back.
Across Egypt, January is very busy and priced at peak. The first days of the month carry the New Year rush, and prices ease a little after that.
7 January is Coptic Christmas, a paid public holiday. Resorts run as normal. 25 January is Revolution Day and National Police Day. The day off is often moved to a Thursday by decree, so check that week.
UK school holidays end in the first week of January. Late January is usually the calmer part of the month for prices.
Pack for two seasons. Shorts and T-shirts work by day. Nights at about 14C need a jumper or a light jacket, especially at an outdoor dinner.
Bring a rash vest and reef shoes for the shore. The coral shelf starts in shallow water and the shore is often stone rather than sand.
Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat are still needed. Eight hours of sun is plenty to burn on a boat.
Mount Sinai is about three hours inland. The summit is above 2,000 m and very cold before dawn in January. If you climb for sunrise, bring a hat, gloves and a proper warm coat.
Cairo is about an hour away by air, with daily flights. In January Cairo reaches about 19C, so a day at Giza is comfortable. It is still a very long day for a short time at the pyramids.
Luxor, at about 23C in January, is at its best for temples. It is a long way from Sinai, so it works better as its own leg of the trip.
We sell the trips of one Egyptian operator, Memphis Tours. They have no set Sharm itinerary. Send a request and we will ask them to build a tailor-made trip around your January dates.
December is a touch warmer, with highs of 24C, nights of 16C and a 25C sea. Sun hours are the same, at 8 a day.
February matches December on highs at 24C, with nights of 15C. The sea cools to 23C, but you gain an hour of sun, at 9 a day.
So January has the coolest air of the three. Its sea, at 24C, is warmer than February's.
Mild rather than hot. Days reach about 22C and nights fall to about 14C. You will want a jumper in the evening.
Yes, on calm days. There are about 8 hours of sun a day. A breeze can make the beach feel cooler than 22C, so pick a sheltered spot.
About 24C. That is warmer than the air. Most divers wear a 5 mm wetsuit, and snorkellers stay in longer with one.
Rarely. The average is one rain day in the month, and most days are dry and sunny.
Yes. Its highs of 22C and lows of 14C are the lowest of the year.
January is peak season across Egypt, especially in the New Year week. Late January is usually calmer and better value.
Yes, but it is very cold at the top before dawn. The summit is above 2,000 m. Bring a warm coat, hat and gloves.
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
