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 · May
Sharm el Sheikh in May is hot, with highs of about 35C and nights of about 24C. The sea warms to 25C, and there are about 11 hours of sun a day. Rain days average zero. Prices across Egypt are low, but Eid al-Adha 2027 is expected on 16 May and fills the coast. Here is what May means for swimming, wind, packing and day trips.
Yes, for a beach and diving trip. The water is warming fast, the days are long, and prices across Egypt are low.
The heat is real now. 35C at midday is time for shade, the pool or the sea. Plan walks and outings for the morning and evening.
May suits divers, snorkellers and couples on a budget. If you prefer gentler heat, April is the better pick.
Yes, and it is the first month in a while where the sea feels warm. At 25C you can snorkel for a long time without getting cold.
Many divers switch to a thinner wetsuit as the sea warms. Ask your dive centre what they suggest for the week.
Cover up in the water. A rash vest protects your back from the strong sun far better than sunscreen alone.
May is the start of the windiest stretch on this coast. The northerly blows hardest from May to September.
A strong day can stop the boats to Tiran for a day or two. In a diving week, plan four or five boat days and keep one free.
The wind also takes the edge off the heat on the beach. It can make the sun feel weaker than it is, so keep using sun cream.
Across Egypt, May is quiet and prices are low. It is one of the best-value months for the Red Sea.
1 May is Labour Day. Coptic Easter falls on 2 May 2027, and Sham el-Nessim, the spring festival, follows on 3 May. Egyptian families head out for the day.
Eid al-Adha is expected on 16 May 2027, with Arafat Day on 15 May. Coastal hotels fill with Egyptian families over the holiday. UK half-term also falls in late May, so check those dates too.
Pack light, loose summer clothes. Nights at about 24C need nothing warm.
Bring a wide hat, sunglasses, a rash vest and plenty of sunscreen. A refillable water bottle helps in the heat.
Reef shoes are useful from the shore. A light long-sleeved top covers you on a boat with little shade.
Mount Sinai is still climbed at night, which avoids the day heat. The summit is cold before dawn even now, so bring a warm layer.
Cairo reaches about 32C in May, about an hour away by air. Luxor reaches about 39C, which means dawn starts for temples. Treat it as its own leg with a Nile cruise.
Petra by coach and ferry is a very long, hot day in May. Carry more water than you think you need.
Memphis Tours, whose trips we sell, has no fixed Sharm tour. Send a request and we will ask them to plan a tailor-made May trip.
April is gentler, at 30C by day and 21C at night. The sea is cooler, at 23C, with 10 hours of sun.
June is hotter, at 38C by day and 27C at night. The sea warms to 27C, and the sun reaches 13 hours.
May is the halfway point. It is hot by day, with a sea that is finally warm.
It is hot, at about 35C by day. Most people spend midday in the shade or the sea and go out in the morning and evening.
About 25C. It is the first month of the year when the sea feels properly warm.
Eid al-Adha is expected on 16 May 2027, with Arafat Day on 15 May. Coastal hotels fill with Egyptian families, so book early.
Often, yes. The northerly blows hardest from May to September and can stop the Tiran boats for a day or two.
Usually. May is quiet and low-priced across Egypt. Eid and the late-May half-term are the exceptions.
Almost never. Rain days average zero.
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
