Timing
Egypt weather by month
Egypt weather by month: daytime highs, sea temperature, crowds and price season for all twelve. Pick a row to read the month in full.
The short answer
The months that work best: March, October and November
Egypt weather by month splits cleanly in two: the temples want October to April, and the Red Sea works all year. Within the cool season, March, October and November give you warm days without the December crowds or the January prices.
Summer is genuinely difficult in Luxor and Aswan — 40°C or more, with almost no shade in the Valley of the Kings. It is also considerably cheaper, and the Red Sea stays comfortable, so a beach-weighted trip in June works where a temple-weighted one does not.
Egypt weather by month, in full
| Month | Cairo | Luxor | Red Sea | Crowds | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°C | 23°C | 22°C | Very busy | The coolest month, and the busiest. Excellent for the temples, poor for the beach. | |
| February | 21°C | 25°C | 22°C | Busy | Almost as good as January for temperature, with slightly thinner crowds. | |
| March | 24°C | 29°C | 23°C | Busy | Arguably the best month in Egypt. Warm, not hot, and the light is good. | |
| April | 28°C | 35°C | 25°C | Moderate | The last comfortable month for Upper Egypt, and the first good one for the sea. | |
| May | 32°C | 39°C | 27°C | Quiet | Getting hard work inland. Very good on the coast, and cheap. | |
| June | 34°C | 41°C | 29°C | Very quiet | Cheapest month. The sea is superb; the Nile valley is brutal. | |
| July | 35°C | 41°C | 30°C | Very quiet | Avoid the Nile valley unless you tolerate real heat. The coast is fine. | |
| August | 35°C | 41°C | 31°C | Quiet | European holiday traffic on the coast, near-empty temples inland. | |
| September | 32°C | 38°C | 30°C | Moderate | Cooling down, and prices have not caught up yet. Quietly one of the best value months. | |
| October | 29°C | 34°C | 28°C | Busy | The other best month. Everything works at once. | |
| November | 24°C | 28°C | 26°C | Busy | Comfortable everywhere, and the sea is still warm enough to swim. | |
| December | 20°C | 24°C | 23°C | Very busy | The best weather for the temples and the worst prices of the year. |
Typical daytime highs. Sea temperature is Hurghada. Select any month for the full breakdown.
Read next
- The best time to visit EgyptThe season-by-season guide, if you want the reasoning rather than the numbers.
- Egypt itinerariesOnce you have a month, here is the route.
- Nile cruisesSailing season runs differently from the land tours.
- Christmas in EgyptMild days, cold nights and the year's highest prices.
- Red Sea holidaysThe coast has its own calendar.
- Egypt tour packagesWhat a full trip looks like.
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.