Best Time to Visit Egypt: Weather, Ramadan and Abu Simbel by Month

The short answer: the best time to visit Egypt is October to April, when Cairo, Luxor and Aswan sit at a comfortable 19–30°C by day instead of summer's 35–42°C. The Red Sea resorts, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, stay warm enough to swim all year, 22°C and up even in January. Expect the khamsin, a hot, sandy wind, from roughly March to May, and plan around Ramadan 2027, expected to run about 8 February to 9 March, when hours shift and towns go quieter by day. Christmas, New Year and the UAE's own school holidays around them are Egypt's busiest and priciest stretch, so book the Nile cruise cabin or the Abu Simbel Sun Festival (22 February and 22 October) early.

This guide is for UAE residents planning a Cairo-and-Nile trip or a Red Sea week, covering weather by month and region, Ramadan, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Nile cruise timing and what to wear. For the sights themselves, see our places to visit in Egypt guide, and for the visa, our Egypt visa for UAE residents guide or Egypt visa service.

Egypt at a glance

Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea by month

Figures are average daily highs and lows in Celsius, NOAA climate normals (1991–2020) as published on Wikipedia, for Cairo and Luxor International Airports, Aswan, and the average of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh International Airports. They are long-run averages, not a forecast for any one year.

*Red Sea is the average of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, which run within about a degree of each other most months.

The seasons in Egypt

Comfortable: October to April

This is when most people go, and for good reason. Cairo sits in the high teens to high twenties by day, Luxor and Aswan climb into the high twenties and thirties but drop into single digits at night, cool enough for a jacket on a felucca at sunset. It's also the Nile cruise season proper (more below), and the only sensible window for a full day at Giza or Karnak without retreating to the hotel pool by noon.

Hot: May to September

Luxor and Aswan run 39 to 42°C by day from May to September, Egypt's hottest stretch, and several Nile cruise operators thin their schedules through it. Cairo is milder but still properly hot, 32 to 35°C. The Red Sea coast is the exception: the sea cools the air a little, and the diving and snorkelling carry on regardless of the calendar.

The khamsin: spring

Between roughly March and May, Egypt gets khamsin, a hot, sand-laden wind that can spike the temperature and cut visibility for a day or two at a time, most often in April. It passes quickly, but if you're travelling in spring, build a spare day into a desert or Nile itinerary in case a storm grounds a felucca sail or closes a site.

The Red Sea: warm all year

Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh rarely drop below 22°C by day, even in January, and the sea stays divable year round, roughly 21 to 28°C depending on the month. August is hottest and busiest; January and February are the coolest, and still warm enough for most people to swim.

Ramadan 2027 and what changes

Ramadan 2027 is expected to run from about Monday 8 February to Tuesday 9 March 2027 (Eid al-Fitr), based on current moon-sighting forecasts; the exact start can move by a day either way once the crescent is actually sighted. During the month, some museums and sites in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan shorten their afternoon hours, and restaurants outside hotels are quieter by day and livelier after iftar. None of this affects the Red Sea resorts much, and Nile cruises keep their normal schedule, just with a different rhythm onboard in the evening. If your dates fall in this window, build in a little extra flexibility around opening hours and confirm each site closer to the time.

Abu Simbel Sun Festival

Twice a year, on 22 February and 22 October, sunrise lines up through Abu Simbel's inner sanctuary to light the statues at the back, a feat of ancient engineering rather than coincidence. Standard entry to the temple runs about EGP 750 to 830 (about AED 50 to 56) for foreign adults; festival-day entry costs more, around EGP 1,200 (about AED 80), and the small town fills with coaches from Aswan the night before. Abu Simbel is about 280km south of Aswan, reached by a road convoy (around 3 hours) or a short domestic flight.

Crowds, prices and the Grand Egyptian Museum

Christmas week, New Year and the UAE's own school holidays line up with Egypt's best weather, so flights, Nile cruise cabins and Red Sea resorts cost the most and book out first in that stretch. November, and February to early April, give you the same comfortable temperatures with noticeably less competition for rooms and guides.

The Grand Egyptian Museum, at Giza, is fully open, including the Tutankhamun galleries shown together for the first time. Its board raised ticket prices from 1 November 2026: foreign adult general admission is now EGP 1,830 (about AED 125), with students and children at EGP 920 (about AED 62). Tickets are sold online only, by timed slot, so book before you fly rather than planning to buy one at the gate. Prices like this move; check the museum's current rate before you go.

Nile cruise season

October to April is the Nile cruise season proper, when daytime sightseeing at Kom Ombo, Edfu and the Luxor temples is comfortable rather than punishing. November, and February to early April, are the sweet spot: good weather without the Christmas-to-New-Year surcharge on cabins or the shortage of the better Egyptologist guides that comes with it. Most itineraries run Luxor to Aswan or the reverse over three to five nights, calling at the smaller temples along the way; a few, ours among them, swap the cruise ship for a one-night traditional felucca sail instead.

What to wear

Layer for the Nile valley in winter: light cottons for the day, with a jacket for cool mornings and evenings on deck, especially December to February when Luxor and Aswan nights drop to single digits. Cover shoulders and knees at mosques, churches and the Grand Egyptian Museum (smart casual, not beachwear), and bring closed shoes for climbing inside the pyramids and tombs. On the Red Sea, swimwear is fine on the beach and at the hotel pool, but dress more conservatively away from the resort strip. A hat, sunglasses and proper sun cream matter everywhere, even in the cooler months, since the sun is strong at this latitude all year.

Flights from the UAE

Emirates flies Dubai to Cairo up to five times a day, flydubai serves Cairo and Alexandria, Air Arabia flies Sharjah to Cairo, Alexandria, Assiut and Sharm El Sheikh (and Abu Dhabi to Assiut), and EgyptAir connects Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cairo; the flight takes about 4 hours nonstop. None of the four fly direct to Luxor or Hurghada from the UAE at the time of writing, so most travellers land in Cairo and either fly on with EgyptAir's domestic network (about an hour to Luxor) or take the overnight sleeper train. Sharm El Sheikh has its own direct options, Air Arabia's Sharjah service among them. Schedules shift with demand, including a spell of reduced EgyptAir UAE services earlier in 2026, so confirm the current routing before you book.

Visa for UAE residents

Most UAE residents apply for Egypt's e-visa online before flying: USD 30 (about AED 110) for a single entry valid three months, or USD 65 (about AED 239) for multiple entries valid six months, each good for a 30-day stay. A visa on arrival, also USD 30, exists for some nationalities but is the less reliable route, since not every airline accepts it at check-in. Emiratis and other GCC citizens need no visa at all. For who qualifies for which route, and the embassy option for everyone else, see our Egypt visa for UAE residents guide, or let us handle it through our Egypt visa service.

Before you go

• Book Abu Simbel's Sun Festival dates well ahead. Aswan hotels and coach seats for 22 February and 22 October sell out early.
• Buy Grand Egyptian Museum tickets online before you fly. There is no ticket booth at the gate.
• Carry small EGP notes. Site guards, washroom attendants and felucca crews expect small tips, and card machines are unreliable away from hotels.
• Check your passport has six months' validity from your travel date, Egypt's standard rule for the e-visa and visa on arrival alike.
• If you're travelling during Ramadan, expect shorter opening hours in the afternoon and quieter streets by day, livelier ones after iftar.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Egypt?

October to April, when Cairo, Luxor and Aswan are comfortable for sightseeing, 19 to 30°C by day. May to September is Egypt's hot season, with Luxor and Aswan reaching 39 to 42°C, though the Red Sea coast stays pleasant and swimmable year round.

Is Egypt hot in January?

No, January is Egypt's coolest month: Cairo averages 19°C by day, Luxor and Aswan around 23°C by day but down to 7 to 10°C at night, and the Red Sea about 22°C, still warm enough to swim.

When is Ramadan in Egypt in 2027?

Current forecasts put Ramadan 2027 at about 8 February to 9 March, pending the official moon sighting. During the month some sites shorten their afternoon hours and restaurants outside hotels are quieter by day.

When is the Abu Simbel Sun Festival?

Twice a year, on 22 February and 22 October, when sunrise lights the inner sanctuary of the Great Temple. Both dates draw crowds from Aswan, so book transport and hotels ahead.

Is the Grand Egyptian Museum open?

Yes, it is fully open, including the Tutankhamun galleries. Foreign adult tickets are EGP 1,830 (about AED 125) since 1 November 2026, booked online by timed slot rather than at the door.

What is the best time for a Nile cruise?

October to April, and within that, November and February to early April give the same good weather with lower prices and less competition for cabins and guides than the Christmas-to-New-Year peak.

Plan your Egypt trip with Holidayys

We have four escorted Egypt group tours: the 9-day Egypt Nile Adventure with Felucca Cruise (a night on a traditional felucca, plus Red Sea time in Hurghada), the 9-day Egypt Nile Jewel with 5-Star Nile Cruise (three nights on a cruise ship between Aswan and Luxor), and two 15-day trips that add Jordan, Petra and Wadi Rum: the Egypt and Jordan Adventure with Felucca Cruise and the Egypt and Jordan Jewel with 5-Star Nile Cruise. We also handle the Egypt visa on its own. Message us on WhatsApp +971 4 589 0001 or use our contact page to check current departure dates and what's included.

Related guides

• Places to visit in Egypt: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea
• Egypt visa for UAE residents
• Jordan visa for UAE residents
• Where to travel in December from the UAE
• Where to travel in January from the UAE

Last checked 4 November 2026 against Wikipedia's NOAA climate normals (1991–2020) for Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh; Gulf News reporting on expected 2027 moon-sighting dates for Ramadan; Egypt Today's reporting on the Grand Egyptian Museum's November 2026 ticket prices; and flydubai, Air Arabia and EgyptAir route information. Ramadan's exact start, the Abu Simbel festival-day price and EgyptAir's full current UAE schedule were the least certain points; confirm each closer to your travel date, and note that prices and flight schedules change.