The Red Sea is once again knocking on our “where to go” lists. That’s why we’re going through the season in Egypt: when it’s better to rest in order not to freeze (and it happens).
A trip to Egypt is an expectation of hot sun and warm Red Sea. But is it always beach season? And if not, when is it better to go on vacation in Egypt?
All these questions will be answered in this article. Let’s find out what to expect from Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh in different months, and whether there is a “low” season here at all.
Beginning and end of the season in Egypt
Conventionally, the season in Egypt by month is divided into:
- “cool” is November through March.
- and “hot,” April through October.
Even in the cold months the water temperature in the Red Sea does not fall below +20°C – and this year the winter in Egypt is surprisingly warm with +22…+23 in the water! – so in theory you can swim all year round.
Remember the three ideal months are May, October and November. These are the best times to travel to Egypt.
Although in general it is always relatively warm, these months are the high season for vacations in Egypt. April is not hot enough, summer and September are too hot. From December to the end of March – low tourist season, and there is a good reason for that: from the desert blows wind khamsin, which +25 ° C on the thermometer turns into +15 ° C by feel.
I traveled in Egypt in November and December: during the day I was glad to see the absence of the stuffiness I dislike so much, and in the evenings – a pleasant fresh breeze. The locals wore hats at that time.
Weather in Egypt by months
Egypt in December, January and February
What do you need to know about winter Egypt?
- Wind is the main enemy of beach vacations. If it blows, it blows sand in your teeth and tears down umbrellas on the beach.
- It is cool in the morning and in the evening after sunset, but at lunchtime it is so hot that you can manage to burn in the sun. Provided there is no wind.
- Sharm el-Sheikh is a couple degrees warmer because of its location.
- In Sharm and Hurghada there are so-called “winter” hotels – these are those that are protected from the wind, sheltered in bays (I will give a list below).
It is still warm in Egypt in December. It is not hot anymore – the air is up to +25°C, the sea has not managed to cool down yet. Very rarely it can rain briefly, the wind starts to blow. This is the off-season, but prices for vacation closer to the end of the month rise – a lot of people who want to celebrate the New Year in Egypt. So if you go on vacation in December, it is better to do it in the first half of the month (and the weather will be better).
Egypt gets worse in January, with winds becoming more frequent. January is one of the unlucky months of the year, when it can be only +17°C during the day. Tourists if they swim, it is either in wetsuits, or in and out, or in the pool. It gets dark at 5pm. And why is it necessary? – you ask. Look: the beaches are spacious, hotels and flights are cheaper, the sun and “all inclusive” in place all 31 days. But I still do not advise to go to Egypt with children at this time.
In February it is still summer on the thermometer – it ranges from +16°C to +25°C, but Egyptians are not fooled: they proclaim this month the coldest. All because the wind is raging, the sea is stormy, the nights are cool, the temperature can fall to +10°C. Egyptian cities are literally covered with sand, and vacation in this period – only for those who are not afraid of the wind, and are ready to spend a little more time and effort to find a hotel.
On the beaches put fences, and the hotel at this time choose not abyssal, and sheltered in the bay – then do without down jackets on the beds.
The winter months are quite warm but very windy, so sunbathing and swimming, if the hotel is not sheltered from the winds, is almost impossible. Besides, it gets dark outside already at 17:00. All vacationers take out jackets and shake while walking to the restaurant for dinner. The only thing I wanted at these moments – to wrap myself in a plaid, drink mulled wine and watch a nice fall movie. And it was somehow different from the usual sea vacation.
Egypt in March, April and May
In March, especially the first half of the winds are still blowing, and the weather is very changeable: the temperature jumps from +18°C to +26°C, sometimes it can rain. The Red Sea has not yet had time to warm up, so it is still frozen at +22°C. It is not very comfortable to swim, especially since on the coast there are such rare for Egypt waves – even surfing competitions are held. The list of “winter” hotels from the section above for March is still relevant!
In April, summer is slowly coming into its own: you can open the swimming season (the water is +23°C) and not be afraid of the wind. Be sure to put SPF in your suitcase, it gets up to +30°C during the day. The closer you get to May – the ideal month for a vacation – the better the weather gets.
In May in the first days of the best season for vacation in Egypt begins and – for those who do not tolerate heat – in the last days ends. Conditions are excellent: +25 ° C … +30 ° C of air on the coast, the water in the sea warmer every day (+26 ° C at the peak, May Turkey such a boast!). Come on a family vacation with children, with grandparents – no one will grumble.
Egypt in June, July, August
In June, air conditioning in your room is a must in your hotel search engine. The air in Hurghada and Sharm warms up to +32°C, the weather is dry and hot, the beach season is in full swing. Tourists spend days in the sea, it is +26°C and higher, and a couple of times go on excursions – in buses it is still possible to live, not to survive.
In July comes the scorcher, when even the sea can’t save you. One of the two hottest months of the year begins. At the water thermometer jumps up to +40 ° C, few people will find it comfortable. July is definitely not the best time to look at the pyramids and go on excursions: in Cairo and in desert areas +60°C. The only advice if you come to Egypt in summer: take a hotel with a swimming pool and good air conditioning.
In August, the weather is not much different from July. Even the locals are languishing from the heat. In such extreme conditions, at least choose the resort of Dahab – fresh wind blows here all year round, making it easier to bear the heat.
Egypt in September, October and November
But be careful: Egypt in the fall, especially in early September, is a heat wave, stretching from summer – up to +36 ° C outside. But from the second half of the month it is good to sunbathe, swim in the sea and go on excursions.
In October, the beach season in Egypt continues: during the day it bakes up to +30°C, in the evening it drops to +25°C – this month is loved by Europeans. The wind on the coast can happen, but it is warm and does not interfere with rest. In general, it is the velvet season, which tourists are looking forward to.
November is the official start of cold temps. Locals wrap themselves in jackets and laugh at the resort residents in t-shirts and shorts. But who else should laugh at whom: it is +23°C to +26°C outside. The sea also keeps on +26 degrees. The weather is consistently sunny, but the wind can spoil everything – although November is not the same as November, and, for example, in 2020 it was record hot and windless.
When is the best time to vacation in Egypt?
If we talk about the weather in Egypt by month, it is October and November – the most comfortable months. The water temperature is 27 degrees Celsius and the air temperature is from 29°C to 31°C. Perfect! The best time for excursions.
In fact, the holiday season in Egypt is almost all year round – but May, late December and September are the months with the most tourists. When the season starts, crowds of tourists appear at the pyramids, prices skyrocket, and this is a big disadvantage. But when the best month in Egypt comes – November and October or April – there are not so many vacationers. You can calmly rest in Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh, take cheap excursions, make beautiful photos without unnecessary people.
If we are talking about what month is better to go with children, then the same as without them. I do not think that the child and you will like the sandstorm in February-March, as well as in the summer scorcher to rest the whole family will not be very. So it is better not to choose this time for a vacation with children.
What to see in Egypt?
Egypt is a great place to combine cultural and beach vacations. Whichever month you visit Egypt, there is plenty to see on a tour or on your own:
- Pyramids of Giza (in Cairo)
- Egyptian Museum of Antiquities (in Cairo)
- Luxor and Abu Simbel temple complexes (see the ancient legacy of the pharaohs)
- Bedouin villages (here they take from Sharm and Dahab, for those who wish – with overnight stay and quad bikes)
- Blue Hole (active diving site near Dahab)
- Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai
- Colored Canyon (it is worth going in the “cold” months)
Our review and tips about Egypt
Between Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, I choose the second one: it seems to me more modern and developed. Plus, it is warmer there in the off-season. To be honest, there is a lot to be annoyed about in Egypt – the intrusiveness of the locals, their constant desire to profit from tourists, the unkemptness of hotels with average prices, etc.
- Be sure to haggle in the bazaars to bring the price down by 2 or 3 times.
- Trust the internet more than local advice.
- And don’t leave without trying the delicious Egyptian mango!
I have been to Egypt twice and for a total of one and a half months. I have no desire to do it a third time. But, perhaps, if I liked a quiet, measured vacation within the framework of one hotel, I would go again.
When is it cheaper to vacation in Egypt?
When the rush for May and New Year vacations ends, this is when you have the opportunity to go to Egypt inexpensively. Summer and winter are equally cheap, but it is better to go in the cold months than in the hot months when you can’t get out of the hotel.
