How to Spend Summer Vacation in Egypt: Where to Go, What to Do and How to Beat the Heat

The best way to spend a summer vacation in Egypt is to build it around the sea and the early morning: base yourself on the Red Sea (Hurghada, El Gouna, Sharm El Sheikh, Marsa Alam) or the Mediterranean, and visit Cairo, Luxor and Aswan in short, well-timed blocks, sightseeing from sunrise to about 11:00 and again after 16:00. From June to August Cairo averages about 35°C in the afternoon and Luxor and Aswan 40 to 42°C, while the sea is warm and the coastal breeze makes the Red Sea comfortable.

Summer is low season for the Nile Valley, so hotels and Nile cruises cost less and the pyramids and temples are quieter, but it is high season on the coasts for Egyptian families. Our guides work through every summer, and the advice below is what we tell our own guests: where to go, what to skip in July and August, sample plans and how to handle the heat.

Egypt's summer is dry and sunny from late May to September. Humidity is low inland, so 38°C in Luxor feels more bearable than the number suggests in the shade, but the sun is strong. On the coasts it is cooler by day and warmer at night.

Averages hide hot spells: a few days above 44°C in Aswan or above 40°C in Cairo happen most summers. Check the forecast the week before and keep the plan flexible.

The Red Sea: Hurghada, El Gouna, Marsa Alam, Sharm El Sheikh

This is the heart of a summer trip. The water is at its warmest (around 27 to 28°C in August), the visibility on the reefs is excellent and the north wind keeps the beaches pleasant. Snorkel at Giftun Island or the reefs of Ras Mohammed, dive the Straits of Tiran or the wrecks of the Gulf of Suez, and look for dugongs and turtles in the sea grass bays south of Marsa Alam. Our guides to snorkelling beaches in Hurghada and the Red Sea beaches help you choose a base.

Alexandria and the Mediterranean

Alexandria is several degrees cooler than Cairo and only about three hours away by road or train. Mornings for the Library, the catacombs and Qaitbay Citadel; late afternoon on the Corniche. Further west, the North Coast (Sahel), El Alamein and Marsa Matrouh have white sand and turquoise water, and they are where Egyptians spend July and August, so expect full resorts and higher prices at weekends. See our Alexandria beaches guide.

Cairo and Giza

Very doable in summer. Be at the Giza plateau at opening time, around 8:00, and leave by 11:00. Spend the middle of the day indoors: the Grand Egyptian Museum, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir are all air-conditioned. Islamic Cairo and Khan El Khalili come alive after sunset, when Cairo families go out too.

Luxor and Aswan

Go, but plan it like a local. Start the Valley of the Kings or Karnak at 6:00 to 7:00, rest from noon to 16:00, then visit Luxor Temple after dark. A Nile cruise works well in summer because sightseeing is scheduled early and the afternoons are on the sundeck with the pool. The luxury-class Steigenberger Royale, for example, has a two-level sun deck and a pool with a Jacuzzi. Abu Simbel trips leave Aswan before dawn. In summer we prefer two nights in each city to rushing everything into one hot day.

Sinai mountains

St Catherine sits at about 1,600 metres. Days are warm, nights are cool, and the night climb of Mount Sinai for sunrise is a classic summer outing from Sharm or Dahab.

What to skip in July and August

• The Western Desert: Siwa, Bahariya and the White Desert regularly pass 40°C. Camping trips run mainly from October to April. If you go in summer, keep it to Siwa's salt pools and springs early in the day.
• Long overland days between Luxor and Aswan by road in the afternoon; fly or take the cruise instead.
• Midday at open sites: Saqqara, the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel have little shade between 11:00 and 16:00.

• Lower prices in the Nile Valley: hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and most Nile cruises have their lowest rates from June to August. Our budget Nile cruises are the standard-class ships on the Luxor to Aswan route.
• Quieter sites: fewer tour groups at the pyramids, the GEM and the Valley of the Kings, especially early in the morning.
• The best sea of the year: warm water and calm conditions for diving, snorkelling and boat trips.
• Long days: sunrise before 6:00 and sunset after 19:00 give you room for both a morning visit and an evening one.
• Summer events: on 2 August 2027 a total solar eclipse crosses Egypt, with more than six minutes of totality around Luxor. Read where to see the 2027 eclipse in Egypt.

The trade-off is the heat inland and busier coasts during Egyptian school holidays and the Eid holidays. If you can choose freely, our guide to the best months to visit Egypt compares the seasons.

7 days: Cairo and the Red Sea

1. Day 1: arrive in Cairo; evening in Zamalek or a Nile dinner cruise.
2. Day 2: Giza pyramids at 8:00, Grand Egyptian Museum after lunch.
3. Day 3: Islamic Cairo and Old Cairo in the morning, Khan El Khalili at night.
4. Day 4: fly or drive to Hurghada.
5. Days 5 to 6: Giftun Island snorkelling, a dive or a glass-bottom boat, a day on the beach.
6. Day 7: depart from Hurghada.

10 days: Cairo, Nile cruise and the sea

Three days in Cairo, a 4-night cruise from Luxor to Aswan with sunrise visits (a hot-air balloon over the West Bank is at its calmest in the early summer mornings), then three days on the Red Sea. This is the plan most of our summer guests choose. For the cruise, the luxury-class Tulip has an outdoor pool and runs a 4-night program from Luxor to Aswan.

A week on the Mediterranean

Two days in Cairo, three in Alexandria, two on the North Coast or in Marsa Matrouh. Best for travellers who want cooler air and do not need Luxor on this trip.

• Late May: the heat arrives but is still manageable; a good compromise for Cairo, Luxor and the Red Sea in one trip.
• June: long days, hot inland, very good sea conditions. Nile Valley prices are already at summer levels.
• July: the hottest month in Luxor and Aswan. Best for beach-centred trips with one short city block.
• August: similar heat; the Mediterranean coast is at its busiest with Egyptian families. In 2027 it brings the total solar eclipse on 2 August.
• September: still summer weather, but the evenings soften and the sea is at its warmest. A very good month for combining culture and coast.

Egyptians eat their main meal late in summer and keep the hot hours light. Try fresh mango from July, watermelon with white cheese, grilled fish and seafood on the coasts, and cold drinks from the juice stalls: sugarcane, karkadeh (hibiscus), tamarind and sobia (a coconut and rice drink). In the evenings families go out for ice cream along the Nile and the Corniche, and the streets of Cairo stay lively until well after midnight. Choose busy places where food is cooked fresh, and peel fruit you buy in the market.

• Drink before you are thirsty: at least 3 litres a day when sightseeing; add oral rehydration salts from any pharmacy if you sweat a lot.
• Cover up: loose long sleeves in cotton or linen, a wide hat and sunglasses protect better than a T-shirt and burn less.
• Sun cream: SPF 50, reapplied after swimming. On the Red Sea reefs, choose a reef-safe cream and a rash vest for snorkelling.
• Plan in blocks: outdoor sites before 11:00, indoor or rest until 16:00, then out again.
• Eat light: koshary, ful, grilled fish on the coast, watermelon, and drinks like karkadeh (hibiscus), tamarind and fresh lemon with mint.
• Know the signs of heat exhaustion (headache, dizziness, nausea): get into shade or air-conditioning, drink and cool down; see a doctor if it does not pass.
• Tap water: drink bottled or filtered water.

• Light, loose, breathable clothes; long trousers or a long skirt and covered shoulders for mosques and churches
• A scarf (for sun, sand and mosque visits)
• Comfortable closed shoes for the sites and sandals for the beach
• Hat, sunglasses, SPF 50, after-sun
• Reusable water bottle and electrolyte sachets
• Swimwear, rash vest and, if you have them, your own mask and fins
• A light layer for air-conditioned buses, trains and the cool desert or mountain nights

More detail is in our Egypt packing list.

Children cope well when the plan is short and has water in it. Choose a Red Sea resort with shade and a shallow sandy beach, book the pyramids and a museum for the morning, and leave room for a pool afternoon every day. The Hurghada submarine and glass-bottom boats show the reef to children who do not snorkel yet. Our article on things to do in Egypt with kids has more ideas.

Our 7 days Cairo and Hurghada holiday follows the summer plan above, and the 11-day Cairo, Nile cruise and Red Sea tour adds Luxor and Aswan with early-morning visits. For a cooler coast, see the 5 days Cairo and Alexandria tour.

Is it too hot to visit Egypt in summer?

Not if you plan around the heat. Cairo averages about 35 degrees C and Luxor and Aswan 40 to 42 degrees C in the afternoon, so visit sites early and spend the afternoons indoors or by the sea.

Where is the coolest place in Egypt in summer?

The Mediterranean coast: Alexandria, the North Coast and Marsa Matrouh, with average highs of about 28 to 31 degrees C. The Sinai mountains around St Catherine have cool nights.

Is summer cheaper in Egypt?

Yes in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and on most Nile cruises. The Red Sea and the North Coast are busy with Egyptian holidaymakers in July and August, so prices there do not drop as much.

Can you take a Nile cruise in summer?

Yes. Cruises run all year; in summer the visits are scheduled early in the morning and the afternoons are spent on board.