When to visit Egypt: the Nile valley against the coasts

The Nile valley is mild in winter and very hot in summer; the Red Sea stays warm; Alexandria gets Egypt's rain.

By the Local SIM Egypt team, checked September 30, 2026

Illustration: a traveller on a felucca on the Nile in soft winter light.

The short answer

For the Nile valley, winter is the mild season: Luxor and Aswan average about 23 °C highs in January and more than 40 °C from June to August. The Red Sea coast is warm all year, and Alexandria gets most of its rain from November to January.

Luxor and Aswan: about 23 °C highs in January, 41 to 42 °C in July.
Cairo: 19 °C highs in January, 35 °C from June to August.
Hurghada: 22 °C in January, 37 °C in summer, with the sea from 21 to 28 °C.
Alexandria: the rainiest big city, about 212 mm a year, mostly November to January.

Checked September 30, 2026

Average daily highs, January against July

Place	January	July	Rain a year
Cairo	19 °C	35 °C	25 mm
Luxor	23 °C	41 °C	8 mm
Aswan	23 °C	42 °C	2 mm
Hurghada	22 °C	37 °C	8 mm
Sharm El Sheikh	22 °C	37.5 °C	7 mm
Alexandria	18 °C	30 °C	212 mm

Cairo
January
19 °C
July
35 °C
Rain a year
25 mm
Luxor
January
23 °C
July
41 °C
Rain a year
8 mm
Aswan
January
23 °C
July
42 °C
Rain a year
2 mm
Hurghada
January
22 °C
July
37 °C
Rain a year
8 mm
Sharm El Sheikh
January
22 °C
July
37.5 °C
Rain a year
7 mm
Alexandria
January
18 °C
July
30 °C
Rain a year
212 mm

Region by region

Luxor and Aswan
Mild winter days and cool nights: Luxor averages 7 °C at night in January. Summer highs pass 40 °C.
Cairo
Winter highs around 19 to 21 °C, summer highs of 35 °C, and almost no rain.
The Red Sea
Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh stay warm in winter at about 22 °C, and pass 37 °C in summer.
Alexandria
The Mediterranean coast: 31 °C in August and Egypt's wettest winters.