Summer heat on Egypt day tours: how to plan the day

In June, July and August, average daily highs reach 41.4°C (106.5°F) in Luxor and Aswan and 34.8°C (94.6°F) in Cairo. Put the open-air sites at the start of the day, when several open at 6 a.m., keep a museum or lunch for the middle of the day, and use the tours that run in the evening.

How hot each base gets in summer

The table gives average daily highs from the World Meteorological Organization's climate normals, with data from Egypt's national meteorological service. They are monthly averages, not forecasts or records. Of the six bases with figures, Luxor and Aswan are the hottest and Alexandria, on the Mediterranean, the mildest. Our checked facts carry no climate figures for Marsa Alam or Dahab.

The nights stay warm as well: the average July low is 24.7°C (76.5°F) in Luxor and 27.1°C (80.8°F) in Hurghada.

What is the best month to visit the pyramids?

By temperature, December to February are the coolest months in Cairo, with average highs of 19.0 to 20.4°C (66.2 to 68.7°F), and June to August the hottest, at 34.5 to 34.8°C (94.1 to 94.6°F). March (23.4°C, 74.1°F) and November (24.7°C, 76.5°F) sit between. Our checked facts cover temperature only, not crowds, so they cannot rank the months on anything else. More on the site itself: the pyramids of Giza.

Start early: when the open-air sites open

These are the summer-season hours on the ticketing portal of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Last entry is the latest time the gate lets visitors in.

The clock times on our tour pages are approximate: the pickup time is confirmed when you book, because traffic and your hotel's location change it. Ask for a pickup that brings you to the first site close to opening. Where a tour allows it, you can also ask before booking to change the order of the stops. There is more detail on the time of day for Luxor's temples and tombs and the best time of day at Giza.

Keep the middle of the day for a museum or lunch

Several tours pair the Giza pyramids with the Grand Egyptian Museum, and on all but one of them the pyramids come first and the museum later in the day, so the indoor visit falls in the hotter hours. A museum can also be the whole outing: the Grand Egyptian Museum with a guide, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization are each a half day from a Cairo or Giza hotel. The museum's galleries open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m., or at 9 p.m. on Saturday and Wednesday. Each tour page says whether lunch is included.

Choose an evening tour

Several tours run after the heat of the day. Three are sound and light shows, a narrated show of lights and voices at a monument after dark: at the Giza pyramids, at Karnak and at Philae. In Cairo, the Maxim dinner cruise sails on the Nile, the Tanoura show night is a whirling dance with live Sufi music, and the Khan El Khalili walk and the street food tour run in the afternoon or evening. Old Sharm by evening visits the Al Sahaba Mosque and the Old Market in Sharm El Sheikh, and the desert safaris from Hurghada and Marsa Alam run at sunset and into the evening, with a barbecue dinner. Tours like these are grouped on evenings and shows.

Water, the car and the sea days

Bottled water is included on 72 tours. The two tours that do not list an air-conditioned vehicle are the jeep safari from Hurghada and the quad safari from Marsa Alam. On the boat days, lunch is served on board: Giftun Island and Dolphin House from Hurghada, Tiran and Ras Mohammed from Sharm El Sheikh, and Port Ghalib and Samadai near Marsa Alam. For clothes and sun cover, see what to wear and bring.