How To Travel to Egypt

Best Time to Visit Egypt

If you want to explore in a comfortable climate and escape the period of high heat, then September to April is seen as the best time to go to Egypt.
You might also want to plan your trip to avoid summer in Egypt. The hottest months, marked by the scorching, humid summer, are from May to October. More so in the South, such as in Aswan and Luxor, but it can be stifling in Cairo too.

Egypt Summer Travel

Visiting Egypt at the end of June when it was swelteringly hot, might have been a crazy decision. However, it did have its advantages. Namely, fewer crowds and the necessity to get to sites ultra-early to escape the heat but ultimately be the first in, leaving time for further exploration in the area or time to rest by the pool.

Public Holidays in Egypt

I was also travelling during Ramadan – the most important holiday in Egypt. The month-long celebration where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The exact dates of Ramadan change with each lunar cycle and typically fall between April and June.

Food outlets remain closed until the evening feast time. During such times, pack snacks for the road so you have some sustenance until dinner time, as you rarely find the one place that remains open. Also, avoid eating, drinking, or smoking in public out of respect for those who can’t during that time. In the evening, people come together to feast. The atmosphere on the streets is electric and a show of community. Even in our hotels, the buffets brought people together, including friends and family of the hospitality workers.

Eid al-Fitr is another holiday and is the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. Not long after comes the Islamic New Year, known as Eid al-Adha.

Coptic (Orthodox Christian) holidays to note are the Coptic Christmas on 7th January and Coptic Easter, which typically falls a week after Catholic Easter.