Cairo: When to Go

Cairo has only two seasons: summer and 'not-summer'. Given the choice, you're far better off visiting during 'not-summer', a period that stretches roughly from September to April or May.

It's also worth considering the timing of the various Muslim festivals when planning your trip. During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, many businesses work half-days, museums and tourist sites shut early and many restaurants only open after sundown. Alcohol is rarely served outside hotels and you may have to show a passport to prove that you're not Egyptian (they're forbidden from drinking in public places throughout the month).

Weather

Cairo has only two seasons: summer and 'not-summer'. Given the choice, you're far better off visiting during 'not-summer', a period that stretches roughly from September to April or May. January and February (10-20°C/50-68°F) can be overcast with the occasional shower, but the months immediately either side are comfortably warm, with daytime temperatures leavened by breezes. Between March and April, Cairo is occasionally subject to the khamseen , a dry and very dusty wind storm which blows in from the parched Western Desert at up to 150kph (93mph). During summer the city is insufferably hot (35-38°C/95-100°F) and grimy, though the relatively low humidity makes the heat just bearable. Well-heeled Cairenes tend to sit out the summer on the coast in Alexandria.

Temperature (average ° C)

Humidity (average %)

Rainfall (average mm)

Sunshine (average hrs per day)