Nile Cruise Vacation Blog

What is the temperature during winter in Egypt?

Winter in Egypt comprises the months of November to March, but sometimes you can feel the temperature drop in late October or until early April. The capital Cairo can reach 5 degrees Celsius at night and around 12 degrees Celsius during the day. December and January are the coldest months. Yet, many visitors from colder homelands would be fine about that.

South Egypt on the other hand still offer more pleasant temperatures, around 20 degrees Celsius and sunny days. For this reason many visitors enjoy spending time in Luxor and Aswan.

What should I wear for winter in Egypt?

In general, always wear modest clothes, even during summer. Remember that Egypt is a country with the majority of population being Muslim. For winter you should pack a wool jacket, layering shirts, linen or cotton clothing, winter pyjamas, light sneakers, warm socks, hat, and sunglasses. But even though it is winter, you might have the opportunity to enjoy some sunbath, especially in South Egypt or at any of the resorts. Therefore, just in case, pack your swimsuit.

Luxor

Luxor, old Tebas, concentrates the biggest number of temples, and if you want to add historical visits to your trip this is the best opportunity. Take advantage of the good weather, not so cold nor so hot to explore the maximum of temples you can.

Some of the attractions you can't miss are the Temple of Luxor, built in 1400 BC and dedicated to Amun, and the giant Karnak Temple. Karnak is actually considered a city-temple because it is so big. It was constantly under construction and the temple was enlarged throughout 2.000 years.

If you are curious about how the pharaohs were buried during the New Kingdom, you will have the chance to enter in their royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The same about the queens in the Valley of the Queens. And right on the other side of the valley you will find the Temple of Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh who made history by commissioning a temple of unique style.

And if you still want to see more temples, Luxor has more to show. Medinet Rabu and Ramesseum, both temples of Ramses II, will give you other nice views. If you feel like enjoying the Nile, take a boat to visit both Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples, dedicated respectively to Horus and Sobek. Deir el-Medina is the village of the workers who built the Valley of the Kings and it is great to see how people lived in that time. And talking about living, Malkata, the ruins of the palace of Amenhotep III may not offer too much to see nowadays but it still is fascinating, same about the pharaoh's statues known as Colossi of Memnon.

Last but not least, Luxor is the right place for trying the famous air balloon ride. It is a bit expensive but whoever tried did not regret it. Seeing the temples from above early in the morning offers you an unique view.

Aswan

Aswan promises a pleasant experience. Around 800km away from Cairo, the Nubian city is calm and offers great warm weather during winter time. It is an opportunity to enjoy nature, sail on a felluca boat on the Nile, and visit Ancient temples.

Either you are enjoying a Nile cruise or not, Aswan offers enough attraction to both relax and be entertained. Many attractions are on islands, which means that you can make of your felluca boat trips an experience in itself. For example, you must visit the beautiful Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. This temple was one of the last built in Ancient Egypt before Greek rulers. The Botanical Gardens, on the Kitchener Island, is another example of sailing opportunity combined with enjoying the nature. This garden has more than 400 botanical species from all over the world.

And still exploring islands in Aswan, you will adore the colourful Nubian Village with houses painted in blue and offering geometric shapes. The Nubians are masters of hospitality & of handicrafts and make visitors feel at home. Make a visit to the Nubian Museum to know more about them.

Get to know the city and walk around the markets and explore the Unfinished Obelisk located in the old quarry. This 42 meter-high monument would have been the tallest in the world if finished. If you are curious about the story of the city, go to the Aswan High Dam, that presented a solution for the Nile flooding.

Finally, you should not miss the chance of visiting the Abu Simbel Temples. It is around 3h by car from Aswan but these are, after the Great Pyramids, the main touristic attraction in Egypt. The Temple of Ramses II is an example of the pharaoh's power and the Temple of Nefertari is not behind.