The best time to go on a Nile cruise is between October and April. It’s not too hot, which is important since you’ll be hopping on and off to visit temples along the way. The heat in Aswan and Luxor is intense, and it’s not recommended that you travel during the peak summer months from June through August. The average temperatures hover over the 100 F (40 C) mark, and it’s even hotter when you’re inside some of the tombs. Plus, there’s not a lot of shade around.

Egypt is an extremely diverse holiday destination, and there is a holiday opportunity for travellers of every taste, interest and budget. This country is unique as a holiday destination as it offers not just one, not just two, but three different types of holiday. Where else in the world can you choose from the exploration of a civilization that existed between 2,500 and 5,000 (at least) years ago, with the choice of a river cruise to help you relax; the chance to unwind and soak up the sun’s rays next to, in, or under the beautiful Red Sea; the enjoyment and pleasure of a hotel or resort on the Mediterranean coast. Egypt offers all three, as well as the possibility of “mix and match”, which allows you to tailor your holiday to include whatever you want.

Destinations:

If you like exploring ancient archaeological sites and/or gaining an insight into local culture, then the Nile Valley is for you; where you can enjoy a short break in the bustling atmosphere of Cairo, or relax by, or on, the majestic River Nile in Luxor or Aswan. This is your chance to visit the famous Giza Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum, the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, and much, much, more. Almost three quarters of the world’s ancient sites can be seen here. Lake Nasser is also a quickly growing attraction for tourists, with cruises taken you to many ancient sites, including Abu Simbel.

If you’re after a relaxing beach holiday, the Red Sea is ideal, with near-perfect weather, sandy beaches, warm, crystal-clear waters and excellent hotels and resorts. Here is where you can enjoy sun bathing, swimming, diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, 4X4 excursions, Bedouin barbeques and much more. And that is not just only Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada; destinations also include Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba, Ain Sukhna, Berenice, El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Marsa Alam, Port Ghalib, Quseir, Ras Gharib, Safaga, Soma Bay, and many more! Each resort is different in terms of facilities, atmosphere, activities and convenience of location, so you are definitely spoiled for choice.

For a beach holiday that combines sun and sand with a taste of authentic modern Egyptian culture, the Mediterranean coast is for you, with hotels and/or resorts available in Alexandria, Arish, Damietta, El Alamein, Marina, Marsa Matruh, Port Said, Rafah, Rosetta/Rashid, and many more smaller towns. Ancient Greco/Roman sites are also on view throughout the region, with Alexandria being the epicentre of these.

Culture:

Although Egypt is a Muslim country, figures estimate that 10 of the population is Christian, with the vast majority of these being Coptic Christians. This means that the Christian population is as big, or bigger, than the populations of countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Norway, Greece, or Sweden. Because of this, Egypt’s culture is strongly influenced by Christianity and it is not unusual to see Christmas decorations throughout the major cities; Santa Claus figures in the various shopping areas and streets; Easter eggs; and other such seasonal adornments. Add to this the influx of multinational food and shopping outlets, and you almost forget where you are: even when the muezzin is heard calling the faithful to prayer five times a day, from loudspeakers on the minarets of the mosques.

Tipping is customary for pretty much all services in Egypt. A tip of 10-15% is customary at cafes and restaurants and loose change is an acceptable for food purchases from street vendors and markets. It’s also a good idea to tip local guides and drivers USD 2-5 per day.

Traveller picks out souvenir in local shop
Souqs – or open-air bazaars – are both the best place to shop in Egypt and attractions in their own right. The biggest and most famous souq is the 500-year-old Khan El Khalili Bazaar in Cairo. Within the maze of narrow streets and laneways lie stalls selling jewellery, glass, copper, spices and artisan goods, along with more standard tourist fare. Quality can vary greatly so spend some time shopping around.

Like many markets around the world, bargaining is the norm, but Egyptians take it to another level. Expect to be offered tea (it can take that long) and for elaborate theatrics from the seller. While bazaars in Cairo tend to sell everything, visit Aswan’s bazaar for spices, incense and basketwork, and Luxor for cheaply priced alabaster figurines and vases. It’s also a good idea to check with your local customs officials to ensure that you are able to bring certain items back into your home country.

Things to buy in Egypt
1. Spices
You’ll often see spices piled high in bazaars. In addition to making a great photo for Instagram, they’re often a good buy as long as you keep a couple of things in mind. Always buy whole spices rather than ground to ensure freshness and skip the ‘saffron’ – it’s actually safflower and tastes like dust.

2. Glassware
Hand-blown Muski glass, recognizable by its air bubbles, comes in brilliant shades of blue and green and purple, and has been made in Egypt since Medieval times. Be careful with this purchase though as it’s extremely fragile.

3. Cartouche
A kind of nameplate written in hieroglyphics. Most gold or silver shops sell these and many can customize them by engraving your name.

Egypt is a fantastic place for photography, with ample sunshine to make those holiday snaps look really good. However there are some restrictions on where you cannot take photos as well as some good advice on photography in general.

Restrictions
Because of the damage that flash photography can cause to some ancient paintwork, photography inside tombs is forbidden. Over the years many people have tried to get around this problem by giving tips/bribes to the guards outside these tombs, especially in the Valley of the Kings, which has now forced the authorities to set up security points at the entrances where all photographic items are to be deposited until the visitor leaves the site. “No Flash Photography” means just that and these signs are there for a reason.

Inside museums is another place that discourages photography, though it is possible to purchase a permit at some of them, or a visit can be arranged, at an additional cost, to accommodate those who want to photograph the exhibits. These restrictions are mainly there to save problems between the photographer and the people who just want to look at the items on display: someone taking photos in the narrow aisles can easily cause a jam of people, which in turn can lead to some ugly scenes. To keep the people moving, it is far easier to stop the main cause of the problems.

Although some sites do allow you to take photographs with no restrictions, you may find certain areas within them which do not. These areas are well signposted with “No Photography” markers. Again, there is a genuine reason for this, so please do as requested.

Do not take any photos of anything military, be it Army, Navy, Air Force or police! If you do, you do face the prospect of having your photographic equipment confiscated. However, sometimes you may be able to get photographs with some of these people, if you ask them first. There are also restrictions at some industrial sites/plants, but these are normally well signed. If in doubt, ask someone official.

Underwater photography is allowed, but remember to ask about any restrictions that may apply in certain areas (Ras Mohammed for example).

Advice
If you wish a photo taken of yourself, in some particular location, try and get a fellow visitor, or even a guide, to do this for you. Many of the people that work on the sites, whether officially or not, will expect you to give them a tip for taking your picture, and the tip will never be big enough for them!

Some sites do allow you to use tripods, some are even free of charge, but remember that other visitors are looking around and so it may take you a long period of time to get the photograph you require.

Usually you will find that the earlier you visit the sites, the quieter they tend to be. Alternatively, just before closing time also tends to be a quieter time. Try and time your visit(s) to those periods when there will be less people.

Make sure you have ample batteries and/or memory cards before visiting the sites. Very few sites have shops/stalls that sell these items and those that do tend to be more expensive than shops in the city centers.

Ask before taking photos of locals as some people may object to their picture being taken without permission. A simple question is far better than a huge argument!

Travelling to Egypt and deciding when is really a matter of activities. If you are into swimming and snorkelling in the ocean, clubbing with sand between your feet and getting a real nice tan, then there is no reason not to head to Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada during the very hot months of summer where 38 – 45 degrees celcius are not uncommon.

If you are more into sightseeing and cultural stuff, then the best time to go is between October and April. Christmas and Easter are considered the very high season. No matter what the weather, the nights during winter can get cold so always wear layers. During the hottest months of summer, the nights are warm and balmy, but it can be really windy on the coasts. The sun is extremely strong all year round so take a hat and have plenty of SPF or you will peel.

Also remember that places in the south like Aswan and Luxor are hot during the summer. Egypt is close to deserts so there is always sand in the air so forget about wearing contact lenses. Make sure you take your sun glasses.

Be careful on hot days especially in summer. If you want to see sites during hot days, either go early in the morning or late in the day. Do enjoy a stroll along the Nile in the evening as there will be a cool breeze and lots of people watching going on or try a felucca ride.

Either season, the winds can be strong and during the early months of spring, there is a risk of severe sandstorms in Egypt, the khamsin. When the khamsin is blowing, you can do nothing but stay inside and wait until it has passed. Sightseeing is not possible during a sandstorm. Windy summernights are nice, but be careful during the day, as the wind sometimes fool you so that you do not feel the heat and the rays from the sun and you will burn easily.

Cairo Weather and When to Go
To Speak about weather, it is important to realize that in Egypt weather is different from one place to another/

The high season for tourism in Egypt is all year with winter and spring being peak season for cultural travels with lots of sightseeing. Weather in Egypt is perfect for many kinds of tourism, and if coming in June, July and August , head for the seaside resorts. Those months are hot with temperatures that can reach around 45 degrees C. and the humidity is about 70 to 80%, but it is bearable with the sea and large swimming pools nearby.

So the period of high summer season is also crowded as hotels fill up with tourists from all over the world looking for a bargain, lots of sunshine, diving, snorkelling etc. It is also a primary vacation time in Europe. If you come in the deep summer season you can still enjoy it because you can always sightsee early in the morning and go again at night when the sun sets. You will definitely need good sunscreen and lot of liquids to drink with a nice hat on your head.

It is not true at all that Egypt has only 2 seasons with 9 months of summer and the remainder winter. There are 4 distinguishable seasons.

The best times to visit Egypt are from September till March, during which time the weather is good; and from September till mid-November, when it is very nice and the temperatures are pleasant for all activities – around 25 C to 15 C. Mid-Nov till the end of February is winter time when temperatures during day are around 12 or 15 degree C, and at night can drop to about 7 or 8 C.

From March until the end of April, there is usually some sand blown about by high winds. However on some days–perhaps only two or three during this two-month period, the weather can be so dusty that you may be not able to go outside. But the majority of days there is just a small amount of dust in the air because of wind that blows through the desert from the west.

Egypt is perfect all year for snorkelling, diving, and so on, in the Red Sea area in Hurgada and Sharm el Sheikh. In winter time it gets both windy and chilly there, which makes it perfect for windsurfing and kiting.

So in speaking about when to visit, it’s all up to you. If cost doesn’t matter, then winter is when you will want to go, especially Christmas and New Year or the period of Easter from mid-March till end of April. That is when the best weather will occur, even though it gets chilly in December and January but it’s still suitable for many aspects of tourism during that time.

From mid-March till end of April, is the Easter season for Orthodox and Catholic Easter celebrations – the weather is so nice, but rates increase as it is a high demand period.

May till September is the summer season. May and September weather is not so hot as indicated above, while June, July and August are so hot, but rates are really cheap for flights and also for accommodations.

It is advised that you try the safari trips in the western desert, where treasures of beauty might be found that nobody knows about and no one thought to explore. Desert safaris are perfect all year long, except it gets cold through winter, meaning from end of November till end of February.

Wishing all a nice trip!

The best activity is by far boarding a Nile Cruise between Luxor and Aswan or Vice Versa. Witness the beauty of Egypt from a hot balloon or a plane and try all the delicious Egyptian cuisines and drinks plus shopping in old Cairo. Explore the allure and wonders of the red sea in the magical city resorts of Egypt like Hurghada and many more by diving and snorkeling in the marine life or Hurghada. Behold the mesmerizing western desert by a safari trip under the heavenly Egyptian skies.

When it comes to River Nile cruises, most people know about the large cruise boats and feluccas, some people know about yachts, but few people know anything about Dahabiyas, which take their name from the Arabic word for gold: Dahab (the earliest form of this boat was golden coloured). This is rather ironic as the Dahabiya was the mode of transport, on the Nile, long before the modern day diesels, or the steamers made famous by Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile”.

The Dahabiya is a (usually) two-masted sailing boat that relies on wind power: it has no engines except for a generator that makes electricity. This gives it something that is in very short supply nowadays: silence! Sailing on a Dahabiya allows the sound of the river splashing against the boat on of the only sounds you will hear, along with the singing of the birds (and the diesels in the distance). You can relax and imagine yourself as one of the aristocrats or elite travellers during the days of the monarchy, or even a member of the monarchy, as this is how they used to negotiate the river. Elegance and style, that is what they were built for; four to ten cabins, fully equipped bathrooms, elaborate furnishings, and servants to do everything. Nowadays it is very similar, though more modern and with the necessities of today, with electricity, Wi-Fi, showers, etc.

The history of the Dahabiya goes back to the Pharaonic times: there are inscriptions of very similar boats in the tombs of ancient Egyptian Kings and Nobles. Famous Egyptian leaders, such as King Farouk and President Sadat, had their own Dahabiyas and the English novelist, journalist, traveller and Egyptologist, Emilia Edwards, even had a piano installed on hers. Aristocrats loved them, especially as the journey could take up to two or three months to complete, stopping at all the sights between Cairo and Abu Simbel (no Aswan High Dam in those days), with the whole trip being one of pure decadence and style.

Sadly, the end of the monarchy also signalled the end of the Dahabiya! Steam power was the rage, soon to be overtaken by gasoline and/or diesel engines. However, the Dahabiya was not forgotten, and very soon, amongst all the large cruise boats sailing up and down the River Nile, the two masts of the Dahabiya slowly started to re-emerge. Visitors were starting to realize that the peace and tranquility that they sought could be found. As well as that, the shallower draft meant that these boats could sail closer to the many islands dotted along the river, giving access to places like Gebel El Silsila; out of bounds for the heavier cruise boats. This also allows for experiences like dinner in front of the “Speos of Horemheb”: an illuminated meal that you will never forget, and all thanks to the Dahabiya’s shallower draft and smaller passenger capacity.

The other huge advantage with being able to snuggle up to these smaller islands is that the River Nile now becomes your swimming pool. You can dive and swim to your heart’s content, or sit back and watch the frolicking of others from the sands of the island.

During its journey the Dahabiya will stop to collect supplies of food, either from riverside markets, or directly from local farmers and gardeners: everything is fresh and cooked as required. Throughout the day mineral water and tea are available, as well as cups of strong Turkish coffee, karkade (hibiscus), or fresh fruit juice. You can even savour some local beer and wine.

Dress not just for the heat, but for the culture. This is a conservative, Muslim culture and should be respected accordingly. Women should refrain from wearing short shorts, see-through clothing or swimwear when on shore excursions. In mosques, for example, women and men should wear clothing that covers both their legs and upper arms.

Don’t forget bug spray, tissues, a small flashlight, a hand fan, binoculars, hand cleanser, sun screen, a hat and anti-diarrhea medicine. Take sensible walking shoes; the surfaces at the monuments can be hilly and sandy, and a lot involve steps or uneven stone flooring that date back centuries.

If you are wheelchair bound, please do not feel that, in any way, restricts your “trip of a lifetime” to Egypt. We at Luxor and Aswan Travel have researched hotels and tourist sites to find those that offer the best access for disabled people. This also applies to Nile cruises, as our three Dahabiyas are all wheelchair friendly and the crews are more than willing to help you, yet, even in the 21st century, there are still Nile cruise boats that do not truly cater for disabled people, wheelchair bound or not, something that we ensure that we do accommodate.

Sadly, however, some of the sites are inaccessible for wheelchairs: narrow passageways tending to be the biggest problem, followed by soft sand that wheelchairs just sink into, but we do endeavor to get you as close to these sites as is physically possible so that you do not miss out on anything.

Though not all vehicles, in Egypt, are primarily suited for wheelchairs, we do have access to some specially adapted vehicles which provide safety and security for them. Not all of these have ramps for access, especially as many places in Egypt do not have the space for a ramp to be safely employed, but all of our staff are on hand to physically lift the wheelchair, and user, in and out of the vehicle when required.

A List of Services We Do and Can Provide:

Booking accommodation at disabled friendly hotels, throughout Egypt
Booking disabled friendly cruise boats (all of our Dahabiyas are disabled friendly)
Advance booking of sites that require special arrangements for disabled visitors
Supply of an assistant who will push the wheelchair, carry and/or support the standing guest (if applicable) and other generally needed help, allowing the wheelchair users family and/or friends time to relax (this does carry a surcharge, prices upon request)