Season guide · Cairo · Egypt
Cairo in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Mild, sunny days around 20°C and cool nights; the busiest and most expensive season, especially at Christmas and New Year. Expect highs up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 3 rainy days across December–February. December–February are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 9°C (48°F) to 21°C (70°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 3
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°C (66°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 1 | 10.4 h | 4/5 |
| February | 21°C (70°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 1 | 11.1 h | 4/5 |
| December | 21°C (70°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 1 | 10.2 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 20°C (68°F) against a yearly 28°C (82°F), and 3 of the year's roughly 5 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Coptic Christmas (7 January)
- January: Cairo International Book Fair (usually late January to early February)
- February: Cairo International Book Fair continues (usually into early February)
- December: New Year's Eve parties at Nile-side hotels (31 December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Giza
Grand Egyptian Museum
Opened in full in 2025 about 2 km from the pyramids, the GEM is described as the largest museum in the world devoted to a single civilisation.
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Downtown
Egyptian Museum (Tahrir)
A guide helps make sense of the dense galleries, which are full of pieces you won't see elsewhere.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Fustat
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
Beside the Ain el-Sira lake in Fustat, NMEC tells Egypt's story from prehistory to the present, and its dimly lit Royal Mummies Hall holds the mummies of rulers such as Ramesses II and Hatshepsut, moved here in a televised parade in 2021.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Old Cairo
Coptic Cairo
Take Metro Line 1 to Mar Girgis station, which stops right outside, and dress modestly for the churches.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Art
Palace · Roda Island
Manial Palace
Built in the early 20th century for Prince Mohamed Ali Tewfik on Roda Island, the Manial Palace mixes Ottoman, Moorish, Persian and Art Nouveau styles, with tiled reception halls, a small mosque and a garden of rare trees.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Saqqara (About 1 hour by car) — The vast necropolis of ancient Memphis holds the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built about 4,700 years ago and the oldest large stone building in Egypt, along with richly decorated Old Kingdom tombs and the huge granite sarcophagi of the Serapeum.
- Dahshur (About 1–1.5 hours by car) — Two of Egypt's earliest true pyramids stand in the desert at Dahshur: the Bent Pyramid, whose angle changes partway up, and the Red Pyramid, which visitors can enter by a long sloping passage.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Cairo?
Yes: December–February are among the best months. Mild, sunny days around 20°C and cool nights; the busiest and most expensive season, especially at Christmas and New Year.
+What is the weather like in Cairo in winter?
Highs of up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 3 rainy days over the season.