Egypt
Cairo in May
☀️ Warm dry seasonHot and mostly dry.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · sunglasses & hat
Why May scores 8.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort9.3
- ✓Hot (32°C highs / 19°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 8.4°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~0 mm rain)
- Air quality7.4
- ✓Moderate (PM2.5 ~22 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| May | Nov | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.8 Excellent | 9.2 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Warm dry season | ☀️ Warm dry season |
| High / low | 32° / 19° | 25° / 16° |
| Rain | 0 mm | 4 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 8° | dew pt 11° |
| PM2.5 | 22 µg/m³ | 23 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Cairo weather-station normals. Rainfall: Cairo weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Holiday weekA long local holiday falls this month. Expect crowds at sights, fuller trains and flights, and higher hotel prices on those dates. Book ahead.
- Sinai Liberation Day 29 Apr – 1 May · 3 days off in a row
- Eid al-Adha 14–18 May · 5 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Spring Festival (3 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore CairoEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyEgypt's vast capital on the Nile, the base for visiting the Pyramids of Giza and home to major museums and the historic mosques of Islamic Cairo.
Sham el-NessimDate variesThe Monday after Orthodox Easter
An ancient spring festival when families picnic outdoors and eat salted fish.
Why go: Parks and riverside areas get very crowded.
Where: Parks and Nile banks
Coming up later
Cairo International Film FestivalDate variesUsually November or early December
A long-running international film festival.
Why go: Many screenings are open to the public.
Where: Cairo Opera House
Cairo International Book FairDate variesUsually late January to early February
One of the largest book fairs in the Arab world.
Why go: Very crowded on weekends.
Where: Egypt International Exhibition Center
RamadanDate variesIslamic calendar — moves about 11 days earlier each year
The month of fasting, with lively evenings, lanterns and iftar meals.
Why go: Daytime opening hours are shorter; evenings are busy and festive.
Where: Citywide
Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
The last surviving wonder of the ancient world, on the city's western edge.
💡 Arrive at opening time to avoid the midday heat and crowds.
Grand Egyptian Museum
A huge new museum near the pyramids holding the Tutankhamun collection and thousands of other artefacts.
Egyptian Museum (Tahrir)
The historic museum in central Cairo with a vast collection of antiquities.
Islamic Cairo and Al-Muizz Street
A historic district of mosques, madrasas and gates from the medieval city.
Khan el-Khalili
A centuries-old bazaar of lanes selling lamps, spices, perfume and souvenirs.
Saqqara
A necropolis south of Cairo with the Step Pyramid of Djoser.
Koshari
Rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas topped with tomato sauce and fried onions, Egypt's national street food.
Ful medames
Slow-cooked fava beans, a breakfast staple.
Ta'meya
Egyptian falafel made from fava beans.
Molokhia
A green soup of jute leaves, often served with rice or bread.
Feteer meshaltet
A flaky layered pastry eaten sweet or savoury.
Brass and glass lanterns
Handmade lamps with cut-out patterns.
💡 Khan el-Khalili
Spices
Spice blends such as dukkah and hibiscus for karkade tea.
💡 Spice shops around Khan el-Khalili
Egyptian cotton
Textiles and linens made from Egyptian cotton.
💡 Department stores and specialist shops
Papyrus
Painted papyrus sheets; real papyrus does not crumble when rolled.
💡 Papyrus institutes and souvenir shops