Egypt
Luxor in May
🔥 Hot seasonVery hot and mostly dry. Watch for hazy air and extreme heat risk.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · N95 mask for hazy days · sunglasses & hat
Why May scores 6.7What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.3
- !Very hot (39°C highs / 22°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 1.2°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~1 mm rain)
- Air quality5.6
- !Elevated (PM2.5 ~35 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards8.5
- !Extreme heat: Average daily high 39°C
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.7 Good | 8.7 Excellent |
| Season | 🔥 Hot season | 🌤️ Cool season |
| High / low | 39° / 22° | 23° / 7° |
| Rain | 1 mm | 3 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 1° | dew pt 0° |
| PM2.5 | 35 µg/m³ | 29 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Luxor weather-station normals. Rainfall: Luxor 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 LuxorEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA city on the Nile in Upper Egypt, built over ancient Thebes, visited for its huge temples and the royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Moulid of Abu el-HaggagDate variesIslamic calendar, in the month of Sha'ban; moves about 11 days earlier each year
A festival honouring Luxor's patron saint with processions, music and stalls.
Why go: Streets around Luxor Temple get very crowded in the evenings.
Where: Around Abu el-Haggag Mosque, beside Luxor Temple
RamadanDate variesIslamic calendar, moves about 11 days earlier each year
The month of fasting, with lively evenings after sunset.
Why go: Sites stay open, but some local restaurants close during the day.
Where: Citywide
Karnak Temple
A vast temple complex dedicated mainly to Amun, including the Great Hypostyle Hall.
💡 Go at opening time to avoid the heat and tour groups.
Luxor Temple
A temple in the city centre, especially atmospheric when lit after dark.
Valley of the Kings
Royal tombs cut into the hills on the West Bank, including Tutankhamun's.
💡 The standard ticket covers a set number of tombs; some tombs need a separate ticket.
Temple of Hatshepsut
A terraced mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari below sheer cliffs.
💡 There is little shade; bring water and sun protection.
Colossi of Memnon
Two giant seated statues of Amenhotep III on the West Bank.
Hot-air balloon flights
Sunrise balloon flights over the West Bank temples and fields.
💡 Flights can be cancelled in high winds.
Koshari
A filling mix of rice, lentils, pasta and spiced tomato sauce.
💡 Koshari shops in town
Ful medames
Slow-cooked fava beans, Egypt's everyday breakfast.
💡 Breakfast stalls and local eateries
Ta'ameya
Egyptian falafel made from fava beans.
💡 Street stalls
Molokhia
A green leaf soup often served with rice and chicken or rabbit.
💡 Local Egyptian restaurants
Karkadeh
Hibiscus tea, served hot or cold.
💡 Cafes and juice shops
Alabaster and stone carvings
Vases and figures carved from local stone.
💡 Workshops on the West Bank
Spices and dried hibiscus
Spice mixes and karkadeh flowers.
💡 Luxor souq
Cotton scarves and galabiyas
Cotton clothing and traditional robes.
💡 Luxor souq