Egypt
can be intolerably hot in the summer, and peak season can be crowded
and expensive, so picking the right time to go is crucial. The high
season lasts from November to February, when airlines and hotels raise
their prices by as much as 30%. Many visitors come during Christmas
and New Year's, because that's when the hotter regions like Upper Egypt
and southern Sinai are comfortably warm. If you don't want to visit
at the top of the expensive season, consider the fall -- from late September
to late October -- when the heat has started to subside and the tourist
frenzy hasn't begun yet.
In terms of holidays, the only time you should avoid is the month of Ramadan, when Muslims
fast from sunrise until sunset and most of the Arab world comes to a halt. Shops and offices
close early during Ramadan, and good luck if you're trying to get official business taken
care of. Eating, drinking or smoking in public are permitted but considered rude, and most
restaurants and cafes close during the day. At night, after the fast is broken and
sumptuous meals have been digested, the whole city comes alive again: people visit each
other, shop, or party, and celebrations often last until dawn.
