Cairo · Egypt
December
Near-perfect winter conditions and the winter festival atmosphere of Egypt's Christian communities.
Best match
#3 of 12 months
December is one of the best times to visit Cairo.
Climate
High
20.8°C
Low
10.6°C
Rain
5mm
Sun
7.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Cairo
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Good
Crowds
Good
Events
Very good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in December
- ↑December conditions mirror November but slightly cooler — 20–21°C highs and 10°C evenings make every sightseeing window comfortable. The low winter sun creates the same beautiful golden light on the Pyramids at 3–5pm. December is arguably the optimal month for photography: lower humidity than November, longer lingering light, and fewer tour groups mid-month after European school terms resume.
- ↑Egypt's Coptic Christian community (around 10–15% of the population, concentrated in Cairo, Minya, and Asyut) celebrates Christmas on January 7th, but the festive build-up through December — particularly around the ancient Coptic Cairo district of Old Cairo (Mari Girgis) — is visible and welcoming to visitors.
- ↑New Year's Eve on the Nile is a major social event. The Zamalek island restaurants and the Nile Corniche promenade fill with Egyptian families and visitors celebrating in a distinctly Egyptian way — family-centred, music-heavy, and lasting past midnight. The fireworks over the Nile bridge at midnight are visible from most Nile-view hotel windows.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Christmas week and New Year's Eve drive hotel price spikes across the city. The week between Christmas and New Year is one of the busiest for European visitors in particular — Nile-view hotels at this time can require 8–10 weeks advance booking and command premium rates.
- ↓December nights at 10–11°C require a mid-layer and a light jacket — not extreme, but Egyptian buildings are typically uninsulated and evenings on outdoor terraces can be genuinely cold without appropriate clothing.
How December compares to November (best month)
| Factor | December | November ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 9 | 10 |
| Value | 6 | 5 |
| Crowds | 6 | 5 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Ho Chi Minh City (31°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.4°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)Las Vegas (14.7°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (6.8°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (26.8°C)Fez (15.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Cairo, not across destinations. Methodology →