Cairo · Egypt
March
Warming fast and Khamsin sandstorms can arrive — a month of variable conditions.
Strong option
#6 of 12 months
There are better months for Cairo — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
25.1°C
Low
13.4°C
Rain
3mm
Sun
8.9hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How March scores in Cairo
Weather
Very good
Value
Good
Crowds
Above average
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in March
- ↑Temperature is ideal in early-to-mid March before the heat accelerates — 22–25°C makes long site visits comfortable. The Giza Plateau, Dahshur, and the medieval mosques of Islamic Cairo are all workable with appropriate clothing. Ramadan scheduling varies by year; if Ramadan falls in March, the city takes on a unique nocturnal atmosphere that is remarkable to witness.
- ↑Spring in Cairo means longer daylight hours (sunset around 6pm by late March) and more time for the light-intensive photography on the plateau. The east-facing Sphinx is best photographed in the morning light of March and April.
- ↑The drive from Cairo to the Fayoum Oasis (90km southwest, about 2 hours) is at its most manageable in March. Wadi El-Rayan and the Wadi El-Hitan (Valley of the Whales, a UNESCO World Heritage site containing 40-million-year-old whale fossils) are surreal desert destinations best visited in spring before the heat becomes brutal.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Khamsin sandstorms — hot, dust-laden winds from the Sahara — are most likely between late March and mid-May. A Khamsin can reduce Cairo's visibility from kilometres to metres within an hour, cover every surface in fine orange dust, and make outdoor activities genuinely unpleasant for 1–3 days. They arrive with some forecast warning but are unpredictable in their intensity.
- ↓Tourism peaks for European spring holidays in late March, driving hotel rates to their annual high. Well-located Nile-view properties and boutique hotels in Garden City can be fully booked 6–8 weeks in advance.
How March compares to November (best month)
| Factor | March | November ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 7 | 10 |
| Value | 6 | 5 |
| Crowds | 5 | 5 |
March in other destinations
Lisbon (16.6°C)Barcelona (15.8°C)Tokyo (13.8°C)Bali (30.8°C)Santorini (14.6°C)Paris (11.5°C)New York (9.7°C)Marrakech (22.3°C)Amsterdam (9.2°C)Maldives (30.8°C)Rome (15°C)Bangkok (34.3°C)Istanbul (11.6°C)Vienna (10.3°C)Seoul (9.6°C)Dubrovnik (13.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.7°C)Kyoto (14.3°C)Phuket (33°C)Cape Town (25.4°C)Prague (10°C)Amalfi Coast (15°C)Mexico City (26°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (12°C)Sydney (25°C)Iceland (4°C)Tulum (30°C)Dubai (29°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (28°C)Chiang Mai (34.5°C)Miami (26.7°C)Florence (14.8°C)Queenstown (19.5°C)Madrid (15°C)Porto (17°C)Edinburgh (9°C)Copenhagen (7°C)Budapest (11°C)Kraków (9°C)Tbilisi (13°C)Palawan (31°C)Hanoi (22°C)Osaka (14°C)Goa (34°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (27°C)Mykonos (15°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (32°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (30°C)Krabi (34°C)Athens (16°C)Seville (21°C)Cartagena (32°C)Siem Reap (33°C)Havana (28°C)Split (14°C)Taipei (22°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (17°C)Ho Chi Minh City (35°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (11°C)Dominican Republic (29°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (24°C)Jordan (17°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (21.5°C)Kenya (28.5°C)Jaipur (30.8°C)Las Vegas (22.5°C)San Francisco (15.1°C)Madeira (20.5°C)Vancouver (10.5°C)Muscat (31.5°C)Lima (26.4°C)Cinque Terre (14°C)Kotor (14°C)Tel Aviv (21°C)Santiago (27°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (10.1°C)Penang (33.1°C)Lombok (31.4°C)Cape Verde (26.5°C)Fez (19.5°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (21°C)Oslo (5°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 →