Booking choice: The half-day West Bank tour, from $11 per person. Check dates Tour details
The Temple of Hatshepsut faces east into a bay of bare limestone. There is almost no shade between the shuttle stop and the upper terrace. That one fact decides most of this guide.
Below: the best months, the best hour, what to wear and bring, and how holidays change the crowds.
The quick answer
October to April is the season: highs of 23 to 30 °C from November to March. From May to September highs reach 39 to 41 °C, so go at 6:00 or not at all. Any month, arrive at opening: most tours hit the Valley of the Kings first and reach the temple mid-morning. Bring a hat, sunglasses, 2 litres of water each, a scarf for shoulders and shoes you can climb in.
What is the best month to visit the Temple of Hatshepsut?
November to February for comfortable heat; October, March and April are good shoulder months. May to September is very hot.
Average daily highs in Luxor, from the Luxor climate table:
| Months | Average high | Average low | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| December to February | 23 to 25 °C | 7 to 9 °C | Ideal, cold at dawn |
| March, November | 29 to 30 °C | 13 °C | Very good |
| April, October | 35 to 36 °C | 18 to 20 °C | Fine before 10:00 |
| May, September | 39 °C | 22 to 23 °C | Early start only |
| June to August | 41 °C | 25 to 26 °C | 6:00 or skip |
Winter is also peak season, with the most visitors and the most balloons in the sky. The 2026-27 winter season post covers what changes this year.
Beat the heat with a private car and a 6:00 start: three royal tombs, the temple and the Colossi.
Check dates for the half-day West Bank tourWhat time of day is best at Hatshepsut's temple?
Opening time, 6:00. You get cool air, soft light on the east-facing colonnades and an empty ramp.
Most tours do the Valley of the Kings first and reach the temple around 9:00 to 11:00, the hottest and busiest slot. Turn the order round: temple first, tombs after. Underground, the tombs stay cooler than the open terraces.
Guests who started early say it worked. One on the full-day tour: "We really appreciated the 6:00 AM start, which allowed us to stay ahead of the crowds and take some great photos." Late afternoon is the second-best slot. The tour groups have gone, but in summer the stone is still hot, and in practice the gates wind down from about 16:00.
How hot does it get at the Temple of Hatshepsut?
Above 40 °C on summer afternoons, and the pale stone makes it feel hotter. Even in winter, midday sun on the terraces is strong.
Guests on summer trips report 42 °C in Luxor. One Hurghada guest put it simply: "If you had 32° in Hurghada, count 40° on the sites visited in Luxor." A guest on the both-banks tour said their guide offered to start before 10:00, because "it would be quite hot already if we started at 10AM."
Signs to stop: headache, dizziness, no more sweat. Sit in the shade of a colonnade, drink, and tell your guide. Nobody will think less of you for skipping the upper terrace.
What should you wear to the Temple of Hatshepsut?
Loose, light clothes that cover shoulders and knees, a wide hat, sunglasses and shoes with grip. Sandals with a back strap are fine; flip-flops are not.
- Cover up: long, loose cotton or linen protects you from sun better than sunscreen alone, and it is respectful in rural Upper Egypt.
- A scarf: shade for the neck, a cover for shoulders, a dust mask in the Valley of the Kings.
- Shoes: the ramps are gentle, but the tombs have steep steps and wooden walkways. Closed trainers or sturdy sandals.
- Winter mornings: a fleece. At 6:00 in January it can be 7 °C.
What should you bring to Hatshepsut's temple?
Water (2 litres or more each), sunscreen, a bank card for the tickets and small Egyptian pound notes for everything else.
- Water: one guest's rule is "a minimum of 2.5 litres of water per person" in the hot months. Private tours usually have bottles in the car; refill at every stop.
- Card and cash: ticket windows take cards only. Cash covers the shuttle, toilets, tips and the drink kiosk.
- Phone: photos are free. Leave the drone at home: Egypt does not allow them without a permit.
- Snack: there is little food on the West Bank sites. Eat breakfast before a 6:00 start.
Ticket prices and payment rules are in the tickets guide.
A private car with cold water on board, an Egyptologist and a start as early as you like.
Explore the half-day West Bank tour Tour detailsWhen is the Temple of Hatshepsut least crowded?
At 6:00, at midday in summer, and after about 14:30. Mid-morning in winter is the worst slot.
Two waves hit the West Bank. Luxor tours and cruise ship groups come first, usually Valley of the Kings then Hatshepsut. Then the Red Sea coaches arrive from Hurghada and Marsa Alam in mid to late morning. A guest on the half day saw the Valley of the Kings "already quite busy with a lot of coaches already parked up". Be in the temple before that, or after lunch when they head to Karnak.
The busiest weeks are Christmas and New Year, and Egyptian school holidays when local families visit.
Is the temple open during Ramadan and holidays?
Yes. Sites keep their opening hours, though the pace slows and some drivers and guides are fasting. Ramadan 2027 is expected from about 9 February to 10 March.
Dates depend on the moon sighting (Ramadan 2027 dates). For visitors the changes are small: eat and drink discreetly in public, and expect quiet streets in the hour around sunset when families break the fast. The three days of Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan bring crowds of Egyptian visitors to every site.
One date worth planning for: the winter solstice. Around 21 December the rising sun lines up with the temple's axis and lights the inner sanctuary at about 6:35 (Egypt Independent).
Make the most of a winter dawn: fly over the temple, then walk through it the same morning.
Check dates for the balloon and West Bank dayFrequently asked questions
Can you visit the Temple of Hatshepsut in summer?
Yes, but go at 6:00 and be done by 9:00. Highs reach 41 °C from June to August.
Is there shade at Hatshepsut's temple?
Very little: some under the colonnades and none on the forecourt or the ramps. Take the shuttle on hot days.
Is there a dress code at the Temple of Hatshepsut?
No formal one. Covering shoulders and knees is respectful and keeps the sun off.
How long do you need at the Temple of Hatshepsut?
About an hour for the three terraces. Add 15 minutes if you walk from the ticket office instead of taking the shuttle.
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Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Half-Day Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut Tour
- Private English-speaking Egyptologist
- Air-conditioned car with hotel pickup in Luxor
- Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, Colossi of Memnon
Valley of the Kings, Queens & Hatshepsut Day Tour
- Private Egyptologist guide and air-conditioned car
- Pickup anywhere in Luxor (airport $10 extra)
- Entry to the Valley of the Kings (3 tombs), Hatshepsut, Habu, Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Queens
Hot Air Balloon, Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut
See the temple from the air at dawn, then on foot
