Solar Eclipse in Egypt on August 2nd 2027

On August 2nd 2027, Egypt is going to be the best place to witness one of the longest total solar eclipses in our (earth’s) history! Luxor and Marsa Alam areas are on the line that will be among the best places in the world to appreciate this extremely rare event.

On that Monday, the path of totality will skirt across Spain’s southern tip and over North Africa, meaning you can chase the shadow surrounded by pharaohs and sarcophagi. Luxor is at the peak of 2027 eclipse-watching locations thanks to over 6 minutes of totality and a high likelihood of clear skies. Given the early afternoon timing, finding a vantage point won’t be hard.

Visitors will likely flock to the ancient columns and sphinxes of the Karnak Temple and the clifftops overlooking the Valley of the Kings. These are undoubtedly amazing spots to catch the show, but securing your spot on a Nile cruise might just be the most epic option. Try to avoid eclipse-specific trips organized by major companies and instead hop on a local felucca—plus, you’ll appreciate the breeze in that August heat.

Specially curated ‘Solar Eclipse Packages’ are available with Simply Egypt from £1299pp. We also have brand new day trips to Luxor that you can add to your Red Sea holiday for 2nd August from just £199pp. Contact our ‘Egypt Specialists’ to book this trip of a century!

Being billed as ‘The Eclipse of the Century’ Egypt is the best place to witness this special solar event. The maximum duration of totality will be observed in Egypt, approximately 37 miles (60km) southeast of Luxor and will last 6 minutes and 22 seconds! This is where the ‘greatest eclipse’ will be occurring.

Starting at approximately 1140hrs local time and peaking just after 1pm, over 2 hours of magic will be visible over the Egyptian skies.

A Nile cruise would be perfect, although, maybe just relaxing in a hotel in Luxor or even on a beach on the Red Sea would be just as good. Marsa Alam on the southern Red Sea Riviera will experience totality for about 5 minutes. Further north on the coast, Hurghada will provide a 98% eclipse. Sharm, Cairo (both 95%) and other places in Egypt will be excellent vantage points too. The chances of a clear sky in Egypt in August are also very high, so no one should be disappointed with visibility. Just ask those that crammed in to Cornwall in 1999 when we had a solar eclipse in the UK, only for it to be mainly cloudy!

Where Can I Watch The Solar Eclipse From?

Remember, you need to have ISO-certified glasses to watch the eclipse through at all times.

To experience the best of the solar eclipse, we suggest being in Luxor, the Marsa Alam area on the Red Sea or on any point of a Nile cruise for the event. This is as the greatest eclipse totality will be experienced between El Quseir on the Red Sea and Aswan at the end of the Nile cruises, where the Nile becomes Lake Nasser after the Aswan High Dam. So wherever you are on a Nile cruise will be excellent. At the extremities of El Quseir and Aswan totality will be about 5 minutes, the peak in the middle (37 miles south east of Luxor, in the desert) will be 6 minutes and 22 seconds.

Totality will commence over the eastern Atlantic Ocean and travel across the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco, then continue across parts of North Africa and the Middle East. Also, It will be visible in Central Asia to Indian Ocean Islands.

Major cities and locations under the path of totality will include:
Cadiz and Málaga, in southern Spain
Gibraltar
Tangier, Morocco
Oran, Algeria
Sfax, Tunisia
Benghazi, Libya
Luxor in central Egypt
Jeddah and Mecca in southwest Saudi Arabia
Sana’a in western Yemen
The tip of the Horn of Africa in extreme northeast Somalia
Islands in the British Indian Ocean Territory

So, mark the date and check-in with our ‘Egypt Specialists’ who can create your perfect solar eclipse itinerary to Egypt.