Total Solar Eclipse in Egypt 2027: Where to Stay and How to See It

The sun will go dark over southern Egypt on 2 August 2027. It is the only total solar eclipse visible in Egypt this decade, and the path of totality runs straight through the tourist belt of Luxor and the Red Sea coast at Marsa Alam.

Reports from late 2026 said that around 90% of the accommodation on sale in Luxor for the night of 1 August 2027 was already reserved, with some rooms changing hands at prices more than twenty times a normal August night. That is the context for this guide: if you want to be inside the path of totality on 2 August 2027, the planning window is already open and the cheapest realistic option is not Luxor.

What is happening on 2 August 2027

Egypt sits near the centre of the path of totality for this eclipse. The result is an unusually long total phase for the region. Here is what each Red Sea and Nile destination will actually see, in local time:

• Luxor — 6m 23s of totality. The longest total phase over land in the region since 2009. Greatest eclipse at roughly 13:05 local time, with the sun about 82 degrees above the horizon and almost no cloud in August.
• Marsa Alam — 5m 27s of totality, at roughly 13:10 local time. The longest totality of any Red Sea resort town, and the closest total-phase city to the Hurghada area.
• El Quseir — 2m 19s of totality. Short, but genuine totality.
• Hurghada — 98.51% partial, maximum around 13:05 local time with the sun about 80 degrees up. Hurghada is roughly 66 km north of the path of totality. The corona will not be visible, there will be no diamond ring, and you will need eclipse glasses for the whole event.
• Safaga — still about 25 km outside the path, so partial only. This one surprises people: Safaga is often assumed to be “close enough”, and it is not.
• Sharm El Sheikh — about 95.5% partial, and no part of Sinai sees totality.

We publish the partial figure for Hurghada because it is the honest number, and because a site that quietly rounds up a 98.51% partial to “total” is a site you should not trust with the rest of your trip. If you are based in Hurghada, the good news is that the base camp strategy below works, and it costs a fraction of a Luxor night.

Where to stay for the solar eclipse in Egypt 2027: four real options

Option 1: Hurghada as a base camp (best value)

This is the practical choice for most people. You get a comfortable, well-priced apartment on the Red Sea, you drive or take a transfer to the edge of the path, and you avoid the Luxor price shock entirely. A 98.51% partial is genuinely spectacular in its own right: the light changes colour, the temperature drops, and the shadows go strange. It is not a corona, but it is not nothing either.

You have two ways to handle the travel itself. You can drive south, and be aware that Safaga is 25 km short of the path while Marsa Alam and El Quseir are inside it, so your driving time depends entirely on which of those you are aiming for. Or you can use a transfer service, which is simpler if you would rather not navigate in the dark on the morning of the eclipse.

For a comfortable base, you can check the holiday apartments and hotels currently available in Hurghada
Hurghada, Egypt — 1 to 3 August 2027, or browse our furnished apartments in Hurghada if you want the flexibility of a self-catering unit with a kitchen and a washing machine for a longer stay.

Option 2: Marsa Alam for the full 5m 27s

If you want the real thing, Marsa Alam is the answer. 5m 27s of totality is two and a half times longer than what you would get in Hurghada, and it is the only Red Sea resort town inside the path.

The trade-off is availability and price. Marsa Alam is a smaller market than Hurghada and much of its inventory is already committed for the eclipse season. The earlier you look, the more choice you have.

See hotels in Marsa Alam for 1 to 3 August 2027
Marsa Alam, Egypt — 1 to 3 August 2027

Option 3: Luxor for the 6m 23s

Luxor is the headline destination and it deserves one, but manage your expectations about price. Al Jazeera reported in October 2026 that most Luxor rooms for that single night were already taken, with some nightly rates reported in the region of 120,000 EGP and package deals starting far higher. If your budget is fixed and you are not locked into a specific project, Luxor for the eclipse night is now the expensive option rather than the obvious one.

Check what is still available in Luxor for 1 to 3 August 2027
Luxor, Egypt — 1 to 3 August 2027 · Alternatively, look at Aswan on the Nile for a quieter Nile-side base
Aswan, Egypt — 1 to 5 August 2027

Option 4: El Quseir for 2m 19s

El Quseir is the quietest of the three total-phase Red Sea towns. 2m 19s is short, but it is a real total eclipse, and the town is smaller and generally cheaper than Marsa Alam. It is worth a look if you want the corona without the Luxor price tag and without the Marsa Alam crowds.

See hotels in El Quseir for 1 to 3 August 2027
El Quseir, Egypt — 1 to 3 August 2027

What the night of 1 August actually feels like

The eclipse happens in the middle of the day, around 13:05 local time, so the night before is the practical part of the trip. Expect this pattern:

• Late afternoon, 1 August: Eclipse glasses and any certified filters should already be in hand. If you are in Hurghada or Marsa Alam, this is the time to pick them up locally rather than risk shipping problems.
• Evening, 1 August: People gather on rooftops, on the beach, and in the desert areas outside town. Restaurants and cafes fill up. Book your table and your transport the week before.
• Mid-morning, 2 August: The light begins to change. In the last 20 minutes before totality the daylight dims noticeably and the temperature drops, which is why the animals go quiet.
• 13:05 local time: Totality at Marsa Alam lasts 5m 27s; at El Quseir 2m 19s. In Hurghada the sun is 98.51% covered but never fully hidden, so the sky darkens without the corona appearing.
• After: The light returns quickly, and the rest of the day is usually ordinary. Many visitors combine the eclipse with Luxor and Aswan, which is why the two are 4 to 5 hours away by road.

The path of totality in Egypt: where the eclipse is total

If you are flying in from Europe, the cheapest route is usually into Hurghada and then overland. Hurghada International Airport is the largest international gateway on the Red Sea coast, and it is about 4 hours by road to Luxor and roughly 4 hours south to Marsa Alam. That makes the base camp strategy genuinely practical rather than a compromise.

Compare flights to Hurghada for the eclipse window
Replace YOUR_CITY with your departure airport.

Flights into Hurghada are the practical entry point for most visitors, and you can also check the best time to book flights to Hurghada to pick cheaper days around the eclipse window. If you are coming from a European hub, the direct options run to Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada from most major capitals.

You will also want a SIM or eSIM for the days around the event, because navigation and transport bookings in a small coastal town can depend on data rather than credit cards. Get an Egypt eSIM before you travel

Getting around once you are here

Three practical options, roughly in order of popularity:

• Self-drive is the most flexible way to reach the path from Hurghada. Compare car rental prices for Hurghada Airport
• Guided desert excursions are organised from Hurghada and will get you to the southern edge of the path, combining transport with the trip. See desert safari and quad options from Hurghada · Browse other tours and excursions on Viator
• Airport transfer is the simplest option if you are staying on a fixed schedule. We have written a detailed guide to Hurghada airport transfers covering the private and shared options.

What to actually bring to the eclipse: ISO 12312-2 glasses and travel advice

• ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses, from a reputable seller. This is the one item that is genuinely non-negotiable if you are watching from Hurghada, because the sun is only partly covered and ordinary sunglasses are not safe for looking at it.
• A hat and light layers. In August the Red Sea coast is hot, but a drop of around 10 to 15 degrees during the partial phase feels noticeable.
• Water and electrolytes. You will be outside in the sun, possibly in a desert area with no shade.
• Offline maps and a power bank. Cellular networks get saturated on eclipse day.
• Your booking confirmations, printed or screenshotted. Transport to the path is the part that runs out first, not accommodation.

The honest summary: where to see the solar eclipse in Egypt in 2027

• Want the corona? Marsa Alam (5m 27s) or Luxor (6m 23s). Both are expensive and both fill up early.
• Want a great experience at a sane price? Hurghada at 98.51% partial, with a base-camp plan. This is where most sensible travellers should start.
• Do not assume Safaga sees totality. It does not. It is 25 km outside the path.
• Book transport before you book the experience. That is the bottleneck on 2 August 2027, not the hotel.

Stay in Hurghada, drive south or take a transfer, and you will get a memorable morning for a fraction of the Luxor price. That is the version of the eclipse trip that still makes sense when you are actually paying for it.

Questions about the 2027 eclipse in Hurghada

If you would rather talk it through than read it, our team is on WhatsApp every day and we can check availability for the exact dates you are looking at. Message us on WhatsApp +20 11 52980998 or call the Hurghada office on +20 11 52980998. For Russian-speaking visitors, the direct line is +7 960 064 9600.

You can also start with our Hurghada apartment rentals to see what is available, or read our guide to the best areas to stay in Hurghada to pick the right neighbourhood for your base camp.

Eclipse timing, magnitude and the sun’s altitude

The eclipse begins at approximately 10:05 local time on 2 August 2027 and the full sequence runs for about three hours. Greatest eclipse falls at roughly 13:05 local time, when the sun’s altitude is around 80 to 82 degrees above the horizon in Hurghada and on the Red Sea coast. That high altitude is the reason the partial phase is so sharp: the light thins quickly, the shadows of palm trees and scaffolding turn into clear silhouettes, and you can follow the partial phase with a simple sundial on the ground. It is also why eclipse tourism here is a daytime activity, not an evening one.

In terms of magnitude, Hurghada reaches 98.51 percent, which means the sun is covered to just under its full diameter and a thin crescent remains visible. The temperature drop during that partial phase runs to around 10 to 15 degrees, which is often the first thing visitors notice. If you are planning to be outside for hours, bring layers for the morning, because 8:00 am in August on the Red Sea coast is already hot and the partial phase feels distinctly cooler than the minutes before it.

Two numbers are worth writing down before you travel. The first is the sun altitude at greatest eclipse, which is roughly 80 to 82 degrees above the horizon on the Red Sea coast, and that high angle is exactly why the partial phase looks so sharp and why the shadows behave like a sundial. The second is how far the temperatures fall during the partial phase: expect a drop of around 10 to 15 degrees, which on an August morning at 8:00 am feels considerably cooler than the minutes before the eclipse starts. Pack a light layer for the morning.