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

When is the total solar eclipse in Egypt?

The total solar eclipse crosses Egypt on Monday 2 August 2027. Greatest eclipse falls at approximately 10:06 UTC.

For a few minutes the moon blocks the sun completely. The sky darkens as if it were dusk, stars can appear and the temperature drops noticeably.

Once the sun is fully covered, its faint outer atmosphere, the corona, shows as a pale ring around the black disc of the moon. In Luxor that lasts about six minutes and twenty-two seconds.

Where in Egypt can you see totality?

You see totality in Upper Egypt, and Luxor is the place to be. It sits close to the point of greatest eclipse duration and still gets comfortably more than six minutes of darkness.

If you are starting in Cairo, travel south for totality. The overnight Cairo to Luxor train does that while you sleep.

What time is the eclipse in Luxor?

Totality in Luxor runs from around 13:02 to 13:08 local time, assuming Egypt is on UTC+3 in August. Published local times differ by up to half an hour, so plan around the 10:06 UTC greatest-eclipse figure.

Confirm local times nearer the date. The hour-by-hour plan, with the train paired to each phase, is in our Luxor eclipse 2027 guide.

Why watch from Luxor?

In Luxor the sun sits about 82 degrees above the horizon at totality, very nearly straight up. You do not need a hilltop or a view, just open sky overhead.

• A hotel roof, a garden, a terrace or the corniche along the east bank will all do.
• Luxor sits slightly north of the centre of the path. The very longest totality falls around 60 km to the southeast, a difference of a handful of seconds.
• You do not need to travel further, and you do not need to pay for a viewing site.

What matters more is shade. The partial phases run for close to three hours in the heat of a Luxor August day, so pick a spot where you can step out of the sun between phases.

How to get to Luxor for the eclipse

The easiest way is the overnight sleeper train from Bashtil Station in Cairo. The sleeper trains you can book with us leave at 19:45 or 21:10 and arrive in Luxor at 06:10 or 07:50 the next morning.

Two departure dates work:

• Leave Cairo on 31 July and you arrive a day early, with time at Karnak before eclipse day.
• Leave Cairo on 1 August and you wake up in Luxor on eclipse morning, hours before first contact.

The journey happens while you sleep, so it costs you no daylight and you arrive rested. Your issued ticket shows the exact times for your train.

For the full trip plan, including which train to pick and the hour-by-hour timeline, read Getting to Luxor for the eclipse. For the sleeper times on other routes, see the Egypt train timetable.

Eclipse-week prices and booking early

For travel from 25 July to 5 August 2027, a sleeper cabin is £499 Standard or £699 Elite. That is the price per cabin, whether one or two of you travel in it.

Book as early as you can. There are a fixed number of cabins on a fixed number of trains, and demand for these dates is unusually concentrated.

You can book now. Your booking is confirmed and held as soon as you make it. Egyptian Railways release tickets for these dates closer to travel, and yours is issued to you automatically the moment they do. There is nothing for you to do in the meantime.

Every booking is protected by our full refund guarantee. For prices outside eclipse week, see Egypt sleeper train prices and how far in advance to book.

Eye safety and what to bring

Wear eclipse glasses for every phase except totality itself. Only when the sun is fully covered is it safe to look at it directly.

• Eclipse glasses. Buy them before you travel. Take them off only for totality, then put them back on.
• Shade and water. August temperatures in Luxor are regularly above 42°C, and you will be outside for close to three hours.
• A return ticket. Book the Luxor to Cairo sleeper before the outbound.

Egypt eclipse 2027 FAQs

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