The longest totality on land this century
Totality begins at 12:58:49 and ends at 13:05:10 (local time, UTC+3). Maximum eclipse is at 13:02:00, with the sun 81° above the horizon. The partial phases run from 11:37 to 14:23. Figures are for Sohag. Egypt is on UTC+3 in August 2027, one hour ahead of mainland Spain.
Egypt is the destination for this eclipse. The point of greatest eclipse falls in the Egyptian desert east of the Nile, and a long stretch of the valley gets more than six minutes of totality with the sun more than 80 degrees above the horizon, almost directly overhead. Nag Hammadi gets 6 minutes 23 seconds, Sohag and Abydos 6 minutes 22 seconds, Luxor 6 minutes 20 seconds.
No total solar eclipse will last this long over land again until 2114. That single fact is why tens of thousands of people from all over the world will be in Upper Egypt on 2 August 2027.
At Nag Hammadi, on the centre line of the path
Almost overhead, around 13:05 local time
August cloud cover in Upper Egypt is close to zero
| Place | Eclipse | Duration / coverage | Maximum | Sun altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nag Hammadi | Total | 6 min 23 s | 13:03 | 82° |
| Sohag | Total | 6 min 22 s | 13:02 | 81° |
| Abydos | Total | 6 min 22 s | 13:03 | 82° |
| Karnak | Total | 6 min 22 s | 13:05 | 82° |
| Valley of the Kings | Total | 6 min 21 s | 13:05 | 82° |
| Luxor | Total | 6 min 20 s | 13:05 | 82° |
| Berenice | Total | 6 min 20 s | 13:13 | 81° |
| Dendera | Total | 6 min 13 s | 13:04 | 81° |
| Qena | Total | 6 min 09 s | 13:04 | 81° |
| Asyut | Total | 6 min 06 s | 12:59 | 81° |
| Esna | Total | 5 min 47 s | 13:05 | 82° |
| Edfu | Total | 5 min 32 s | 13:06 | 82° |
| Marsa Alam | Total | 5 min 27 s | 13:10 | 81° |
| Minya | Total | 4 min 07 s | 12:57 | 80° |
| Kom Ombo | Total | 3 min 42 s | 13:07 | 83° |
| El Quseir | Total | 2 min 19 s | 13:07 | 81° |
| Aswan | Partial | 99.84% | 13:08 | 83° |
| Safaga | Partial | 99.58% | 13:06 | 80° |
| Hurghada | Partial | 98.51% | 13:05 | 80° |
| El Gouna | Partial | 98.38% | 13:04 | 80° |
| Sharm el-Sheikh | Partial | 95.51% | 13:05 | 79° |
| Cairo | Partial | 94.77% | 12:55 | 78° |
| Alexandria | Partial | 93.31% | 12:51 | 76° |
| Abu Simbel | Partial | 92.04% | 13:08 | 85° |
| Port Said | Partial | 88.38% | 12:56 | 76° |
Egyptian local time, UTC+3. Computed from JPL DE440s ephemerides.
6 minutes 20 seconds over Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the temple of Hatshepsut. The obvious choice for most visitors, and the one with the accommodation, the airport and the Nile cruise boats. We have a separate guide to Luxor.
The stretch of valley 150 kilometres downstream of Luxor is where the numbers peak: 6 minutes 22 to 23 seconds. Abydos, the cult centre of Osiris with its extraordinary temple of Seti I, is inside the maximum zone. This part of Upper Egypt sees very few foreign visitors in a normal year, so infrastructure is limited and travel here is often arranged through tour operators.
6 minutes 13 seconds at Dendera, whose temple of Hathor has the best preserved painted ceiling in Egypt, including the famous zodiac. An hour north of Luxor and a common day trip.
5 minutes 27 seconds, on the coast, with an international airport and a large stock of resort hotels. For anyone who wants a beach rather than a temple, this is the answer. Berenice, further south, gets 6 minutes 20 seconds on an empty stretch of coast.
Between the Nile and the Red Sea, the desert is empty, flat and cloudless. Organised camps on the centre line are likely to be the choice for serious observers and astrophotographers who want to avoid crowds and light domes altogether.
Cairo sees 94.77%, Hurghada 98.51%, Sharm el-Sheikh 95.51% and Aswan 99.84%. Aswan in particular is a heartbreaker, just short of the southern limit. All the classic Egypt bases except Luxor miss totality. If you are travelling to Egypt for this eclipse, you must be in the valley between Minya and Kom Ombo, or on the Red Sea coast around Marsa Alam, on the day.
Visas: most visitors need a visa. An e-visa is available online for many nationalities and a visa on arrival is available for some. Do not leave it to the last week, because demand around the eclipse will be exceptional. See our visa notes.
Getting there: Luxor, Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Cairo and Aswan all have international airports. Luxor is the closest to the maximum, and flights and hotels there are already being blocked out by tour operators.
Nile cruises: the boats between Luxor and Aswan are a popular way to be inside the path. Note that the southern half of that route, from Kom Ombo to Aswan, drops out of totality, so check where your boat will actually be on 2 August.
Heat: this is the serious issue. Upper Egypt in early August routinely reaches 40 to 45 degrees, and the eclipse happens at 13:00 with the sun almost overhead. There is very little natural shade at the archaeological sites. Bring a hat, plan for shade, and drink far more water than you think you need. See safety and health.
Book now: Egypt is the single most in-demand destination for this eclipse worldwide. Hotel rooms in Luxor for that week have been selling since 2025.