The complete 2027 eclipse guide
The 2027 total solar eclipse in Egypt 2 August 2027, up to 6m 23s over Luxor
In short
The total solar eclipse of Monday 2 August 2027 crosses southern Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Luxor, Egypt sits on the centreline and sees up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality beginning around 12:29 local time, with the Sun almost overhead and near-zero historical cloud cover. It is the longest totality visible from land between 1991 and 2114. Cairo is outside the path and sees only a partial eclipse. Eclipse.Travel runs Nile cruise, dahabiya, desert and rail itineraries built around eclipse morning in Luxor, from USD 2,369 per person.
2027 eclipse at a glance
| Date | Monday 2 August 2027 |
|---|---|
| Maximum totality | 6 minutes 23 seconds, on the centreline near Luxor |
| Totality in Luxor | About 12:29 to 12:35 local time (UTC+3) |
| Sun altitude | About 70 degrees, close to overhead |
| Path | Spain and Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia |
| Best viewing location | Luxor and the Upper Nile between Esna and Qena |
| August cloud odds in Luxor | Effectively cloudless, historically under 5 percent |
| Cairo | Partial eclipse only, about 90 percent - outside the path |
| Tours from | USD 2,369 per person, double occupancy |
| Next longer eclipse on land | Not until 2114 |
Why this eclipse is different
Three conditions coincide on 2 August 2027: the Moon is near perigee, so its disc appears large; the Earth is near aphelion, so the Sun appears small; and the shadow falls close to the equator, where the Earth's rotation runs with the shadow rather than against it. The result is a totality nearly three times longer than the 2026 eclipse, over some of the driest, clearest skies on the planet.
Six minutes changes what you can actually see. There is time to look away from the corona and back again, to watch its streamers shift, to catch shadow bands rippling across limestone, to find Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter, and to feel the air temperature drop five to ten degrees while it happens.
Read the long-form 2027 eclipse of the century guide, the case for why Luxor is the premier viewing location, the exact contact times for eclipse morning, the August weather record for Luxor, and what a trip actually costs. If you saw the 2026 eclipse, start with the 2026 to 2027 comparison.
Where to watch: Luxor, Aswan, Cairo, Siwa and Saudi Arabia
Duration falls away quickly with distance from the centreline. Here is what each place actually gets on eclipse day.
Luxor
Up to 6 min 23 sec
On the centreline, with open desert horizons on the West Bank and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple within reach of every viewing site. Sun about 70 degrees high at totality. This is where all of our eclipse-day viewing is based.
Aswan
About 3 min 15 sec
Inside the path but well south of the centreline, so totality is roughly half as long as Luxor's. Beautiful for the days before the eclipse - Philae, the granite quarries, a felucca on the cataract - which is why most of our itineraries sail Aswan to Luxor.
Cairo and Giza
Partial only, about 90 percent
Cairo is outside the path of totality. It is the arrival city, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids - not an eclipse-day location. Every itinerary moves you south to Upper Egypt before 2 August.
Siwa Oasis
Partial in Siwa; totality viewed on a desert transfer
Our Siwa itinerary pairs the Western Desert and the Great Sand Sea with a move into the path for eclipse morning, for travellers who want the desert rather than the river.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
About 5 min 40 sec
The path continues across the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia. Our Saudi departure views totality from a private desert farm outside Jeddah, with clear skies and no crowds.
Every way to be inside the path on 2 August 2027
Nile cruises, dahabiyas, desert journeys and the Abela rail expresses - each reverse engineered around totality and operated locally in Egypt end to end.
Premium ComfortLimited availability9-Day Nile Eclipse Odyssey · MS Q
Boutique LuxurySold out9-Day Nile Eclipse Odyssey · MS TIA
Luxury DahabiyaSold out9-Day Cleo Dahabiya · Luxor to Aswan Classic
Luxury Dahabiya ExpeditionLimited availability10-Day Cleo Dahabiya · Sohag & Abydos Extended
Luxury DahabiyaSold out9-Day El Hanem Dahabiya · Aswan to Luxor
New for 2027New tourEgypt & Siwa Oasis Total Solar Eclipse 2027
Rail & Nile EclipseSold outLUXURY ECLIPSE EXPEDITION: ABYDOS TO LUXOR
Classic Rail & Nile EclipseSold outCLASSIC ECLIPSE EXPEDITION VIA ABYDOS & LUXOR
Dahabiya AdventureNew tour10-Day Nile to Totality Dahabiya Expedition
Beyond the HorizonNew tourSaudi Arabia Total Solar Eclipse 2027
Rail JourneyNew tourAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express I
Rail JourneyNew tourAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express II
Rail JourneyNew tour13-Day Eclipse Express Signature Journey 2027
Rail JourneyLimited availabilityAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express III
Rail JourneyNew tourAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express IV
2027 eclipse questions, answered
- When is the 2027 total solar eclipse?
- Monday 2 August 2027. Over Luxor, Egypt, totality begins at about 12:29 local time (UTC+3) and lasts up to 6 minutes 23 seconds, the longest totality visible from land between 1991 and 2114.
- Where is the best place to watch the 2027 eclipse?
- Luxor, Egypt. It sits within seconds of the centreline, the Sun is roughly 70 degrees above the horizon at totality, and early August in Upper Egypt has near-zero historical cloud cover. Aswan and the Red Sea coast also fall inside the path; Cairo does not and sees only a deep partial eclipse.
- How long does totality last in Luxor?
- Up to 6 minutes 23 seconds on the centreline just outside Luxor, and about 6 minutes 20 seconds in the city itself.
- Does Cairo see the 2027 total solar eclipse?
- No. Cairo lies north of the path of totality and sees a partial eclipse of roughly 90 percent. To see totality you must travel south into Upper Egypt, which is why every Eclipse.Travel itinerary places you in Luxor or on the Nile on eclipse day.
- How much does a 2027 Egypt eclipse tour cost?
- Eclipse.Travel itineraries start from USD 2,369 per person for a 6-day rail journey and run to about USD 8,900 per person for a 13-day signature journey, based on double occupancy.
- Is it too late to book the 2027 eclipse in Egypt?
- Not yet, but Luxor hotel and Nile vessel capacity for eclipse week is finite and several of our departures are already sold out or on limited availability. Cabins for the remaining 2027 departures are being confirmed now.
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2027 Eclipse itineraries
- 9-Day Nile Eclipse Odyssey · MS Q
- 9-Day Nile Eclipse Odyssey · MS TIA
- 9-Day Cleo Dahabiya · Luxor to Aswan Classic
- 10-Day Cleo Dahabiya · Sohag & Abydos Extended
- 9-Day El Hanem Dahabiya · Aswan to Luxor
- Egypt & Siwa Oasis Total Solar Eclipse 2027
- LUXURY ECLIPSE EXPEDITION: ABYDOS TO LUXOR
- CLASSIC ECLIPSE EXPEDITION VIA ABYDOS & LUXOR
- 10-Day Nile to Totality Dahabiya Expedition
- Saudi Arabia Total Solar Eclipse 2027
- Abela X Amisol Eclipse Express I
- Abela X Amisol Eclipse Express II
- 13-Day Eclipse Express Signature Journey 2027
- Abela X Amisol Eclipse Express III
- Abela X Amisol Eclipse Express IV
- Compare all eclipse itineraries
Cities on the Nile route
Eclipse guides
- 2027 total solar eclipse: the complete guide
- Saw the 2026 eclipse? How 2027 compares
- Chased the 2026 Eclipse? Your Next Total Solar Eclipse Adventure Is Egypt 2027
- 2027 Eclipse Luxor Viewing Time: Exact Contact Times & Duration
- Egypt Eclipse Tour Cost 2027: Real Prices and What's Included
- Eclipse Glasses & Photography in Egypt: 2027 Safety and Camera Guide
- August Weather in Luxor: Heat, Humidity and Eclipse-Day Cloud Odds
- The 6-Minute 2027 Solar Eclipse: A Complete Guide to the Eclipse of the Century
- Why Luxor is the Premier Viewing Location for the 2027 Eclipse
- Three Ways to Chase Totality on the Nile
- Read the Journal