The complete 2027 eclipse guide
The 2027 total solar eclipse in Egypt 2 August 2027, about 6m 20s in Luxor
In short
The total solar eclipse of Monday 2 August 2027 crosses southern Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Luxor, Egypt lies close to the centreline and sees about 6 minutes 20 seconds of totality beginning around 13:02 local time, with the Sun almost overhead and historically favourable August skies. The path maximum elsewhere in Upper Egypt is 6 minutes 23 seconds, the longest totality visible from land between 1991 and 2114. Cairo and Aswan are outside the path and see deep partial eclipses. Eclipse.Travel runs Nile cruise, dahabiya, desert and rail itineraries from USD 2,369 per person, including an exclusive Luxor eclipse viewing site at a private monastery farm away from the crowds.
2027 eclipse at a glance
| Date | Monday 2 August 2027 |
|---|---|
| Maximum totality | 6 minutes 23 seconds, on the centreline in Upper Egypt |
| Totality in Luxor | About 13:02 to 13:08 local time (UTC+3) |
| Sun altitude | About 82 degrees in Luxor, nearly 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 | Historically very favourable, but clear skies cannot be guaranteed |
| Cairo | Partial eclipse only, about 95 percent - outside the path |
| Aswan | Partial eclipse only, about 99.8 percent - outside the path |
| Tours from | USD 2,369 per person, double occupancy |
| Next longer eclipse on land | Not until 2114 |
The path of totality over Egypt and Saudi Arabia
The Moon's shadow crosses Egypt and the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia. Luxor and Siwa are inside the path; Cairo and Aswan are outside it.
Local times on 2 August 2027
Approximate local times (UTC+3 in Egypt and Saudi Arabia). Exact contact times vary by viewing coordinates. Figures are checked against NASA eclipse data and city-level calculations from Timeanddate.
| Place | Partial begins | Totality | Duration | Partial ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxor | 11:40 | 13:02 - 13:08 | About 6 min 20 sec | 14:26 |
| Aswan | 11:43 | None - maximum about 13:08 | About 99.8 percent partial | 14:30 |
| Siwa Oasis | 11:22 | 12:43 - 12:48 | About 5 min 31 sec | 14:08 |
| Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | About 12:00 | About 13:23 - 13:29 | About 6 minutes | About 14:43 |
| Cairo (outside the path) | 11:33 | None - maximum about 12:56 | About 95 percent partial | 14:16 |
Sources: NASA/GSFC eclipse predictions and Timeanddate city calculations. Times are rounded for planning; confirm the final viewing coordinates before eclipse day.
Why this eclipse is different
Three conditions help make this eclipse unusually long: the Moon is near perigee, so its disc appears large; Earth is near aphelion, so the Sun appears small; and the shadow crosses low latitudes, where Earth's rotation helps prolong totality. The path maximum is nearly three times the duration of the 2026 eclipse's maximum and crosses a region known for very dry August weather.
Six minutes changes what you can actually see. There is time to look away from the corona and back again, to watch its streamers, to catch shadow bands rippling across the ground, to look for bright planets and stars, and to notice the cooling that often accompanies totality. The amount of cooling varies with local weather and the viewing site.
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
About 6 min 20 sec
Close to the centreline, with open desert horizons on the West Bank and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple nearby. The Sun is about 82 degrees high at totality. Our Nile and rail journeys use viewing arrangements in the Luxor area.
Aswan
Partial only, about 99.8 percent
Aswan lies just outside the southern edge of the path and gets no totality. It remains an important stop before the eclipse for Philae, the granite quarries and Nile sailing, before our groups continue north to their totality sites.
Cairo and Giza
Partial only, about 95 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
About 5 min 31 sec
Siwa is inside the path and receives more than five minutes of totality. Our Siwa journeys pair the Western Desert and the Great Sand Sea with a private desert-farm viewing site for travellers who want the desert rather than the river.
Siwa eclipse guideJeddah, Saudi Arabia
About 6 minutes
The path continues across the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia. Our Saudi departure views totality from a private desert farm outside Jeddah.
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 ComfortSold outwaitlist open
Boutique LuxurySold outwaitlist open
Luxury DahabiyaSold outwaitlist open9-Day Cleo Dahabiya · Luxor to Aswan Classic
from $7,997
Cairo • Luxor • Aswan
Luxury Dahabiya ExpeditionSold outwaitlist openCairo • Sohag • Abydos • Luxor • Aswan
Luxury DahabiyaSold outwaitlist open
Siwa ClassicNewEgypt & Siwa Oasis Total Solar Eclipse 2027
from $2,369
Cairo • Alexandria • Siwa Oasis
Beyond the NileNewEclipse Express – Siwa by Train | 8 Days
from $2,990
Cairo • Marsa Matrouh • Siwa • Alexandria • Cairo
Rail & Nile EclipseNewCairo • Marsa Matrouh • Siwa • Alexandria • Aswan • Kom Ombo • Edfu • Esna • Luxor • Cairo
Rail & Nile EclipseSold outwaitlist openLUXURY ECLIPSE EXPEDITION: ABYDOS TO LUXOR
from $10,347
Cairo • Sohag • Abydos • Luxor • Aswan
Classic Rail & Nile EclipseSold outwaitlist openCairo • Sohag • Abydos • Luxor • Aswan
Dahabiya AdventureSold outwaitlist open10-Day Nile to Totality Dahabiya Expedition
from $8,997
Cairo • Sohag • Abydos • Luxor • Aswan
Beyond the HorizonNewSaudi Arabia Total Solar Eclipse 2027
from $3,390
Riyadh • Hail • AlUla • Madinah • Jeddah
Rail JourneyNewAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express I
From $2,990
Cairo • Giza • Aswan • Luxor
Rail JourneyNewAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express II
from $3,450
Cairo • Aswan • Luxor
Rail JourneyLimitedCairo • Sohag • Abydos • Dendera • Tell el-Amarna • Aswan • Q Nile Cruise • Luxor
Rail JourneyLimitedAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express III
from $4,990
Cairo • Aswan • Luxor • Sohag • Abydos • Dendera
Rail JourneyNewAbela X Amisol Eclipse Express IV
from $3,490
Cairo • Giza • GEM • Luxor • Aswan • Philae • Optional Abu Simbel
2027 eclipse questions, answered
- When is the 2027 total solar eclipse?
- Monday 2 August 2027. In Luxor, Egypt, totality begins at about 13:02 local time (UTC+3) and lasts about 6 minutes 20 seconds. The eclipse's maximum duration elsewhere in Upper Egypt is 6 minutes 23 seconds.
- Where is the best place to watch the 2027 eclipse?
- Luxor, Egypt, is one of the strongest viewing locations. It is close to the centreline, the Sun is roughly 82 degrees above the horizon at totality, and August is usually very clear. Siwa is also inside the path; Aswan and Cairo are outside it and see deep partial eclipses.
- How long does totality last in Luxor?
- About 6 minutes 20 seconds in Luxor itself. The eclipse's maximum duration of 6 minutes 23 seconds occurs elsewhere on the centreline in Upper Egypt.
- Does Cairo see the 2027 total solar eclipse?
- No. Cairo lies north of the path of totality and sees a deep partial eclipse of about 95 percent. Eclipse.Travel's total-eclipse journeys use viewing sites inside the path in Luxor, Siwa or Saudi Arabia.
- How much does a 2027 Egypt eclipse tour cost?
- Eclipse.Travel itineraries currently start from USD 2,369 per person, based on double occupancy, and include Nile, rail, Western Desert and Saudi Arabia departures.
- 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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Eclipse guides
- 2027 total solar eclipse: the complete guide
- Saw the 2026 eclipse? How 2027 compares
- Luxor Eclipse 2027: Our Exclusive Viewing Site at a Historic Monastery Farm
- 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