πͺπ¬ Siwa Oasis, Egypt
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One of the places we assess for the 2 August 2027 total eclipse β the event guide compares every location on the path.
- Totality duration
- 5m 29s
- Source: Computed from NASA GSFC Besselian elements (VSOP87/ELP2000-85, ΞT 71.7s); validated against timeanddate.com and published path tables, agreement β€5s β see /methodology
- August cloud
- β2%
- Source: Eclipsophile (Jay Anderson), TSE 2027 climatology
- Totality window (UT)
- 09:42:32 β 09:48:01
- Maximum 09:45:16 UT. Computed for the city point β position on the centreline side gains seconds.
- Sun altitude at maximum
- 75.5Β°
- Computed. Above ~20Β° terrain rarely matters; this is a comfortable sky position.
- Trip effort β 4 / 5 how this is scored
- Visa: 2 β Egypt e-visa/visa on arrival Flights: 4 β no airport; Marsa Matruh then long road Ground: 5 β one remote desert corridor, 8h+ from Cairo Infrastructure: 3 β small eco-lodge stock
Sky: Named by the climatology as one of the two best sites on the entire path: almost no prospect of cloud AND relatively immune to dust storms β the failure mode that can still spoil a desert eclipse.
Getting there: No airport; ~5h drive from Marsa Matruh, ~9h from Cairo. Long desert road transfer; organised convoys likely on eclipse day.
Staying: Small eco-lodge stock that will vanish first among Egyptian options; the Marsa Matruh coast is the distant fallback base. Chain booking calendars typically open about a year out, so August 2027 dates are now live at major brands; independents open later.
Visa: Egyptian e-visa, straightforward for most nationalities.
Heads-up: Standard Egypt advisories apply; the Siwa road corridor is long and remote β travel with margin and water.
Verdict: The connoisseur pick: the climatology author's own shortlist, dust-safe skies, unforgettable setting β bought with a long road and tiny capacity.
β Back to the comparison Β· How to weigh this trade-off Β· Eye safety