Best time to visit the Middle East

March, April and May are a wonderful time to visit the region, with gorgeous temperatures for sightseeing and wildflowers blooming in many regions. In Iran this is high season, and late March/early April coincides with the ancient festival of Nowruz, which celebrates the Persian New Year and the coming of spring, when many places are closed for the celebrations. June, July and August are boiling, with temperatures getting up to the 40°Cs, which makes for pretty uncomfortable sightseeing around the historic and religious sites. This is doubly unpleasant as shorts and t-shirts are a no-no in many places and in Iran women must wear headscarves. Egypt and Israel’s Mediterranean beach resorts are packed out in June and July, with high prices to match. September and October are pleasant months to travel, with good hiking and biking conditions, though there are light rains in Israel and Palestine. If you want to see nesting sea turtles in Oman the best time to come is in August, September, October and November. This is also the best time for diving in Aqaba, Jordan, when the water is a warm 26°C and marine life is abundant, including eagle rays and turtles. Late November, December, January and February range from mild in Egypt, where you’ll need long sleeves by day and a jumper at night, to bitterly cold in Iran, especially in the mountains of the north and west. December can be busy in Egypt, Jordan and Oman due to Western holiday getaways, and Christmas in Bethlehem is extraordinary for Christians, with Midnight Mass held at St. Catherine’s and Manger Square packed with pilgrims. Ramadan is a month-long event in the Islamic calendar which shifts around slightly each year. In 2019 it begins on the 5th May and in 2020 on the 23rd of April. During Ramadan, it is forbidden to eat or drink in public between sunrise and sunset – although some restaurants may discreetly serve foreign tourists, and you can usually eat in private or in vehicles. After dark, be prepared for feasting. Be aware that Friday is the Islamic day of rest, and that Thursday and Friday are the weekend in Iran. Saturday and Sunday are normal working days.

‘Sham al-Naseem’ meaning ‘sniffing the breeze’ is celebrated by all Egyptians the day after Coptic Christian Easter, to mark the beginning of spring. People picnic on the banks of the Nile, there is music and dancing, shisha puffing and lots of shooting.

In late July and early August each year, Jordan’s ancient plazas, avenues and theatres provide an enchanting backdrop for the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, a major celebration of music, drama, dance, poetry, craftwork and fine art.

If you want to shake off any preconceptions that you have about Israel, head to the Midburn Festival in the Negev Desert. The country’s answer to the famous Burning Man Festival, it’s not a music festival, but a colourful, creative explosion that’s all about self-expression and community vibes.