Christmas in Egypt – Key Facts
Egypt celebrates Christmas twice. Hotels, Nile cruise ships, Red Sea resorts and Egypt's Catholic and Protestant churches mark Christmas on 24 and 25 December, while Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians, the country's largest Christian community, celebrate on 7 January, a national public holiday. In between comes New Year's Eve, with gala dinners, Nile parties and, in some years, fireworks near the pyramids. That makes the festive season in Egypt unusually long and varied. You can spend Christmas Day at the Temple of Horus on a Nile cruise, see in the New Year on the river or by the Red Sea, and stay on for a local Christmas in Cairo.
When is Christmas in Egypt?
Christmas in Egypt is celebrated on both 25 December and 7 January. Catholic and Protestant churches, international hotels and resorts celebrate on 25 December. The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates on 7 January, and only that date is a national public holiday.
| Date | Who celebrates | Public holiday? |
|---|---|---|
| 24–25 December | Catholics, Protestants, hotels | No, normal working days |
| 31 Dec – 1 Jan | New Year, everyone | No; some banks close 1 Jan |
| 7 January | Coptic Orthodox Church | Yes, national holiday |
Why is Egyptian Christmas on 7 January?
The Coptic Orthodox Church calculates its feasts with the old Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar used for civil life. Its Christmas falls on what is now 7 January in the Gregorian calendar, the same day as in several other Orthodox churches. Egypt's Catholic and Protestant churches, including the Anglican Church, use 25 December.
What is open on Christmas Day?
Because 25 December is a normal working day in Egypt, monuments, museums, shops and restaurants keep their usual hours. The same is true on 1 January. On 7 January, government offices and banks close, while tourist sites usually open; check opening hours for that day.
How is Christmas celebrated in Egypt?
Coptic Christmas traditions
For Egypt's Copts, Christmas follows the Nativity Fast, which lasts 43 days from 25 November to 6 January. During it, many people avoid meat, dairy and eggs. On the evening of 6 January, families go to church for the Christmas Eve liturgy, which ends around midnight. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, traditionally leads the main service at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo.
After church the fast is broken with a festive meal. Fatta, made with layers of toasted bread and rice, a garlic and vinegar sauce and meat, is the signature Christmas dish. On Christmas Day people visit relatives, wear new clothes and share kahk, butter biscuits dusted with icing sugar. Christian neighbourhoods such as Shubra in Cairo sell trees and decorations in the weeks before. Discover more food in our guide to traditional Egyptian dishes.
The usual Coptic greeting is Eid milad magid, meaning a glorious Christmas. Kol sana wenta tayeb, may you be well every year, works for any holiday, including New Year.
Western Christmas on 24 and 25 December
Egypt's Catholic and Protestant communities celebrate on 24 and 25 December. In Cairo, All Saints' Cathedral in Zamalek, the seat of the Anglican Church in Egypt, holds a candlelit carol service before Christmas and a Christmas Eve service in Arabic and English. Catholic churches in Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor also hold services. Visitors are welcome; check times with the church for the current year.
Outside the churches, 25 December is an ordinary day in Egypt. For most travelers, Christmas is shaped by where they stay: international hotels, Nile cruise ships and Red Sea resorts decorate, play carols and serve Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinners, often with Egyptian and international dishes side by side.
Is Egypt a good place to go at Christmas?
Yes, if you want winter sun and world-class sightseeing rather than a traditional Christmas at home. Days are mild and sunny, as our Egypt in December guide explains, and you can be at the pyramids or the temples of Luxor on Christmas morning. The downsides are that this is the busiest and most expensive fortnight of the year, and outside hotels and ships there is little Western-style Christmas atmosphere.
Where to spend Christmas in Egypt
The best place to spend Christmas in Egypt depends on the kind of day you want. Most of our guests choose a Nile cruise; families and beach lovers often prefer the Red Sea.
Christmas on a Nile cruise
A Nile cruise is the most popular way to spend Christmas in Egypt, because it combines a festive atmosphere with a new temple every day. Many ships put up decorations and serve a special dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Our Christmas Nile Cruise sails from Aswan on 23 December and reaches Luxor for Christmas Day:
| Date | Plan |
|---|---|
| 24 Dec, Christmas Eve | Kom Ombo Temple, then sail to Edfu |
| 25 Dec, Christmas Day | Edfu, the Esna lock, Karnak and Luxor Temple |
| 26 Dec | Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple |
Along the way you visit the Kom Ombo Temple and the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best preserved temple in Egypt. Ships that often sail over the festive weeks include the MS Magic I and the Jaz Celebrity; for a quieter Christmas on a small sailing boat, consider the Merit Dahabiya. Compare all our Nile cruises, or read our guide to Nile cruises. If you also want the pyramids, the Egypt Christmas Tour adds three nights in Cairo to a four-night cruise.
Christmas in Cairo and Giza
Christmas morning at the Pyramids of Giza is hard to beat, and the Grand Egyptian Museum next door fills the afternoon. End the day with a hotel Christmas dinner or a Cairo Nile dinner cruise. For Egypt's Christian heritage, join our Islamic and Coptic Cairo tour to the ancient churches of Coptic Cairo, including the one where tradition says the Holy Family sheltered, or visit the Cave Church in Mokattam. Our Holy Family tour in Egypt follows the route tradition gives to their journey, a meaningful trip at Christmas. Read more about Coptic churches in Egypt.
Christmas in Luxor
Luxor rewards an early Christmas morning. Take a hot-air balloon over Luxor at sunrise, weather permitting, or start at the Valley of the Kings at opening time with our Luxor West Bank private tour. In the evening, the Karnak sound and light show is a memorable alternative to a hotel party.
Christmas by the Red Sea
For a sunny, relaxed Christmas, the resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada run full holiday programmes: decorations, Christmas Eve dinners, children's activities and entertainment. The sea is still warm enough to swim, and a boat trip to Ras Mohamed makes a fine Boxing Day. From Sharm you can also visit St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai on our Mount Sinai and St Catherine tour; check its visiting days first.
New Year's Eve in Egypt
Egypt celebrates New Year's Eve in international hotels, on Nile cruise ships and at Red Sea resorts, with gala dinners, live music and a midnight countdown. Because 1 January is a normal sightseeing day, you can celebrate and still visit the temples the next morning.
- On a Nile cruise: a gala dinner and countdown on board, usually moored in Luxor, Aswan or Edfu. Our New Year in Egypt tour departs 26 to 28 December, so New Year's Eve falls on the cruise.
- Cairo and Giza: hotel galas, Nile-side restaurants and dinner cruises. Fireworks lit the sky near the Giza pyramids at midnight on 1 January 2026, but public programmes change every year, so do not plan around them unless they are announced.
- Red Sea resorts: beach parties and resort galas in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and El Gouna. Combine them with sightseeing on the Egypt New Year Tour with Hurghada or the Christmas and New Year Holiday with Sharm El Sheikh.
- Luxor and Aswan hotels: quieter galas in riverside hotels, ideal before an early start.
Gala dinners on 24 and 31 December are usually charged as a supplement by the hotel or ship. Pack one smart outfit, and note that drinks are rarely included.
Experiencing Coptic Christmas on 7 January
If you can stay into the first week of January, you can experience Christmas as most Egyptian Christians celebrate it. The atmosphere is local rather than tourist-focused, and crowds at the main sites thin out after New Year.
- Visit Coptic Cairo around 6 and 7 January, when churches are decorated and busy, ideally with a guide who can explain the traditions.
- Attend a local service: the main national liturgy usually involves invitations and tight security, so a parish church is better for visitors. Cover shoulders and knees, stay at the back and ask before taking photos.
- Try the food: look for fatta in local restaurants and kahk in bakeries. Read about the Holy Family in Egypt before you go.
How long to stay over the holidays
The festive season in Egypt runs for about two weeks, so the length of your trip decides which celebrations you see.
- 4 days: a Christmas Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, ideal if you are already in Egypt or combining it with another trip.
- 8 days: Cairo and a four-night cruise, timed for either Christmas or New Year's Eve on board.
- 11 to 12 days: Cairo, a cruise and the Red Sea, covering both Christmas and New Year.
- Two weeks or more: add the first week of January to experience Coptic Christmas on 7 January as well, with quieter sites after New Year.
Whichever length you choose, fly between Cairo and Upper Egypt to save time, and leave one easy day after New Year's Eve.
Practical tips for Christmas in Egypt
- Book early. The last ten days of December are the busiest of the year, and cruise cabins and domestic flights sell out first.
- Plan for crowds. Start at the big sites at opening time on 25 December and 1 January.
- Bring layers. Evenings are cool, especially on deck at a Christmas dinner; see what to pack for Egypt.
- Tip with the season in mind. Crews and hotel staff work through the holidays; our guide to tipping in Egypt explains what is usual.
- Check your visa. Apply on the official e-Visa portal or buy one on arrival; fees are changing, so check before you fly. See Egypt visa requirements and Is Egypt safe to travel?.
- Shop for gifts. Cotton, spices, papyrus and brass make good presents; see Egyptian souvenirs.
Travelling with children? Our Egypt family tour can be planned around Christmas, or we can design a private Egypt tour on your own dates.
Spend this Christmas in Egypt
Christmas morning at an ancient temple, New Year's Eve on the Nile and a local Christmas in Cairo on 7 January: few places offer a festive season like Egypt. Egypt For Travel is licensed by the Egyptian Tourism Authority (licence No. 1947) and has run Christmas departures since 2010. Send us your dates through our enquiry form or on WhatsApp at +20 155 555 2466, and we will plan your holiday with you.
