Egypt at Christmas and New Year's – Weather, Crowds, Cruises

Is December a good time to visit Egypt?

Yes for weather; the trade-off is crowds and cost. Rough Guides puts the traditional peak season at late November to late February, says it brings swollen crowds and higher costs, and notes that Luxor and Aswan have mostly been busy in the "super-peak" months of December and January.

December averages, from WMO-published Egyptian Meteorological Authority data for 1981–2010:

These are averages, not forecasts. Luxor and Aswan have the warmest afternoons and Luxor the coldest nights, and Rough Guides says desert nights can drop to 32°F (0°C). Rain is rare outside Cairo. Other months are in our guide to the best time to visit Egypt.

One Sharm El Sheikh dive operator's page (read 21 October 2026) gives 72–73°F (22–23°C) for winter water, while seatemperature.net lists a December average of 77°F (25°C) for Sharm El Sheikh. The sources differ by a few degrees, so ask whether a boat supplies wetsuits.

What is open on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and 1 January?

Christmas Day is not on the list of Egypt's fixed public holidays, but 7 January is (Wikipedia). In 2026, 25 December is a Friday, part of the Egyptian weekend of Friday and Saturday. As of 21 October 2026, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists the same site hours every day, Friday and Saturday included, and mentions no holiday closures. Its pages are undated and the two Giza pages disagree, so confirm on the day.

Many shops and markets close for a few hours at midday prayer on Fridays (Original Travel), so save Khan el-Khalili for another day. As of 21 October 2026 the museum's ticket site says tickets are valid only for the date and time chosen and are non-refundable (force-majeure exceptions are at the museum's discretion), so book your slot before you fly.

An AFP photo shows fireworks over the Giza Pyramids in the first hours of 1 January 2026 (via Majalla). No 2027 program was published in the sources checked on 21 October 2026, and the Ministry's pages list no night opening for the plateau, so do not plan around it. One travel agency's Christmas page (read 21 October 2026) says some hotels make the Christmas or New Year gala dinner compulsory and that the charge may not appear in the first package price shown.

How do I book a Nile cruise or hotel at the last minute?

No published availability figures for Christmas and New Year sailings turned up in the sources checked. Rough Guides says Luxor and Aswan have mostly been busy in December and January, so treat availability as tight and ask early with exact dates.

1. Ask precisely. Send exact dates, traveler numbers and your preferred ship or cabin category, and ask what is included. Our cruise pages list full-board cabins, guided shore excursions and entrance fees, mention hotel or airport pickup at embarkation, and exclude gratuities and drinks beyond water, tea and coffee at meals; only the 4-day page lists embarkation and disembarkation transfers as included.
2. Stay flexible. Our pages list a 5-day cruise, a 4-day cruise and a 7-day deluxe cruise from Luxor to Aswan, and a 3-night sailing from Aswan to Luxor. The 4-day, 7-day and 3-night pages say the order of visits may vary slightly with the cruise line and Nile water levels, and none of the four lists fixed departure days, so ask which dates run. Our Nile guide covers the river.
3. Check cancellation terms. As of 21 October 2026 the cruise pages list free cancellation up to 3 days before the trip; confirm that it applies to holiday sailings.
4. Protect the rest. Keep flights and hotel rooms on refundable terms until the cabin is confirmed.
5. Keep a fallback. Hotel nights in Luxor and Aswan with day tours need no cabin.

Nile

Luxor to Aswan 5-Day Nile Cruise

Our classic Luxor–Aswan Nile cruise at a relaxed 5-day pace, with a full leisurely half-day at Kom Ombo's riverside temple.

5 Days / 4 Nights

From

$900 / per person

View Trip

Nile

Luxor to Aswan 4-Day Nile Cruise

A 4-day, 3-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan with full board, a comfortable cabin, and temple stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo.

4 Days / 3 Nights

From

$775 / per person

View Trip

When is Coptic Christmas, and can visitors join in?

Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on 7 January because their Church still keeps Christmas on the old Julian date (29 Kiahk in the Coptic calendar), which now falls on 7 January of the civil calendar (Coptic church explainer). In 2027 that is a Thursday. 7 January is on Egypt's list of fixed public holidays. The Prime Minister announced a paid day off for government and private-sector staff in January 2024 and a paid public holiday for 7 January 2026; both were reported in the week before the date, so check for the 2027 decree.

Copts fast for 43 days, pray from the evening of 6 January through to a midnight Mass, then share a family meal of fatta (a bread, rice and meat dish) and kahk cookies (Gulf News). In January 2025 the Christmas Mass, led by Pope Tawadros II at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the New Administrative Capital, began at 7 pm and President Sisi spoke (Egyptian Streets).

What visitors can expect. None of the sources reviewed says tourists are invited to a particular service. In 2020 the Church's media center said buses would carry invitation holders to the New Capital Mass and set separate gates for VIP guests and for public visitors and media (Egypt Independent), so treat the Mass as worship, not a sightseeing stop.

The UK government lists religious sites among possible terrorist targets and notes extra measures at tourist sites (FCDO). Ask a church or your guide before turning up anywhere.

For Coptic heritage on any day, Coptic Cairo is the practical choice. The Egyptian Museum & Old Cairo Tour lists the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue and asks for modest clothing at religious sites. Background: Coptic Cairo's Christian history and Egyptian festivals. No source reviewed gives church visiting hours for 7 January, so confirm them in advance.

What does a 9- or 10-day Christmas and New Year trip look like?

Two templates built from trips on our site, dated for arrival on Thursday 24 December 2026. The trip pages do not list domestic flights, hotel nights outside the cruise cabins, a one-way Luxor to Hurghada transfer or fixed cruise departure days, so arrange those separately and check that a sailing runs on the dates shown.

Ten days: Cairo, then a Nile cruise with New Year's Eve on board

The Cairo & Giza Pyramids Tour page names both the Egyptian Museum and the Grand Egyptian Museum, so ask which museum each tour visits to avoid repeating one.

In this plan New Year's Eve falls on the ship because the sailing leaves Luxor on 29 December; ask the ship about a New Year's Eve gala.

Cairo & Giza

PrivateGroupFamilyIndividual

Cairo & Giza Pyramids Tour

Experience the magic of ancient Egyptian civilization on a journey through its most iconic landmarks, from the majestic Pyramids of Giza and the legendary Sphinx to the Egyptian Museum, where treasures and artifacts tell the stories of the pharaohs. Step into the heart of history and discover a civilization that has left its timeless mark on the world.

1 Day Private

From

$100 / per person

View Trip

Nine days: Cairo, a three-night cruise to Luxor, then the Red Sea

The Hurghada to Luxor day trip page lists about 4 hours 30 minutes of driving between Hurghada and Karnak, so allow half a day for the transfer. The Orange Bay page says the trip is not recommended in rough seas and offers alternate dates if it is canceled, so keep flights flexible.

What should be on my last-minute checklist?

1. Passport and visa. As of 21 October 2026 the UK government says your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after arrival and have a blank page. It lists a $30 visa on arrival (cash only), a $36 digital visa on arrival at Cairo from 1 August 2026 (card only) and an e-visa in advance, which it says can prevent delays (FCDO). Rules for other passports can differ, so check your own government and the Egyptian e-visa portal.
2. Sharm El Sheikh only? The UK government says that if you arrive by air at Sharm El Sheikh and stay under 15 days at resorts in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba, you get a free entry stamp instead of a visa. Travel outside the resorts needs a visa, so get one if you add Cairo or Luxor.
3. Cash. Keep small bills for tips.
4. Written confirmation. Ship, cabin and inclusions, dinner terms, pickup points, museum entry times and cancellation rules.