Christmas and New Year in Egypt

Egypt keeps Christmas twice: on 25 December in the hotels and international churches, and on 7 January, when the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity and the whole country takes a public holiday. The weeks between the two bring the gentlest weather of the year, warm days at the temples, cool evenings on the river and the Pyramids in a low winter light.

Three Festive Moments

24 December: Christmas Eve in Cairo

Cairo's hotels dress their lobbies and set long tables for Christmas Eve, and the international churches hold services in English. An evening with the Pyramids lit beyond the window is hard to improve on.

31 December: New Year's Eve on the Nile

The busiest night of the season. Spend it at a gala dinner with a view of the Pyramids, or on the deck of a dahabiya with the river dark and the West Bank hills ahead.

7 January: Coptic Christmas

Egypt's Christians celebrate after a service that runs late into the night of 6 January. With a guide who knows the parish, it is one of the most moving evenings a visitor can share. Read more in our guide to Christmas in Egypt.

Plan Early for the Festive Weeks

Late December and early January are the peak of the Egyptian high season. The best suites, the finest cabins on the Nile and the most experienced Egyptologists are committed months ahead. Every journey below is private and can be shaped around your dates, so share your dates and we will compose the season around them.