Where you spend Christmas in Egypt depends on whether you prefer ancient history or winter warmth, or a blend of both. Most travelers pair a few days in Cairo (for the Pyramids, Grand Egyptian Museum, and festive city energy) and a Nile Cruise between Luxor and Aswan with beach time along the Red Sea (Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, or Dahab). Add the Western Desert and Siwa for desert and oasis adventures. For ancient sites beyond the usual route, add Abydos, or Alexandria for a Mediterranean coastal winter break.
BEST FOR: Winter sun, ancient temples, festive Nile cruises, Red Sea beaches
WEATHER: 65°F-75°F (18°C-24°C) daytime, cooler evenings; Red Sea 73°F-75°F (23°C-24°C)
VIBE: Resort galas, illuminated monuments, Coptic heritage, NYE parties
BOOK BY: September-October, as peak Christmas and New Year dates sell out early
Looking to trade freezing winter weather for the golden sunshine? Egypt is one of the world's best winter-sun destinations for XMAS& New Year holidays. In late December, daytime temperatures range from 18°C ( 65°F) in Cairo to 23°C (73°F) in Aswan and the Red Sea, where the water stays warm enough for swimming. Egypt even celebrates Christmas twice: on December 25 across resorts and Nile cruises, and on January 7 for Coptic Christmas, an official national holiday.
In this guide, discover the 10 best Christmas places in Egypt, what to do in each, how many days to spend, and how to combine them into an unforgettable Christmas holiday tour. If you're ready to book, explore our customizable Egypt Christmas tours packages for ready-made itineraries.
Best Places to Spend Christmas Vacations in Egypt
Here are the 10 best places in Egypt for Christmas and New Year holidays 2027, what makes each special, and who they suit best:
Planning your dates? We'll match them to the best experience.
Tell us when you can travel and we'll suggest the ideal route and season — usually within the hour.
Why Cairo at Christmas: Mild winter weather with comfortable daytime temperatures and deep historic attractions in both Cairo & Giza. According to Coptic tradition, the Holy Family sought shelter in Old Cairo during their journey into Egypt, making it one of the world's most meaningful Christmas destinations.
Top Christmas Activities in Cairo:
See the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx in cold morning air, or take a sunset camel ride across the plateau.
Explore the Grand Egyptian Museum(GEM), home to the main galleries and King Tutankhamun's complete treasure collection.
Why Luxor at Christmas Vacation: For the world's greatest open-air museum, December is the ideal month for sightseeing. Mornings are cool and afternoons are sunny.
From Luxor, you can also visit Dendera and Abydos on a full-day trip: see the famous zodiac ceiling at Dendera Temple, then the beautifully painted reliefs and the Abydos King List in the Temple of Seti I. → Dendera & Abydos day trip from Luxor
3. Aswan
Why Aswan at Christmas:Aswan is the warmest city in Egypt in winter. It is also the starting or ending point of a Luxor-Aswan Nile cruise, the best-selling Egypt Christmas experience.
Top things to do in Aswan at Christmas
Take a motorboat to the island temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis.
Take an early-morning day trip to Abu Simbel temples, the twin temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari.
Sail by felucca around Elephantine Island and Kitchener's (Botanical) Island.
💡Christmas Nile cruise tip: Most 3-4 night cruises between Luxor and Aswan stop at Edfu to visit Edfu Temple and Kom Ombo. On 24 December, they host a Christmas gala dinner on board. → Aswan Day Tours
For a more private option, choose a dahabiya sailing with only a few cabins.
4. Hurghada
Why Hurghada at Christmas: It has the widest choice of all-inclusive resorts with Christmas programmes and kids' clubs, and many direct flights from Europe and Russia to Hurghada.
Just 25 minutes north of Hurghada, you can also spend an evening in El Gouna, the Red Sea's liveliest spot at Christmas and New Year's Eve parties, or head about 3 hours south to Marsa Alam to snorkel with green turtles at Abu Dabbab Bay and swim with spinner dolphins at Samadai (Dolphin House). → Hurghada Day Tours
5. Sharm El Sheikh
Why Sharm at Christmas: It's the warmest Red Sea resort in winter, with some of the planet's best reefs. Sharm El Sheikh is also the gateway to the biblical landscape of Sinai.
For a more laid-back side of Sinai, you can also visit Dahab, about an hour from Sharm, to snorkel the famous Blue Hole and hike or ride a camel to the protected bay of Ras Abu Galum. →Dahab Day Trips
6. Mount Sinai & St Catherine's Monastery
Why Mount Sinai at Christmas: It's the most meaningful Christmas-season pilgrimage in Egypt. According to the Bible, Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. At its foot stands St Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world.
Top things to do at Mount Sinai at Christmas
Climb Mount Sinai(2,285 m) overnight for sunrise over the Sinai mountains, by the Camel Path or the 3,750 Steps of Repentance.
Visit St Catherine's Monastery, built in the 6th century and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Burning Bush and one of the world's oldest collections of religious icons and manuscripts.
Enjoy a Bedouin breakfast and tea with the Jebeliya tribe, the monastery's traditional guardians.
💡Local Tip: The summit can drop below 0°C on December nights. Bring a warm jacket, gloves, and a torch. The monastery closes on some days and religious holidays, so check opening times before you go. Sinai is about 3 hours from Sharm El Sheikh or 2 hours from Dahab. → Mount Sinai & St Catherine day trip
Not sure which month suits you? Ask a local.
We'll tell you honestly what the weather and crowds are really like for your travel dates.
Why Alexandria at Christmas: A cool, atmospheric day trip or overnight stay from Cairo, founded by Alexander the Great. Alexandria is also the historic seat of the Coptic Church, founded by Saint Mark.
Top things to do in Alexandria at Christmas
Visit the Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of the ancient Pharos Lighthouse.
Walk the Corniche and the Montaza Palace gardens, then eat fresh seafood by the harbour.
On the road between Cairo and Alexandria, you can also visit the monasteries of Wadi El Natrun, where Coptic tradition says the Holy Family passed on their flight into Egypt. Four working monasteries from the 4th century still stand here: St Macarius, St Bishoy, the Syrians and the Baramus. → Alexandria Day Trips
8. The White & Black Desert
The White Desert National Park, about 5 hours southwest of Cairo, is known for chalk-white rock formations that look like snow. On the way from Bahariya Oasis, 4x4 safaris cross the Black Desert, a landscape of volcanic hills capped with dark basalt stones, and stop at Crystal Mountain before camping overnight under some of Egypt's clearest night skies. Nights can drop to 3–5°C.
9. Siwa Oasis
Siwa is a remote oasis near the Libyan border, home to Egypt's Amazigh (Berber) community. Its best-known sites are the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, which Alexander the Great visited, the mud-brick Shali Fortress, Dakrour mountain, Cleopatra's Spring, and turquoise salt lakes you can float in. December days are mild, around 20°C.
10. Faiyum
Faiyum is about 2 hours from Cairo, making it the easiest desert trip at Christmas. Highlights include Wadi El Hitan (Valley of the Whales), a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 40-million-year-old whale fossils, the Wadi El Rayan waterfalls, the pottery village of Tunis, and sunset over Lake Qarun.
Egypt Christmas & New Year Itineraries 2026
4–5 days, for short-on-time travellers: A Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor (3 nights), or from Luxor to Aswan (4 nights), with a Christmas gala dinner on board. → 4-Day / 5-Day Christmas Nile Cruise
7 days, the classic: Cairo (2 nights) for the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor (3 nights), with Abu Simbel as an optional add-on. → 7-Day package
8 days, the magical: Cairo, a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. → 8-Day package
Christmas in Egypt for travellers from your country
USA & Canada: Fly to Cairo via Europe or Gulf hubs. A 10-day tour makes the most of the long journey.
UK & Europe: Around 5 hours to Hurghada or Sharm. A 7-day Cairo and Nile cruise fits a one-week holiday.
Australia & New Zealand: Swap summer heat for mild sightseeing weather, flying via the Gulf or Asia, making the 10-day Xmas package suit perfectly.
Eastern Europe & Russia: Direct flights to the Red Sea to celebrate Orthodox Christmas on 7 January, which aligns with the same day as Egypt's Coptic Christmas.
East & Southeast Asia: Festive winter vacation break suits a guided Cairo-Luxor-Aswan trip. (Private language-specific Egyptologist guides are available upon request).
North & South Africa: Direct flights from Johannesburg (approx. 8.5-9 hours) and a short flight from North Africa about 3 to 5 hours. A 10-day complete Egypt tour is ideal.
Visa requirements differ by nationality. Many travellers can use Egypt's e-Visa or a visa on arrival. Check our Egypt Visa Guide before booking your flight.
Why book your Egypt Christmas holiday packages with Egypt Day Trips?
Egypt Day Trips is part of Minova Global Tours, a destination management company with over 25 years of experience operating in Egypt. That means private, tailor-made Christmas itineraries, licensed Egyptologist guides, airport meet-and-greet, private transport, and handpicked hotels, Nile cruises, Feluccas, and dahabiyas, all run locally. Luxury Quality, Local Experience.
Conclusion: Make This Christmas One to Remember
Christmas holiday tours in Egypt can mean waking up to the Pyramids, sailing the Nile toward Luxor and Aswan, diving into the warm waters of the Red Sea, or disappearing into the silence of the Western Desert. You don't have to choose just one: a well-planned itinerary can bring several sides of Egypt together in the same holiday.
If you're ready to make Egypt your Christmas destination, now is the time to start planning. With Christmas and New Year Packages price from just $450 to $1,500 per person, dates sell out fast every year, so secure your place early.
Discover ancient wonders and festive cheer on a 4-day Nile Cruise Christmas & New Year tour from Aswan to Luxor, an unforgettable Egypt in December Ch...
Spend a magical 5-day Egypt Christmas tour aboard a luxurious Nile cruise, sailing through history from Luxor to Aswan, wrapped in festive spirit and...
The best places in Egypt for Christmas are Cairo, the Pyramids, Luxor and Aswan for a Nile cruise, and Hurghada, El Gouna, or Sharm El Sheikh for the beach. Alexandria, the White & Black Desert, Siwa, Faiyum and Mount Sinai suit travellers wanting something different.
Yes. Egypt blends 5,000 years of history with golden winter sun, offering the Pyramids, Nile cruises, ancient temples and Red Sea beaches at a mild 20-26°C in December. Hotels, resorts and Nile cruises host festive Christmas gala dinners. It's peak season, so book early.
Absolutely. The Red Sea stays warm through December, with air in the mid-20s°C and a sea around 23–24°C — swimmable for most people. Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab all deliver sunny pool-and-snorkel holidays over the festive week. Our Red Sea travel packages are built for exactly this.
Yes. Egypt celebrates Christmas twice: on 25 December in hotels, resorts and Nile cruises, and on 7 January for Coptic Christmas, an official public holiday with midnight Mass on 6 January. International hotels and resorts celebrate on 25 December, so you'll find full festive programmes then and on New Year's Eve.
As early as you can — ideally three to six months ahead. Christmas and New Year are Egypt's peak dates, and the best cruise cabins, resorts and internal flights around 24 and 31 December sell out first, often by September or October. Booking early also locks in lower prices.
Very much so. December's cool, dry weather makes the Luxor-to-Aswan sailing one of the most comfortable of the year, and the boats add festive dinners, carol nights and New Year galas on board. You combine sightseeing and celebration in a single trip. Just book early, as festive cruises are the first to fill.
Most visitors need a visa. The e-Visa costs $30 for a single entry, and the visa on arrival costs $36, with a digital QR code at Cairo Airport. US, UK, Canadian, Australian, and EU citizens qualify for a visa on arrival.
