Christmas in Egypt: December Weather, New Year and What to Book

Yes, Christmas is a good time to visit Egypt for the weather, but it falls in the busiest weeks of the season. In December, Luxor and Aswan average highs of 24°C (75°F) and Cairo 20°C (68°F). Christmas and New Year drive higher hotel and Nile-cruise occupancy in Luxor and Aswan, so the Nile vessel is booked first. Coptic Christmas falls on January 7.

December weather in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea

December days are mild and the nights are cool. The table gives average daily highs and lows from the WMO World Weather Information Service, and the average sea temperature on the Red Sea coast.

The short day is the other December factor. In Luxor the sun rises around 6:18 to 6:35 a.m. and sets around 4:58 to 5:09 p.m., about 10 hours 32 to 39 minutes of daylight. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings open at 6:00 a.m. and take their last entry at 4:00 p.m. in the winter season, so a West Bank morning starts at first light. Luxor Temple takes its last entry at 7:00 p.m., which makes it the temple to see after dark.

How Christmas is marked in Egypt

Egypt's Christmas public holiday is January 7, the Christmas of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which follows the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar used by Catholics and Protestants. December 25 is not a public holiday in Egypt, so for the country it is an ordinary working day.

The Coptic season starts well before. Copts fast for 43 days from November 25, eating no meat or other animal products, though fish is allowed. On the evening of January 6, the Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, leads the Christmas Eve liturgy at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in Egypt's New Administrative Capital. After the liturgy, families break the fast with a festive meal, and fattah, rice and toasted bread with meat and a garlic-vinegar sauce, is a traditional dish.

In Cairo, the Christmas story is closest in Old Cairo. The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, known as Abu Serga, is built over the cave in which, by tradition, the Holy Family sought refuge during their journey through Egypt, and that link gives it a special status among Coptic churches.

Holiday dates from December 25 to January 7

No national public holidays fall in November or December, in 2026 or in 2027. In 2027, Coptic Christmas falls on Thursday, January 7.

Is Egypt busy at Christmas and New Year?

Yes. Winter is Egypt's peak season, and its busiest dates are around Christmas and New Year, when hotel and Nile-cruise occupancy in Luxor and Aswan rises. That makes the Nile vessel the first thing to settle, and a dahabiya, with only a handful of cabins, even more so. Sources differ on how many months ahead a holiday sailing should be booked, so the practical answer is as soon as your dates are fixed.

Read the cancellation terms before you confirm. The Oberoi Philae, for example, publishes a deposit on booking, staged payments before sailing and full charges for late cancellations, and lists its Christmas to New Year sailings as non-refundable. Every journey is quoted in a written proposal that names the route, the hotels and room types, any Nile vessel, what is included and the terms, and nothing is booked until you accept it. More on timing is in how far ahead to book a luxury Egypt trip.

What to pack for December

Layers are the answer in December. Days of 24°C (75°F) in Luxor and Aswan are shirt-sleeve weather, but Luxor averages 8°C (46°F) at night and Cairo 11°C (52°F), so a warm sweater and a jacket go in the bag for early starts and evenings on deck. UK official advice is to dress modestly, especially in rural areas, mosques and souqs, and shoulders and knees are covered at temples and other holy sites, including the churches of Old Cairo.

Journeys for Christmas and New Year

For a first trip over the holidays, the Classic Egypt and Nile Cruise, 8 Days pairs Cairo with 4 nights on The Oberoi Philae from Luxor to Aswan. For a celebration, the Egypt's Palace Hotels, 10 Days journey combines the Marriott Mena House at Giza, a night at the Old Cataract in Aswan, which is open while renovation work continues, and a 3-night cruise on The Oberoi Zahra.

The full range is on the luxury Egypt tours and luxury Nile cruises pages. Domestic flights and tips are not included in any journey. For a month-by-month view, see the best time to visit Egypt; if your dates can move past the holidays, read Egypt in January.