Late December and early January is the best weather Egypt gets. Daytime temperatures in Cairo and Luxor sit in the low twenties Celsius, which makes the open desert sites and the west bank tombs far more comfortable than they are for most of the year.
What a holiday itinerary usually covers
- Giza — the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Sphinx, and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
- Coptic Cairo — the Hanging Church, the Church of St Sergius and Bacchus, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, all within a few minutes’ walk of each other. This quarter is the heart of Egypt’s Christian history and is at its busiest and most atmospheric over Christmas.
- Islamic Cairo — the Citadel of Saladin and Khan el-Khalili.
- Luxor and Aswan — usually joined by a Nile cruise, with Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae.
Two dates worth knowing
Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox community celebrates Christmas on 7 January, not 25 December, and 7 January is a public holiday. Both dates fall inside the same travel window, so a trip planned across the turn of the year can take in both.
Book early
This is the busiest fortnight of the Egyptian year. Nile cruise cabins and Abu Simbel flights over Christmas and New Year are normally gone months ahead. Send us your dates and we will tell you what is still open and what it costs.
