Five days in Cairo over Christmas. No flights, no Nile cruise, no rushing. The Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the older pyramids at Saqqara and Dahshur, and Christmas dinner at your hotel on the 24th and 25th. That’s it.
This is for travelers who want to spend Christmas in Egypt but don’t want the hassle of a multi-city trip. You stay at the Steigenberger Pyramids for all four nights, 10 minutes from the Giza plateau. Same room the whole time.
If you want to add a Nile cruise and New Year, book the 8-day version instead. This 5-day tour is Cairo-only, on purpose.
What you actually see
Day 1 (Dec 23). Arrival and rest. Our accessible tour coordinator meets you at the hotel to review the itinerary and confirm pick-up times.
Day 2 (Dec 24). Giza Plateau in the morning — three pyramids, the Sphinx, the Valley Temple. Then the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in the afternoon. Christmas Eve dinner at the hotel.
Day 3 (Dec 25). Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. Coptic Cairo (Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue). Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Christmas dinner at the hotel.
Day 4 (Dec 26). Saqqara, Dahshur, and Memphis — the “pyramids before the Pyramids.” The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara is 4,700 years old, older than Giza. The Red Pyramid at Dahshur is the first true pyramid ever built.
Day 5 (Dec 27). Free morning. Optional Egyptian Museum in Tahrir or a Nile felucca ride. Airport transfer.
What’s special about this departure
Christmas Eve dinner at the Steigenberger Pyramids. Traditional menu — turkey, stuffing, roasted vegetables, Christmas pudding. Live music in the dining room.
Christmas Day at Giza. The weather in December is perfect — 20°C, sunny, no humidity. Bring a light jacket for the morning, a hat for the sites.
Two Christmas dinners. One on the 24th, one on the 25th. If you don’t want the same menu twice, we can swap one night for an à la carte restaurant or a local Egyptian restaurant. Tell us in advance.
Coptic Christmas note. Coptic Orthodox Christmas is January 7, not December 25. Egypt doesn’t observe December 25 as a public holiday. Sites run normally. If you’re still in Egypt on January 7, tell us — we can arrange a Coptic church service visit.
What’s open and what’s closed
Open on December 25: Giza Plateau, Grand Egyptian Museum, Citadel, Coptic Cairo, hotels, restaurants. Khan el-Khalili shops mostly open in the afternoon.
Closed on December 25: Government offices, most banks. Not relevant to your tour.
Egypt is a Muslim-majority country with a Coptic Christian minority. December 25 is a normal working day outside 5-star hotels. The only thing that changes is that hotels do special Christmas menus, and prices are higher.
The hotel
Steigenberger Pyramids (Cairo, 4 nights). 5-star, pyramid views from some rooms. Pool, several restaurants, spa. 10 minutes from the Giza plateau. 45 minutes from downtown in normal traffic. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner on-site.
Fixed Christmas pricing
The $1,400 price is fixed for this departure. No low-season or high-season variation. Christmas is peak — hotels charge their top rates, and we’ve built that in. Book by September or October for the best room selection.
What’s included
- 4 nights at Steigenberger Pyramids (Cairo, Dec 23-27)
- Christmas Eve dinner at the hotel (Dec 24)
- Christmas dinner at the hotel (Dec 25)
- Daily breakfast
- Lunch on all 3 tour days (Dec 24, 25, 26)
- All entrance fees (Giza Plateau, GEM, Citadel, Coptic Cairo, Saqqara, Dahshur, Memphis)
- Dahshur military permit
- Private A/C vehicle
- English-speaking Egyptologist guide
- Airport pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water during tours
What’s not included
- International flights
- Visa ($25 on arrival for most nationalities)
- Dinner on Dec 23, 26, 27 (the two Christmas dinners are on the 24th and 25th)
- Tips for guide and driver ($10-15 per person per day)
- Inside the Great Pyramid or Khafre’s Pyramid (extra ticket)
- Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids ($35, optional)
- Egyptian Museum in Tahrir ($20, optional on Day 5)
- Travel insurance (get one that covers trip cancellation — Christmas travel is more expensive to rebook)
Honest notes
Christmas in Egypt is not “Christmas-y” in the Western sense. No Christmas markets, no decorated streets outside 5-star hotels, no carolers. What you get is: warm weather, empty sites (relatively), and Christmas dinner at your hotel. If you want an authentic Christmas-abroad experience with lights and snow, Egypt is not it.
Saqqara and Dahshur on Day 4 have almost no shade. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and more water than you think you need. The Red Pyramid passage at Dahshur is tight (60 meters bent over, then 60 meters back). If you’re claustrophobic or have back problems, skip the interior — the outside view is still worth the stop.
Day 3 is the busiest day. Citadel + Coptic Cairo + Khan el-Khalili is a lot of moving. If you want to slow down, skip Khan el-Khalili — it’s the least essential stop. Coptic Cairo is the better half of the day.
Day 5 timing depends on your flight. If your international flight leaves Cairo in the late afternoon or evening, we can arrange the Egyptian Museum in the morning. If it leaves in the morning, no sightseeing — direct transfer to the airport.
If you want the Nile cruise and New Year, book the 8-day Egypt Christmas & New Year tour. It runs Dec 24-31 and includes Luxor, Aswan, and the Nile cruise.
Who this is for
- Travelers who want Christmas in Cairo without the hassle of multi-city logistics
- Couples and honeymooners
- Families with kids (the pace is gentle, all in Cairo)
- Anyone who wants a fixed, no-surprises Christmas departure
Who this is not for
- Travelers who want a Western-style Christmas with snow and markets
- Anyone who wants Luxor or a Nile cruise (book the 8-day version)
- Budget travelers — Christmas is the most expensive time in Egypt
- Anyone who wants to decide dates last-minute (this is a fixed departure)
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