By type of trip
Nile Cruises Luxor to Aswan: Routes, Boats and Prices
Classic Egypt Tours: Cairo, Luxor and Aswan Itineraries
Nile Cruise and Red Sea Holidays: Two-Week Egypt Trips
White Desert Tours from Cairo: Oases and Desert Camping
Short Breaks in Egypt: Three and Four Day Cairo Trips
Tailor-made Egypt Tours: Private Trips Built Around You
Festivals · Updated November 2026
Easter in Egypt means Coptic Easter. In 2027 it falls on Sunday 2 May, five weeks after Western Easter on 28 March. It ends a 55-day fast that begins on Monday 8 March. Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday, 25 April, with long services in every Coptic church. The day after Easter is Sham el-Nessim, a spring holiday for all Egyptians. This page covers the dates, the customs, and what Easter changes for a visitor.
Coptic Easter 2027 is on Sunday 2 May. Most Egyptian Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, so this is the Easter Egypt celebrates.
The key dates in 2027 are: Great Lent begins Monday 8 March. Palm Sunday is 25 April. Holy Thursday is 29 April and Good Friday is 30 April. Easter Sunday is 2 May. Sham el-Nessim, the national spring holiday, is Monday 3 May.
Western Easter falls on 28 March 2027. The Coptic Church sets Easter by its own older calendar, so its Easter usually comes later. In 2026 Coptic Easter was on 12 April. In 2028 it falls on 16 April.
Dates are from the Coptic Church calendar, checked November 2026.
Coptic Christians fast for 55 days before Easter. They call it Great Lent. The fast is strictly vegan, so no meat, dairy or eggs. Copts fast on nearly 210 days of the year in all, and this is the longest stretch.
In 2027 the fast runs from Monday 8 March to Easter Eve on 1 May. Ramadan is expected to end on 8 or 9 March, so the two fasts meet for a day or two.
For a visitor this changes little. Hotels and restaurants serve as normal. You may notice a Coptic guide or driver choosing meat-free dishes at lunch.
Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It is the most important week of the Coptic year, with services through the week.
On Palm Sunday, people carry palm fronds into church and sing hymns. On Holy Thursday, the priest washes the feet of the people. On Good Friday, the Burial Service follows the cross and the shroud of Christ. Many Copts go without food and drink until they take communion that day.
On Easter Eve, families gather for a late-night service. On Easter Sunday they break the 55-day fast with a big family meal.
Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday are paid days off for Coptic Orthodox workers in the private sector.
Yes, Coptic churches are working churches, and visitors can usually step in quietly. Holy Week services are long and crowded. Stand at the back and leave quietly if you need to.
Dress as you would for any church in Egypt. Cover shoulders and knees, and keep your phone and voice low during the service. Ask before you photograph anyone, and put the camera away during prayers.
Coptic Cairo is the easiest place to see Coptic life. Its old churches include the Hanging Church, built over the gate of a Roman fortress. The Cave Church in Mokattam is a second, very different option. Large services may have security checks at the door, so carry ID and arrive early.
Coptic Easter Sunday is a working day for most Egyptians. Christian workers get the day off. Monday is Sham el-Nessim, a holiday for everyone. In 2026 the stock exchange closed on both days.
In 2027 Easter sits inside a long run of days off. Labour Day falls on Saturday 1 May, then Easter Sunday, then Sham el-Nessim on Monday. Book trains, flights and drivers early if you travel that weekend.
Western Easter matters more for prices. It brings European school holidays, and hotels and Nile boats fill up. Memphis Tours, who run our trips, apply a stricter cancellation scale at Easter, as at Christmas and New Year. Ask which dates it covers when you send your request.
On the Monday after Coptic Easter, all of Egypt takes a day off for Sham el-Nessim. Muslims and Christians celebrate it alike. Families picnic in parks and along the Nile with coloured eggs, green onions and salted fish.
It is a pleasant day to be in a city and watch. Our Sham el-Nessim page covers the food, the customs and what closes.
It depends on which Easter you mean. Around Western Easter in late March, Cairo averages about 24C and Luxor about 29C. That is close to ideal for sightseeing.
Around Coptic Easter in early May 2027, it is hotter. Cairo averages about 32C and Luxor about 39C. Do the southern temples at dawn and rest in the afternoon. The Red Sea is warm, at about 27C.
Yes, if you plan ahead. Western Easter brings good weather and higher prices. Coptic Easter brings a chance to see Egypt's Christians at their biggest feast, then a national day out.
If you want to see Coptic Easter, base yourself in Cairo for Holy Week. Our Cairo Short Break runs five days from US$935 per person. It includes Coptic Cairo and the Hanging Church with a private guide.
If your dates cover Easter, tell us in your request. We will ask Memphis Tours what changes on your days, and what the holiday adds to the price.
For safety questions, read the current advice from the US State Department and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Coptic Easter is on Sunday 2 May 2027. Western Easter is on 28 March 2027. Egypt's Christians follow the Coptic date.
Coptic Easter Sunday is a paid day off for Coptic Orthodox workers. The national holiday for everyone is the next day, Sham el-Nessim, on Monday 3 May 2027.
The Coptic Church calculates Easter by its own older calendar. So its Easter usually falls later than Western Easter. In 2027 the gap is five weeks.
55 days. In 2027 it runs from Monday 8 March to Easter Eve on 1 May. The fast is strictly vegan.
Usually, yes. Dress modestly, stand at the back and keep quiet during prayers. Ask before you photograph anyone. Coptic Cairo is the easiest place to start.
Copts attend Holy Week services, then a late-night service on Easter Eve. On Easter Sunday families break the long fast with a big meal. The next day, everyone celebrates Sham el-Nessim outdoors.
Western Easter is busy with European visitors, and prices rise. Coptic Easter weekend runs into Sham el-Nessim, when parks and riverbanks are packed. Book transport and rooms early for either.
Sunday 16 April 2028, according to the Coptic Church calendar. Sham el-Nessim follows on Monday 17 April.
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
Written and checked by the Nile Trip Guide editorial team · Last reviewed . Entry rules, prices and opening hours change — check anything critical against the official sources linked on this page.
Plan this trip
A real itinerary with real prices, usually within 24 hours. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged until you say yes.
5 days · Short break
Five days in Cairo and nowhere else: Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel, Coptic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili. Four nights in one hotel, and every sightseeing day run privately.
from US$935 / per person
