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Festivals · Updated November 2026
Egypt celebrates two Eids. Eid al-Fitr, at the end of Ramadan, is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027. Eid al-Adha is expected on Sunday 16 May 2027, the day after Arafat Day. Both dates depend on the moon and are confirmed shortly before. Each Eid is a public holiday of several days. In 2026 the government gave five days for Eid al-Fitr and six for Eid al-Adha. Egyptian families travel, so trains, flights and coastal hotels fill up. Book early and you can enjoy the festive mood.
Eid al-Fitr 2027 is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March. It marks the end of Ramadan, which is expected to start on 8 February.
Eid al-Adha 2027 is expected on Sunday 16 May. Arafat Day, also a public holiday, comes the day before, on Saturday 15 May.
These are estimates from Egypt's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, as reported in the Egyptian press. Dar al-Ifta, Egypt's official religious authority, confirms each Eid after the new moon is sighted. That often happens the evening before. Treat every date as expected until then. Checked November 2026.
Both Eids for 2026 have passed. Eid dates move about eleven days earlier each year.
Usually several days, and the government sets the exact length by decree. The decree often comes only a week or so before.
In 2026, Eid al-Fitr was a paid holiday from Thursday 19 to Monday 23 March. That is five days. Eid al-Adha ran from Tuesday 26 to Sunday 31 May, six days in all. Both decrees covered ministries, government offices and public sector companies.
Egypt's weekend is Friday and Saturday, so an Eid often joins up with it. Expect banks and government offices to close for the whole break. Private businesses follow their own plans.
Eid al-Fitr ends the month of fasting, and the mood is happy and relaxed. Families visit relatives and share sweets. The classic Eid sweet is kahk, a festive biscuit.
City streets can be quiet one day and packed the next, as families come and go.
For visitors the end of Ramadan also means normal daytime life returns. Our Ramadan in Egypt page covers what changes during the month itself.
Eid al-Adha is the larger feast. Egyptians call it the big Eid. Arafat Day, the day before, is also a public holiday.
Families who can afford it sacrifice a sheep or another animal. The meat is traditionally split three ways: for the family, for relatives and for the poor. Many families now share one animal, because prices have risen.
Street slaughter has become rarer since the authorities limited it to licensed places. You may still see animals for sale in some neighbourhoods before the feast. If that upsets you, ask your guide to keep to the main sights that morning.
The biggest change is transport. Both Eids are peak times for Egyptians to travel. Families visit relatives or head for the coast. Trains, domestic flights and coastal hotels fill up fast.
Coastal hotels fill up first. If your beach days fall in an Eid week, book rooms and transfers early.
Banks and government offices close. Hotels and cruise boats keep running. We found no official notice that sites close for Eid. Ask your guide or hotel what is open that week.
On alcohol, the usual rules apply as far as we know. Hotels, licensed restaurants and cruise boats are where visitors drink. Our alcohol page has the details.
The greeting is "Eid Mubarak", which means "blessed Eid". Say it to your guide, driver or hotel staff and you will get a warm reply.
Accept sweets if offered. Dress as you would in any Egyptian city, with shoulders and knees covered. Ask before you photograph people, and leave the camera away from any sacrifice.
If staff look after you over the holiday, a slightly larger tip is a kind gesture. They are working while their families celebrate.
May 2027 holds an unusual run of holidays. Labour Day falls on Saturday 1 May. Coptic Easter is Sunday 2 May, and Sham el-Nessim, the spring holiday, is Monday 3 May.
Two weeks later comes Arafat Day on 15 May, then Eid al-Adha, expected on 16 May. The Islamic New Year follows about three weeks after that, in early June.
May is hot inland. Our month averages put Cairo at about 32C and Luxor at about 39C. The Red Sea is about 27C, which is why families head for the coast.
Plan around it for logistics. Eid is a family festival, with no parade or show to see. The happy mood is a bonus, and the busy transport is the cost.
A package with its domestic flights already booked removes most of the stress. The Grand Tour of Egypt runs 16 days from US$3,910 per person. It includes the flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada back to Cairo.
Our Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor runs three nights from US$840 per person. Flights to Aswan and home from Luxor are extra, so book them early in an Eid week.
If your dates fall near an Eid, say so when you send your request. We will ask Memphis Tours, who run our trips, what changes on your days.
For safety questions, read the current advice from the US State Department and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
It is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027, at the end of Ramadan. Dar al-Ifta confirms the day after the new moon is sighted, usually the evening before.
It is expected on Sunday 16 May 2027, with Arafat Day on Saturday 15 May. The date is an astronomical estimate and is confirmed shortly before.
Several, set by government decree shortly before. In 2026 Eid al-Fitr ran five days, 19 to 23 March. Eid al-Adha ran six days, 26 to 31 May.
No, if you plan ahead. Trains, domestic flights and coastal hotels fill up with Egyptian families. Book transport and rooms early, or choose a package with the flights included.
We found no official notice that sites close for Eid. Hotels and cruise boats keep running. Ask your guide or hotel what is open that week.
"Eid Mubarak", which means "blessed Eid". It works for both Eids and for anyone you meet.
Eid al-Adha. Egyptians call it the big Eid. In 2026 it also got the longer holiday: six days, against five for Eid al-Fitr.
We found no Eid-specific rule. Visitors drink in hotels, licensed restaurants and on cruise boats all year. Drinking in the street is illegal, according to UK government advice.
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.
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16 days · Classic Egypt
Sixteen days and very little left out: Cairo, a flight to Aswan, three nights sailing down to Luxor, two more days of Luxor on land, three nights on the Red Sea, then back to Cairo for Saqqara and Dahshur.
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Three nights sailing north from Aswan to Luxor, taking in Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, the Valley of the Kings and finally Karnak. Full board on board, and the sightseeing runs as a shared group of about fifteen.
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