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Planning a winter-sun escape to the Red Sea, a Nile cruise or a few days among the pyramids? Knowing the public holidays in Egypt 2026 will help you dodge the crowds, anticipate closures and pick the quietest — or liveliest — moment to travel. Egypt’s calendar is unlike anything you will find in the UK: it blends Islamic dates that shift each year with the moon, ancient Coptic Christian festivals, and a clutch of patriotic revolution days. This complete guide, written for UK travellers, lays out every national holiday, explains the long weekends, and tells you exactly what stays open and what shuts.
Public Holidays in Egypt 2026 — Full List
Egypt observes around 13 official public holidays in 2026. Islamic holidays follow the lunar Hijri calendar, so their dates move roughly 11 days earlier each year and are only confirmed once the new moon is sighted. The dates below are the official calendar dates; see the long-weekend section for the days Egypt actually takes off.
| Date | Name (Arabic / local) | Name (English) | Type | Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jan | عيد الميلاد المجيد | Coptic Christmas | Christian | Wednesday |
| 25 Jan | عيد ثورة 25 يناير | Revolution Day & National Police Day | National | Sunday |
| ~20–23 Mar | عيد الفطر | Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) | Islamic | Fri–Mon* |
| 13 Apr | شم النسيم | Sham El-Nessim (Spring Festival) | Cultural | Monday |
| 25 Apr | عيد تحرير سيناء | Sinai Liberation Day | National | Saturday |
| 1 May | عيد العمال | Labour Day | National | Friday |
| 26 May | يوم عرفة | Arafat Day | Islamic | Tuesday |
| 27–30 May | عيد الأضحى | Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) | Islamic | Wed–Sat* |
| 17 Jun | رأس السنة الهجرية | Islamic (Hijri) New Year | Islamic | Wednesday |
| 30 Jun | ثورة 30 يونيو | June 30 Revolution Day | National | Tuesday |
| 23 Jul | عيد ثورة 23 يوليو | July 23 Revolution Day (National Day) | National | Thursday |
| ~25 Aug | المولد النبوي | Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Mawlid) | Islamic | Tuesday* |
| 6 Oct | عيد القوات المسلحة | Armed Forces Day | National | Tuesday |
*Islamic holiday dates depend on the official moon sighting and may shift by a day or two. Eid periods typically run 3–4 days.
Long Weekends in Egypt 2026
Egypt’s secret weapon: the Thursday shift. Since 2020, Egypt has moved most mid-week public holidays to a Thursday (occasionally a Sunday), deliberately manufacturing long weekends. Because the Egyptian weekend is Friday and Saturday — not Saturday and Sunday like in the UK — a Thursday holiday creates a three-day Thursday–Saturday break.
The biggest blocks of 2026 are the two Eids. Eid al-Fitr (around 19–23 March) and Eid al-Adha (26–30 May, including Arafat Day) can each stretch into a five- or six-day national shutdown when combined with the weekend. These are the times when Egyptians themselves travel en masse to the coast — wonderful atmosphere, but book early. Compared with the UK’s tidy single-day bank holidays, Egypt’s holiday clusters feel far more generous.
What’s Open and Closed on Public Holidays
Here is the reassuring news for visitors: Egypt’s tourism machine keeps running on public holidays. The Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum, Luxor and Aswan temples, Nile cruises and the Red Sea resorts of Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh all operate normally — many are at their busiest. What closes is the everyday infrastructure:
Banks and government offices shut completely on national holidays, and ATMs can run dry during the long Eid breaks. Shops and markets vary: large malls and tourist bazaars (such as Khan el-Khalili) usually stay open, while smaller local shops may close, especially on the first day of Eid. Restaurants and cafés in tourist areas keep going; during Ramadan (roughly 18 February–19 March 2026) many local eateries close during daylight and burst into life after sunset. Public transport runs on a reduced, sometimes chaotic, schedule around the Eids. Museums and attractions generally remain open but get extremely crowded.
Travel tip: Withdraw cash before a holiday weekend begins, as banks close and busy ATMs empty fast. If you are flying domestically during an Eid, arrive at the airport early — these are the peak travel days of the Egyptian year.
How Egypt’s Public Holidays Compare with UK Bank Holidays
The contrast with the UK is striking. The UK has just eight bank holidays a year on a fixed, predictable pattern; Egypt has around 13 national holidays, several of them moving with the lunar calendar. Take a look at how the two systems differ:
| Feature | United Kingdom | Egypt |
|---|---|---|
| Number of holidays | 8 bank holidays | ~13 national holidays |
| Weekend | Saturday–Sunday | Friday–Saturday |
| Date type | Mostly fixed / Monday-based | Mix of fixed, lunar Islamic & Coptic |
| Weekend roll-over | Substitute Monday | Often shifted to Thursday |
| Longest break | ~4 days (Easter) | 5–6 days (Eid al-Adha) |
If you would like a refresher on the home calendar before you travel, see our full guide to the list of UK bank holidays and our roundup of long weekends in 2026.
Key Cultural Holidays Explained
Sham El-Nessim is Egypt’s oldest celebration and arguably its most charming. Its roots reach back roughly 4,500 years to pharaonic spring festivals, making it older than both Christianity and Islam. Held on the Monday after Coptic Easter (13 April 2026), it is celebrated by all Egyptians regardless of religion: families picnic in parks and along the Nile, dye eggs, and eat feseekh (fermented mullet), spring onions and salted fish.
Coptic Christmas on 7 January reflects Egypt’s large Coptic Orthodox Christian community, one of the oldest in the world. Like Greece and Cyprus, Egypt’s Christians follow the older liturgical calendar, which is why Coptic Easter in 2026 falls on 12 April rather than the Western date — the same Orthodox Easter shared with Greece.
Did you know? Eid al-Adha, the “Feast of the Sacrifice”, commemorates the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son. It coincides with the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and Arafat Day the day before is one of the holiest of the Islamic year. It is the single biggest domestic travel period in Egypt — perfect to witness, but the worst time to need a last-minute hotel.
Planning Your Trip Around Public Holidays
If you want sights at their quietest, avoid the two Eid weeks, when Egyptians flock to Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh and the North Coast and prices climb. If, on the other hand, you want to soak up the atmosphere — decorated streets, festive crowds, special sweets — those same weeks are unforgettable. Ramadan (around 18 February–19 March 2026) is a gentle, reflective time to visit historic Cairo, with spectacular evening iftar meals, though daytime service slows.
For the classic combination of pyramids, a Nile cruise and Red Sea diving, the cooler months of January, February, October and November offer the most comfortable temperatures — and outside the Eids, the best availability. Booking your hotels and tours ahead of any holiday weekend is essential: you can compare accommodation across Cairo, Luxor and the Red Sea on Booking.com, and lock in skip-the-queue pyramid tours, Nile felucca trips and Luxor day trips through GetYourGuide before the dates sell out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays does Egypt have in 2026?
Egypt has around 13 official national public holidays in 2026, mixing fixed national days, lunar Islamic festivals and Coptic Christian celebrations. The exact count varies because Eid periods span several days.
What is the Egyptian weekend?
The weekend in Egypt is Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday. This matters when planning meetings, banking or shopping, as Sunday is a normal working day.
Are the Pyramids open on public holidays?
Yes. The Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum, Nile cruises and Red Sea resorts stay open on public holidays. They are often busier than usual, especially during the two Eids.
When is Eid al-Fitr in Egypt in 2026?
Eid al-Fitr is expected around 20–23 March 2026, marking the end of Ramadan. The precise date depends on the official sighting of the new moon and may shift by a day.
When is Eid al-Adha in Egypt in 2026?
Eid al-Adha is expected to run from about 27 to 30 May 2026, with Arafat Day on 26 May. It is Egypt’s biggest domestic travel period, so book transport and hotels well ahead.
Why does Egypt move some holidays to a Thursday?
Since 2020, Egypt has shifted many mid-week public holidays to a Thursday (sometimes a Sunday) to create a longer Thursday–Saturday break, since Friday and Saturday are already the weekend.
Do banks and shops close on Egyptian holidays?
Banks and government offices close on national holidays. Large malls and tourist bazaars usually stay open, while smaller local shops may shut, particularly on the first day of Eid.
Sources & Last Verified
• Nager.Date — Egypt 2026 (secular national holidays)
• Office Holidays — Egypt 2026 (full list incl. observed dates & Thursday-shift rule)
• Cross-checked with python-holidays library and UK travel-press searches for Islamic and Coptic dates.
Islamic holiday dates are subject to official moon sighting and may shift by a day or two.
Last verified: 29 June 2026
Author: Bank Holidays UK Editorial Team