EGYPT · TRAVEL GUIDE
Key Facts
- —Film festival Cairo International Film Festival runs Wednesday, 11 to Friday, 20 November 2026.
- —Pyramids race Giza Plateau race: 5K on Friday, 11 December; 10K and half marathon Saturday, 12 December.
- —Museum tickets The Grand Egyptian Museum sells tickets only at tickets.gem.eg; check the foreign adult price at checkout.
- —Holidays No Egyptian public holiday is known for November or December; Coptic (Orthodox) Christmas is Thursday, 7 January 2027.
- —Visa and advisory The online e-visa costs US$30 single entry; US State Department advisory pages differ on Level 2 or 3, so check before you book.
- —What it means for you Book the e-visa at least 7 days ahead and check the live US advisory before you pay for anything.
No Egyptian public holiday is known before Coptic Christmas. Its winter calendar is full of festivals and races.
- Nile cruise: a boat trip along the river between Luxor and Aswan in southern Egypt.
- E-visa: an entry permit you buy online from the Egyptian government before you fly.
- Travel advisory: the US State Department’s four-level warning scale, from Level 1 to Level 4, “Do Not Travel”.
- Giza Plateau: the desert site outside Cairo that holds the Great Pyramids.
No Egyptian public holiday is known for November or December 2026, so winter trips revolve around festivals and races. The main dated events are a film festival from Wednesday, 11 November and a Pyramids race on 11 and 12 December.
US visitors need an e-visa, which the government portal prices at US$30 for one entry. The US State Department, Washington’s foreign ministry, shows conflicting levels for Egypt, so check its live advisory before you book.
The Winter Season at a Glance
Egypt’s clocks go back at the end of October, and the country then sits at UTC+2. From Sunday, 1 November it is 7 hours ahead of US Eastern time.
The Egyptian pound traded at about EGP 56.09 per US$1 on 28 October, the rate used in this guide. Museum hours differ by weekday, so check them before you go.
Cairo International Film Festival, 11 to 20 November
The festival’s own website lists the 47th Cairo International Film Festival for Wednesday, 11 to Friday, 20 November 2026. It lists a Cairo Industry Days programme, a New Wave programme and an extended reality strand called Cairo’s XR.
The pages read name no screening venues. Ticket prices and the sales channel had not been published there either.
The Cairo International Jazz Festival lists Thursday, 5 to Saturday, 7 November 2026 on its official site. The site does not name a venue or show prices, so check its ticket page before you plan around it.
Both events fall after US clocks go back, so Egypt is 7 hours ahead of New York. Check each organiser’s page, because programmes can change.
Grand Egyptian Museum Tickets and Hours
The Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza pyramids sells tickets only at tickets.gem.eg, which calls itself the only official ticket website. This guide could not confirm the current foreign adult price at the museum or Egypt’s tourism ministry, so read it at checkout.
On Sunday to Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, the complex opens 8:30 am to 7:00 pm, with galleries 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. On Wednesday and Saturday, it stays open to 10:00 pm, with galleries to 9:00 pm.
The last entry is one hour before the galleries close. Tickets are single-entry, non-transferable and non-refundable, according to the museum’s booking site.
Bags larger than 40 by 40 centimetres go to storage, and flash, tripods, selfie sticks and drones are banned. Some free or discounted categories exclude Fridays and public holidays, so check eligibility first.
Pyramids Half Marathon, 11 and 12 December
The Pyramids Half Marathon takes place on the Giza Plateau on Friday, 11 December and Saturday, 12 December 2026, its organisers say. The 5K runs on Friday, and the 10K and 21.1K half marathon run on Saturday.
The organisers say the race pack includes access to the Giza Pyramids complex and the required Tourism Police permit. Runners must collect it at the official race expo before the event.
Registration fees, the closing date and the start times were not confirmed at the organiser. Read them on the official sign-up page before you plan flights.
A further race follows in January: the 34th Egyptian Luxor Marathon is on Friday, 8 January 2027 at Hatshepsut Temple. Its organiser lists fees from EUR 80 (about US$89) for international runners.
Nile Cruises Between Luxor and Aswan
A Nile cruise is a boat trip along the river between Luxor and Aswan in southern Egypt. This guide found no official season calendar, fare list or boat count, so treat claims about peak months as unconfirmed.
Compare operator terms carefully, and confirm the boarding port, the included meals and the temple entry fees in writing. Ask whether a change of cabin or itinerary is allowed before you pay a deposit.
Holidays and Closures
No Egyptian public holiday is known for November or December 2026, but no official cabinet list was found. The Danish embassy’s closing list, which mixes Danish and Egyptian holidays, shows none either.
Coptic Christmas, celebrated by Egypt’s Orthodox Christians, falls on Thursday, 7 January 2027. Egypt’s prime minister can announce a paid holiday at short notice, as he did for Sinai Liberation Day in April.
Check the prime minister’s announcements in the days before any date you rely on. This guide did not confirm whether 25 December is a day off.
Getting There From the US
US citizens need a passport valid for six months and an e-visa, priced at US$30 for one entry. Multiple entries cost US$65, and the portal says to apply at least 7 days before departure.
Pay by card on the government portal, and print the approval, which the portal lists among entry requirements. This guide did not verify US flight routes, so confirm them with your airline.
Agree taxi fares before you start any ride. Read the State Department advisory again a few days before you fly.
Safety and Costs
The State Department’s pages disagree on Egypt’s overall level, so check the live advisory before you book. Its advisory page shows Level 3, “Reconsider Travel”, while a US embassy alert of 29 March 2026 says Level 2.
Both pages say “Do Not Travel” for Northern and Middle Sinai and parts of the Western Desert. The advisory page adds border areas and gives terrorism as its reason for Level 3.
Importing any drone into Egypt is banned, and photographing police stations or military barracks is illegal. Egyptian law treats dual US-Egyptian nationals as Egyptian citizens, which limits what the US embassy can do if they are detained.
Only one amount here needs conversion: the Luxor Marathon fee of EUR 80 (about US$89). Rates used are EGP 56.09 per US$1 and EUR 0.897 per US$1, as of 28 October.
What It Means for You
If you plan a winter trip, buy the e-visa early and book museum tickets on the official site. Check the price at checkout, because this guide could not confirm the current foreign adult fee.
If you want a Nile cruise, compare operator terms in writing before you pay a deposit. Add the film festival or race only after checking each organiser’s ticket page.
What Is Not Known
The Cairo film festival’s screening venues, ticket prices and programme were not on the organiser’s pages read. The Cairo Jazz Festival’s venue and ticket prices were also not published on its official site.
Registration fees, the closing date and the start times for the Pyramids Half Marathon were not confirmed at the organiser. No official Nile cruise season dates, fares or number of operating boats were found at a government source.
The current foreign adult price at the Grand Egyptian Museum was not confirmed at the museum or the tourism ministry. No cabinet list of 2026 holidays was found, and the State Department’s pages disagree on Egypt’s level.
Related Coverage
Read the Cairo International Film Festival guide and the Pyramids Half Marathon guide. The Grand Egyptian Museum ticket story covers museum admission.
See what to do in Cairo in November and the Egyptian Luxor Marathon guide. The Egypt visa guide, the Cairo city page and the Egypt news hub give more background.
Frequently Asked Questions
What public holidays does Egypt have in November and December 2026?
No Egyptian public holiday is known for November or December, though no cabinet list was found. Coptic Christmas is Thursday, 7 January 2027.
When is the Cairo International Film Festival 2026?
The festival’s website lists Wednesday, 11 to Friday, 20 November 2026. Venues and ticket prices were not published on the pages read.
How much does the Grand Egyptian Museum cost for foreigners?
This guide could not confirm the current foreign adult price at the museum or the tourism ministry. Buy only at tickets.gem.eg, the museum’s official website.
Is Egypt safe for US visitors?
The State Department’s pages disagree: its advisory page shows Level 3, while a March 2026 embassy alert says Level 2. Both say Do Not Travel for Northern and Middle Sinai; check the live advisory before you book.
Sources: Cairo International Film Festival; Cairo International Jazz Festival; Grand Egyptian Museum ticketing site; Pyramids Half Marathon; Egyptian Marathon Events; Egypt e-visa portal, fees; Egypt e-visa portal, application rules; US State Department, Egypt travel advisory; US State Department, Egypt country information; US Embassy Cairo security alert, 29 March 2026; Cairo Governorate portal; Royal Danish Embassy in Egypt, official holidays; open.er-api.com (all accessed 29 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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