As the famous saying goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. Well, it’s the most wonderful time of winter at least. There’s just something about the month of December that is heartwarming and cheerful. Streets are decorated with bright and pleasant Christmas decorations, people partake in Secret Santa buying gifts for each other, old Christmas movies that remind us of the good old days are playing non-stop on TV (think “Home Alone” for instance), and the list goes on and on.
Celebration is an integral part of the DNA of Egyptian culture, and Christmas and New Year’s Eve are simply no exceptions to that. So, in this article we shall discuss the top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year that really capture the holiday season spirit.
ZED Park
When it comes to the top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year, ZED park is one of the few places that instantly comes to mind. Bright lights, Carnival rides, live concerts and exhibition, ZED park has got it all. It’s like stepping into a Christmas movie, if you visit during Christmas.
ZED park is basically a world class amusement park that has something for everyone in terms of areas of interest as well as age group. From exciting rides that mainly target thrill seekers to more mellow ones that are more suited for families with kids. If you’re not into rides though then perhaps you’d be interested in attending any of the concerts that take place there all year round but especially during Christmas and New year’s. If neither of those interest you, then you’d probably want to explore the plethora of dining options on offer serving all kinds of different cuisines from all over the world.
And you get to enjoy all of that while walking through its beautiful walkways which would be brimming with Christmas lights and decorations during that time of year.
Located at Sheikh Zayed, ZED Park is most definitely among the top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year.
Walk of Cairo (WOC)
Also located at the heart of Sheikh Zayed is the famous “Walk of Cairo” which is basically a one-kilometer pedestrian wonderland and is also Egypt’s first ever “high street” location. Walk of Cairo is designed in a manner that makes it comparable to other international high street locations such as Champs-Élysées and Oxford Street.
It offers a wide range of dining experiences which includes 5 new international restaurants which made their Egypt debut in Walk of Cairo. In addition to dining, it also offers world class shopping outlets, most of which are associated with the biggest brands in the fashion world. When it comes to entertainment, there is no shortage of that either with weekly events taking place at the Amphitheatre. If you’re in the mood for some physical action though, you can check out the outdoor super trampoline and unleash your inner child. Now if all that still doesn’t sound at least intriguing to you, then perhaps you’d be interested in passing by the Peacock sanctuary or the museum of illusion.
Now imagine all of that but add to it Christmas vibes, music and decorations. When it comes to the top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year, Walk of Cairo is a very serious contender for top spot.
Galleria 40
A relatively older location compared to the previous 2 entries on our list, Galleria 40 (also located at Sheikh Zayed) is a high end mall complex that has been around for quite some time now. Being relatively old does not mean Galleria 40 doesn’t have much to offer though, make no mistake.
Galleria 40 is one of Cairo’s premium high end mixed-use properties which offers a plethora of options for dining, nightlife bars and café’s as well as offering an exquisite shopping experience.
Galleria 40 takes holidays quite seriously and if you visit during December, you can instantly feel the Christmas spirit once you step with all the Christmas decorations on display and the famous Christmas songs blasting through the mall’s speakers creating a cheerful and warm atmosphere.
That’s why Galleria 40 ranks high among the top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year.
Korba
Not a mall or a park but an actual neighborhood located in the heart of Heliopolis, Cairo. Korba -putting it simply- is one of the liveliest and most vibrant neighborhoods in the entirety of Cairo and part of its charm lies in its simplicity. Forget the ultra-fancy setting normally associated with high end Mall complexes, amusement parks or high streets. Korba is all about the actual and raw city experience with its classic unique architecture buildings, noisy streets and countless shops, café’s, bars and restaurants.
Korba rarely sleeps and is always busy with masses of people walking around almost 24/7. Walking around Korba provides a sense of warmth and tranquility with all the lights hung along the streets and on the different buildings, the smell of delicious food which fills the air and the non-stop background chatter of all the people walking around or sitting around in cafés and restaurants that have out-door areas.
When it’s Christmas or New year’s though, multiply all that by at least a hundred. It is certainly one of the top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year.
Hyde Park
One of New Cairo’s main attractions when it comes to Christmas and New Year’s, namely Hyde Park’s very own HydeOut Christmas town! This year is no different with HydeOut Christmas town’s 3rd edition taking place from the 22nd of December till the 8th of January.
HydeOut features an actual Christmas market which is quite similar to those you would normally find wandering the streets of Europe during Christmas. The market would usually include various vendors selling a diverse set of products. Those would range from natural products such as honey and green food to Christmas souvenirs, Christmas cookies and gingerbread moving on to hot chocolate, hot dogs and burgers, just to name a few.
Then there’s also daily live entertainment as well as carnival games in addition to truly impressive Christmas decorations with giant candy canes, a snow globe all over the place and of course a humongous Christmas tree among many other things which serve as a perfect backdrop for taking memorable family photos.
Last but not least, HydeOut is hosting a kids’ winter camp from the 24th to the 28th of December as well as from the 31st of December to the 4th of January which is sure to be an amazing experience for your little ones.
We highly recommend considering Hyde Park’s HydeOut for top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year.
Jingle Jam Carnival – Cairo Festival City
Last but most certainly not least, we’ve got Cairo Festival City’s 3rd edition of its Jingle Jam Carnival (known as Jingle Jam Vol.3).
Jingle Jam quite simply captures the Christmas spirit in the most magical of manners where it seems that the entirety of Cairo Festival City is transformed into a winter wonderland overnight.
There is no shortage of fun Christmas activities such as carnival rides and games suitable for both children and adults alike. Then of course you’ve got the shopping bazaar where you can buy all sorts of products and Christmas treats. You can also watch the impressive drum parades which wander throughout the compound. Not to mention the countless kids’ activities for your little ones such as Christmas tree decoration activities and Kids play zones among many others.
You get to experience all of that while gazing at the mesmerizing Christmas lights and decorations, not to mention the countless beautiful Christmas trees on full display scattered all over the place.
Jingle Jam Vol.3 starts on the 21st of December. When considering top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year, Jingle Jam Vol.3 is an event you probably won’t want to miss.
With that, we conclude our article discussing the top places to visit in Egypt during Christmas and New year.
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