Egypt is the world’s oldest tourism destination, with a fascinating history dating back to the start of civilisation. The awe-inspiring temples and pyramids of this African kingdom have captivated visitors for thousands of years. Although most visitors come to Egypt to see the historic sites, the country’s natural beauties also entice visitors. Coral reefs and beach resorts are popular along the Red Sea coast. Visitors can find a delightful freshwater spring oasis on a walk through the Sahara.
Tourists have departed Egypt in considerable numbers after the 2011 revolution and continuing counter-revolution. This has opened up the possibility of having unique experiences in Egypt sans the throng. It’s now possible to find yourself alone inside a pyramid.
Hurghada
Hurghada is a vacation town on the Red Sea’s shore, easily accessible from Cairo through a bumpy six-hour bus ride. It is presently one of Egypt’s most popular tourist spots, offering a more popular alternative to Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab. But that’s understandable, given Hurghada’s numerous beaches and pleasant waters.
This famous resort town, which was once a small fishing village, now boasts hundreds of high-end hotels along the seafront, but the emphasis is still on relaxation. This area of the Red Sea is known for its fantastic scuba diving prospects, with beautiful colorful coral reefs just offshore. Other popular watersports include snorkeling, windsurfing, and jet skiing.
Alexandria
Alexandria, Egypt’s second-largest city and most important seaport, is situated on the Mediterranean’s edge. The city, which was founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, was once called the world’s crossroads. Several Egyptian pharaohs, including Cleopatra, controlled Egypt from Alexandria until 30 BC, when the country succumbed to Rome. The city gained a reputation as a center for arts and literature during Roman administration. The city’s Roman Theater is a relic of Alexandria’s Roman era, with beautiful mosaic flooring and marble benches. Today, Alexandria is a dusty seaside metropolis with a population of over 5 million people that is in desperate need of a lick of paint. It’s a faded shadow of its former beautiful cosmopolitan self, but it’s nevertheless worth a visit for its many cultural attractions and historical relics.
In the 14th century, terrible earthquakes destroyed many of Alexandria’s most famous ancient structures, including a library with over 500,000 books. A modern library, completed in 2002, is near the original Library of Alexandria.
Saqqara
Saqqara is the name of an Egyptian settlement, but it also refers to an ancient necropolis with a smattering of huge and smaller satellite pyramids dispersed across a dry desert plateau. Saqqara, which was buried beneath the sand until the 19th century and overlooks the Nile Valley, is currently undergoing extensive restoration.
Saqqara, named for Sokar, the Memphite god of the dead, was the greatest archeological site in Egypt and functioned as a cemetery for the ancient city of Memphis for thousands of years. As a result, it is home to hundreds of intriguing pharaoh and Egyptian royal tombs and burial places. The Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world’s oldest pyramid, is the showpiece of Saqqara. When the gate is open, you can visit the top of this pyramid via a wooden ramp for some of the greatest views of the Nile.
Siwa Oasis
Siwa Oasis, near Egypt’s western border, was culturally isolated from the rest of Egypt until the late nineteenth century. Surrounded by the Egyptian Sand Sea, the Siwan people evolved their own distinct culture and dialect, Siwi, a Berber dialect.
Even centuries ago, the small town was not unknown to the outside world. The oasis became a pilgrimage site after the famed Temple of the Oracle of Amun, which was built in the 6th or 7th century B.C. Alexander the Great was the most famous visitor to seek the oracle’s counsel. Siwa Oasis is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination. Visitors come to Siwa to enjoy the city’s abundant freshwater springs, wander through acres of palm trees, and discover ancient mud-built fortresses and relics from the city’s Greco-Roman past.
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el Sheikh, located near the point of the Sinai Peninsula, is one of Egypt’s most popular vacation cities. Sharm (as it’s commonly known) is a popular package holiday resort with its own airport and warm, deep blue ocean and excellent golden beaches.
But there’s so much more to this quaint fishing community than sunbathing. Sharm el Sheikh, often known as the City of Peace, is one of the top scuba diving destinations in the world, having held numerous international peace meetings. Don’t miss the opportunity to snorkel or dive the spectacular reefs surrounding Tiran Island and Ras Mohammed National Park, which are home to a diverse array of marine life. Despite its popularity as a fly-and-flop destination, those seeking adventure will find it here as well. The city of Sharm el Sheikh, located on the peninsula’s southern point, provides easy access to the desert, where you can visit Bedouin camps and climb Mount Sinai, an ancient biblical site noted for its breathtaking sunrise views.
Dahshur
Dahshur is a little village south of Cairo with some lesser-known, less-crowded pyramids; you won’t find the gigantic lines you’d expect at the Giza or Saqqara complexes here. It was, in fact, a restricted military zone until 1996. Dahshur, like Saqqara, was part of Memphis’ ancient necropolis. In Dahshur, the same king who erected the Great Pyramid built two more full pyramids. Many more pharaohs erected their own pyramids here over the years, totaling 11, but none of them could rival with the originals. The uniquely shaped Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, both built during the time of Pharaoh Sneferu, are highlights (2613-2589 BC). Because it has no stairs or bends, the Red Pyramid (also known as the North Pyramid) is considered Egypt’s oldest real pyramid.
Another site to behold at the base of the Bent Pyramid is Amenemhat III’s Black Pyramid. It isn’t a pyramid at all, but rather a strange-looking mound of dark rock that can’t be explored.
Aswan
Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost metropolis, is another large city located along the Nile River’s banks. However, because of its location and size, it provides a far more relaxing alternative to the larger towns of Luxor and Cairo. Aswan is the starting point for excursions to the temples of Philae and Kabasha, as well as the Sun Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel in the south. Between Aswan and Luxor, it is also the excellent starting place for excursions to the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu. Aswan itself offers one of Egypt’s most enticing landscapes. The Nile’s First Cataract, the first of a series of shallow white water rapids separated by rocky islets that stretches north to Khartoum, is overlooked by granite cliffs. It was formerly the gateway to Africa in ancient Egypt, and now it is home to a substantial Nubian community. The Nubian Museum, which is packed with treasures and relics that were saved from the Nubian flood, can tell you more about these people.
Cairo
With a population of more than 17 million inhabitants, this dusty capital city is one of the world’s most expansive capitals. Cairo is a medieval Islamic metropolis built on the banks of the Nile River, with a perpetually foggy horizon and beige-colored buildings topped with TV satellites. Modern Cairo, which was built near the ancient capital city of Memphis, is a popular starting place for Nile cruises and investigations of the Pyramids of Giza, which are just outside the city boundaries. However, there is plenty to do inside the confines of this massive metropolis. Visitors to the world-famous Egyptian Museum of Tahrir Square can get up up and personal with Tutankhamun’s treasure, as well as mummies and other ancient Egyptian artifacts. The city’s most historic mosques are well worth seeing. The Ibn Tulun Mosque is Cairo’s oldest, dating back to the 9th century when the Fatimids made the city their capital. The magnificent Mohammed Ali Pasha Citadel and Mosque, popularly known as the Alabaster Mosque because of its brilliant white façade, was named after the man who is considered as the foundation of modern Egypt. When you’ve had your fill of Cairo’s historical sights, immerse yourself in everyday life to gain a true sense of Egypt. Embrace the crowds while shopping at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar, smoking shisha with the locals at a local Ahwaz, or taking a breezy felucca tour along the Nile on a classic Egyptian sailing boat to escape the heat of the inner city totally.
Luxor
The New Kingdom developed in Egypt a thousand years after the Great Pyramids were built, and power migrated from the ancient city of Memphis to Thebes in the south, which is now Luxor. Thebes became the country’s cultural and political center after being enriched by gold mined in Nubia’s deserts and transferred to the city on the Nile.
Luxor, Egypt’s second-biggest city, is today recognized as the “world’s largest open air museum” and is one of the country’s most famous tourist destinations. Luxor offers a diverse range of sights and activities, from temples to tombs and all in between. You’ll need a couple of days to do everything justice. The majority of Luxor’s attractions are located on the Nile’s East or West Banks. Karnak Temple, also known as Ipet-isu (‘Most Select of Places’) on the East Bank, is an incredible temple city that took almost 2,000 years to create. Although the entire Karnak complex is divided into four segments, the Temple of Amun is the only one that is open to the public. The temple’s pillared hall is a breathtaking stone forest of 134 columns that reach as high as 21 meters, making it the world’s largest religious building (69 feet). Stroll. Luxor Site, which is magnificently illuminated at night, is a very attractive temple to visit. The West Bank, on the other side of the Nile, is home to the Valley of the Kings, which features many ornate and colorfully-muraled tombs, pits, and burial chambers. Some tombs are included in your entry price, but expect to spend more to see King Tut’s tomb, which is the highlight and where King Tutankhamun’s mummy is laid to rest.
Giza Necropolis
The Giza Plateau is perhaps one of the most well-known places on the planet. Giza, which is located on a desert plateau west of Cairo, is its own city, but it has developed so much in recent years that it feels like another district of the ever-expanding Cairo.
Giza, which was once just a dusty carriage route, is today one of Egypt’s most touristy areas, with fancy hotels, big-name restaurants, massive retail complexes, and pulsing nightclubs. But, most notably, Giza is the neighborhood nearest to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, which is why most visitors to Cairo spend at least a few days in this area. Giza’s three great pyramids were built as tombs for three Egyptian pharaohs: Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Satellite pyramids were built throughout the area as a location to bury their wives and royal family members.
If you’re willing to pay extra, you can visit the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops). Alternatively, you can ride a camel into the desert and snap a shot with all of the pyramids in the backdrop before riding to the Sphinx for the famous tourist photo of the Sphinx kissing the Sphinx. Don’t miss the Pyramids Sound and Light Show if you’re staying near Giza for the night. It’s exactly what it sounds like, but it’s a fun way to see the Great
