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A country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs.
Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza’s colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor’s hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs.
Home of the ancient Pharaohs, Egypt is a destination full of dazzling temples and tombs that wow all who visit. It’s not all historic treasures and tourist attractions, though. With vast tracts of desert for 4WD adventures, the Red Sea’s world-class coral reefs and wrecks for divers, and cruising on the famed Nile River, there are plenty of things to do for all types of travelers.
With a fascinating history that reaches back to the dawn of civilization, Egypt is considered the oldest travel destination on earth. The African nation’s awe-inspiring temples and pyramids have captured the imagination of travelers for thousands of years.
Beach lovers head to the Sinai or the Red Sea Coast to soak up the sun, while archaeology fans will have a field day in Luxor.
Luxor’s Temples & Tombs
It Is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city today known as Luxor and was constructed approximately 1400 BCE.
Famed for the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, and the Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut, the Nile-side town of Luxor in Upper Egypt has a glut of tourist attractions.
This is ancient Thebes, power base of the New Kingdom pharaohs, and home to more sights than most can see on one visit.
Luxor’s east bank is home the modern city, with its vibrant souq; the two temples of Karnak and Luxor; and the museum. The west bank’s lush farmland and barren cliffs are where the vast majority of Luxor’s tourist attractions sit, with so many tomb and temple sights that it has been called the biggest open-air museum in the world.
Spend a few days here exploring the colorful wall art of the tombs and gazing in awe at the colossal columns in the temples, and you’ll see why Luxor continues to fascinate historians and archaeologists.
Hurghada
Hurghada is a beach resort town stretching some 40km along Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
It’s renowned for scuba diving, and has numerous dive shops and schools in its modern Sekalla district.
You can easily reached the place via a bumpy six-hour bus ride from Cairo. It offers a more popular alternative to Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab and is now one of Egypt’s most-visited tourist destinations. But that’s understandable, as there’s plenty to love about Hurghada with its many beaches and warm waters.
There are many restaurants, bars and nightclubs, while the old town, El Dahar, is home to traditional Egyptian coffee shops and souks.
Once a simple fishing village, this famous resort town has hundreds of high-end hotels along the seafront, yet the focus is still mainly on relaxation. This section of the Red Sea is renowned for its excellent scuba diving opportunities, with gorgeous colorful coral reefs to discover just offshore. Other watersports, like snorkeling, windsurfing, and jet-skiing, are just as popular.
Valley of Kings
Luxor was the site of the ancient city of Thebes and is one of the most popular Egypt tourist spots. Hailed as the world’s largest open-air museum, Luxor is best known for the Valley of Kings that houses rock-cut tombs of ancient pharaohs. Famous ancient kings such as Tutankhamun and Amenhotep were buried here. Although there are about 63 tombs that have been excavated, only a small number is open to tourists. Tutankhamun’s tomb, called the KV62, has a separate entry charge. One of the most haunting places to see in Egypt for sure! This is amongst the famous places in Egypt.
White Desert National Park
the White Desert Protected Area, is a national park in Egypt, first established as a protected area in 2002.
If there is one unique thing you should do in Egypt, it is to see the White Desert. Giant white chalky rock formations jut out of the desert landscape creating an incredible scene.
Brought on by erosion, these powdery mounds create the illusion of massive mushrooms, eagles and turkeys, and even one that looks like a camel. Having a true Bedouin experience, we camped out under the stars surrounded by standing stones.
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is a site definitely not to be missed. This breathtaking monument is accessible by road or a short flight and is best visited early in the morning. It was built by Ramesses II in ancient Nubia, where he wished to demonstrate his power and divine nature. Four colossal 20 meters high statues of the monarch sit in pairs flanking the entrance.
The Nile River, The Heart Of Egypt
Among the major tourist attractions in Egypt, the Nile takes center stage. It has been the reason behind the rise of the Egyptian civilization and continues to nurture the great nation to this day. A cruise on it is necessary for those visiting the country. The river defines Egypt and all that it holds. It is also the best way to watch the ancient civilization it once was. The riverbank between Luxor and Aswan is dotted with ancient temples, and the sunset and the sunrise are also equally mesmerizing. The Temple of Kom Ombo and Edfu’s Temple of Horus are two of the main attractions while on the river cruise.
Pyramids of Giza
The last surviving wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza are one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.
Having awed travelers down through the ages, these tombs of the Pharaohs Cheops (Khufu), Chephren (Khafre), and Mycerinus (Menkaure), guarded by the enigmatic Sphinx, are usually top of most visitor’s lists of tourist attractions to see in Egypt and often the first sight they head to after landing.
Today, sitting on the desert edge of Cairo’s sprawl, these megalithic memorials to dead pharaohs are still as wondrous a sight as they ever were and an undeniable highlight of any Egypt trip.
Saqqara
An Egyptian village in Giza Governorate, that contains ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis.
The name Saqqara refers to an Egyptian village, but more importantly, an age-old necropolis with a scattering of both large and smaller satellite pyramids spread across a dusty desert plateau. Buried beneath the sand overlooking the Nile Valley until the 19th-century, Saqqara has since been undergoing a significant restoration process.
Named after Sokar, the Memphite god of the dead, Saqqara served as a cemetery for the ancient city of Memphis for thousands of years and is the largest archeological site in Egypt. As such, it’s home to hundreds of fascinating tombs and burial sites for pharaohs and other Egyptian royals.
The highlight of Saqqara is the Step Pyramid of Djoser – the oldest pyramid on Earth. You’ll find some of the best views of the Nile from the top of this pyramid, accessible via a wooden ramp when the gate is open. Try one of the many doors and explore any that are unlocked – you never know what kind of mysteries lie behind them. The Pyramid of Teti with its fascinating Pyramid Texts and the Mastaba of Ti with its incredible reliefs are two more must-sees.
Dahab
A small Egyptian town on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, approximately 80 km northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Once an isolated coastal village, Dahab turned into a hippie hangout in the 1980’s and became something of an “alternative resort”, mixing cheap accommodation with a laid back lifestyle. Activities such as wind surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and camel and jeep trips make it one of the most popular destinations along the Red Sea.
Islamic Cairo
The Islamic Cairo district in the capital of Egypt is filled with medieval mosques, monuments, and madrassas, and is one of the foremost Egypt tourist attractions. The Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan is an impressive example and visible reminder of the Islamic heritage of this beautiful city. If you delve deep into the part near the walled city, you can also find workshops and artisan families that have worked there for a millennium, making it one of the best places to visit in Egypt 2022.
Siwa Oasis
The Siwa Oasis is an urban oasis in Egypt between the Qattara Depression and the Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert, 50 km east of the Libyan border, and 560 km from Cairo.
Siwa takes you far off the beaten path near the border of Libya. In the middle of the Siwa Oasis is an 13th century walled fortified town built by mud brick and rock salt. It is in ruins today, but a tour through the abandoned buildings is a highlight of any trip to Egypt. It is here that there is plenty of desert adventures from dune buggy rides to sand boarding.
Alexandria
Alexandria is a Mediterranean port city in Egypt. During the Hellenistic period, it was home to a lighthouse ranking among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as well as a storied library. Today the library is reincarnated in the disc-shaped, ultramodern Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Egypt’s second-largest city feels as Mediterranean and cosmopolitan as Marseille or Athens. Known for its époque buildings and grand squares it was once a very fashionable city. Although it charms have faded a little, it’s still a must-see destination in Egypt.
For peace and quiet head for the regal Montazah Palace Gardens or for your history and architecture fix try Citadel of Qaitbay, an impressive looking 15th-century fortress. Alternatively, choose one of the many antique coffee houses and sip coffee and puff on a water pipe while looking out over the Mediterranean sea.
Aswan
A city on the Nile River, has been southern Egypt’s strategic and commercial gateway since antiquity. It contains significant archaeological sites like the Philae temple complex, on Agilkia Island near the landmark Aswan Dam.
Aswan is Egypt’s southernmost city, the gateway to Africa and Abu Simbel, Egypt’s most impressive temple. Due to its location near the border with Sudan and an ancient trade route between Egypt and Africa, the city is home to a large African Nubian community.
The Nubians have their own values and traditions, and live in the city as well as in villages located on Aswan’s islands. Aswan is located on the first cataract of the Nile – the furthest south it is easy to navigate the river by boat. It has served as a ‘frontier’ town for thousands of years and there is plenty to see and do in the near vicinity.
Cairo
Cairo, Egypt’s sprawling capital, is set on the Nile River. At its heart is Tahrir Square and the vast Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities including royal mummies and gilded King Tutankhamun artifacts.
The capital of Egypt is not just that but much more. A major part of the capital city reflects the embedded Islamic culture that is so intrinsic to the inhabitants. Old Islamic Cairo is a place to visit, crammed with narrow lanes, ancient madrasas, and mosques. Khan el-Khalili is the labyrinthine shopping souk that grabs eyeballs for the wares it sells. Shops sell anything from ceramics, tiles, perfumes to textiles at exciting prices. There are tiny workshops that can be visited by inquisitive travelers to understand more about the culture. The Al Azhar Mosque and the Sultan Hassan Mosque are some of the main tourist attractions in Egypt Cairo has to offer. Ancient Egypt tourist attractions are a dime a dozen, but Cairo also gives a glimpse of the medieval ages. It is also a place that illustrates what is Egypt most famous for other than simply pyramids, an ancient culture dipped in modernity, warm and friendly. There are other main tourist attractions in Cairo Egypt, but that’s for you to discover.
Diving the Red Sea
The Red Sea is one of the most popular dive destinations in the world and rightly so.
Below the Red Sea’s surface is another world as fascinating as the temples and tombs on land.
The coral reefs of the Red Sea are renowned among scuba divers for both the soft corals on display and the vast amount of sea life, ranging from colorful reef fish and nudibranchs, to sharks, dolphins, turtles, rays, and even dugongs.
For divers, the most famous town to base yourself in is Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula, closest to the reefs of Ras Mohammed National Park, as well as the reefs of the Straits of Tiran.
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el Sheikh is one of the most popular resort towns in Egypt, located at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula. With its warm, deep blue water and great golden beaches, Sharm (as it’s affectionately called) is a popular package holiday destination with its own airport.
But this old fishing village has so much more to offer than simply sunbathing. Nicknamed the City of Peace after the countless international peace talks that have been hosted here, Sharm el Sheikh is one of the best scuba diving spots in the world. Don’t miss the chance to snorkel or dive the extraordinary reefs around Tiran Island and Ras Mohammed National Park, home to some astonishingly colorful marine life.
Egyptian Museum
Home to at least 120,000 items of ancient Egyptian antiquities, the Egyptian Museum is one of Cairo’s top attraction. There are two main floors of the museum, the ground floor and the first floor. On the ground floor there is an extensive collection of papyrus and coins used in by the ancient Egyptians. On the first floor there are artifacts from the final two dynasties of Ancient Egypt and also many artifacts taken from the Valley of the Kings. Highlights include the objects from the Tomb of Tutankhamen and the Royal Mummy Room containing 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times.
Citadel of Saladin
The Citadel of Cairo or Citadel of Saladin is a medieval Islamic-era fortification in Cairo, Egypt, built by Salah ad-Din and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers.
One of the many places in ancient Egypt to be declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the citadel was built by the famous Ayyubid ruler Saladin to protect the Cairo and Fustat (the first Egyptian capital under the Caliphate) against Crusaders. The huge fortification is lined by several watchtowers and houses several stunning mosques and the Well of Joseph inside. The Al-Naseer, Sulayman Pasha and the Al Gawhara Palace museum are three places that are a must for Egypt sightseeing tours in Cairo.
