Egypt, the ancient Pharaohs’ home, is a holiday destination rich with beautiful temples and tombs that awe those who visit. Yet, it is not all historical riches and tourist attractions.

There are various activities for all types of travellers, including 4WD experiences in the desert, diving in the Pink Sea’s world-class coral reefs and wrecks, and cruises on the legendary Nile River.

Beach goers may flock to Sinai or the Pink Sea Coast to soak up the rays, and archaeological lovers may spend the day in Luxor.

Cairo is the megalopolis that cannot be matched for city lovers, whereas Siwa oasis and the southern city of Aswan provide a taste of the country’s slow pace.

With so much to see and do, Egypt allows tourists to build itineraries that combine tradition, adventure, and leisure all in one trip.

Plan your sightseeing and find the best places to visit with our list of the top tourist attractions in Egypt.

Giza Pyramids

The Pyramids of Giza, the last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, are one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.

These tombs of the Pharaohs Cheops (Khufu), Chephren (Khafre), and Mycerinus (Menkaure), guarded by the enigmatic Sphinx, have awed visitors throughout the ages and are usually high on most visitors’ lists of vacationer sights to see in Egypt, and are frequently the first sight they head to after landing.

As we speak, perched on the outskirts of Cairo’s sprawl, these megalithic memorials to ineffective pharaohs remain an awe-inspiring sight and a must-see on every Egypt trip.

Nile Cruise

The Nile defines Egypt. A multi-day trip on this famous river that saw the beginnings of the Pharaonic period is a highlight of many tourists to Egypt.

Cruising the Nile can also be probably the most enjoyable option to see the temples that stud the banks of the river on the route between Luxor and Aswan, plus dawn and sundown over the date-palm-studded river banks, backed by sand dunes, is certainly one of Egypt’s most tranquil vistas.

The 2 well-known sights on a Nile Cruise are the Temple of Kom Ombo and Edfu’s Temple of Horus, the place all the massive cruise boats cease.

When you’d want a much less crowded and slower expertise, although, and do not thoughts “roughing it” a bit, you can too cruise the Nile by felucca (Egypt’s conventional lateen-sailed wood boats), which additionally lets you create your personal itinerary.

The huge quantity of cruise boat itineraries depart from both Luxor or Aswan, however feluccas can solely be chartered for multi-day journeys from Aswan.

Luxor

Famed for the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, and the Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut, the Nile-side city of Luxor in Higher Egypt has a glut of vacationer sights.

That is historic Thebes, the ability base of the New Kingdom pharaohs, and residential to extra sights than most can see on one go to.

Whereas Luxor’s East Financial institution holds the trendy metropolis, with its vibrant souq; the 2 temples of Karnak and Luxor; and the museum; the West Financial institution‘s lush farmland and barren cliffs are the place the overwhelming majority of Luxor’s tourist attractions sit, with so many tombs and temple sights that it has been known as the most important open-air museum on this planet.

Spend a number of days right here exploring the colorful wall artwork of the tombs and gazing in awe on the colossal columns within the temples, and you will see why Luxor continues to fascinate historians and archaeologists.

Aswan

Egypt’s most tranquil city is Aswan, set upon the winding curves of the Nile. Backed by orange-hued dunes, that is the proper place to cease and unwind for a number of days and absorb the chilled-out ambiance.

Take the river ferry throughout to Elephantine Island and stroll the colorful streets of the Nubian villages.

Journey a camel to the desert monastery of St. Simeon on the East Financial institution. Or simply drink limitless cups of tea on one of many riverboat eating places, whereas watching the lateen-sailed feluccas drift previous.

Be certain that to leap aboard a felucca at sundown to sail round Aswan’s islands. That is by far, Aswan’s hottest exercise and probably the most enjoyable manner to soak up the native sights.

There are many historic websites right here and quite a few temples close by, together with Philae Temple on its island, however certainly one of Aswan’s most popular things to do is just kicking again and watching the river life go by.

Abu Simbel

Even in a rustic festooned with temples, Abu Simbel is one thing particular. That is Ramses II’s nice temple, adorned with colossal statuary standing guard exterior, and with an inside sumptuously embellished with wall work.

Justly well-known for its megalithic proportions, Abu Simbel can also be identified for the unimaginable engineering feat carried out by UNESCO within the Sixties, which noticed all the temple moved from its authentic setting to reserve it from disappearing beneath the rising water of the Aswan dam.

As we speak, exploring Abu Simbel is simply as a lot about admiring the triumph of this worldwide effort to avoid wasting the temple complicated as it’s about gaping in marvel at Ramses II’s awe-inspiring constructing works, itself.

Pink Sea Diving and Snorkelling

Under the Pink Sea’s floor is one other world as fascinating because the temples and tombs on land.

The coral reefs of the Pink Sea are famend amongst scuba divers for each the smooth corals on show and the huge quantity of sea life, starting from vibrant reef fish and nudibranchs to sharks, dolphins, turtles, rays, and even dugongs.

For divers, probably the most well-known city to base your self in is Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula, closest to the reefs of Ras Mohammed Nationwide Park, in addition to the reefs of the Straits of Tiran.

To dive the websites of the Straits of Gubal head to Hurghada or El Gouna on the Pink Beach, whereas superior divers ought to try the resort of Marsa Alam, the closest base for diving Egypt’s “deep south” dive websites.

In addition to fish life and coral, the Pink Sea is a serious wreck-diving vacation spot. Probably the most well-known wreck is the Thistlegorm, a British WWII cargo ship that was on its option to resupply Allied troops when it was bombed by the Germans in 1941.

As we speak the location is regarded by divers as one of many high 5 wreck dives on this planet as a result of huge cargo of vehicles, motorbikes, and WWII memorabilia that may be seen each scattered on the ocean mattress across the wreck and contained in the ship itself.

Dive boat journeys to the wreck are organized from each Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada.

Mosques In Cairo

The atmospheric, slim lanes of the capital’s Islamic Cairo district are crammed filled with mosques, madrassas (Islamic faculties of studying), and monuments relationship from the Fatimid via to the Mameluke eras.

That is the place you may discover the labyrinth purchasing souk of Khan el-Khalili, the place coppersmiths and artisans nonetheless have their tiny workshops, and stalls are laden with ceramics, textiles, spice, and fragrance.

Surrounding the market is a muddle of roads, house to a number of the most lovely preserved structure of the outdated Islamic empires.

There’s a wealth of historical past right here to discover. Go to Al-Azhar Mosque and the dazzling Sultan Hassan Mosque, and be sure you climb to the roof of the traditional medieval gate of Bab Zuweila for the most effective minaret-speckled panoramas throughout the district.

Sinai Mountain, St. Catherine’s Monastery and Seashores

One of many oldest monasteries on this planet, St. Catherine’s stands on the foot of Mount Sinai, amid the desert mountains of the Sinai Peninsula, the place Moses is alleged to have acquired the Ten Commandments.

This desert monastery is house to an unimaginable assortment of spiritual iconography, artwork, and manuscripts (a few of which might be seen within the on-site museum), in addition to the burning bush.

For many guests right here, a trip to St. Catherine’s additionally entails a hike up Mount Sinai to see dawn or sundown.

Take the camel path for the simple route, or climb the well-known Steps of Repentance in order for you higher views.

Egypt’s South Sinai area, on the Sinai Peninsula, presents a seaside for each kind of traveller.

Sharm el-Sheikh is a European-style resort city packed filled with luxurious accommodations, worldwide eating places, and baggage of leisure choices. A favorite with Europeans on winter-sun holidays, most of the resorts right here cater to households on one- or two-week sun-and-sand breaks.

Dahab is a low-key seaside city with a budget-traveller coronary heart, which is simply as a lot about desert excursions and adventures as the ocean. It is notably identified for its low cost dive-package offers and for its lagoon seaside space the place windsurfing and kitesurfing are the highest exercise.

Up the coast, between the port city of Nuweiba and the border city of Taba, are the bamboo hut retreats that provide full get-away-from-it-all respites from life and back-to-basics seaside life.

Saqqara

Everybody’s heard of Giza’s Pyramids, however they don’t seem to be the one pyramids Egypt has up its sleeve.

Day-tripping distance from Cairo, Saqqara is an enormous necropolis of tombs and pyramids that had been utilized throughout each period of pharaonic rule.

It is best identified for its Outdated Kingdom Step Pyramid, which reveals how the architects of Historical Egypt superior their engineering information to lastly create a real pyramid form.

There’s way more to see past the Step Pyramid, although, with a number of the surrounding tombs, such because the Mastaba of Ti, showcasing a number of the most interesting tomb work you may see within the nation.

Close by, the pyramid website of Dahshur is house to the Pink Pyramid and Bent Pyramid, which ought to be included on any Saqqara go to.

Egyptian Museum

A treasure trove of the Pharaonic world, Cairo’s Egyptian Museum is one of many world’s nice museum collections. The light pink mansion in downtown Cairo is house to a blinding quantity of displays.

It is a higgledy-piggledy place, with little labelling on supply and chronological order severely missing, however that is half of its old-school attraction.

The museum’s two spotlight collections are the haul of golden treasures unearthed from Tutankhamen‘s tomb within the Valley of the Kings and the fascinating Royal Mummies exhibit room.

Each nook you flip right here, although, is house to some great piece of historic artwork or statuary that may kind a spotlight of every other museum.

Siwa Oasis

Sitting in isolation, within the western nook of the Western Desert, Siwa is the tranquil tonic to the hustle of Egypt’s cities.

This beautiful little oasis, surrounded by date palm plantations and quite a few hot-water springs, is among the Western Desert’s most picturesque spots.

Siwa city is centred across the ruins of an enormous mud-brick citadel, often called the Fortress of Shali, which dominates the view, whereas numerous temple remnants, together with the Temple of the Oracle the place Alexander the Nice is alleged to have come to obtain recommendation, are scattered all through the broader oasis space.

It is a high spot to wind down and go gradual for a number of days, in addition to being a wonderful base from which to plan adventures into the encircling desert.

Alexandria

Alexandria has a historical past that not many others can match.

Based by Alexander the Nice, house of Cleopatra, and razzmatazz renegade metropolis of the Mediterranean for a lot of its life, this seafront metropolis has an interesting days-gone-by ambiance that may’t be crushed.

Though as we speak, there are few historic remnants of its illustrious previous left to see, Alexandria’s lengthy seafront Corniche street resulting in its fort (sitting on the location the place its well-known historic lighthouse as soon as sat) stays a favorite summer time vacation spot to seize cooling sea breezes for Egyptians and overseas guests alike.

Underwater archaeological tasks right here have imbued Alexandria’s museums with attention-grabbing displays. The trendy Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a recent interpretation of Alexandria’s famed historic library, and the handful of historic sights on the town embody an atmospheric catacombs website.

White Desert

Egypt’s kookiest pure marvel is White Desert Nationwide Park, out within the Western Desert, simply south of Bahariya Oasis.

Right here, surreally formed chalk pinnacles and large boulders loom over the desert plateau, making a scene that appears like icebergs have discovered themselves stranded amid a panorama of sand.

This extremely scenic atmosphere appears like one thing out of a science fiction film and is a favourite vacation spot for 4WD desert journeys and in a single day tenting, that are each best organized in Bahariya Oasis.

For desert followers and adventurers, that is the last word bizarre playground, whereas anyone who’s had their fill of temples and tombs will get pleasure from this spectacular pure surroundings.