A Treasure Trove of Travel Tips to Egypt

Luxor, Egypt

Egypt could possibly be the most mysterious destination on the planet, and it had been on my bucket list for years! Between the Nile, the Red Sea, Alexandria, Cairo, and pyramids that date back to 2500 BC, there’s so much history and culture to experience so let’s go!

Cairo, Egypt

First up the bustling metropolis of Cairo. It’s easy to feel safe here if you stick to old Cairo, this was my favorite part of the city. With the desert heat and noisy streets this place can be overwhelming to some. As with any big city beware of scams and crazy street vendors. If you can look past this you can get lost in it’s many backstreets and street side shops. Wherever your day takes you, watch the sunset from Al-Azhar Park to get a stunning view of Old Cairo. It is one of the most picture-perfect views of the city. It feels like you’re in the movie Aladdin. From here you are only a 20 minute bus ride to the freaking Great Pyramids of Giza. Shall we?

Giza, Egypt

In terms of bucket list locations, this has to be up there for many and it certainly did not disappoint. I suggest leaving Cairo early to head to Giza. While it’s normally only a short ride, traffic in the city can be unpredictable so plan accordingly. I was lucky enough that the hoards of tourists had already left to go back to their hotels so I had the whole complex all to myself in the afternoon. Plan to spend at least 2 hours wandering this majestic place and be sure to take a moment and soak up what it would have been like over 2,000 years ago!

Abu Simbel, Egypt

Good morning! Today we embark on what has to be my favorite part of the trip. Waking up early I headed to the Cairo airport for a quick flight to Abu Simbel. Sitting on the bank of Lake Nasser is one of Egypt’s most striking monuments. Built over 3,000 years ago, the temples have stood the test of time. The colossal stone statues that grace the facade are Pharaoh Ramses II's attempt to achieve immortality. Today, visitors crane their necks in disbelief at the behemoth temples just as the pharaoh's subjects would have when the temples were first raised. After this spiritual experience, I headed back to the airport for a quick flight to Aswan to begin my cruise up the nile.

Aswan, Egypt

Arriving in Aswan, a small town nestled on the banks of Nile, we begin our cruise to Luxor and the Valley of The Kings. It was once the gateway to mysterious land of Nubia where products like gold, ivory and incense were exchanged for cloth, grain, beer and other manufactured goods. Relaxing on the riverboat deck with a cocktail in hand we are headed north.

Luxor, Egypt

If Egypt is the historic center of the world, then Luxor would be the crown jewel. Luxor is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, but that comes nowhere near adequately describing this extraordinary place. As the capital of the New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt, Luxor has an almost overwhelming concentration of relics in a truly poetic setting. The Niles flows between the town center and the necropolis, backed by the imposing mountains of the West Bank. In contrast to the mayhem in Cairo, this place feels like a small sleepy town with many historical treasures. It’s easy to get completely swept away by the rich history and charm of Luxor. It is also home to the famous Valley of the Kings, perhaps the most interesting monument of Egypt. 

The valley lies on the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor, it’s the final resting place of pharaohs, rulers of ancient Egypt. The magnificent tombs were built in the valley in the desert to prevent thieves from taking the valuables left in them. The most famous of these are Tutankhamun, commonly referred to as King Tut. Archaeologists thought the last burial chamber in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings had been discovered before Howard Carter opened the unsullied tomb of the pharaoh in 1922. Tut ruled Egypt for only a decade, from 1332 to 1322 B.C., and died around age 19. Untouched by looters before its discovery, the tomb’s dazzling golden artifacts captured the public’s imagination and made him one of Egypt’s most famous and intensively studied mummies. Worth the expensive admission, this is a must visit.

Alexandria, Egypt

Often overlooked due to its proximity to Cairo, the last stop on my tour is the ancient city of Alexandria. Situated on Egypt’s northern Mediterranean coast and founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria was once one of the greatest cities in the world. For centuries, not only was Alexandria one of the most strategic places in north Africa, it was also a great center of learning; its library was considered to be the keeper of all the world’s knowledge, and its monumental lighthouse was subsequently named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. But the passage of time has not been kind to Alexandria and, over the centuries, foreign invasion, fire, earthquake and neglect have taken their toll and much of the city’s grandeur, including the great library and lighthouse, is lost.

The city underwent a revival in the late 19th century and early part of the 20th century when scribes and authors were once again drawn to Alexandria. In fact, the city was rather cosmopolitan with ex-pats and foreign visitors making up around twenty per cent of the population. Modern-day Alexandria is a bustling port city with Greco-Roman landmarks, old-world cafes, and sandy beaches. Egypt’s second-largest city feels much less frenetic than Cairo, perhaps in part due to its waterfront location on the Mediterranean coast. Don’t miss this vibrant city.

Packing my bags for my flight home, I was overwhelmed with what I experienced on this journey. Travel can be totally transformative and this trip was something I had dreamed about since i was child. Reach out today to plan your life-changing trip!