Recently updated on October 29th, 2024 at 06:19 pm
When it comes to the best things to do in Egypt, the answers are seemingly obvious: pyramids, pharaohs and, of course, the Sphinx. While those are some must-see Egyptian icons, that’s not all there is to this magnificent country. Though you’re never far from historic sites, there are also local markets, national parks, and stunning coastlines to visit, not forgetting to experience the wonderful local hospitality.
To give us some expert advice on the best things to do in Egypt, Travel Director and Egyptologist Hazem is on hand. Here are some of his top recommendations, along with a few of our own.
17 best things to do in Egypt
Abu Simbel Temples
Prepare to feel dwarfed by the Abu Simbel temples, built as royal tombs to Ra-Horakhty, Amun and Ptah, the latter a deified version of Ramses himself. Four gigantic statues of Ramses II guarding the Great Temple: “The colossal statues of the pharaoh outside the temple represent the might of his reign,” Hazem tells us. Once you pass the entrance, you reach the sanctuary which houses the four deities. The temple was built with such precision that on two days a year, the 22nd of February and 22nd of October, the sun’s rays enter the temple, cross the main hall, and illuminate the innermost statues. Explore the interiors, which are decorated with art and hieroglyphics.
Read more: Travel Director Patrizia shares her experience as a woman travelling solo in Egypt
Grand Egyptian Museum
The Grand Egyptian Museum, affectionately known as the GEM, began construction in 2014 but is billed for a grand opening in late 2024. Luckily, it’ll be worth the wait. “The GEM contains over 100,000 antiquities from Ancient Egypt including a 3,200-year-old sculpture of Rameses II,” Hazem says. The GEM is the world’s largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilization, boasting the full Tutankhamun collection in one place for the first time – that’s around 5,300 pieces. Once complete, the museum will take the crown of the world’s largest museum from The Louvre in Paris, covering 90,000 square meters of a 50-hectare site.
Saqqara (Sakkara)
Head around 18 miles (30km) south of Cairo and you’ll find Saqqara (Sakkara), the largest archaeological site in the country and burial place (or necropolis) for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. It’s also home to Egypt’s oldest pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, which Egyptologists estimate took around 20 years to build back in around 2650 BC. The site also features a small sphinx and a few other pyramids.
Philae Temple (Temple of Isis)
The Temple of Isis is sat on the tiny island of Philae in the middle of the River Nile, though it wasn’t originally built there – it was relocated from its old UNESCO World Heritage Site, Agilkia Island, when flooding threatened to damage it. The temple was built during the reign of Ptolemy II (Egypt’s Greco-Roman Period) and dedicated to three important gods and goddesses: Isis, Osiris, and their son Horus. Inside the temple, its walls are adorned with hieroglyphics depicting scenes from Egyptian mythology – namely Isis bringing Osiris back to life, giving birth to Horus, and mummifying Osiris after his death.
Learn a local craft
On a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience on our Best of Egypt tour, you’ll be mesmerised by the intricate art of Egyptian carpet weaving as you meet the skilled artisans of a local weaving school. This ancient and traditional craft is one of the oldest in the country, and only few schools have been safeguarding the traditional weaving methods on wooden looms, using silk and cotton, and natural dyes. More than carpets, they come to life as unique works of art.
Visit the Valley of the Kings
“The Valley of the Kings contains more than 63 royal tombs of pharaohs from the New Kingdom, and was once called the ‘Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh’,” Hazem tells us. The Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous examples of the underground mausoleums of ancient Egypt, found on the banks of the Nile near Luxor. During Egypt’s New Kingdom (1539–1075 BC), the kings began concealing the tombs in a valley sunk deep into the mountain, to protect the safety of the tombs. The Valley of the Kings became a royal burial ground for pharaohs such as Tutankhamun and Ramses II, alongside other ancient elites like queens and high priests. On a Trafalgar Egypt tour, you’ll visit the Valley of the Kings with a trained Egyptologist like Hazem, so you’ll have all the facts and figures on hand as you explore this ancient tomb.
Dive into Ras Muhammad National Park
Around 20km west of Sharm El Sheikh you’ll find the Ras Muhammad National Park, on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. It’s not just travelers that flock to the area, making the most of some of the area’s best diving and snorkeling, but storks migrate through the region too – sometimes as many as 10,000 at a time, between August and October. Besides the pristine waters and coral reefs, you’ll also find a diverse landscape of mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and desert to explore.
Walk among history in Tahrir Square
If you want to stand in the center of Cairo’s history, then you must visit Tahrir Square. Found in downtown Cairo, the square became a focal point for the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. Protestors occupied Tahrir Square for 18 days, from 25th January to 11th February, demanding this resignation of President Hosni Mubarak (which eventually came in the February). But that wasn’t the last time the square saw political activism; it’s been the site for many other protests, including those against the military government that took power after Mubarak’s resignation, and the 2013 Egyptian coup d’état. Tahrir Square isn’t a place for quiet reflection, however. It’s full of hustle and bustle, with blaring horns, street food vendors, and tea houses.
Cruise the Nile
As the longest river in the world, measuring a staggering 4,150 miles (6,680 kilometers) from end to end, the Nile isn’t just an Egyptian landmark, but also a brilliant transport system. It runs through key cities like Cairo and Aswan, as well as through the Sahara desert, before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria. With a Trafalgar tour to Egypt you’re treated to a 7-night Nile cruise, where you can watch the ever-changing scenery from the comfort of your cabin.
Swim off Careless Reef
For the avid divers, head to Careless Reef, found in the open waters of the Red Sea about an hour from Hurghada. Excellent visibility paired with caves and overhangs make this the perfect place to marvel at colorful corals, and spot the local reef sharks and other big fish. If you’re lucky, you might even catch sight of turtles, dolphins, rays and octopus.
Walk among Karnak Temple
It’s easy to feel small while ticking off some of the best things to do in Egypt, and that theme continues when you visit the magnificent Karnak Temple. Walk among a forest of columns in the largest temple complex known to man, and learn all about the significance of it from a trained Egyptologist while on tour with Trafalgar. Karnak is on the same side of the Nile River as Luxor Temple, visit key areas such as the enormous Hypostyle Hall, the Sacred Lake, the Temple of Khonsu, and Ramesses III Chapel.
Sightsee in Aswan
One of the sunniest places on Earth, Aswan was once Egypt’s southern frontier and gateway to the rest of Africa. Today it is a laid-back, modern city, most known for its High Dam, Nubian villages and the Philae Temple. On tour with Trafalgar you’ll also visit an Aswan women’s co-operative. With a mission to ensure a garbage-free world, they are using waste and natural material like bamboo or palm trees to create fine handicrafts, while the organization provides a hub of support for over 300 women who may live in poverty or suffer from loneliness, and want to become financially independent.
Read more: We sent one of our staff on an Egypt tour. Here’s why, and what they learned
Get to know the locals
On our Wonders of Ancient Egypt guided tour, you’ll get to experience the renowned local hospitality of Egyptians during a Be My Guest experience. On the banks of the Nile your hosts, the El Boerey family, will share their stories about family life in a typical Luxor village as you savor a local culinary tradition of warm mint tea and freshly baked local bread with honey.
Get lost in Khan El-Khalili Bazaar
Soak up the atmosphere of the souk in Khan el Khalili, a medieval open-air bazaar. You could come only for its incredible architecture, but it’s also brimming with historic mosques, cafes and endless mazes of colorful shops. Look out for the Naguib Mahfouz cafe, named after Nobel Prize for Literature winner in 1988.
Gaze across Giza Plateau
Lay eyes on some of the most iconic Egyptian landmarks of all time at the Giza Plateau, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Here you can find the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, the largest in Giza and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, and the Great Sphinx. There are actually 9 pyramids at the Giza Plateau, and you can venture inside any of them to see the chambers where the pharaohs were sent to meet their gods in the afterlife.
Marvel at the White Desert
Travel just a few hours from bustling Cairo, and you’ll find yourself in an almost lunar landscape; the white desert. Here you’ll witness some of the most unique rock formations in the world, formed by centuries of erosion and sandstorms, while the striking white colour is due to the calcium in the rock. A particularly well-known formation is known as ‘chicken and mushroom’, for obvious reasons – though what you see in the rock is totally subjective.
Read more: The Trafalgar guide to shopping in Egypt: what to buy and where to find it
Get lost in Edfu Temple
One more temple for good luck! Learn the history of Egyptian gods as you walk through the Edfu Temple, found in the city of Edfu on the west bank of the Nile. The temple was constructed between 237 and 57 BC, and is dedicated to the god Horus, who was worshiped as the patron deity of Edfu. Covering 40,000 square meters there’s lots to see, from the main temple building, made up of a series of interconnected halls and chambers, to the sacred lake where priests would bathe to purify themselves before serving the deity.
Raring to start ticking off the best things to do in Egypt yourself? Discover them on a Trafalgar Egypt tour.