7 WORLD TRAVEL
7 WORLD TRAVEL
Things To Do
7 WORLD TRAVEL
Best Things to Do in Egypt
With most Egypt itineraries, sightseeing at the temples and tombs is definitely going to take up a lot of your time, but Egypt has plenty of things to do beyond its Pharaonic-era tourist attractions.
With its abundant sea life and colorful corals, the Red Sea is one of the best places to visit in the world for scuba diving, while the Sinai Peninsula and the Western Desert provide plenty of scope for adventure travel activities such as camping, desert 4WD touring, and camel riding.
Meanwhile Egypt’s most iconic thing to do while here is taking a trip up or down the Nile, which combines viewing the highlights of Ancient Egypt’s vast history with a scenic cruise.
Find out about the best activities to add into your trip with our list of the top things to do in Egypt.
The Giza Pyramids & Sphinx
The Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are some of the most iconic landmarks in the world. They are located on the Giza Plateau on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The Great Pyramids are the oldest and largest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They were built as tombs for the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest pyramid and the only one of the Seven Wonders that is still standing today. It is 481 feet (147 meters) tall and is made up of over 2.3 million stone blocks.
The Sphinx is a giant limestone statue of a reclining lion with the head of a pharaoh. It is believed to have been built by Khafre and is thought to represent him. The Sphinx is 240 feet (73 meters) long and 66 feet (20 meters) high.
The Great Pyramids and the Sphinx are a testament to the engineering skills and architectural genius of the ancient Egyptians. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
Here are some additional facts about the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx:
- The Great Pyramids were built over a period of 20 to 30 years.
- The exact method used to build the pyramids is still unknown, but it is believed that they were built using ramps and levers.
- The Sphinx was originally covered in a layer of polished white limestone, but this has since eroded away.
- The Great Pyramids and the Sphinx are aligned with the stars.
- The Great Pyramids are still being studied by archaeologists and scientists.
Egyptian Museum
A treasure trove of the Pharaonic world, Cairo’s Egyptian Museum is one of the world’s great museum collections. The faded pink mansion in downtown Cairo is home to a dazzling number of exhibits.
It’s a higgledy-piggledy place, with little labeling on offer and chronological order severely lacking. Instead every corner you turn here is home to some wonderful piece of ancient art or statuary, which would be the highlight of any other museum.
The museum’s star collection is the haul of golden treasures unearthed from Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Travelers should note that the Egyptian Museum’s swag of riches is in the process of being transferred to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, near the pyramids, which is tentatively due to open (after years of delays) in November 2022.
The GEM will finally provide this world-class collection with a worthy showcase, and the entirety of Tutankhamen’s treasures, many of which have been kept in storage for years, will finally be completely on display.
Cruise the Nile from Aswan to Luxor
The southern Nile Valley (Upper Egypt) between Luxor and Aswan is the most popular stretch of the Nile for a cruise for obvious reasons.
It is both home to the most famous of Egypt’s grand riverside temples (Kom Ombo and Edfu), which make for easy stops along the journey, and the best rural Nile-side scenery, with the lush green thread of fertile fields and date-palm-lined riverbanks giving way to orange sand dunes beyond.
A normal Nile cruise along this route includes sightseeing in Luxor and Aswan making this an easygoing and comfortable way to tour that showcases the best of southern Egypt.
For a longer itinerary, there is also the option to cruise between Cairo and Luxor, or all the way down to Aswan.
The northern section of the Nile has far fewer sailings, but if your primary aim on your Egypt trip is to take in as many of Ancient Egypt’s sights as possible, but still do it in comfort, this is an excellent option.
Dive the Red Sea
Before Sharm el-Sheikh became a favored winter sun destination for northern Europeans, it was primarily known for its scuba diving. Although far more visitors now arrive here looking for the simple pleasures of sun and sand, the diving in the Red Sea here is still first-rate.
Egypt’s Red Sea is scattered with world-class dive sites, but two of the most famous dive destinations are easiest reached from Sharm el-Sheikh. Ras Mohammed National Park and the Straits of Tiran offer divers an undersea experience complete with vibrant corals, abundant sea life, and wrecks to explore.
If you’re in Sharm specifically to dive, you may want to forgo the large luxury resorts and instead stay at one of the smaller dive-focused hotels, where services are totally arranged around your diving.
Explore Aswan
- Abu Simbel Temples: These two temples were carved into the rock by Ramses II in the 13th century BC. They are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Egypt and were relocated in the 1960s to save them from being submerged by the waters of the Aswan High Dam.
- Philae Temple: This temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis and was originally located on the island of Philae. It was also relocated in the 1960s to save it from the rising waters of the Aswan High Dam.
- Unfinished Obelisk: This is an unfinished obelisk that was being carved out of a single block of granite when it was abandoned. It is one of the largest obelisks ever created and is located on the east bank of the Nile River.
- Nubian Museum: This museum houses a collection of artifacts from Nubia, a region that was submerged by the waters of the Aswan High Dam. The museum exhibits artifacts from ancient Nubia, as well as from the Nubian people who live in the area today.
- Elephantine Island: This island is located in the Nile River and is home to a number of ancient temples and ruins. It is also a good place to learn about the history of Nubia.
- Aswan High Dam: This dam was built in the 1960s to control the flooding of the Nile River and generate hydroelectric power. It is one of the largest dams in the world and has had a significant impact on the economy and environment of Egypt.
- Sunset Cruise on the Nile River: This is a popular way to see the sunset over the Nile River. The cruise typically includes dinner and live music.
These are just a few of the many things to see and do in Aswan. With its rich history and natural beauty, Aswan is a truly special place.
Explore Cairo
Explore Cairo is a tour company that offers a variety of tours of Cairo, Egypt. They offer tours of the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, and other historical and cultural sites in Cairo. They also offer tours of the Old City of Cairo, the Islamic Cairo, and the Coptic Cairo.
Explore Cairo is a locally owned and operated company that is committed to providing its customers with a unique and authentic experience of Cairo. Their tours are led by experienced guides who are passionate about sharing their knowledge of Cairo with visitors.
Here are some of the tours offered by Explore Cairo:
Pyramids and Sphinx Tour: This is the most popular tour offered by Explore Cairo. It takes visitors to the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Valley Temple of Khafre.
- Old City of Cairo Tour: This tour takes visitors to the Old City of Cairo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to a number of historical and cultural sites, including the Al-Azhar Mosque, the Khan al-Khalili bazaar, and the Coptic Cairo.Islamic Cairo Tour: This tour takes visitors to Islamic Cairo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to a number of mosques, madrasas, and other Islamic monuments.
- Nile River Cruise: This is a relaxing way to see the sights of Cairo from the Nile River. The cruise typically includes dinner and live music.
If you are interested in learning more about Cairo, go to check our tour programs to Cairo or kick here.
Alexandria
Explore Alexandria is a locally owned and operated company that is committed to providing its customers with a unique and authentic experience of Alexandria. Their tours are led by experienced guides who are passionate about sharing their knowledge of Alexandria with visitors.
Here are some of the tours offered by Explore Alexandria:
- Alexandria City Tour: This tour takes visitors to the most important historical and archaeological sites in Alexandria, including the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, the Citadel of Qaitbay, and the Royal Library of Alexandria.
- the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a modern library that is a major center of learning and culture.
- Alexandria Museum, which houses a collection of artifacts from the ancient city.
- Alexandria citadel:
The Citadel of Qaitbay is a medieval castle located on the eastern tip of Pharos Island in Alexandria. It was built by the Mamluk sultan Qaitbay in the 15th century to defend the city from the Crusaders. The citadel is a large, imposing structure with high walls and numerous towers. It is one of the most important castles in the Mediterranean, spanning an area of about 2 hectares.
The citadel was built on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th century, and the citadel was built using some of the stones from the ruins.
The citadel has a long and eventful history. It has been used as a prison, a military base, and a royal residence. It was also used as a refuge for the Egyptian royal family during the French invasion of Egypt in the 18th century.
Today, the citadel is a popular tourist destination. It houses a small naval museum, but it is also worth a visit to explore the inside of the fortress and imagine the huge structure that once stood on its foundation. The peninsula leading to the citadel is also a popular area with fishermen and families alike.
Saqqara
Everyone’s heard of Giza’s Pyramids, but they’re not the only pyramids Egypt has up its sleeve. Day-tripping distance from Cairo, Saqqara is a vast necropolis of tombs and pyramids that was utilized during every era of pharaonic rule.
It’s best known for its Old Kingdom Step Pyramid, which shows how the architects of Ancient Egypt advanced their engineering knowledge to finally create a true pyramid shape.
There’s much more to see beyond the Step Pyramid, though, with some of the surrounding tombs, such as the Mastaba of Ti, showcasing some of the finest tomb paintings you’ll see in the country.
Nearby, the pyramid site of Dahshur is home to the Red Pyramid and Bent Pyramid, which should be included on any Saqqara visit.
Explore Luxor
- Karnak Temple: This is the largest religious complex in the world, and was dedicated to the god Amun-Ra. It is located on the east bank of the Nile River.
- Luxor Temple: This temple was built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II and is located on the east bank of the Nile River. It is dedicated to the gods Amun-Ra, Mut, and Khonsu.
- Valley of the Kings: This is the necropolis of the New Kingdom pharaohs and is located on the west bank of the Nile River. It is home to the tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and many other pharaohs.
- Temple of Hatshepsut: This temple was built by Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh of Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River.
- Colossal of Memnon: These are two giant statues of Amenhotep III, located on the west bank of the Nile River.
- Medinet Habu: This is a mortuary temple complex built by Ramses III. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River.
- Luxor Museum: This museum houses a collection of artifacts from ancient Egypt, including a replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is located on the east bank of the Nile River.
These are just a few of the many things to see and do in Luxor. With its rich history and ancient treasures, Luxor is a must-visit destination for any traveler interested in Egypt.
Explore the Red Sea resorts and island scapes.
In the depths of the Northern Hemisphere winter, Egypt’s beaches have become a welcome escape for European families seeking blue skies and easygoing fun.
The Red Sea coastline surrounding the towns of Hurghada and El Gouna, as well as the beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh in South Sinai, attract droves of sunseekers from around November to March.
All have plenty of resort choice, from vast mega-resorts dedicated to family-friendly beach vacations to smaller boutique-style resorts marketed as romantic breaks.
Choose Hurghada or El Gouna if you want to be within day-tripping distance of the temples and tombs of Luxor. In Hurghada you can also find an assortment of all-inclusive resorts to make your beach trip that much more enjoyable.
Sharm el-Sheikh is the top choice for keen divers who want to explore the dive sites of Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran.
Hike up Mt Sinai
The most famous hike in Egypt, to the summit of Mt. Sinai (Gebel Mousa), can be achieved by anyone with a decent level of fitness.
There are two main trails up to the peak. The Camel Trail is a wide switchback trail up the slope and is the most popular route. As its name suggests, you can hire a camel (at the start of the trail) to take you most of the way up if you don’t want to walk.
The Steps of Repentance is a steeper staircase of 3,750 rough-cut stone steps and was laid out by a monk from St. Catherine’s Monastery. The mountain views are astounding along the way, and there are far fewer people tackling this route, so it’s much more peaceful.
The typical guided tour from Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab tackles the mountain to get to the summit for sunrise. For a quieter experience (where you could likely be the only people on the mountain) in the cooler months, come independently and hike during the day.
The White Desert
White Desert National Park is where you come to experience one of Egypt’s most surreal landscapes.
The wind-sculpted chalk rock outcrops of White Desert National Park are the Western Desert region’s most surreal landscapes and prime territory for desert camping trips under star-strewn skies.
Trips can be organized in Bahariya Oasis, which is also the easiest oasis to reach from Cairo.
A typical White Desert itinerary stops at several sites within the national park. These normally include Crystal Mountain (an outcrop made entirely from quartz), an area where the smaller white rock formations have been eroded into fantastical shapes, and the part of the park where some of the more dramatic and tall chalk towers loom over valleys of sand.
After touring the White Desert, visitors bed down for the night within the park. At sunset and sunrise, the white rock spires and formations take on apricot tones. If you can time your trip for full moon, the light cast over the white rock here during the night is beautifully eerie.
Most White Desert camping tours also stop at the Black Desert, either on the way to or from the White Desert. Here, there are great photo opportunities of the rock-pitted plateau if you scramble up to the summit of Gebel Az-Zuqaq.
Kiteboard or Wakeboard in El Gouna
Just north of Hurghada, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, the purpose-built resort town of El Gouna has become a major water sports center.
Near constant winds offshore mean El Gouna is prime territory for kiteboarding and now several operators in town offer kiteboarding lessons, kiteboarding equipment rental, and kiteboarding vacation packages that include all accommodation and several days of instruction, or safari trips to prime kiteboarding locations along the coast.
For wakeboarders, the opening of Sliders Cable Park in the south of town has made El Gouna a world-class wakeboarding destination.
This Olympic-standard park offers wakeboarding instruction for beginners, as well as providing plenty of jumps and obstacles along the cable course to keep intermediate and advanced wake-boarders occupied.
Cruise Lake Nasser to Abu Simbel
When people say they’re taking a cruise in Egypt, they’re typically talking about the Nile, but Lake Nasser is an alternative cruising option.
Created by the filling of the Aswan High Dam, Lake Nasser stretches for 510 kilometers south from Aswan and into Sudan, through the heart of what was Ancient Nubia.
For historically minded travelers, a Lake Nasser cruise is all about exploring the scatter of temples and ruins along the lake’s shore. Nearly all the surviving monuments here were moved to their current positions during the 1970s UNESCO-funded project, which saved them from being submerged by the dam’s rising waters.
The highlight of a Lake Nasser cruise is approaching and viewing the shorefront Temples of Abu Simbel from the water.
Hot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor
Luxor’s west bank, with its temples and monuments set between a patchwork of lush farming fields and small villages, is one of the world’s great historic landscapes, and a hot air ballooning ride here offers a unique perspective over the riches below.
You’ll need to get up early, as hot air balloon rides only lift off at sunrise, but the early start is worth the wake-up call for the soft morning light, which is the best for photography.
During the flight, you’ll be able to view the West Bank’s landscape in total, with the sinuous curves of the Nile River bordering it to the east, and the looming orange-hued escarpment, which hides the famed royal tombs of the Pharaonic era, to the west.
Read More: Best Hot Air Balloon Rides in the World
Explore the Thistlegorm Wreck
There are plenty of wrecks off the Red Sea coast to explore but the most famous is the Thistlegorm.
This World War II cargo ship, filled with supplies to aid Allied forces fighting in the Western Desert, was bombed by the Germans and sunk in 1941.
The wreck was located by famed French diver Jacques Cousteau in 1956, but as he didn’t disclose its location, it was only in the mid-1990s, when it was rediscovered, that the site was opened for recreational diving.
Although it is possible to day trip to the site by boat, due to the travel time, the best way to dive here is by liveaboard (overnight boat trips), which allow you more time at the site.
A typical one-night liveaboard Thistle Orm trip includes two dives at the site, allowing ample opportunity to explore the ship’s interior and exterior.
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7 World Travel
7 World Travel is an online travel agency that specializes in creating fully programmed holiday packages to Egypt. We cater to travelers of all ages and interests and focus on forming groups of like-minded individuals for a memorable group holiday experience.
Many travelers struggle to plan and organize their trips to Egypt, as it requires extensive research, coordination, and local knowledge. Existing solutions, such as traditional travel agencies or DIY planning, have shortcomings in terms of limited customization, lack of group experiences, and difficulty in finding like-minded travelers.