By Thessa Lageman | Published on December 6, 2022
Embark on a journey to the oldest tourist destination on earth. Umm al-Dunya, Arabic for "Mother of the World," is what Egyptians call their country. And when you vacation in Egypt, you'll quickly learn why they're so proud. Most people are drawn to its countless monuments to the ancient pharaohs, but Egypt has a lot to offer travelers.
There's a rich array of buildings and artifacts left from the Egyptian civilization that date back to the 4th millennium BC. The pyramids, temples and tombs are among the most exciting places to visit in ancient Egypt, but you'll discover many more points of interest in the country: bazaars, mosques, churches, monasteries, beautiful deserts and lush oases, sandy beaches and even coral reefs teeming with tropical fish.
Places To Visit When Traveling Back In Time To Ancient Egypt
Cruise to Egypt and perhaps start your journey in the north, at the legendary city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean. Alex, as the city is often called nowadays, is Egypt's second-largest city and was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC.
Most of the ancient city has disappeared under the sea. The modern city still retains the Pharos lighthouse, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Julius Caesar accidentally burned the famous library Bibliotheca Alexandrina, an important archive of ancient knowledge, during a war in 48 BC. However, an imposing modern version of the library was built in 2002 with letters, hieroglyphs and symbols carved on the outside wall. Inside, you can attend performances and visit several museums. After you browse the stacks, enjoy the cool sea breeze during a stroll along the Corniche, sip a strong sweet tea in an old café or head to one of the excellent seafood restaurants.
East of Alexandria is Port Said, a cosmopolitan port city with lush public gardens, sandy-hued mosques and European-inspired architecture. You'll want to make sure your cruise stops here, especially if you're a history buff. The northern entrance to the Suez Canal is here, opened in 1869 to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and divide Africa and Asia. Halfway along the canal, you'll sail by the city of Ismailia. In the south is the seaport city of Suez, with its ornate mosques and the towering Suez Canal Bridge.
Now you're nearing the capital Cairo, a megalopolis like no other and one of the most bustling places to visit in Egypt. Because of this, there is a lot of traffic in Cairo, so it's recommended that you hire a car service to navigate, and give yourself plenty of time to get place to place. That said, with so many wonderful things to do in Cairo, it's well worth it.
Al-Qahira, meaning "the Conqueror," is one Arabic name for the city of Cairo, but Egyptians also often call the city Masr, which is the Arabic name for the country as well. A stroll along the Ahl Masr Walkway is a good way to get a feel for this vibrant mega-city while admiring the river with its colorful felucca boats. There are plans to eventually lengthen this new two-level promenade along the Nile Corniche to 54 kilometers (33 miles) which will be a sight to behold.
Take In The Wonder Of The Pyramids And Medieval Monuments
One of the wonders of the ancient world, the pyramids of Giza were built between 2550 and 2490 BC, and are located on the outskirts of Cairo. Here, you can admire the most famous places in ancient Egypt: the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure and also the Sphinx. Known in Arabic as Abu al-Hol ("Father of Terror"), the Sphinx was most likely carved during Khafre's reign as a royal portrait. On your visit here, you can actually enter the three great pyramids with a ticket. Walking inside these huge buildings is an unrivaled experience. If you have more time, explore the surrounding desert plateau, where you'll find tombs, smaller pyramids and temple ruins.
If you want to know more about ancient Egyptian culture, head to the Egyptian museum, a red building on Midan Tahrir in downtown Cairo. The huge collection includes statues of the kings Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure; an extensive collection of mummies, papyri, sarcophagi and jewelry; and the treasures of Tutankhamun and other great pharaohs. Part of the collection will be transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids when the new building is finished.
Cairo's marvels can entertain you for weeks if you have the time. Stroll around the colorful and lively Khan al-Khalili bazaar, dating back to the 14th century. Wander the streets admiring the medieval mosques and the Fatimid and Mamluk monuments, another highlight of cultural tourism in Egypt. It's also worth taking a few hours to explore Coptic Cairo, a part of Old Cairo with many Coptic churches and historical sites. Then, spend an afternoon touring the Citadel of Saladin, built by Egypt's first sultan and hero of the Crusades, which was the seat of government from the 13th to the 19th centuries.
When in Cairo, do as the locals do and indulge in a sweet lemon juice in a café and enjoy the legendary Egyptian sense of humor. Sample some local food like a ta'ameya (falafel made with fava beans), ful medames (a bean stew) or perhaps some koshari (rice, macaroni, lentils, onions and tomatoes).
Locations In Egypt: Navigate Both Sides Of The Nile
Next, continue your trip to Upper Egypt, the south of the country, for an entirely different atmosphere and experience of tourism at locations in Egypt. Luxor, known in antiquity as Thebes, is often called the world's greatest open-air museum because of the array of breathtaking ancient monuments that have survived here.
Karnak, a temple complex that covers more than two square kilometers, was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom. It's located on the east bank of the Nile. Most of the complex was built by the pharaohs of the 18th to 20th dynasties (1570 to 1090 BC), and later pharaohs and early Christians extended and rebuilt the complex. Stroll around the great Temple of Amun-Ra at its heart and marvel at the different types of columns, statues and walls covered in hieroglyphs.
The Avenue of Sphinxes runs for 2.7 kilometers (1.6 miles) between Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple with sphinxes and ram-headed statues lined up on both sides. The road had been buried under the sand for centuries until it was reopened in 2021 after a long renovation period. While traveling in this part of Egypt, make sure you check out Luxor Temple, now standing in the heart of the modern city, which was built by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramses II. Later parts were added by Tutankhamun, Ramses II and Alexander the Great.
On the other side of the Nile is the extraordinary Valley of the Kings. Take a small boat to this west-bank necropolis or "city of the dead," one of the most intriguing locations in Egypt. This royal burial ground for the pharaohs of Egypt's New Kingdom (1539 to 1075 BC) contains 63 tombs decorated with passages from the Book of the Dead. Highlights include the tombs of Ay, Seti I, Horemheb, Ramses III and Ramses VI. The nearby Valley of the Queens contains 90 more royal resting places.
A few miles farther, opposite the Ramesseum temple, are the more than 400 Tombs of the Nobles. Look for the detailed scenes of daily life in Pharaonic Egypt that ancient artists painted on these aristocrats' graves.
Travel Down The Nile In Style
If you've dreamed of visiting Egypt, then sailing on the Nile is a bucket list experience, and for good reason. The Nile River is massive. It starts from Lake Victoria in Uganda and flows 6,650 kilometers (over 4,100 miles) until it eventually ends in the Mediterranean Sea at the small town of Rosetta near Alexandria. The city of Aswan is a great place for stepping onboard a felucca sailboat, as the Nile River is at its most beautiful and widest here, with large black-granite boulders and many small palm-studded islands. A short felucca trip can bring you to the Philae temple island, built to honor the goddess Isis, or to one of the Nubian villages like Elephantine Island.
Or you can book a longer felucca trip to the archeological wonders farther north and watch life unfold in the villages on the small strip of fertile land, surrounded by the vast desert. You can probably imagine why Greek historian Herodotus referred to Egypt as "the gift of the Nile" when he visited in the 5th century BC.
Aswan is also a great base to visit the Abu Simbel temples, two massive rock-cut temples overlooking Lake Nasser and one of the most spectacular places to visit in ancient Egypt. The Great Temple of Ramesses II and the temples of Hathor and Nefertari were carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC. Both temples were relocated here in 1968 to save them from the rising waters during the creation of Lake Nasser after the building of the Aswan High Dam.
Vacation To Egypt's Past And Present
If you're taking a cruise vacation to Egypt, you'll embark at the northern cities of Alexandria or Port Said in the Mediterranean Sea, or at Port Safaga, a small harbor town south of Hurghada on the Red Sea coast. There's so much to see in this corner of the world, and the Ultimate World Cruise can take you there. This 274-night journey takes you to more than 60 countries and 11 world wonders (including the Pyramids of Giza) but can also be booked in segments, so you can explore the Middle East and Mediterranean in one go.
Eypt is such a wonderful country, and traveling there is a privilege, so it's important to be mindful of the cultural customs of Egypt before you go. While packing for your cruise to Egypt, throw in some lightweight long-sleeved shirts, pants and a shawl or scarf to cover your shoulders and head, especially if you plan to go inside a pyramid or a mosque.
Rihla saida, as they say in Egypt — have a nice trip! And remember: It's said that if you drink from the Nile, you'll be bound to return one day.
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