Visiting Egypt needs to be on the top of your destination list and it shouldn’t just be Cairo. Of course, seeing the beautiful Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx is certainly one of the highlights of the trip, but other areas of Egypt like Luxor and Aswan hold plenty of beauty and history, as well.  Whether you want to have a culinary focus, spend all your time diving into the history behind the temples and tombs, experience adventure, or include a little bit of everything, countless adventures await you in Egypt. 

Cairo 

Along the Nile River, holding some of the greatest artifacts and historical landmarks, is Cairo. The city is filled with everything from statues, temples, tombs, and pyramids dating back to the 26th century BC, in addition to an amazing culinary scene.

Marriott Mena House, Cairo

Splurge while in Cairo to get a room with a view. Marriott properties are a fantastic option because  guests can earn Marriott Bonvoy points for future stays, in addition to receiving comfortable rooms and luxury amenities. The rooms are clean, modern, and spacious, some with views of the Pyramids from the property. There’s a pool to cool off in after exploring, a gym, and a spa to enjoy a treatment while in Cairo. 

Downtown Cairo

Explore the city for the evening to try some of the famous street food in Cairo. Look for dishes like aish baladi, shawarma, koshari, sausage & liver, hawawshi, and feteer to try.

Visit Giza Pyramids 

When in Cairo, you’re there for one big reason; to visit the Giza Pyramids. A trip to Egypt just wouldn’t be complete without seeing the pyramids. You can enjoy camel rides nearby or even go inside the Great Pyramid, and crawl into the center. The Great Sphinx of Giza is another important site while in Cairo. The famous statue has the body of a lion and a human head, quite impressive to see in person.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo

After seeing the Pyramids and the Sphinx, spend some time in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It has a wide range of collectibles and artifacts to discover. One of the main attractions to the museum are two royally preserved mummies that still have their eyelashes, eyebrows, hair, and more intact allowing onlookers to still be able to tell what they looked like while alive. It’s truly unbelievable, so be sure to stop by the Tomb of Yuya and Thuya to see them in person. Yuya was a noble buried in the Valley of the Kings with his wife Thuya.

The couple were parents to Queen Tiye and Anen. The royals had a little more attention when going through the mummification process, which is why their bodies were preserved for so long. 

Luxor

After seeing the sites in Cairo, take a short flight to Luxor towards the southern end of Egypt. The area is known for holding some stunning temples and royal tombs like the Karnak Temple, the Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, and the Valley of the Queens.

Steigenberger Nile Palace, Luxor

Right along the Nile, with beautiful views of the river and a pool overlooking the water, is the Steigenberger Nile Palace. Aside from the rooms being sizable and comfortable, some rooms have terraces to watch the sunset along the river from. The property has taxi boats available for guests to use on the Nile, as well. 

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Taking a hot air balloon ride in Luxor needs to be on your list. Along the west bank of the river, guests can take a water taxi over to the balloon launch site where they will be up in the sky in time to see the sunrise over the river with companies like Salem Balloons Luxor. You’ll be soaring over beautiful temples and sites like the Valley of the Queens. It’s really a beautiful ride and something special to do during your time here in Luxor.

See the Sites

While in Luxor, you will definitely want to visit some of the special sites within the city. Valley of the Kings is full of tombs that once held important individuals like nobles and pharaohs within the New Kingdom. The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut was built when Pharaoh Hatshepsut was in power and is an architectural wonder from ancient times.

The Avenue of the Sphinxes is the connector between the Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple and the Tombs of the Nobles once held some of the most important, powerful people.

Aswan 

For your last stop in Egypt, take a 3 ½ hour drive from Luxor to Aswan, another city along the Nile River. Aswan is the landing point to see some important sites like the Abu Simbel temples, visit a local Nubian Village for spices and tea, and travel to the Nile Island. When traveling to Aswan by road, stop along the way to see sites like The Temple of Horus at Edfu and to learn about the chief god, Horus. 

Sonesta Nouba Hotel Aswan

When in Aswan, book a stay at The Sonesta Nouba Hotel Aswan. The hotel has 45 guest rooms, perfectly designed, embracing the Nubian architectural style with pops of bright colors and private terraces overlooking the Nile. There’s delicious food right on site, so you can just relax and enjoy the room and the accommodations.

Nile Island 

Explore along the Nile to visit a local family learning about their farm life in Egypt. It’s a sustainable lifestyle, fishing and using products from animals and crops that they have on their land. We had a lovely lunch of stuffed pigeon, fresh vegetables, and tea after taking a walk through the banana trees in the farm. Locals were so gracious, and willing to welcome us into their home as part of the tour set up by Great Wonders Of Egypt.

Exploring a Nubian Village

Guests can also explore a local Nubian Village in Aswan during their stay. After a scenic boat ride out to the village, visitors will exit the boat to step onto Nagaa Suhayl Gharb in Egypt, a traditional village, where there is art and colorful houses with bright designs covering the buildings, spice markets, teas, handmade crafts, food, camel rides, and more.

See the Sites in Aswan

Stop at the Temple of Kom Ombo to see the double temple, a rare find, created during the Ptolemaic dynasty. A bit of a drive from Aswan are the Abu Simbel Temples that you can see on a day trip. The village of Abu Simbel has two incredible temples cut into one rock overlooking Lake Nasser that are worth the trip to Aswan to see in person.

Whether you book a Nile River cruise, or travel through Egypt by land, this trip is full of historic sites, incredible food, and adventure. Contact the  Great Wonders Of Egypt to assist you in creating an amazing adventure in in Egypt.