Tailor Made Holidays in Egypt: Highlights

Cruise the Nile

Cruising the Nile has long been seen as the most romantic way to visit the monuments of Ancient Egypt. Most cruises today ply the waters between Luxor and Aswan visiting the major sights at both towns and along the course of the river. The boats are essentially floating hotels and sightseeing is done in organised groups from these. There are a huge number of Nile cruisers, though very few offer consistently high standards, and moorings are heavily congested. However, given the relative scarcity of good hotels in the region, a Nile cruise is still, for many people, the best way to see Upper Egypt.

Read more about: Nile Cruises
 
Visit the Pyramids of Giza and Sakkara

No visit to Egypt would be complete without time spent at the famous Pyramids of Giza. These awe-inspiring tombs attract thousands of visitors every day, but an excellent way to escape the jostling tour groups and crowds is to appreciate them on horseback. Starting from the southern sandy ridge in Giza you will finish your five-hour ride through the desert as the sun sets over the Step Pyramid in Sakkara.

Read more about: Giza & The Pyramids
 
Cruise down to Abu Simbel

The four colossi of Ramses II, each 20m high, dominate the facade of his temple at Abu Simbel. The huge Temple of Ramses dominates the surrounding area, a powerful hint of the might of this pharoah. Most visitors travel to these temples overland or by plane from Aswan, but a wonderful alternative is viewing the temple by candlelight whille eating dinner on the top deck of your Lake Nasser cruise ship.

Read more about: Abu Simbel
 
Take a stroll around Karnak Temple

With a Hypostyle Hall big enough to contain Notre Dame and construction that spanned over 1,300 years, Karnak Temple is the largest and most complex of all Egyptian Temples. Do not get discouraged by the crowds or overwhelmed by the history. For a truly magnificent experience wonder through the 134 columns of the Hypostyle Hall 30 minutes before closing – the absence of tour groups and the shafts of light only enhance the grandeur of the temple.

Read more about: Luxor
 
Explore the West Bank at Luxor

The west bank of Luxor is a vast necropolis best known for the magnificent Valley of the Kings, and many visitors come here specifically to wonder at the tombs of Pharaohs such as Tutankhamun and Seti I. For the more adventurous traveller looking to escape the crowds, the walk from the Valley of the Kings to Deir el Medina offers sweeping views of the Nile Valley and Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple.

Read more about: Luxor
 
Ascend Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai's 2,285m peak is believed by many to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The jagged mountains certainly have an awe-inspiring effect on the visitor. The ascent is made in the small hours of the morning, which ensures that as day breaks you are on the summit, snuggled in a blanket with a cup of hot tea watching the light flood over the craggy, red granite mountain range of the Southern Sinai.

 
Relax on the Red Sea Coast

The Red Sea coast has amazing coral reefs filled with colourful tropical fish and even sunken shipwrecks. The reefs are easily accessible to both divers and snorkellers and more and more is being done to conserve these wonderful ecosytems. With small towns such as Dahab and bustling resorts such as Sharm el-Sheikh, access to the Sinai Desert and ferries to Jordan, the Red Sea coast has something for every visitor.

Read more about: The Red Sea
 
See the sound and light show at Philae Temple, Aswan

This is one of the most romantic temples in Egypt and therefore the most appropriate for a sound and light show. As the sun goes down you will sail across the river to the Island of Agilqiyyah. The story of the goddess Isis and her love for the God Osiris will be explained as you walk though the halls of the temple. As the story is being told you can stare up through the columns to the stars scattering the Nubian sky.

Read more about: Aswan
 
Stop for a break at Siwa Oasis

Surrounded by hundreds of miles of desert, date palm groves, saltwater lakes and freshwater pools, Siwa certainly does not disappoint the passing visitor. With attractions such as the fortified hilltop town of Shali, The Oracle of Amun and The Mountain of the Dead, it is refreshing to visit an area that is both benefiting economically from tourism whilst maintaining its traditional culture and values.

Read more about: Siwa
 
The Egyptian Museum, Cairo

If you spent 60 seconds at each exhibit on display here it would still take you four months to see them all! The museum holds Old and New Kingdom items, exhibits from the Greco-Roman period and of course the Tutankhamun Exhibition. The museum is an excellent place to visit at the start of a trip to Egypt as it will help put all the tombs and temples you will see on your visit in context.

Read more about: Cairo
 
Wander around Khan el Khalili Bazaars in Cairo

This network of alleyways and narrow streets has played host to a bazaar since the middle ages. Jewellery, spices, animal skins and perfume imported from the Sudan were all sold in this bazaar. Whilst popular with tourists, much of the Khan El Khalili still exists for the benefit of the Cairene population, and a little imagination framed by Mamluke arches over ancient lanes instantly transports you back centuries.

Read more about: Cairo
 
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