Best Things to Do on a Trip to Egypt
Welcome to Egypt: a land of rich cultural heritage, dramatic landscapes, and friendly people with an infectious sense of humor. The diversity of the country’s treasures astounds. Here you’ll find vibrant cities like Cairo and Alexandria, towering pyramids, stunning beaches, underwater paradises, rolling desert dunes, and sub-nationalities you’ve probably never heard of. Around every turn you’ll gain a new perspective—and, if you wish, a new friend. Here’s a list of the best things to do on your trip to Egypt!
Horseback riding
Ride horseback in the cool evening air alongside the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving wonder of the ancient world. There’s no better way to admire the pharaohs’ majestic tombs than while galloping across the golden desert toward the setting sun. Just to the east of the Giza Plateau, you’ll find rows of stables full of horses and camels to choose from for your ride. The area around the Saqqara Necropolis also hosts a handful of quality stables.
Snorkel in Ras Mohammed National Park
Swim with the dazzling underwater life at Ras Mohammed National Park, where protected fish and fringing reefs create a kaleidoscope of colors. To visit the dive spots around Ras Mohammed, book with a dive center in Sharm el-Sheikh. They make regular day trips by boat to the park’s marine sites. For a private snorkel tour, contact Bedawi Eco Camp. Outside of the simple camps and the visitor center, there are few facilities around the park, so be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks and come wearing your suit.
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Hike Mt. Sinai
Summit Mt. Sinai at dawn to watch the sun rise over the rocky landscape from the legendary point where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Known by locals as Jebel Musa (Mt. Moses) and standing 7,497 ft above sea level, it’s a pleasant 2-2.5-hour (8.5 mi.) hike up to the top and a bit quicker on the way down. The most popular way to make the journey is with a 2am start time to hike under the stars and enjoy sunrise at the top. Sunset climbs are equally beautiful, but can be hot in the summer months. A small church and mosque sit side by side at the summit, and the views (together with the last few dozen steps to the top) are truly breathtaking.
Camp in the White Desert
Rocks that look like craggy dollops of meringue decorate this lunar patch of earth. Wander among the wind-carved formations and frozen waves of limestone that make the scorching land resemble an icy tundra. The protected area covers over 1,160 square miles of dramatic desert that you can explore with an expert guide and 4WD. Arrange your trip ahead of time or when you get to Bahariya.
Camping is the best way to experience the park—to enjoy both sunset and sunrise when the changing light illuminates the chalky white figures in golden hues, and the darkness of night reveals a star-speckled sky.
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Explore Karnak Temple
Wander in the shadows of kings at Karnak Temple, a sprawling complex with origins nearly 4,000 years old and pockets of ancient architectural treasures. The Karnak Temple Complex is Egypt’s most elaborate house of worship—a proper labyrinth approximately 1 mile long by a half mile wide, hiding statues, obelisks, columns, and carvings within its numerous nooks and crannies.
Today, the site consists of three main enclosures: the Amun-Re Temple Enclosure, the largest and best preserved, in the center, flanked by the Montu Temple Enclosure to the north, and the Mut Temple Enclosure to the south. There’s also an open-air museum adjoining the Amun-Re Temple Enclosure. You can easily spend 2-3 hours wandering the site’s ins and outs, but if your time is limited, stick to the Amun-Re Temple and just keep walking straight through the structure.
Visit the Great Sand Sea
Ride the dunes in the Great Sand Sea, with nothing but dramatic hills of sand stretching as far as the eye can see. Covering an area of around 27,800 sq miles, the rolling dunes have been meticulously shaped over millions of years by nature’s forceful winds, which have arranged the piles of sand in nearly perfect rows. Many of the dunes are over 330 ft high and 62 mi long, making for a fun drive through the dramatic scenery. The shorter hills are perfect for sandboarding (or sand sledding if you prefer to start your descent closer to the ground)—best enjoyed during the desert’s golden hour just before sunset. You can hike to the Great Sand Sea, or visit on a 4WD desert safari. Either way, you’ll need a guide.
Swim in Siwa’s Salt Lakes
Float in the striking turquoise pools of Siwa’s Salt Mines surrounded by mounds of glittering salt. The Middle Lakes (Buheraat el-Awsat) border Siwa Town to the east, sliced down the center with a rocky road that leads to the supersaline pools of the Salt Mines (locally known as el-Mallahaat). This patchwork of blinding turquoise waters is formed by ongoing mining of the crystalline mineral—dug out by massive excavators and bulldozers. Fortunately, the area is large enough for visitors to steer clear of the machinery and enjoy the silence of the pools they leave behind. You can’t help but float in these crystal clear waters surrounded by snow-white salt in lieu of sand.
Cruise down the Nile
Meander down the Nile on a dahabiya (traditional sailing yacht) between Aswan and Luxor to visit hidden island villages and magnificent Greco-Roman temples. If you’re looking for more comfort than a felucca but fewer passengers than a cruise ship, a dahabiya is a great option (and my personal favorite). This medium-size boat has proper bedrooms, private bathrooms, and sometimes even air-conditioning. The upper deck is typically spacious and half-canopied—perfect for lounging in the shade by day or under the stars at night as you glide along the Nile. Meals are prepared fresh daily on board. Trips generally last 3-5 nights, although longer options are available.
Cycle around the City of the Dead
Pedal through the Valley of Kings, taking in the breathtaking mortuary temples of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs and their colorful tombs. In the cooler months (late Oct.-Mar.), getting yourself to the tombs and temples on the West Bank by bike is a marvelous way to explore the “City of the Dead” at your own pace. Be sure to lock your bike up near the security booth at the entrance of each site, and bring more water than you think you need. Stops along the way include the Colossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu Temple, a refuel at Café & Restaurant Maratonga, and more.
Experience the Valley of the Whales
Explore the mysteries of the Valley of the Whales (Wadi el-Hitan), as you wind your way past 40-million-year-old whale skeletons in their sandy resting place that was once a vast sea. If you find it difficult to wrap your head around what desert life looked like 37 million years ago, a visit to this valley might help spark the imagination. Fossils of giant whales lie unmoved from their sandy graves on what was once the floor of the prehistoric Tethys Sea—the remains of which can be found 200 miles north of the Mediterranean. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this open-air museum is tastefully marked with minimalistic paths of sand lined by local stones that lead visitors to the numbered whales and their mangrove homes.
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