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Egypt Travel Guide

by Elsa Stringer

There are thousands of places to visit all over the world but Egypt has its own magic that makes tourists from all parts of the world to travel to Egypt to discover its impressive history that dates back over 5000 years ago.

Egypt offers a very different type of tourism experiences because of its enormous enigmatic pyramids in addition to its marvelous monuments that have grand past.

It is not only known with its history but it is also famous for its majestic resorts on the coast of the Red Sea that take advantage of its warm sunny weather during the different types of the year which makes Egypt the targeted destination to all of the travelers who seek to find the best possible vacation site. 

The country is a unique one that has a big haul of history amidst historical controversies and some people have some ancient heroes and they are real fans to including Queen Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, King Tut and others have donned the land. 

It is located in the north eastern part of Africa and it is closely attached by Israel to the East, the Mediterranean Sea to the North, Libya to the West and Sudan to the South.

Egypt is rich with some unbelievable cities that each one narrates stories of struggle, greatness, and dream that came into reality with the hands of some fascinating builders & constructors.

At the last period there are many questions about travelling to Egypt and most of them are “It’s Safe to Travel to Egypt Right Now!!!”, let discover the answer next:

Is it safe to travel to Egypt??

Some people get sensitive when it comes to the security issues upon planning a trip to Egypt. From the tourism rates in Egypt, it scored some special records in the amount of tourists who come to visit its attractions monthly through its different seasons and festivals as they know that Egypt is a totally safe country and all of the tourist sites are highly secured by the Egyptian government to guarantee that the rates of tourists get higher and higher as tourism is so important for the national income. 

There is no need to be worried while being in Egypt at especially if you are with “EgyptToursPortal”, the travel agency that recorded the biggest number of positive reviews in the history of tourism in general as they truly care for the absolute luxury of their clients and they try to provide them with the safest travel conditions through customizing their tours regarding the best time to visit Egypt and choosing the safest tourist sites that are well governed and totally secured by the Egyptian government.

Why to Visit Egypt??

Some people want to get rid of the routine of their daily life through booking some day tours or even some packages for 10 or maybe 15 days of adventure and when it comes to choosing the best country to spend such a time, Egypt sparkles with its glory because of the impressive monuments and treasure that get the appeal of tourists who like finding unusual sites and have some memorable tours around temples and tombs that have been once belonged to some amazing pharaohs and rulers. 

You can also head to some coastal beaches to enjoy the view of the beach while doing some amazing activities like snorkeling, diving, and witnessing some interesting types of fish and sea life that will let you enjoy as never before.

Can you imagine that you can do all of this in just a few days and without paying a fortune!!! Surly you can as Egypt opens its gates to all people from different nationalities to follow the steps of its ancient pharaohs and visit some of the immortal sites that took years to be built and a lifetime to be witnessed.

Egypt Ancient Civilization

The civilization of Egypt is the earliest civilization in the world that is located along the lower Nile “Hapy”, which is known to be the modern Egypt of today. The insufficient natural rainfall was the main reason that led the ancient Egyptians to develop artificial irrigation system and to take advantage of the annual floods of the Nile which could be precisely foretold.

We can say that this country started to witness a very special period with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by Menes around year 3000 BC. Ancient Egypt was in fact ruled by 31 dynasties from the Unification period till the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. And that is why the history of this country can be divided as follows:

  • Predynastic Period (3100-2950 BC)
  • Early Dynastic Period (2950-2640 BC)
  • Old Kingdom (2640-2134 BC)
  • First Intermediate Period (2134-2040 BC)
  • Middle Kingdom (2040-1650 BC)
  • Second Intermediate Kingdom (1650-1552 BC)
  • New Kingdom (1552-1070 BC)
  • Third Intermediate Period (1070-663 BC)
  • Late Period (663-332 BC)
  • Ptolemaic Dynasty (332 BC – 30 BC)

Egypt Tourist Attractions Guide

If you are interested in booking a holiday in Egypt to spend some amazing time touring its different sites, be sure that there are plenty of attractions that will fill your time with all of the amazing things that you may want to do. It has some fanciful wide variety of tourist attractions ranging from the Pyramids of ancient Egypt to cruises on the river Nile.

All You Need to Know About Top Attractions and Activities to Do in Egypt

Giza Pyramids

Giza Pyramids are known to the entire world to be the largest constructed monuments that have been built as tombs to ancient Egyptian pharaohs who lie mummified after their death for their final journey. While being in Giza Pyramids Complex, you will find some of the well-known attractions including three world popular pyramids and is guarded by the lion headed Sphinx in addition to the popular Valley Temple that has been once the main site of the mummification processes of the mummies of the Kings as they had a belief in the afterlife and they wanted to secure the body of their mummies so that they will be in a good condition when they come back to life again. 

Other Monuments

The great Giza Pyramids aren’t the only impressive constructed monuments as there are some other fascinating monuments spread in the different Egyptian cities and here are some of them:

In Cairo, you will have the chance to visit some of the best historical, Coptic, and Islamic monuments including Memphis City, Saqqara Step Pyramid, Dahshur Pyramid, the Red & the Bent Pyramids, The Egyptian Museum, Moghamed Ali Mosque, Salah El-Din Citadel, the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Abu Serga Church, El-Refai Mosque, and it will be a truly amazing adventure if you decided to head to Alexandria “The Bride of the Mediterranean Sea” from Cairo to visit the incredible attractions that lie there including Pompey’s Pillar, the Catacombs, Qaitbey Citadel, and the fascinating Alexandria Library in addition to obtaining the chance to relax on the lovely beaches of Alexandria so you can enjoy two types of adventures on one trip.

You can head to Cairo International Airport to catch a flight to Luxor where you will find more than one third of the world’s greatest treasures and monuments including the marvelous Luxor & Karnak Temples, Valley of the Kings, Colossi of Memnon, the breathtaking Hatshepsut in addition to the truly masterpieces Abydos & Dandara Temples. 

From Luxor, you can take a train to Aswan, the gorgeous Nubian City that hosts some of the greatest attractions in Egypt that overlooks the Nile River and obtain the secrets of beauty including Abu Simbel Temples of Ramesses II, Philae Temple, The High Dam, The wonderful Unfinished Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, and you can also drive to the remarkable temples of Kom Ombo & Edfu. Aswan is widely known for its souk in the Nubian Village where you can have so many tours and do some interesting shopping at some perfume, clothes, and spices shops that can let you have the best experience of your life.

Safaris

While being in Egypt, you can go on some exceptional tours and customize some different varieties of safaris for travelers to witness the animals that have adjusted to difficult climatic conditions. Tourists can take a jeep or even ride a quad bike and start a safari excursion if you are in Hurghada or even if you would like to head on an Oasis Excursion so that you discover the amazing Egyptian Desert and meet the beauty of the golden sand with the crystal stars that enlighten the sky of Egypt drawing the immortal beauty of it.

Spend some unforgettable nights with the Bedouins who will tell you some exceptional stories about the life of the ancients and will gladly prepare a barbeque dinner for you and the best thing you can have there is camping in the free air with beauty that lies all around you from all directions.

Nile Cruises

There is another way to enjoy the most while being in Egypt and it is totally different from the overland tours as through a magical Nile Cruise, you will sail in a totally magical adventure to some of the most desirable tourist destinations in Luxor and Aswan and there are two types of Nile Cruises in Egypt.

The first type is the one that starts from Luxor and it takes f5 days long and ends in Aswan. The other type takes only 4 days and it starts from Aswan and ends in Luxor. Both of them can be customized in terrific 5* Nile Cruises which come with good restaurants, swimming pools, gym, bars, libraries, even sometimes a driving range and possibly other amenities too.

If you are searching for the best time to have a Nile Cruise tour then the period from October till the mid of April is going to be your best chance because the weather gets totally beautiful and the prices get so reasonable. 

Beaches

Egypt has a lot to offer and some of the best in Egypt exist in its golden sandy beaches of its magical coastal beaches and a lot of travelers find Egyptian beaches warm and better value than many other ‘sea, sun and sand’ alternatives.

There are terrific coastal beaches along the Red Sea and we can divide them into the majestic beaches of Hurghada, Sharm, El-Gouna, and Marsa Alam. You will find there all of what you can dream of including the best hotels, all of the needed services, great clubs, terrific spas, some interesting activities that you can do there, starting from diving, snorkeling, swimming, playing with dolphins, having a Scuba diving excursions, and much more.

Tips for Travelers

  • Airports: There are many airports in Egypt and you have to know everything about them which are in Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria and Hurghada. Cairo International Airport is the biggest and the busiest among the whole international airports in this country. 
  • Visas: You have to check first the visa requirements at the Egyptian embassy in your country and check if you can obtain it upon your arrival in Egypt or if you must obtain it first from your country.
  • Survival Kit: there are some items that you need to bring with you while planning a trip to Egypt including; your hat or head covering, sun block lotion, sunglasses, water filtration system, a power adapter and all your medicines.  Don’t forget to bring your medicine with you with the prescriptions of your doctor as you may find in Egypt the same medicine of yours with different names.
  • Weather: before heading to Egypt, you have to make a quick survey about the best time to visit and how is the weather like during the time when you are going to visit. It is usually warm and sunny for most of the year.  In winter it gets somehow cold at night and in summer in gets hot during the day time. The best recommended time to visit Egypt is between October & April.
  • Food: Egypt is totally rich with the most amazing restaurants that prepare the most traditional Egyptian dishes and the prices are totally reasonable. If you are a vegetarian or if you can’t eat food that includes gluten just do a research online to check the different types of restaurants and the types of meals and their ingredients that you can have there.
  • Clothing: know that you can wear any types of clothes that suit you in Egypt but beware that the country is mainly a Muslim country and you have to respect the traditions and customs of the Egyptian citizens in wearing the clothes. You can bring some shorts & t—shirts with you in summer and of course you can replace them with a coat, sweater, and jeans in winter.

Common Arabic Words

There are some common Arabic words that may be somehow helpful for you to be able to communicate while being in Egypt despite the fact that most of the Egyptians can understand English and can understand your request without any need to translate:

  • Thank You: Shukran
  • Welcome: Marhaba
  • My name is: Ana Esmi
  • Yes: Naam
  • Sorry: Assef
  • Please: Men Fadlek (m) & Men Fadlik (f)
  • I Speak English: Ana Batkalem Englizi
  • What Time Is It?: El Saa Kam
  • Good Morning: Sabah Al Kheir
  • Good Evening: Masah Al Khier
  • Goodbye: Salaam