Egypt

Reasons to go:

1. Cairo

1.1 Pyramids

★ Giza Necropolis (on Cairo Pass):

  • You’ve seen the photos of these pyramids before. Being right next to them will blow your mind. Go without a guide to truly enjoy your encounter with them in an intimate way.
  • Arrive at the Great Pyramid entrance as early as possible. I took an Uber. Toilets at (29.981806, 31.131948), ticket gates at (29.981688, 31.132659). Start by entering The Great Pyramid, it will only get more crowded throughout the day.
  • Nearby is The Pyramid of Hetepheres I (29.978868, 31.136212) - it is much smaller, but still fun to enter.
  • For something completely different - Tomb of Queen Meresankh III (29.977807, 31.137868). It is a bit hard to find and it might close early due to low number of visitors (it is a bit hard to find), but don’t give up - it is worth it.
  • Next, enter Pyramid of Khafre or Pyramid of Menkaure (usually only one of them is open).
  • At (29.975707, 31.13263) you can take a photo of the bee hieroglyph with Pyramid of Khafre in the background. Not the best view ever, but with millions of photos of Pyramids all over the internet, I was thrilled to take a photo I’ve not seen before.
  • The Pyramid Alignment Viewpoint (29.967965, 31.125292) also known as Panorama - the familiar and truly breathtaking view. People with camels and horses will make you feel like you can’t possibly walk to it yourself, but it only took me 15min to reach it on foot (if in doubt, look for the little hill with many camels). The best bit - once you are there, everyone will leave you alone and you can enjoy it in peace for as long as you want.
  • Afterwards you can continue exploring the area, there is nobody to stop you from walking anywhere you like.
  • Once you are satisfied, finish off by seeing The Great Sphinx up close. In front of it is Valley Temple of Khafre, which I totally missed, but you shouldn’t.
  • For a cheap and filling lunch, exit (29.973853, 31.140539) and head to Koshary Hekaya. The reviews are true - they will try to scam you repeatedly. Point to a menu item with a price and refuse everything else, then pay in exact cash, and you’ll be fine. We got large koshary to share for two people, and it was great and super cheap and we used the toilet for free. We refused meat, falafel and juice (these had no prices on the menu), and asked them to take away the bottled water placed on our table. From my research, I believe in this area even the most expensive food won’t be that good.
  • Afterwards you can head back to the pyramids (if you have Cairo Pass you can enter many times) through the Sphinx entrance (29.975444, 31.140849) or get an Uber from (29.977723, 31.144026) - this is your best bet to get an honest driver from the main road, as most drivers in the area will message you asking if you are ok with a cash payment of 20 USD, which is not “how things work”, it is a scam.

Dahshur and Saqqara (on Cairo Pass):

  • ★ Bent Pyramid in Dahshur - this one is the most fun to climb into. Unintentionally, this was the first pyramid I visited in Egypt and I consider myself so so lucky. Make it your first and you’ll see what I mean.
  • Red Pyramid - with three awesome chambers inside. Due to contaminated ground water, the smell is really bad inside, but don’t let it stop you.
  • Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara - with the massive shaft inside. Entrance to the Saqqara archeological site is at (29.865785, 31.22367), it includes all the places mentioned below.
  • Teti Pyramid - beautiful ceilings in the chambers.
  • Tombs: Mastaba of Mereruka, Tomb of Idut (29.8688, 31.216266) and more.
  • ★ Serapeum of Saqqara (29.876047, 31.210038) - a mysterious place.

Notes:

  • Since visiting Dahshur and Saqqara requires a car, I got a guide with a car for this day. You’ll get offers to visit Dahshur, Saqqara and Giza in one day, which sounds like a good deal, but it is not - one day is not enough to properly explore all three, so you’ll see only half of what each place has to offer. Ask for Memphis instead of Giza - less driving and there is not much to see in Memphis, which makes more time for Dahshur and Saqqara. Mit Rahina Museum is all that is left of Memphis, the old capital, and the only thing that is really worth seeing there is Colossus of Rameses II (29.849432, 31.254351) - a very big statue on the ground, so you can see it up close.
  • If you’d like more pyramids - there are many more. I heard good things about Maydoum Pyramid. Black Pyramid is not normally open to visitors, but I heard it might be possible to arrange permits; you’ll need a big group to share the cost.
1.2 Archaeological museums
  • The Egyptian Museum in El-Tahrir Square (on Cairo Pass) is a treasure trove. It is old and dusty and some parts of it feel abandoned, but you won’t find such a treasure trove anywhere else. Tutankhamun galleries upstairs are unmissable. Study the map of the museum before going (I didn’t see a useful map inside the museum), so you don’t miss things like Gallery 53 of Animal Mummies, like I did. For an orienteering challenge, try to find objects listed here. I spend numerous hours in this museum, much longer than I could possibly listen to a guide. If you have Cairo Pass, you can pop out for quick lunch at Koshary Abou Tarek and come back. Also don’t miss the historic Stephenson Pharmacy nearby.
  • The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Two main reasons to visit are Royal Mummies Gallery (many mummies of very important people) and Main Gallery (small well-presented collection illustrating the history of Egypt from pre-historic to modern times). There is also temporary exhibition space. If you are planning to visit this museum, make it one of the first places on your itinerary - to get the big picture before you add more detail with every additional place you visit.
  • Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) - a brand-new museum, architecturally very exciting. Once Tutankhamun galleries and Khufu’s Boat Museum open, it will become a must-visit. There is also temporary exhibition space. If you get hungry, there is Zööba restaurant inside. This museum is located on a motorway, Uber drivers know you are stuck and they take advantage of it; be patient - eventually you’ll get an honest driver that won’t ask for 20 USD in cash.
  • I enjoyed visiting all 3 of these museums. If you have to choose: Egyptian Museum sells Cairo Pass, Civilization museum has the best mummies, Tutankhamun galleries are a must (that might be still in Egyptian Museum or already in GEM).
1.3 Old Cairo
  • Walk between Bab Zuwayla and Bab al-Futuh along El-Moez Street. Yes, you’ll have to climb over a motorway fence at (30.046466, 31.259931), just follow the locals. Explore little side-streets too, there are a lot of architectural gems around here.
  • Most notable buildings can be visited with a single El-Moez Street ticket, which is also included in Cairo Pass. My favourite place was Qalawun Complex (it has 3 parts with separate entrances, don’t miss (30.05007, 31.261115)). This place opposite (30.049034, 31.261409) is also nice. Bayt al-Suhaymi (30.052335, 31.262574) is an old house, it is worth a visit even just to look around the courtyard - it will be enough to give you an idea, and there is a free toilet at the back of the courtyard. I struggled to find a definitive list of what is included in El-Moez Street ticket; this blog is a good starting point.
  • Apart from exciting old architecture, there is much more to see here. Walking from Habash koshari restaurant (30.047745, 31.268261) west to El-Moez Street you’ll see metal workshops and lamp making. Locals will let you pass, they know you are looking for El-Moez Street, but if you try walking east away from El-Moez Street I think they’ll turn you around as “for tourists there is nothing to see here”. Amir Al Giyoush Al Gwany Street (30.054385, 31.260002) is exciting in another way - it is lined with shops selling huge cookware for restaurants.
  • Here is a good way to see Old Cairo: Start with a lunch at Habash koshari restaurant (30.047745, 31.268261). Then walk west towards El-Moez Street to see metal workshops and lamp making. Until 17:00 you can explore the buildings included in the El-Moez Street ticket. Afterwards, enjoy the touristy liveliness of the area and Khan el-Khalili souk. Once you had enough, escape to (30.054742, 31.263143) where locals hang out outside Al-Hakim Mosque. Follow Amir Al Giyoush Al Gwany Street (30.054385, 31.260002) to reach Bab El Shaariya metro station.
1.4 Neighbourhoods of Cairo

Zamalek:

  • ★ Museum Of Modern Egyptian Art (30.043715, 31.224721) - a great way to explore the modern side of Egypt. Access via this gate (30.043382, 31.226467) or this one (30.043484, 31.223269), tickets are very cheap, you’ll have to leave your bag at the entrance.
  • Cairo Tower - on Friday morning there was no queue and I enjoyed my visit, but I don’t think it is worth it if you spend a long time queueing. Due to air pollution the views are severely limited. Views from the outdoor observation deck (standard ticket) are better than from the restaurant with limited-transparency glass.
  • Mahmoud Mukhtar Museum and El Andalos Park are on my wishlist.
  • Art galleries of northern Zamalek are on my wishlist. I found more than a dozen on Google Maps, and many are open until late.
  • Northern Zamalek is a lovely place to stay, and super convenient as a base for sightseeing. There is Safaa Hegazy metro station and plenty of Ubers even at 3:00. Good restaurants include Abou al Zouz (24hour Syrian restaurant with great Nile views), Maharaja (Indian restaurant) and Zööba (modern Egyptian restaurant). The best coffee is at Social Specialty Coffee (open from 6:00 every day); if you need an earlier coffee, Abou al Zouz is 24 hour. On my wishlist is Fornalia artisan bakery and Scent of Coffee.

Maadi:

  • A lovely place for work-from-homing. Almost everything is west of the metro line, you’ll be constantly crossing over the track if staying east of it.
  • Ratios Bakery - amazing bakery, and you can eat the pastries in Fyngan Coffee Shop in the same building. Another place for bakery and coffee shop combo is at Community Services Association - Leaven bakery and Floating Cups Coffee, I’ve not tried it.
  • Villa Sumatra Coffee Degla - great coffee and breakfast. Barista - another great coffee.
  • Restaurants: Maharaja (Indian restaurant, the Maadi Rd 9 branch was my favourite), Zööba (modern Egyptian restaurant), The Lebanese Bakery (flatbreads); and there are many more. On my wishlist are cafe and deli Syria Market (29.962726, 31.278228) and Snö Gelato.
  • Street 154 in Maadi is a lively traditional market with vegetables, butchers, etc.
  • Architecture gems include this building (29.96009, 31.272027) and The Supreme Constitutional Court (a bit far away, try to see it when driving past).

Heliopolis:

  • El Korba area is particularly nice. My favourites were Nomadic Espresso Bar and Hummus and go. On my wishlist is Grand Kunafa on Charcoal (30.090762, 31.324619).
  • Gourmand bakery - on my wishlist.
  • Heliopolis Obelisk of Snosert I - on my wishlist.
1.5 ★ Garbage City
  • Do not try to visit it by yourself, you’ll need a local guide. First, because you won’t see much without the access that a local guide can arrange. Second, because locals won’t let you go.
  • I did an 11:00 tour with Abanoub Melad (+201001752498 on WhatsApp), highly recommended. The meeting point was at (30.029651, 31.269771), you can reach it with Uber.
  • I was looking forward to visiting St. Simon “The Tanner” Monastery, but it was nowhere near as interesting as the rest of the tour.
  • Spending time with trained pigeons in a pigeon tower was one of the highlights of the tour. Pick a local guide who can arrange a pigeon tower visit for you.
1.6 Islamic architecture
  • Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa’i Mosque - beautiful architecture. Ticket gate at (30.032234, 31.257004), on Cairo Pass. If you like geology, Burial of Shah of Iran (room 4) in Al-Rifa’i Mosque is the best bit.
  • Cairo Citadel (on Cairo Pass). Entrance at (30.028839, 31.261491), toilets at (30.028248, 31.260394) and inside the Police Museum. The main reasons to visit are beautiful mosques (Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha and Al-Nasser Mohammed Ibn Kalawoun Mosque) and great viewpoints (including (30.028277, 31.259249)). The Military Museum (including the outdoor area (30.030863, 31.26185)) might be of interest to you, the Police Museum is less likely to be of interest. Al-Gawhara Palace is closed for disrepair. I didn’t manage to find Sulayman Pasha Mosque and Museum of the royal vehicles.
  • There are many more beautiful mosques in Cairo. On my wishlist are Ibn Tulun Mosque, Al-Fath Mosque, El Nour Mosque, Al-Sayyida Nafesa Mosque and some small ones in Old Cairo. Police Mosque is very architecturally exciting, I’m glad I saw it on the drive to Heliopolis/airport.
  • Always carry a plastic bag to put your shoes in and keep them with you. If you leave them outside, you are unlikely to get them back for free.
1.7 Coptic Cairo
  • ★ Rawda Island Nilometer (30.006932, 31.225) is both interesting and beautiful, and there are great views of the Nile from the garden. On Cairo Pass, entrance through (30.008901, 31.225734). From here it is a short walk to Coptic Cairo via Al Manstrli Bridge (30.009474, 31.226511).

Visiting Coptic Cairo is free, apart from Coptic Museum, which is on Cairo Pass. Coming from Mar Girgis metro station, there are 4 entrances:

  • The Hanging Church is via (30.005694, 31.229691). I found it skippable.
  • Coptic Museum is via (30.006077, 31.229927). I found it skippable.
  • St. George’s church (the round one) is via (30.006964, 31.229967). My favourite bit was not the church, but Saint George Cemetery.
  • Everything else is via (30.007078, 31.229994) downstairs entrance. Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church was my favourite.
1.8 City of the Dead
  • This is the best description I found. It also includes the map of the 5 main areas (discontinuous).
  • Northern Cemetery is the one I tried to visit. I didn’t find any interesting tours to this area, so I took an Uber to Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaytbay Mosque, which is in the middle of it. This was the only time in Cairo I saw a local person threaten the driver so well that he paid him money. I left the car before we arrived to spare the driver and walked the rest of the way. As I approached the mosque a couple of people got really excited to unlock it for me, sensing that they’ll demand a huge payment once I’m inside, I chose to look at it from the outside. The atmosphere was unwelcoming and there was nothing to see really (not like Garbage City or metal workshops east of El-Moez Street), so I left via pedestrian flyover (30.046092, 31.272046). I regret not putting more effort in to arrange a visit to Mosque & Khanqah of Al-Nasir Faraj Ibn Barquq, Kobet afendina, Emir Qurqumas Complex, Mausoleum of Sultan al-Zahir Abu Saeed Qansouh al-Ashrafi, Mausoleum & Mosque of Sultan Barsbay and other architectural gems in various states of disrepair.
  • Southern Cemetery. Looking into the narrow streets as I was driving along Salah Salem Street (30.0204, 31.2537) was as close as I got. At the very least, I’d like to visit Cemetery of the Royal Family Housh El Basha (was closed for renovation) and Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi’i.
  • Other cemeteries - Bab el Nasr, Al-Sayyida Nafesa and Bab El-Wazir - are all on my wishlist too.
1.9 On my wishlist:
  • Other things on Cairo Pass: Prince Mohamed Ali Palace (Manial Palace), Museum of Islamic Art, etc.
  • Abdeen Palace Museum, Al-Azhar Park, People of Egypt Walkway, Mahmoud Mukhtar’s Egypt’s Renaissance statue (30.028217, 31.216341).

Cairo notes:

  • The airport: Landing at Cairo airport is smooth. You can buy a local sim card at 24/7 kiosks in the airport (card payments accepted) and use it to call an Uber (people will tell you there is no Uber, but trust the app).
  • Where to stay: Zamalek (around Safaa Hegazy metro station) is both lovely and convenient for sightseeing. Maadi is lovely and on a metro line, but a bit far from sightseeing locations. Heliopolis is nice and near the airport, but not much else. The worst place to stay is near Giza Pyramids/GEM museum - there is nothing but hotels and souvenir shops, no chance for a walk without souvenirs being literally stuffed into your face and it is hard to get an Uber to get out of there; come here for sightseeing and get out.
  • The metro: You can buy a metro card at any metro station that has a working self-service machine. Some machines might be top-up only (not issuing new cards), some accept only coins, most give no change. But it is worth it to persevere and obtain a metro card to use metro conveniently. You can choose the initial top-up value that will be stored on the card based on the exact cash you have. If you are buying single paper tickets from the ticket office, exact cash is appreciated. Single ticket prices are shown in Google Maps directions, the price varies depending on the journey length.
  • Buying train tickets in Egypt as a tourist: At Ramsis train station (Cairo station) you can buy foreigner train tickets. They are no longer hand-written as in 2023. Information centre for foreigners near the station entrance is useless. Foreigner ticket office upstairs is where you pay for the tickets (USD cash or card payment for extra fee). You can buy tickets for any train route here, even the ones that don’t start/end in Cairo, and you can buy many days in advance. They can only sell you tickets for trains on which tourists are allowed. I don’t think you can tell from this website which trains you’ll be allowed to take, it depends on police presence on the train, not train type.
  • Ramsis train station (Cairo station) is beautiful inside, find an excuse to visit even if not taking any trains.
  • Groceries: Metro was my favourite supermarket chain. If you can’t find something, try Gourmet Egypt.
  • Food: There are loads of exciting restaurants to explore, but if you are in no state to explore, there are two chains you can resort to Zööba (modern Egyptian, many vegan options) and Maharaja (Indian food, many vegetarian options).

2. Luxor

2.1 West Bank tombs (on Luxor Pass):
  • ★ Valley of the Kings. First gate at (25.745727, 32.604572), from here everyone takes a shuttle to the second gate (25.741852, 32.602974) probably unaware that it is only 500 meters away, toilet at (25.741822, 32.602685). The ticket includes visits to any 3 tombs, apart from these ones that require a separate ticket: KV17 Seti I tomb (the best and the most expensive), KV9 Ramesses V&VI tomb (the second best tomb I saw) and KV62 Tutankhamen tomb (it has the mummy inside). If you have Luxor Pass, you can visit unlimited number of tombs and you only pay extra for KV17 Seti I tomb. I visited KV2, KV8, KV11, KV14 and KV16, followed by the 3 premium tombs and it felt like more than enough. Theban Mapping Project is a useful resource for picking tombs to visit (only about 12 of them are open to the public). I was told Valley of the Kings is the least crowded on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (due to the schedule of big cruise ships) and at 13:00 when everyone goes for lunch (perfect time to visit KV17 Seti I tomb). On my wishlist is to find a guide/tour agency who can arrange a permit to visit KV5 Sons of Rameses II tomb.
  • Valley of the Queens - tombs of…mostly boys who died before becoming Kings, see Theban Mapping Project. Entrance at (25.727659, 32.595126). When I visited, only 3 tombs were open: QV44 Prince Khaemwaset, QV55 Prince Amenherkhepshef and QV52 Queen Tyti (most of the carvings have been vandalised). The main reason to visit is QV66 Queen Nefertari tomb.
  • Tombs of the Nobles. Entrance at (25.72962, 32.609715); and there might be another entrance from the Temple of Hatshepsut car park. These are different from royal tombs - you’ll find cooking scenes and grape harvesting scenes. I visited TT100 Rekhmire (25.731352, 32.607432), TT96 Sennefer (25.731419, 32.606887), TT55 Ramose (25.730762, 32.608947) and TT56 Userhat (25.730574, 32.608687).
  • Tombs of Workers (Deir el-Medina). Entrance at (25.72703, 32.600928). I visited TT1 (25.727681, 32.60064) and the two right next to it - TT359 and TT218-220. Temple Of Hathor (25.728963, 32.602146) was the best bit. It is included in the ticket, but not many people know about it, so you are likely to be the only one there.
2.2 West Bank temples (on Luxor Pass):
  • Ramesseum (Ramesses II temple) - colourful columns and a huge (fallen) statue. Also see The Colossi of Amenhotep III (25.725692, 32.607169) as you drive past.
  • Temple of Habu (Ramesses III temple) - impressive set of courts. Entrance at (25.718308, 32.60226).
  • Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut - intriguing because it is so different from other temples, but I found it more impressive from afar then up close or inside. Entrance at (25.736413, 32.612251).
  • Colossi of Memnon at (25.72055, 32.61043) - when I visited they were accessible from the street, so you can see them any time for free. There are rumours that there might be a plan to rebuild a bit more of the temple they used to be part of and monetise it.
2.3 East Bank (on Luxor Pass):
  • Karnak Temple - it is huge and the Great Hypostyle Hall is impressive. It is also the only place in East Bank that sells Luxor Pass, so that was the first place I visited in Luxor. Once you are done exploring, head to (25.716121, 32.655469) to enter Avenue of the Sphinxes.
  • Avenue of the Sphinxes is not as full of Sphinxes as I’d like to imagine, but walking the whole distance is a cool experience I wouldn’t skip. There is a ticket office at (25.709992, 32.650157) which marks the border between Karnak and Luxor Temple territories, so if you only have a ticket for one of the temples you can purchase the other ticket and keep walking.
  • Luxor Temple - smaller then Karnak Temple, but it has many impressive features and the best portion of Avenue of the Sphinxes is on its side. This is the place to be after sunset - ★ the temple looks magical when lit up. It will be crowded (it is the place to be!), but still totally worth it. Don’t even think about the Sound and Light show at Karnak Temple, where you’ll have to be seated for most of the time.
  • Mummification Museum - it is small (won’t take much time), but very interesting. Amongst other things, there is a mummy of a cat, fish, baby crocodile and human.
  • Luxor Museum - a good museum with many exciting objects.
2.4 Daytrip to Dendera and Abidos:
  • Temple of Abidos - an interesting temple, featuring a long list of King names and several colourfully painted rooms. If you are here for the “helicopter hieroglyphs”, they are very close to the ceiling, so hard to spot without help. Entrance at (26.187078, 31.921339). If you have a guide, ask them to take you to this for-locals lunch spot (26.186635, 31.920363) just outside. Visiting this temple adds a lot of driving time, so consider other options before committing. I did enjoy driving there through (26.232206, 31.994669) and seeing what a non-touristy city is like in this part of Egypt.
  • ★ Dendera Temple of Hathor - an absolutely fascinating temple. Entrance at (26.14513, 32.672043). Do purchase the ticket for visiting the crypt - it is very exciting. There are two staircases up to the roof, make sure to take them both as they are very different. From there you can proceed on a longer walk on the roof with the panorama ticket, but I don’t think it will add much, especially because you’ll want to spend as much time as possible exploring the temple. You’ll find Dendera light both inside the crypt and elsewhere in the temple, and there are so many more exciting things to keep you exploring this temple for many hours.

Notes:

  • Definitely stay on the East Bank - it has many restaurants, grocery shops and a lovely promenade along the Nile. And if you have more energy, Luxor Temple and two museums are still open after dinner. The West Bank is pretty dead after 17:00; I don’t think it will be relaxing, you’ll just be confined to your hotel. The new bridge makes driving between the banks much faster than it was before, so there are really no benefits to staying on the West Bank.
  • I felt no need for a guide on the East Bank. You’ll need transport to move between places on the West Bank - hire a driver or a guide with a car. From my experience having a guide was most useful in locations least popular with tourists.
  • If I’d do it all again for the first time, my perfect West Bank itinerary would be as follows: One day with a guide, visiting Tombs of the Nobles, Tombs of Workers, Ramesseum and Temple of Habu. One day without a guide - starting in Valley of the Queens, then exploring Valley of the Kings for many hours, quick visit to Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut if it is still open, stop to see Colossi of Memnon on the way back to East Bank.
  • I had no luck with Careem taxi app, but I used it to get a price estimate which gave me bargaining confidence.
  • Food: Snobs Restaurant is definitely for-tourists, but it has much higher quality food then other restaurants at the same price point, which kept me coming back. They have a separate vegetarian menu and they understand vegan too. Al Sahaby Lane Restaurant has a great view from the rooftop, prices similar to Snobs Restaurant but food quality is worse. If in need of a coffee, I’d try Rmallah cafe coffee & cookies. On the West bank, ask your guide to take you to this for-locals lunch spot (25.736265, 32.627424).

3. Between Luxor and Aswan

  • ★ Kom Ombo Temple with Crocodile Museum - more crocodile carvings than in any other temple, crocodile mummies and a great nilometer.
  • Gebel el Silsila (24.645822, 32.929289) - the quarry from which the blocks of the pyramids originated. There are also “practice tombs” carved and painted by students.
  • ★ Edfu Temple - awesome columns and carved displays of surgical instruments.
  • Tombs of El Kab (25.127351, 32.798842) - four tombs, one of them unfinished. Painted scenes of harvesting grapes, making wine, preparing fish and playing musical instruments.
  • ★ Temple of Khnum in Esna - most colourful temple featuring exciting scenes like Centaur with a scorpion tail, phases of the moon, etc. Entrance at (25.293843, 32.556321); restored building across the road (25.294023, 32.556097) is included in the ticket and has a toilet upstairs and views from the rooftop.
  • Depending on the time and budget available, you could see (some of) these on a tour by road or a Nile cruse; after some research I don’t think a train is a viable option. When choosing between options, ask how much time you’ll get to explore each location. I heard that on some big cruise ship tours you might only get 10 minutes inside a temple (“take a photo and go”) and I guess “see everything in 1 day” tour by bus/car is not much better. If time is your main constraint, I’d try a one-way private tour by car (from Luxor to Aswan, or the other way) if you have 1 day; a day trip from Luxor and a day trip from Aswan if you have 2 days; a relaxing dahabiya cruise if you have 3 days (make sure to arrange an opportunity to visit Temple of Khnum in Esna, which is typically not on the itinerary). If you can only see 1 thing, make it Temple of Khnum in Esna. I had an overal good dahabiya experience with Djed Egypt Travel (and it was possible to stay in Esna for 2 hours to see Temple of Khnum), but the egyptologist/guide was not good. Most people start their dahabiya journey from Luxor, so start from Aswan if you prefer a less crowded boat.

4. Aswan

  • The 3 best things to see are all south of Aswan: ★ Abu Simbel Temples, The High Dam and Philae Temple on Agilkia Island.
  • Most people pay for a 2 day tour to see these. Two things to consider: The High Dam and Philae Temple are on the way between Abu Simbel and Aswan; and Aswan is not an enjoyable place to stay. I emailed several travel agencies asking for a 1 day tour of Abu Simbel Temples, The High Dam and Philae Temple. I got two offers and picked Egypt Knight Tours - it was a great tour. It had to be a private tour, as this is not a standard itinerary, but they gave me a very reasonable price upfront, with no need for bargaining.
  • To reach Abu Simbel, you have to go through this police checkpoint (23.985456, 32.836001), which only opens at 5:00, so arrange a pick-up for 4:30 if your hotel is about 30min drive from there. From there it is about 3 more hours drive (with a toilet stop at (23.031581, 31.778508)) to Abu Simbel Temples (22.337688, 31.623839), expect to have about 2.5 hours to explore both temples. Afterwards ask your guide to procure you some falafel sandwiches from Abu Simbel town, there won’t be time or place to eat later.
  • To visit The High Dam, you’ll buy the tickets here (23.973758, 32.866051) (cash only and you can’t buy them online) and then have two short stops: Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument (for extra money it is possible to take the elevator up, but I didn’t) and the viewpoint of the dam (23.969386, 32.878364).
  • To visit Philae Temple you’ll go through the ticket gate here (24.035398, 32.886435) and then take a boat to the island. The price of the boat was included in my tour, otherwise you have to bargain with the boat captains, they know you have no other options so they’ll have an upper hand. Online it says that the last entry to Philae Temple is at 15:00 and the temple closes at 16:00, and my guide confirmed that. In practice, if you bought your tickets online, you’ll be able to enter slightly after 15:00. I left the temple at 16:50 and it was still full of people. But don’t count on this too much, the temple might operate on its official opening hours when you visit.
  • The other 3 things to see in Aswan are ★ Unfinished Obelisk, Nubian Museum and Elephantine Island archaeological site.
  • Start with Unfinished Obelisk (entrance at (24.077604, 32.894457)) as it closes early. It is super cool to see the source from which many of the world’s famous obelisks have been carved out.
  • From here you can walk through a Fatimid Cemetery (from (24.076332, 32.892662) to (24.07804, 32.890301)) to reach the Nubian Museum (24.079195, 32.888519). I’d say this museum is skippable, but if you have time to explore, you’ll find interesting things.
  • Afterwards it is a short walk to the ferry (24.084926, 32.890112) to the Elephantine Island. Pay the ticket price as written on the piece of paper (it was 10 EGP when I visited), waiting times are short and the journey is fast. Elephantine Island archaeological site sells fake cash-only tickets, so better buy online and show them at the ticket gate (24.085012, 32.887374). The best bit is the nilometer at (24.084705, 32.887406), not this nilometer (24.083527, 32.886572) that you can find on the map. The rest of the archaeological site is in varying state of disrepair. I found the island dusty and unpleasant, I was very glad that I was not planning to stay overnight. Take the ferry back and pay the same amount again when you reach the mainland.

Notes:

  • Uber doesn’t work in Aswan. I had no luck with Careem either, but at least I was able to get a price estimate from it. I offered a payment of just above Careem price to a tuk-tuk and they unwillingly accepted.
  • Do check Careem app when you arrive at Aswan airport, the drivers are not allowed to enter the airport but they might be waiting outside the airport gate at (23.974471, 32.827493). If not, just get a price estimate from the app and bargain with the taxi drivers inside the airport. I decided against pre-booking a taxi for 30 USD, hoping to negotiate a better price on the spot; I ended up taking Careem for 4 USD. As the last resort, there is BookAway.
  • Ismailia Restaurant (24.092524, 32.899041) is a family run restaurant in Aswan that does not scam tourists, I had all my dinners there. Baba restaurant Flafel (24.093277, 32.8973) - super cheap for-locals falafel sandwiches, perfect for lunch. This supermarket (24.09628, 32.898912) has an electronic checkout, so tourists pay the same prices as local.

5. Alexandria

  • Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa. The toilet at (31.179259, 29.893312), ticket gate at (31.179268, 29.893178), entrance via the stairs down at (31.178286, 29.893296). Principal tomb chamber is half of the excitement, the other half is exploring the rest of the catacombs. Bring a headlamp to explore areas that are not lit up. Afterwards, you could continue to Serapeum of Alexandria (entrance at (31.181695, 29.897327)) - the column is big indeed, but the rest (some statues and some underground corridors) I found underwhelming. If in a rush, just look at the top of the column from outside the wall. From here you could continue to Amud Al-Swary cemetery (just north of the Serapeum) or life bird market around (31.188273, 29.901727).
  • Alexandria Bibliotheca. The 3 main things to see are the building itself from the outside, the huge main library hall and the museums downstairs. Ticket office at (31.207902, 29.908687), combined tickets provides access to the Antiquities Museum and the Manuscripts Museum.
  • Alexandria National Museum has 3 floors each covering one of the periods - Pharaonic (in the basement, good place to start), Graeco-Roman and Coptic-Islamic. kaffine_65 is a good coffee place nearby. Greco-Roman Museum has more emphasis on the Graeco-Roman period. Hush cafe is a good coffee place nearby. I can’t tell which of the two museums I liked more.
  • Explore Alexandria on foot. A walk along the bay (26 July street) features great views and many beautiful buildings along the way - Egyptian Chamber of Commerce, Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial, etc. Historic parts of Alexandria (inland from the bay) feature more beautiful buildings - Bank Misr Building (31.19662, 29.900337), Mohammed Feiter Building (31.198487, 29.900739), etc. Check out newly pedestrianised Al Naby Danyal Street (31.195922, 29.901199) and a curious area around (31.198827, 29.905774) which looks very different from the rest of the city. In the evening, head south from Ahmed Oraby Square and see what you’ll find - the area is full of commercial activity, there is a street of curtain shops, a street of lamp shops, a street of door handle shops and much more. And do walk along the bay (26 July street) again - it is magical in the dark.
  • Sidi Morsi Abu al-Abbas Mosque and Sidi Yakout Al-arsh Mosque - two mosques with beautiful exteriors. Put your shoes into a plastic bag and keep them with you; if you leave them outside, you are unlikely to get them back for free.
  • Qaitbay Citadel - it is fun to explore, but don’t expect anything more than the structure itself. Entrance at (31.213142, 29.885673). Employees begging for tips gives it a slight tourist trap feel.
  • Ancient Roman Theatre in Alexandria. Entrance at (31.194089, 29.903641). Probably the best Roman ruins in Egypt. But if you’ve seen many Roman ruins before, you’ll not find these impressive.
  • Church of the Great Martyr George Shatby is beautiful from the outside. I believe the Greek Orthodox Cemetery just outside it is worth a visit, but I didn’t have time to figure out how to get access to it.

Notes:

  • I stayed near Saint Catherine Cathedral and it was both enjoyable and convenient.
  • Uber works well in Alexandria.
  • If you only have 24 hours in Alexandria, my suggestion would be to visit Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Alexandria National Museum or Greco-Roman Museum, and Alexandria Bibliotheca; and then spend the evening explore Alexandria on foot.
  • Food: Moustafa GAD Restaurant Central Bank Branch - great Egyptian food. It is open from early until late, so I’ve been there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu only in Arabic, prepare your Google Translate in camera mode. Staff speak enough English, I never had a problem ordering in English over my many visits. As you approach, it looks like fast food, but open the door and you’ll be transported into a nice sit down restaurant. If you are not familiar with Egyptian food, start with Mohamed Ahmed Restaurant which has a similar, if much shorter, menu in English. But then do proceed to Moustafa GAD Restaurant Central Bank Branch for your next meal. Délices Patisserie Alexandria - great cofee and many breakfast options.
  • Talgo Train from Alexandria station (31.193364, 29.906761) is the best way to get to/from Cairo.

6. Suez Canal

Port Said:

  • Watching ships pass through Suez Canal. Viewing platform at (31.260468, 32.311234) is probably the best place to be. You can see a tentative ship schedule here, get a more direct evidence from opening/closing times of El Nasr floating bridge via this app (if you have an iphone), or find another source of information. I was in Port Said for a day and didn’t see any ships.
  • Riding the free ferry across the Suez Canal. They depart from around here (31.259443, 32.310683) every couple of minutes, it basically functions like a bridge to Port Fuad. I enjoyed riding these ferries there and back many times, and there were local families doing these joyrides too.
  • Beautiful buildings in the coastal area - Al Salam Masjid (from outside), The Lighthouse of Port Said (the old one), Villa Fernande (31.266757, 32.310087), a sequence of beautiful churches (31.267261, 32.308839), (31.267134, 32.307853) and (31.267303, 32.307453), etc.
  • Ferial Garden is nice, Metro Market is a well-stocked shop on the corner of it. El Mesala Garden and the Fish market are still on my wishlist.
  • Taby’s bakery is incredible - savoury pastries, sweet stuff and coffee are all fantastic. No toilet.
  • Al-Ayouti Restaurant (31.271442, 32.296015) is where I’d go, if I wouldn’t have eaten everything in Taby’s bakery.

Port Fuad:

  • Salt Mountain (31.233573, 32.3198) - for a small fee (5 EGP when I visited) you can run up and down big piles of salt and watch local couples and families taking selfies.
  • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church (my passport was checked on the way in) - the ceiling features paintings of dinosaurs, a flamingo and a flying lion head.

Travel to/from Port Said:

  • A taxi ride from Port Said to Alexandria is long but exciting. You’ll see new purpose built towns and infinite palm groves, fish farms around (31.35739, 32.048828) and boat builders around (31.578085, 30.98231). I believe you’ll see more driving towards Alexandria then in the other direction, where there will be lines of traffic between you and the coast. I booked my taxi from Egypt Taxi Transfer info@egypttaxitransfer.com and had a great experience.
  • Taking a daytime train from Cairo to Port Said is high on my wishlist, as it follows Suez Canal closely between Ismailia and Port Said. Ideally on the day when many ships will be passing by. I took an evening train and could not see anything through the window.
  • Visiting Suez town and Suez Canal overhead powerline crossing (around (29.996 32.583)?) is on my wishlist.

Notes:

  • Careem taxi app worked well in Port Said. In Port Fuad I had no luck with apps, but numerous local taxis were happy to take me anywhere for a flat fee of 15 EGP.
  • The new Suez Canal Museum in Ismailia is trying to be modern and engaging - touch screens (only in Arabic), holograms, a moving model of Ever Given incident. You are supposed to see different rooms in a particular order, so you are constantly shepherded by staff who are perplexed by your inability to understand Arabic. The whole experience is not really enjoyable and the content of the museum is not very technical. I’d say Ismailia is skippable, especially if it is not possible to visit for just a couple of hours due to restrictions on which trains tourists are allowed to take. If you do end up here, falafel sandwiches at this local favourite (30.590022, 32.26975) are great.

7. On my wishlist:

Planning your trip:

  • You might have come across some horror posts/blogs about Egypt suggesting that independent travel in Egypt is too difficult or too dangerous. True, if you’ve never travelled outside Europe/North America, you might find Egypt a bit difficult to navigate. If you’ve travelled in India, you’ll find Egypt pleasantly easy. I believe the reason most blogs about India say it is magical and many posts about Egypt say it is horrible, is that people going to India roughly know what they are signing up for while many people going to Egypt have only seen photos of hotels and the pyramids, and expect it to be not much different from Europe.
  • In my experience, horror posts about Egypt turned out to be very far from reality. Being on an all-inclusive multi-day trip is not the only or even the best option.
  • That said, there are things that are for-tourists and not-for-tourists and that division is enforced. As tourist, you are only allowed to take certain trains, only certain vehicles are allowed to transport you over long distances (between cities), those vehicles are only allowed on certain roads and during certain times. And I don’t think renting a car is a viable option. All this makes planning your trip just a bit trickier.
  • First, decide what you want to see. This website run by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has a list of (archaeological) things to see in/around each city. I found blogs by Cairo locals, Ryan, Tuljak and Nicki useful.
  • Once you have the list of cities you are visiting, decide how you’ll travel between them. There are flights, trains, taxis and boats. I tried 3 airports and all of them functioned well. For trains, I found this website most useful. Tourists are allowed to take only a subset of these trains - it depends on police presence on the train, not train type. When I visited, it was not possible for tourists to buy train tickets online, only in person. The Abela sleeper train between Cairo (Upper Egypt or El-Giza station) and Aswan is an exception - you can book these tickets online. For drives between cities, I emailed info@egypttaxitransfer.com and received great service - you agree on price over email and pay the driver USD cash when you reach your destination. They also offer driver-for-8-hours service in many cities. There are restrictions on when a vehicle transporting tourists can be on the road. In general, plan to be near your accommodation by 18:00. Many for-locals places are closed on Fridays, making it a good day to spend on long-distance travel.
  • Next, decide which locations you want to visit by yourself and which (if any) with a guide. I decided to visit by myself locations I can reach on foot or with Uber, and to book a guide for days when I needed a car. I looked for guides on Tours by Locals and also emailed tour agencies for options. Unfortunately it is common to bring tourists to expensive shops and restaurants and receive high commission, so do confirm whether this will be part of your tour. Having experienced 4 different guides (called Egyptologists), here are my takeaways: Get the big picture from books and videos before your tour, as the guides will focus on what you are seeing that day. Guides are most useful in temples where they can point out things you wouldn’t spot otherwise; they are less useful in pyramids and tombs as they are usually not allowed to enter them with you. I saw many people dragged through museums by their private guides - none of them seemed to be having a good time. Being stuck with a bad guide is much worse than having no guide at all. If you do have a good guide, ask them to find for-locals lunch for you (it is likely to be a falafel sandwich), which should cost no more than 2 USD. Every guide has their own stories, the more guides you have the more contradicting information you’ll get.

Cairo Pass and Luxor Pass

  • Both Cairo Pass and Luxor Pass are valid for 5 consecutive days. If you have one of the passes (purchased within the same calendar year), you get 50% discount for the other pass. To give you the discount they’ll need to keep a proof of your pass - either the pass itself or a photocopy of it.
  • There are several advantages to having a Pass: If you are visiting many places, it might save you money. It allows you to enter the same attraction multiple times, so you can go out for lunch and then continue exploring, and you can come back another day if the place closes before you are done exploring. It provides protection from scams, as once you’ve paid for the pass everything is included and you know you don’t need to pay for anything else.
  • With so many advantages, you might be wandering why doesn’t everyone buy them? There is no official website, so it is hard to find up to date information about these passes. So not many people buy them or even know about them, and so there is not much information about them in posts/blogs. And to make it extra confusing, the passes are sold inside the attractions, behind the ticket gates, so you have to ask to be let in without a ticket to purchase them. But don’t let any of this stop you.
  • To purchase a pass you’ll need your passport (to show them), a photocopy of your passport (they’ll keep it), a passport-sized photo of your face (it will be stapled to your pass) and (exact) cash in USD or EUR. Exact cash is not a requirement, but don’t count on change being available. You cannot pay with a card. Make sure that the pass is stamped after your photo has been attached, so that there is a stamp on the photo too. Expect the purchasing process to take an hour and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
  • If you are heading to Egypt, bring two photocopies of your passport and two passport-sized photos of your face, in case you decide to buy both passes. I also brought a plastic sleeve from a postcard (anything transparent will work) to protect my pass from being stained and to prevent the photo from falling off it.
  • Cairo Pass was 130 USD or 120 EUR, when I visited. It is sold at the Egyptian Museum (El-Tahrir Square) and at Giza Pyramids (Great Pyramid entrance); and maybe at Cairo Citadel too.
  • I found Cairo Pass most useful when visiting pyramids and El-Moez Street. At Giza Pyramids, apart from buying a ticket, you have to buy an additional ticket to enter The Great Pyramid, another one for Pyramid of Khafre/Menkaure, and another one for Tomb of Queen Meresankh III - which ones are worth their price? The Pyramid of Hetepheres I has no separate ticket - is it free or do you have to pay a tip to the person at the entrance and how much? Cairo Pass spares you from these questions, as everything is included. It is a similar situation at Saqqara and Dahshur. As you explore El-Moez Street and discover many architectural gems, people will invite you to come in and explore, but they are likely to demand a big tip on your way out. If you show them your Cairo pass and they let you in then they acknowledge that you’ve already paid for your right to visit, if they say “no need for Cairo Pass, free to enter” then you are entering at your own risk, better ask if it is free to exit too.
  • Many people buy Cairo Pass at Giza Pyramids (Great Pyramid entrance), but if you arrive too early the office might not be open yet and if you arrive later The Great Pyramid will be very crowded by the time you get to it, so I bought mine at the Egyptian Museum instead. To purchase Cairo Pass at the Egyptian Museum (El-Tahrir Square), walk through security to the very ticket gate of the museum (inside the museum building), ask to purchase the pass and somebody will escort you into the museum and upstairs to the office. I had a very good experience - the person offered to make a photocopy of the passport for free in case I didn’t have it, they had scissors to cut the photos to size, and they didn’t ask for a bribe.
  • Standard Luxor Pass was 130 USD or 120 EUR, when I visited. It is sold at Karnak Temple (East Bank) and Valley of the Kings (West Bank). There is also Premium Luxor Pass - it includes QV66 Queen Nefertari tomb and KV17 Seti I tomb. It is only worth it if they are both open, otherwise it is cheaper to buy a separate ticket for one expensive tomb.
  • The main advantage of Luxor Pass is that you can visit unlimited number of tombs in the Valley of the Kings. And you can visit Luxor Temple twice (to see the temple during the day and to experience the magic after dark), instead of one long visit meticulously timed around sunset.
  • I had a guide booked for the day I was visiting Valley of the Kings, so I bought mine at Karnak Temple when I was by myself, not to waste the time with the guide. The Luxor Pass office at Karnak Temple is just past the ticket gates, ask to purchase the pass and you’ll be let in. I had a good experience - the person did ask for a bribe, but took a rejection well. The office had nothing but a pen and a pair of scissors, don’t expect a photocopier.

Notes:

  • Visa: If you are flying in and you can get 30 day visa on arrival, it is the best option. It is really more of a simple sticker, than a visa. Purchase it with USD cash at any of the banks located just before the passport control and present it together with your passport at the passport control. Applying online in advance seems to have only disadvantages. I’ve not found a way to easily enter Egypt with the right to stay for more than 30 consecutive days, but I was told there are ways to extend once you are inside.
  • I’ve read a lot of posts about binoculars being confiscated. My understanding is that possession of binoculars is allowed in Egypt in general, but it is not allowed near sensitive infrastructure (military bases, airports, big train stations, etc.). So if your binoculars are being confiscated at the airport it is not because you can’t bring them into Egypt, it is because you are not allowed to be in possession of them in the airport. My 10x25 binoculars survived 6 airport trips - either I got lucky or 10x25 is small enough not to raise an alarm.
  • Car number plates in Egypt use arabic numerals, learn them and/or keep a screenshot of them to identify your Uber. They will also come in useful for understanding prices in shops and on the menus.
  • I bought Etisalat simcard at Cairo Airport and it worked well throughout Egypt. I had no problem topping it up at an Etisalat shop. If you are staying in Egypt for more than 90 days, you’ll have to register your phone.
  • Banque Misr ATMs don’t charge for withdrawals. There are so many of them throughout Egypt, that I never had to try a different ATM. I needed USD cash to pay for guides, tours, Cairo and Luxor Passes, train tickets and pre-booked long-distance taxis; everything else was either EGP or card payments.
  • Water: I found this old list of 18 licensed brands of bottled drinking water that are generally considered safe. In practice, most shops had Aquafina (PepsiCo), Dasani (Coca-Cola), Nestle Pure Life (Nestle) or Baraka (linked to Nestle in some way), so I stuck to these 4. The price of 1.5 litre water bottles seems to be fixed throughout the country - it was 10 EGP when I visited (apart from Luxor, where it was 20 EGP).
  • My EU chargers worked everywhere.
  • This website run by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has been useful in so many ways. It is a useful list of things to see in each city. Often it is the only reliable source of opening hours. It allows you to buy the tickets online and skip the ticket office queues. I only came across a ticket office selling fake tickets once, but I was particularly happy to buy the tickets online that time. When you purchase your tickets online, make sure to download them immediately (use “Click here to return to portal” to reveal a link for downloading the pdf) instead of waiting for them to arrive in your email (usually very quickly, but sometimes there can be a delay of couple of hours).
  • If you are excited about Sound and Light shows, here is a list of all of them. From my experience, they are definitely not a substitute for seeing the site during the day. And if you do see it during the day, seeing the show before or after that adds very little if anything at all. Instead visit Luxor Temple after sunset for a magical experience.
  • Many toilets are not free. You’ll be asked to pay before you enter and change is readily available. The price seems to be fixed throughout the country - it was 10 EGP when I visited (apart from the Valley of the Kings, where it was 15 EGP). It is definitely not 100 EGP, don’t fall for this scam. If it is free to enter but you are asked for money when you are leaving, don’t pay.
  • I’ve read that you have to tip everyone in Egypt. The reality is that people will try to do things for you (show you around a temple, give you toilet paper, help with your bag, offer to take a photo of you, etc.) and then demand a tip. Refuse their help and you don’t have to tip. If you paid for the ticket to enter, you don’t have to tip anyone during your visit. If taking photos is allowed, you don’t need to tip for taking photos. The country is moving away from subsistence on tips - the new places like Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and Alexandria Bibliotheca do not have a tipping culture.
  • The security at all tourist sites is similar. Phones, small backpacks, water bottles and protein bars are allowed. Taking photos is allowed unless specified otherwise.
  • Egypt has a strict “no unmarried couples” law for all accommodation options (hotels, AirBnBs, etc.), but if you and your partner don’t look Egyptian/Arabic, most places won’t ask for a marriage certificate. We were asked only once, and they took “we don’t travel with a marriage certificate” as an answer. If you are travelling as a mixed-gender group of 3 people, don’t expect that you’ll be allowed to share a hotel room.
  • Food: Many traditional dishes in Egypt are vegan - lentil soup, taameya (Egyptian falafel), ful (fava beans), baba ganoush (aubergine dip), koshari (mix of pasta, rice, lentils and chickpeas with tomato sauce and fried onions… but it is mostly just pasta). Moussaka (aubergines in tomato sauce with or without meat), if it is cheap, is usually vegan too. Baladi (bread, salad, etc.) just means traditional, as in bog-standard. For an interesting warm drink try hummus el sham (chickpeas swimming in tomato juice) and sahlab (probably made from dairy not orchid roots).
  • Before you go learn a bit about the ancient history of Egypt (this timeline might be enough) and hieroglyphs (I loved the videos by Ilona Regulski). Books I wish I’d read before arriving (still on my wishlist): The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt (2010) by Toby Wilkinson, Into the Hands of the Soldiers (2018) by David Kirkpatrick, Cairo: The City Victorious (1998) by Max Rodenbeck.