A Visit to Egypt: Egypt Travel Guide

The land of Egypt, is a land of history, mystery, and myth, a land of legend and legacy. Filled with ancient wonders, and architectural and engineering marvels. It is not just a place to visit, but an experience unlike any other.

The lands of Egypt span across the northern part of the African continent up to the southwest of Asia. 
It borders many countries including Israel, Palestine, Libya, and Sudan, and also two great seas, The Mediterranean and The Red Sea.
Cairo is its capital and largest city with Alexandria being its second largest. Egypt is home to about 100,000,000 inhabitants making it the fourteenth most populous country in the world rankings.
 

The land of Egypt is vastly rich in history and culture, its historical beginnings can be traced as far back as the time period between the 6th and 4th millennia BC.
Egypt is considered the birthplace of civilization, as some of the earliest signs of writing, agriculture, urbanization, organized religion, and central government were found in its lands.
So much of the history of Egypt can be found carved as hieroglyphics across the walls of its ancient temples, monasteries, pyramids, and tombs.

The rich history of Egypt can be attributed also to its transcontinental location, its lands sprawling across Africa and Asia, with the middle east on its borders.
The religious history of Egypt is quite rich as well. It was once home to the worshippers of a host of different deities, Egypt was also an important center of Christianity, it is now however a predominantly Muslim country.

Modern Egypt's history began when it gained independence from British colonial rule in 1922. It then went through a revolution in 1952, establishing itself as a republic. In 1958, Egypt merged with Syria to become the United Arab Republic, a union that lasted till 1961.
Islam is the country's official religion and Arabic is its official language.

While the country has oases, mountains, coastal areas, river islands, and wetlands, Egypt is mostly desert land. In fact, without the Nile, all of Egypt would be a desert. This is why most of its inhabitants live along the Nile, leading to 99% of the population occupying only 5% of the whole of Egypt. 
The landscape in the south of Egypt mostly consists of low mountains and desert. While the Northern parts of Egypt have wide valleys near the Nile. The lands to the east and west are mostly desert.
 

From scuba divers, history heads, and archeology lovers, there are many places and activities Egypt has to offer that would be perfect for just about anyone. Check out our top picks of places to visit in Egypt.

1. Pyramids of Giza
Arguably everyone knows about the famous pyramids of Giza. These majestic pyramids are the only wonders of the ancient world still surviving. 
The pyramids are tombs of the Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menakure buried in the Cheops Chephren and Mycenirus pyramids respectively. 
The pyramids are on top of every tourist's list and they should be on yours as well.

2. The Nile
There is no Egypt without the Nile, so if you don't visit the Nile you have certainly not visited Egypt. 
Sailing across the Nile is simply the most relaxing way to experience Egypt. There are a lot of astonishing sites along the Nile's banks, the most famous sights being The Temples of Kom Ombo and the Temple of Horus.

3. Aswan
Egypt's most peaceful town, Aswan offers beautiful sites and sights. From the elephantine island to the colorful Nubian streets, there's just too much to see in Aswan. Make sure you take a camel ride to the monastery of St. Simeon in the desert and then hop aboard a felucca for a slow, smooth ride across the Islands.

4. Alexandria
Alexander the Great himself built this ancient city. Despite the fact that many of the wonders it once housed have been lost to time, Alexandria is still a fantastic place to visit. Its streets are filled with the history of ancient Egypt, from the vast Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which was built after the library with 500,000 books collapsed, to the Alexandria National Museum, which is home to more than 1,800 artifacts. If you enjoy history and archaeology, Alexandria is a destination you won't regret.

5. Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh is a collection of some of the most beautiful resorts you'd find in the world, with the many luxury hotels and international restaurants it houses, it is the perfect place for relaxation.
At Sharm El Sheikh, you enjoy five-star treatment alongside a beautiful atmospheric blend of sea, sand, and sun, this is perfect for a family trip and especially for a romantic one.

6. Temple Of Karnak
This next site features ancient Egyptian royalty. It is the burial site of Pharaohs from 18th, 19th, and 20th century Egypt.
The walls of these tombs are a sight to behold, they are completely covered with breathtaking wall paintings and hieroglyphics which tell you ancient stories of the journey to the afterlife. There are about 63 different tombs in the valley of the kings.

7. Saqqara
Saqqara is an iconic place filled with tombs and pyramids. The Old Kingdom Step Pyramid is probably the most famous sight in Saqqara, however, there are still other amazing sights such as the Red pyramid, the Bent Pyramid, and the Mastaba of Ti that is definitely worth visiting.

8. White Desert
The scenery of the white desert is unbelievably beautiful and looks like a sci-fi concept. It is filled with unnaturally shaped chalk pinnacles that look like icebergs stranded on the desert floor.
It's a great place to take awesome photos and videos that would leave your viewers speechless.

9. Siwa Oasis
This quiet little oasis is beautifully surrounded by date palm plantains and comforting hot water springs.
It is also home to the legendary Fortress of Shali, an ancient mud-brick citadel.
The lands of this oasis offer a relaxing visit with beautiful scenery.

10. Red Sea
It won't be fair if our list didn't include the marine life of Egypt. Life in the Red Sea is another world as breath-stopping as the temples and tombs on land.
Scuba diving among the coral reefs of the Red Sea is something you don't want to pass up. The Red sea is full of beautiful sea creatures like colorful reef fish, nudibranchs, sharks, dolphins, turtles, rays, and even dugongs. Egypt is just as beautiful underwater as it is above water.

To avoid the extreme desert heat, you would want to visit Egypt in winter. The period between October and April is the most suitable for tourists. Egypt is usually swarming with tourists in December and January so to avoid large crowds try to plan in advance!

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