Egypt Travel Guide

This travel guide is packed with ideas on how to plan the awesome trip to Egypt, the land of Pharaohs. This amazing country is famous for being one of the oldest civilisations with over 4,500 years of history, ancient temples, world’s oldest pyramids, colourful mosques and many monasteries dotted across the landscape.

Egyptians were pioneers in so many areas. They invented things such as the papyrus (paper), ink, writing (hieroglyphs), make up, wigs, calendar and simple machines such as ramp or lever. During the Dynastic Period, Egypt witnessed the most remarkable stages of its development in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering and literature. For such civilisation to last centuries it was also natural to expand the agriculture, but also establish central government, army and develop accounting system.

In short, Egypt is where you come to visit the pharaohs, see the pyramids, meet the mummies, experience the Nile cruise and thrilling desert safaris with oases. In fact, it’s all year round travel destinations with mesmerising beaches, top-notch resorts, coral reefs and the sea cruises.

What to Visit in Egypt

• 

• 

Geographically, Egypt is the transcontinental country between Africa and Asia. It belongs to both continents with the Sinai Peninsula (Suez Canal) being the land border. What’s important is that Egypt is a Muslim country, located in North Africa. It covers the area of 1,010,408 square km with the population reaching over 102,3 million people and the capital in Cairo.

Other Things to See in Egypt

When planning a trip to Egypt, it’s worth exploring the Islamic and Coptic parts of Cairo. The capital is called the city of thousands minarets as it’s literally packed with mosques and bazaars. Once there, you should also see the famous Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Those looking for the ruins of ancient Egypt must head to Memphis, Dahshur (Bent, Red and Black Pyramids) and Saqqara. The Djoser Pyramid, also called the Step Pyramid in Saqqara is oldest one in the whole of Egypt.

If you travel to Alexandria, you get to experience the Mediterranean coastline, Pompey’s Pillar and the Catacomb of Kom ash-Shuqqafa. On the other hand, the City of Aswan is full of amazing sights such as the Abu Simbel (two rock temples carved out of the mountainside by the Pharaoh Ramesses II), unfinished Obelisk and the Philae Temple.

Tourists wishing to stay a few nights on the water should take the Nile Cruise between Aswan and Luxor, which is such a memorable experience. During the trip you’ll get to visit many sites including the Kom Ombo and Horus Temple in Edfu. Once you reach Luxor, the Land of the Greatest Pharaohs, there’s the Temple of Hatshepsut, Valley of the Kings, plus the Karnak and Luxor Temples.

If you’d like to spend some time on the beach, you should go to Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada, Dahab or Taba Heights. All of them are filled with the top – notch hotels, although Taba Heights was particularly built to provide the best views of Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The Egyptian coastline is where you relax on the shores of the Red Sea, do some snorkelling, scuba diving and see the coral reef in Egypt.

Basically, no trip to Egypt is complete without spending a night under the stars in the Sinai desert. It’s the most unique experience to stay at the Bedouin camp and dine with the desert’s most ancient inhabitants. Additionally, there’s the White and Black Desert, plus Siwa Oasis to visit. The last one is such a stunning place near the Libyan border and the most remote oasis in the Western Desert, which is a part of the Sahara.

If you love hiking, you should climb the biblical Mount Sinai, which is the mountain sacred for Jews, Christians and Muslims. That’s where the Ten Commandments were revealed to Moses by God. The nearby Mount Catherine, which is the highest peak in Egypt, is also where you find the Monastery of St. Catherine and the tiny village on your way up. Additionally, those looking for the best natural wonders and the vivid rock formations, should explore the Coloured Canyon near Nuweiba.

Don’t leave Egypt without seeing:

• Islamic and Coptic Cairo
• Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx
• Memphis – ancient capital
• Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara
• Dahshur (Meidum, Bent, Pink Pyramids)
• White and Black Desert
• Siwa Oasis in Western Sahara
• Alexandria – Mediterranean coast
• Nile Cruise Aswan to Luxor
• Aswan – Abu Simbel rock temples
• Philae Temple in Aswan
• Kom Ombo Temple
• Temple of Horus in Edfu
• Karnak and Luxor Temples
• Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor
• The Valley of the Kings
• Colossi of Memnon in Luxor
• Sharm, Hurghada, Dahab – beaches
• Taba Heights – perfect mountain views
• Sinai Desert – night with Bedouins
• Reef Coral in Sharm el Sheikh
• Mount Sinai – biblical trail
• Mount Catherine – highest peak
• Monastery of St. Catherine
• Coloured Canyon in Nuweiba

Read more: What to see and do in Egypt

History of Egypt

The history of Egypt is very turbulent, but it’s been long due to the flow of the Nile River, its fertile banks and the achievements of people living in it. Since the King Menes, the founder of the First Dynasty unified the Lower and Upper Egypt in 3150 BC, the country was ruled by Thirty Dynasties until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. This era enjoyed stability and growth, although it was disrupted by several periods of political collapses, internal conflicts and foreign aggressions. In other words, the Ancient Egypt went through three Golden Ages, which unfortunately were followed by the three darker ones.

Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BC, III to VI Dynasties)

There were three glorious periods in history of Egypt that went down as the best of all times. The Old Kingdom (3rd to 6th Dynasties), which is often called the Age of Pyramid Builders was when the most famous constructions were created. The world first Step Pyramid of Djoser was built in Saqqara, three pyramids of Snefru (Meidum, Bent and Pink) were put in Dahshur and the well known Giza Pyramids (Cheops, Chephren and Mankaure) came to be in Cairo. All of this took place after Memphis (not Cairo!) became the first ancient capital. Interestingly, the Great Pyramid of Giza (Pyramid of Cheops) is the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BC, XI to XIII Dynasties)

Although the Middle Kingdom (11th to 13th Dynasties) was the time of prosperity, it mainly focused on rebuilding the country from the famine and the civil war. That’s also when many fortresses were built on the Nile River for the protection from the foreign invaders.

New Kingdom Period (1550–1069 BC, XVIII to XX Dynasties)

It wasn’t until the New Kingdom (18th to 20th Dynasties), when Egypt experienced the most glorious times of all. During, as it’s called the Golden Age, Egyptians not only expanded their territory, but also did they build the temples such as Karnak, Luxor and Abu Simbel. It was the time when the most famous pharaohs ruled the country and that includes Hatshepsut, Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) and his wife Nefertiti, Tutankhaten (Tutankhamun) and of course Ramses II the Great.

During the New Kingdom, to prevent the royal tombs from being looted, the kings of Egypt were buried in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. This became the most sacred place, where to this day 65 tombs have been found. The most famous discovery (1922 by Howard Carter) was the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) with over 5,000 artefacts including the Gold Mask and the Golden Throne.

Third Intermediate Period

During the Third Intermediate Period, Egypt suffered from the loss of faith and the political decline. The high priests, who were in charge of the south, were concerned only about their own wealth so the foreign invaders took over the northern parts. As the result Egypt was ruled by the Persian Empire until the Alexander the Great of Macedonia stepped in. This event initiated the series of the Ptolemaic dynasties with the Greeks controlling the country. Despite adopting the Egyptian religion, the end of ancient Egypt came about 30 BC. That’s when the last pharaoh Cleopatra committed suicide knowing the Roman Empire was closing in. Once Egypt was annexed by Rome, Egyptian beliefs and culture were replaced by Christianity.

Muslim Period

Between 639 and 646 AD Egypt was invaded by the Muslim Arabs (Rashidun Caliphs) and the Roman period ended. The new rulers gradually converted the country from the Coptic Orthodox Church into Islam. During this time many mosques were built and the capital of Cairo was founded in 969 AD by the Fatimid dynasty. In 1517 the country became a part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

French Occupancy

When Egypt was occupied by French (1798–1801), the discovery of the Rosetta Stone shook the world. It was down to the French soldier from Napoleon’s army, who came across the granite stele near the Nile Delta in 1799. Because it contained the message (Decree of Memphis) written in three languages (hieroglyphs, Demotic and Ancient Greek), it was possible to finally translate the Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Egypt These Days

When Muhamad Ali (1805–1953), the Ottoman governor came to Egypt, the French expedition was expelled out of the country. Between 1882–1922 Egypt was occupied by the British and once they left it became the independent kingdom. Full independence however was secured by the revolution of 1952 with the abolition of the monarchy a year later. Since 1953 Egypt has been an independent republic.

Predynastic Period (5000-3100 BC)

The Prehistoric Period started in the late Stone Age with the earliest human settlements. That’s when people worshiped the animals and the cow in particular as it was the main source of food. The oldest known skeleton in Egypt dates back to 55 thousands years ago and was discovered near the village of el-Taramsa – Qena Governorate. If you visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation in Cairo, you will find the skeleton of Nazlet Khater from 35 thousands years ago. It’s the one you can still admire.

King Narmer (Menes)

This Predynastic Period ended when Narmer (Menes in Greek) unified the Lower and Upper Egypt in 3150 BC and became the First King of the First Dynasty. This event initiated the long series of 30 Egyptian Dynasties that ruled the country over the three millennia. Interestingly, the Kings of Egypt weren’t called the Pharaohs until the New Kingdom era.

Another of King Narmer’s achievement was founding the city of Memphis in 3100 BC. It later became the first ancient capital after it’d been moved from Thinis. Since the unifications of Egypt, the King Menes is often shown as wearing a double crown (White and Red), where the lotus flower represents the Upper Egypt and the papyrus reed the Lower Egypt. In mythology, the act of unification is also shown as two gods (falcon-headed Horus and Set) tying the plants.

The King Narmer Palette is Egypt’s earliest historical document and the blueprint of how the future pharaohs were portrayed. It’s currently on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Following his example, the kings are often shown in the company of the gods, with one hand held up and the other with some sort of mace.

Early Dynasty Period (3150–2686 BC, I to II Dynasties)

The Early Dynasty Period began with the unification of Egypt when Thinis was the capital of Egypt. Since the King Menes achieved his goal, the cow-headed goddess Hathor (goddess of many things: love, joy, beauty, fertility, motherhood and pleasure) and Hours (falcon the god of kingship) were both worshiped all over the country.

At the beginning of this time the kings used to be buried in desert near the city of Abydos. That’s where the first royal burial ground of King Djer is located. It’s believed that Djer, who was the third king of the first dynasty died together with 500 other people who were victims of the ritual sacrifice, kind of ritual stabbing. Within his tomb there are 318 graves found to prove this theory.

The custom of killing people soon died out. What came after is famous for building mastabas, which are called the ‘benches’ in Arabic. They were the type of ancient Egyptian tombs made in the rectangular shape with flat roofs and inward sloping sides. They later became the models for the funerary constructions such as the first world’s pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara.

Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BC, III to VI Dynasties)

The Old Kingdom is rightfully called the Age of Pyramid Builders. The first Pharaoh of this era was Djoser from the 3rd dynasty, who moved the ancient capital from Thinis to Memphis. The city became the main centre of political and religious life where Phat, the local god of universe creation and artworks was greatly worshiped. What’s interesting is that most pyramids in Egypt (over 100 in total) were built when Memphis (not Cairo!) was the capital.

King Djoser

It goes without saying that King Djoser is one of the most important characters in the history of Ancient Egypt. It’s because, with help from his architect Imhotep, he designed the first and oldest pyramid in the country. As the result, the Step Pyramid of Djoser was built in Saqqara, near Memphis. The project took around 20 years to complete by constructing several mastabas one on the top of another.

King Snofru

Starting from the 4th dynasty the cult of the sun god Ra (Re) was highly developed. During the Old Kingdom there were many kings who left their mark on history of Egypt. One of them was the King Sneferu (Snefru) from the 4th dynasty, who tried to build at least three pyramids at the same time. He perfected the art of pyramid building through his work on the Meidum Pyramid, Bent Pyramid, and Red Pyramid. They all were so different from mastabas, they revolutionised the whole construction industry. The Meidum Pyramid was the first one with straight sides, but it most likely collapsed during the building works. The next two pyramids were though completed successfully. King Sneferu (c. 2613-2589 BCE)

What King Snefru managed to achieve was that both, the Bent and Red Pyramids in Dahshur were smooth-sided and covered with the white limestone casing. The Bent Pyramid was built with the sides slightly bent at the shallower angle from the middle until its the top. The Red Pyramid, on the other hand, was the first with sides built at the same angle. The Red Pyramid got its name from the rusty colour of the red limestones it was built of, although in the past it was cased with the white limestones from Tura.

Cheops, Chephren and Mankaure

There’s no doubt the most famous kings from the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdoms are Cheops (father), Chephren (son) and Mankaure (grandson). After King Snofru died, his son Khufu (Cheops) inherited the throne and became the second king of the 4th dynasty. It took Cheops around 25 years and 20,000 skilled workers to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. And, it’s the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still exist until today. Within the Giza Necropolis, there are also the Pyramids of Chephren and Mankaure still gloriously standing to this day.

Despite the huge growth during the Pyramid Building era, the king’s wealth slowly depleted. By by the end of the 5th and 6th Dynasties their power faded, the priesthood grew in popularity and with the death of the last king the Old Kingdom Period ended in chaos.

First Intermediate Period (2181–2055 BC, VII to X Dynasties)

During the 7th and 8th Dynasties the people of Egypt witnessed the shortage of food, diseases and finally the civil war. There was also the rise of local pharaohs who divided the country politically. Because of this conflict, the country was split again. Two separate kingdoms, one was based in Heracleopolis and the other in Thebes (current Luxor), both equally fought to be in charge of the country. There was so much tension, people turned to worship Montu, the god of war who, as they claim helped them to solve the conflict.

Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BC, XI to XIII Dynasties)

This period started when rulers of Thebes (Mentuhotep II) won the civil war and reunified the Egyptian nation. As the result, there was the rise of Thebes, which became the heart of the spiritual centre. That’s when the cow-headed goddess of Hathor (love, joy, beauty and motherhood) was greatly worshiped and the cult of god Montu and Amun expanded later.

When the last king of the 11th dynasty, Mentuhotep IV was assassinated, the throne was passed onto his chief minister (and vizier). As the result, Amenemhet I became the King of Egypt and the founder of the 12th dynasty. He moved the capital to Itjtawy, south of Memphis while Thebes remained the spiritual centre.

During the Middle Kingdom Egypt colonised Nubia as it was rich in gold, ebony and ivory resources. As these poured out of Nubia, the trading relationships with Syria and Palestine were established. On the top of that, there was many building projects, such as military fortresses undertaken on the banks of Nile.

Under the reign of the Queen Sobekneferu, who was the first female ruler of Egypt and the last one from the 12th dynasty, things were getting worse again. By the end of the 13th dynasty those in charge couldn’t consolidate the power and the whole country became unstable.

Second Intermediate Period (1650–1550 BC, XIV to XVII Dynasties)

The Second Intermediate Period was yet another unsettled time for the people of Egypt. It started with the governing power being divided between two dynasties (13th and 14th), both controlling different parts of the country. When the foreign ruler, Hyksos from Palestine became the designated King of the 15th dynasty, the capital was moved to Avaris, near the Nile Delta. It was something the 16th and 17th Dynasties didn’t approve and took control over Thebes. Both coexisted until Thebans launched the war in 1570 BC, which drove Hyksos out of Egypt.

New Kingdom Period (1550–1069 BC, XVIII to XX Dynasties)

The New Kingdom, also called the Golden Age was the most prosperous times in the history of Egypt. When Ahmose I became the first king of the 18th dynasty, the country was reunited once again. And it truly was the era of abundance and plenty mainly because the pharaohs kept sending the foreign expeditions to conquer new lands. As the result, Egypt took over most parts to the south (Kush, Nubia) and to the east (Israel, Lebanon, Syria). It was the time of the territorial expansion as well as building the trading relations with others as gold was pouring out of Nubia.

The New Kingdom was when some of the most famous pharaohs ruled Egypt. Actually, from this time on the kings gained the new title and got to be called pharaohs. The ones probably everyone heard of are Hatshepsut, Amenhotep III The Magnificent, Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten), Nefertiti, Tutankhamun (Tutankhaten), Seti I and Ramses II the Great.

During the New Kingdom the pharaohs began to be buried in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens respectively. The pyramids were no longer built as they were easily robbed. From 1500 BC onwards, the kings chose more hidden burial places within the mountains on the West Bank of Nile in Thebes (Luxor).

Queen Hatshepsut

As we know, Hatshepsut (18th dynasty) was the second female ruler of the Ancient Egypt. After her father died, the 12 year old Hatshepsut married her half brother Thutmose II and became the queen of Egypt. She was the first and only female Pharaoh, who managed to gain the full power of this position. Her biggest achievements were sending the trade expeditions to Punt and the Sinai and launching many building projects including the Hatshepsut Temple, where she was later buried. During her life, she wanted to change her image to be seen as a male and was portrayed as the pharaoh with beard and the muscles. And that’s something you can easily notice on the statues and the wall paintings around her temples.

Amenhotep III The Magnificent

Amenhotep III The Magnificent was the father of Amenhotep IV and the grandfather of Tutankhamun. He was the king from 18th dynasty and ruled the country in its heyday. During his reign he built many temples and monuments including the Luxor Temple and his Mortuary Temple in Luxor on the west bank of Nile. At the time being the Mortuary Temple was the largest temple in Thebes, unfortunately due to the close proximity of the river it was often flooded and got ruined in years to come. The Colossi of Memnon, which are two massive stone statues of the king standing at the gateway of the temple are the only elements survived to this day.

Amenhotep IV

Historically, Amenhotep IV (18th dynasty) was the son of Amenhotep III and the father of Tutankhamun. He went down the history as the pharaoh who changed the state religion from the polytheistic to the monotheistic. During his reign he moved the capital to Amarna and introduced ‘Atenism’, the religion where only one sun god of Aten (the sun disc) was worshiped. To emphasize this transformation, he also changed his name from Amenhotep (living image of Amun) to Akhenaten (living image of Aten).

Nefertiti

When Amenhotep IV died, his wife Nefertiti continued his legacy in Amarna. Historically, she became the symbol of beauty as her name was translated as ‘A Beautiful Woman Has Come’. We don’t know exactly but the queen probably died in Amarna making sure the monotheistic religion was still practiced. Nefertiti is best known for her painted sandstone bust, which was rediscovered in 1912 and became a global icon of feminine beauty and power. The statue is currently on display at the Neues Museum in Berlin.

Tutankhamun

It goes without saying that Tutankhamun is the world’s most famous pharaoh. He was the son of Amenhotep IV and the successor to the throne, which he inherited at the age of just nine. He married his half sister Ankhesenamun, who gave birth to two children but none survived infancy. The young King Tut ruled Egypt for 10 years only as he suffered from multiple heath issues and died at the age of nineteen.

It’s still unknown how The Boy King passed away but it’s believed it could have been during the battle away from home. The fact that his heart was missing from the tomb could mean it decomposed on his journey back home so couldn’t be preserved there. He was provided with an amuletlike scarab instead, which was inscribed with a funerary spell.

Other possible causes of his death could be the gangrene infection from the broken leg (he was disable and was required a cane to walk) or that he suffered from malaria. What historians confirm is that his death must have been unexpected and the burial rushed. When he died, his tomb wasn’t finished and he might have been buried in a tomb that had already been prepared for someone else. What’s certain is that it was the smallest of all tombs in the Valley of the Kings and also not well decorated inside.

During his reign Tutankhamun reinstated the original polytheistic religion to worship the god of Amun. For that reason he also changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun and moved the capital from Amarna back to Thebes. Tutankhamun became most famous for being buried in the tomb which was later discovered nearly intact. In 1922 the British archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb KV62 in the Valley of the Kings with over 5,000 artefacts including the Gold Mask and the Golden Throne of Tutankhamun.

Although it was the greatest archaeological discovery of all times, most of what was found (around 80%) belonged to Tut’s parents. As a proof of this theory they found there was the sun disc on his golden throne (Amenhotep IV) and the golden mask had ears pierced (Nefertiti). It’s believed that when he died, his vizier Ay and the priests buried the unwanted past to get rid of the things that reminded them of the heretic pharaoh who changed the religion to the monotheistic one.

Because Tutankhamun had no children, the race for the throne began. It was the fight between two people, his wife Ankhesenamun and his advisor and grand vizier Ay. Because Tut’s wife didn’t want to marry someone who wasn’t royal, she sent a letter to the foreign king of Hittite, Suppiluliuma I asking for one of his sons to marry her. The Hittite king agreed but his son was killed before reaching the Egypt’s border. Eventually it was Ay, who became the next pharaoh.

Seti I

Seti I was the pharaoh of the 19th dynasty, the son of Ramses I and the father of the Ramses II the Great. His main focus was to finish reversing the monotheistic religion and regain much of the territory that was lost when the heretic pharaoh Amenhotep IV was in power (Syrian town of Kadesh from Hittite Empire). The king also built many monuments such as the hypostyle hall in Karnak (continued after his father Ramses I), Temple of Seti at Abydos as well as his own tomb. When the tomb of Seti I was discovered in the Valley of the Kings, it was called KV17, Belzoni’s tomb or the Tomb of Apis. It’s one of the deepest and most vibrantly coloured of all places there.

Ramses II the Great

Undoubtedly, Ramses II of 19th dynasty went down in history as the Military Leader and the Great Builder. During 66 years of his reign, he led the Egyptian army against several enemies including the Hittites, Syrians, Libyans and Nubians. He expanded the Egyptian empire and secured its borders against attackers. Perhaps the most famous battle during Ramses’ rule was the Battle of Kadesh in 1275 BC, after which the famous Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty (first one in the world) was signed in 1258 BC.

Ramses II was definitely one of the greatest builders of Ancient Egypt. He’s famous for rebuilding many Egyptian temples and constructing some of his own. Those include the Ramesseum (his memorial temple), Abu Simbel (near Nubian border) and Pi-Ramesses (the capital city under his reign).

The truth is that, during his long life Ramses II had 8 wives and around 100 children. Although his first two principal wives were Nefertari and Isetnofret, it was Nefertari he loved the most. As the proof of his love he built and dedicated the smaller temple in Abu Simbel to her. There’s also the tomb QV66 of Nefertari located in the Valley of the Queens which impresses to this day.

Moreover, it’s believed that the Exodus of Moses and the Israelites from Egypt possibly took place during the reign of Ramses II (1304-1237 BC). According to many, he was the pharaoh who Moses demanded to free the Israelites from.

Third Intermediate Period (1069–664 BC, XXI to XXV Dynasties)

Because Ramses II overspent the country’s money for the building projects and the costly foreign wars, the situation in Egypt was getting worse and worse. On the top of that, the state workers and artisans who were employed to build the royal tombs were not paid on time and that sparked the first recorded labour strike in 1155 BC.

The Priesthood of Karnak

The other major factor that contributed to the fall of Egypt was the corruption among the high priests. Initially, their role was to look after the Karnak Temple, where the statue of Amun was placed. Every day they used to bring food, water and other offerings, just to please the god. There was the Sacred Lake within the Karnak Temple where the officials bathed twice a day to maintain the purity. They cared about their appearance so much that both, the male and female priests shaved their heads to preserve the appropriate appearance before Amun.

In time the priests gained so much power, they finally opposed their leader and became the full time politicians. These events destabilised the balance between the state and the church. By the end of the New Kingdom the priests took control over the southern Egypt while the pharaoh was left to rule in the north. Sadly, the Egyptian Empire was spilt once again.

Things got even worse when one day the high priests of Karnak ordered some man to open regularly the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings and extract the gold buried with the pharaohs. It was robbing and looting done by the people who were meant to look after this sacred site. They stripped the kings of anything of the value, even unwrapped the mummies to take the rings and amulets hidden between the bandage layers. Such a disgusting deed was practiced for almost 20 years!

Libyan Invasion

While the priesthood controlled the south, the Libyans invaded the north in 954 BC. As the result, Shoshenq I became the 1st king of 22nd dynasty, followed by his son Nimlot (Nimlot Bracelet of 940 BC in the British Museum). The fact is that Libyans adopted the Egyptian customs and even looked like pharaohs but all they wanted was the gold the country was so rich in.

Kushite Invasion

Around 747 BC the south, which was governed by the priests was invaded by the Nubian rulers (Kushites). After founding the 25th dynasty, they didn’t plunder or destroy but restored and rebuilt the area. Because Nubia had been under the Egyptian influence for centuries, they adopted and respected the local traditions.

In the past pharaohs of the New Kingdom came to Nubia (northern Sudan) and they named the sand stone mountain Gebel Barkal, the mountain of creation. They thought that was where Amun was born so they built the temple nearby and dedicated it to the god and his wife Mut. Since then the Nubians absorbed the culture of Egypt and followed their customs. It’s fair to say they built more pyramids in Nubia than Egypt ever did.

Assyrian Invasion

In 674 BC the Assyrian army invaded Egypt from the north. They had no interest in the Egyptian culture but only to expand their own empire. During 20 years of the occupation, they damaged the temples and statues in Thebes and destroyed the Egyptian religion.

Late Period (664–332 BC, XXVI to XXXI Dynasties)

The Late Period of Egypt started around 664 BC. That’s when the power over the country was handed back to the native Egyptians, the Saite rulers. They were based in the north and soon became independent with the capital in Sais. During this time the mummification of not only the humans but also the animals played the major role in preparing for the afterlife.

Because there was so many foreign rulers and therefore no real pharaohs, Egyptians started to worship and mummify the Apis bulls. And finally, the cult of death was important once again. There’s a huge underground burial ground of the sacred bulls called Serapeum in Saqqara. It served as the necropolis for Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt for more than two millennia.

Sadly, in 525 BC Egypt was invaded by the Persian Empire. They governed the land with the capital in Babylon for 200 years until Alexander the Great arrived.

Hellenistic (Greek) Period (332-30 BC, Argead and Ptolemaic Dynasties)

Alexander the Great

The Persian reign ended in 332 BC when the Macedonian Greek King, Alexander the Great brought Egypt into his vast empire. He transformed the country’s future but also preserved its past by being respectful of Egyptian traditions. Maybe because Alexander stayed there only 6 short months, the king didn’t fill it with his own images. Except for the great city of Alexandria that obviously bears his name and the hieroglyphs in the Luxor Temple, he’s really hard to find anywhere around the country.

According to the historians, when Alexander marched through Memphis, he spread rumours he was the son of Egypt and the last native pharaoh. To prove that he went to Siwa Oasis where he spoke with the oracle. The god Amun said to him that he was his son hence he was crowned as the traditional pharaoh. Afterwards, the Macedonian Greek by decent went off to conquer the rest of the ancient world thinking he was divine and had the blessing and the support of Amun itself. He swept anything down from Greece conquering much of the Middle East and all the way to India.

Although, Alexander the Great stayed in Egypt only a short period of time, he left the long lasting legacy. During this time he founded many cities including Alexandria, where he moved the capital from Memphis. On the top of things, he also developed smaller cities, built royal palaces, public bathes, gymnasiums, The Royal Library and one of the wonder of the ancient world, the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Although this famous city was the main trading link between the Mediterranean and the rest of the world, it was also the hub of intellectual development where science, literature and philosophy flourished.

As historian confirm, Alexander died in Babylon at the age of 32, still undefeated. Because he died while still being the pharaoh, his body was mummified. Initially, he was going to be buried in Greece but on the way there, his journey was diverted to Saqqara in Egypt where he was laid to rest with all the Egyptian customs. Later on, his body was exhumed from Saqqara and brought to Alexandria where he’s been buried till these days.

The Ptolemaic Dynasty

When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, Ptolemy I Soter took over. He was the Greek leader and his half brother who established the Ptolemaic Dynasty. What’s interesting is that the whole dynasty had 50 male kings, all named Ptolemy with their female co-rulers half of whom called Cleopatra. The newly formed Greek dynasty ruled for nearly 300 years until the Romans arrived in 30 BC.

The Ptolemies undertook the massive temple rebuilding program in places such as Esna, Edfu (Kom Ombo Temple) and Philae Temple. Much of the Philae Temple was rebuilt by Ptolemy II and his sister Pharaoh Arsinoe. In fact, under the Ptolemies, Philae became the major centre of Isis and the centre of the spiritual and religious life. According to the myth, the goddess Isis was the one who caused the vital Nile floods by swelling the river as she wept tears of sorrow for her murdered husband Osiris, who she then resurrected.

One of the most important artefacts in the world is the Rosetta Stone. It was left by Ptolemy V in 196 BC and discovered by the French soldier in 1799 in the North Egypt. Generally speaking, it was the decree that said what religion and political policy was in place at the time. As it mainly focused on Ptolemy V generous patronage, the priests were praising for him for being the one who gave wealth to the temples and due honour and respect to the sacred animals. In short, the Egyptian nation was grateful for that.

The significance of the Rosetta Stone discovery was incredible. It’s because it contained the message written in 3 different languages, hieroglyphs, Demotic and Ancient Greek. Thanks to the Greek translation it was finally possible to understand the meaning of hieroglyphs. In short, hieroglyphs were the ancient writing system that used pictures as signs. They were often written on papyrus and carved in stone on tombs as well as the temple walls.

Cleopatra VII – Last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt

The Ptolemaic Dynasty was the last dynasty of Ancient Egypt. For Ptolemy V keeping the peace proved expensive so the second half of this dynasty was driven by debts, corruption and vicious civil war. When Greek pharaoh Ptolemy XII died, his daughter Cleopatra VII inherited the throne. She married Ptolemy XII, her 10 year old brother and both became the co-rules of Egypt. But, their marriage turned into the worst kind of sibling rivalry. The husband conspired against his wife and forced her out of the palace.

When Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt in 48 BC, Cleopatra snacked back into the palace, hidden inside the rolled up carpet. She then met up with Caesar, seduced him and convinced to help her win back the throne. As they fell in love, they had the son named Caesarion. Despite their romance, Cleopatra intended for Egypt to remain independent of Rome. The fact is she was a remarkable woman who could speak 7 languages, was associated with the goddess Isis, built up the Egyptian economy and established the trade with many Arab nations. The people of Egypt loved her because she embraced the Egyptian culture and the country was prosperous during her rule.

According to Cleopatra’s wish, Caesar defeated her husband’s army at the Battle of the Nile. As the result, Ptolemy XII drowned in the river while trying to escape. Cleopatra then married her other brother, Ptolemy XIV, and when he died, she ruled with her son Ptolemy Caesarion. When Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, Cleopatra returned to Egypt. In 31 BC she fell in love with Mark Anthony, who also she allied with against another Roman leader, Octavian (Caesar Augustus). They formed the joint military forces to battle the legal heir of Julius Caesar.

Because Cleopatra wanted her own son, Caesarion to become the new leader of Rome, she thought Anthony would help her with that. Unfortunately, they were defeated during the battle of Actium. As history proves, the death of Cleopatra is shrouded with a lot of mystery and romance. While being at the battlefield, Mark Anthony heard that his beloved Cleopatra had died and killed himself. Upon hearing the sad news about the death of her lover and the Romans closing by, Cleopatra committed a suicide by allowing the poisonous cobra to bite her. After she died in 30 BC, Caesar Augustus arrived in Alexandria, defeated the Egyptian army and Egypt became a part of the Roman Empire. One thing was certain that Cleopatra was the last pharaoh and it was the end of the Ancient Egypt, the civilisation that lasted 3,000 years.

Alexandria was ancient Egypt last most influential capital, home of pharaoh Cleopatra, the final ruler of Greek dynasty and the last in the long line of foreign invaders. Since 31st August 30 BC when Egypt was formally annexed by Rome, there was a slow and painful decline of Egyptian beliefs and culture until the arrival of Christianity. The temples were abandoned, built over or simply destroyed and the Egypt’s glory began to fade away from memory. These days there are many monuments around the world dedicated to the pharaoh Cleopatra and the one worth seeing is the Cleopatra’s Needle (Obelisk) at Victoria Embankment in London.

Roman and Byzantine Period (30 BC to 641 AD)

In 30 BC Romans took control of Egypt and the country became the official province of Rome. The Romans ruled for over 600 years until around 640 AD. During this time the life of native Egyptians changed a lot. Because of its natural resources and the strategic position, Egypt played the important role in the international trading. When Rome split in the 4th century AD, the whole empire was divided into the eastern and wester ones. As the result, Egypt became the part of the Eastern Roman Empire, called the Byzantine with the capital in Constantinople (current Istanbul in Turkey).

With Romans arriving in Egypt, the Christianity also spread throughout the country. Around 33 AD the Apostle Mark came to Egypt and the person he converted first was a shoemaker in Alexandria. The Coptic Cross became the symbol of the Egyptian Christians (Coptic Church). It was derived from the Ankh (the key of life), which was similar to a cross but with a loop in the place of the upper arm. The Coptic Church in Egypt also believes that Egypt was chosen by God as the safe place for his son (and the Holy Family) to hide from Herod. According to the Christian beliefs, the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga) is built exactly on the spot, where the Holy Family rested at the end of the journey to Egypt.

Muslim Conquest of Egypt

In the 7th century Egypt came under the constant attack form the east. In 616 it was firstly invaded by the Sassanids, then by the Muslim Arabs in 641. The Muslim conquest of Egypt was overseen by the Rashidun Caliphate and the Arab commander ‘Amr ibn al-‘As. The Caliphate was the Islamic state, sort of government based on Islamic law and the caliph was the a person considered the successor of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim world.

During the Muslim period the following caliphates were in power: Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, Tulunid, Ikhshidid, Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk. The first capital of Egypt under the Muslim rule was Fustat, which currently is the part of Old Cairo (near Babylon Fortress in Coptic Cairo) in the norther parts of the city. It was built by the Rashidun dynasty and the general ‘Amr ibn al-‘As immediately after the Muslim conquest of Egypt. The area became home to the Mosque of Amr, which was the first mosque built in Egypt.

Saladin – Ayyubid Dynasty

In 969 AD the Fatimid Dynasty (general Jawhar al-Siqilli) founded the city of Cairo, which then became the capital in 972 AD. When Saladin invaded the country in 1171, he founded the Ayyubid dynasty and incorporated the Fatimids into the Abbasid Caliphate. He became the first sultan of Egypt and since then this status was held by all rulers of Egypt until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517.

When Saladin was in power, his army defeated the Crusaders in the Battle of Hattin in 1187 taking control over Palestine and Jerusalem. One of the biggest achievements of Sultan was building the Cairo Citadel, the Citadel of Saladin. It’s a medieval fortification that served as the seat of government and the residence of its rulers for almost 700 years.

An-Nasir Hasan – Mamluk Sultan of Egypt

When An-Nasir Hasan (1347-1351, 1355-1361) took over Egypt, he commenced the project to build the Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hasan. It’s one of the the most impressive constructions in the capital city of Cairo.

Ottoman Egypt (1517–1867)

When Egypt was conquered by the Ottoman army in 1517, it went under the Turkish control with the capital in Constantinople. The reign of the Mamluks eventually came to an end and the country was administrated by the Turks from 1517 until 1867, with an interruption during the French occupation of 1798 to 1801.

French Occupation (1798–1801)

In 1798 the French Empire, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, invaded Egypt. But, they were soon defeated by the Ottoman Empire, who once again took control over the country. During the French occupation the Rosetta Stone was discovered near the Nile Delta. It was such an important discovery because the message on the stone was written in 3 different languages (hieroglyphs, Demotic and Ancient Greek) and it was finally possible to translate the ancient hieroglyphs.

Muhammad Ali Dynasty (1805–1953)

Muhammad Ali from the Mamluk dynasty was the army commander in the Albanian Ottoman force, who recovered Egypt from the French occupation under Napoleon. When Napoleon withdrew from Egypt, Muhammad Ali gained the title of Pasha which was the higher rank in the Ottoman political and military system. He established the dynasty that ruled Egypt until the revolution of 1952 when King Farouk was overthrown by Mohamed Naguib when he succeeded him as the president of Egypt.

Historically, Muhammad Ali was considered the founder of modern Egypt and one of his biggest architectural achievements was the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, also called the Alabaster Mosque. It was an Ottoman mosque, centrally located in the Cairo Citadel and the most visible landmark in the city. It was built in the memory of Muhammad Ali’s son, Tusun Pasha and became Muhammad’s burial site when he died.

Although the construction of the Suez Canal was initiated by the French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, it took place under the regional authority of the Ottoman Empire. The purpose of creating the Suez Canal was to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. The Suez Canal was completed in the 1869 after ten years of work.

British Occupation (1882–1922)

Between 1882 and 1922 Egypt was occupied by the British. The Egyptian army was defeated by them in 1882 at the Battle of Tel el-Kebi. After 40 years of foreign occupation, the United Kingdom recognised Egypt as an independent country on 28th February 1922.

While British stayed in Egypt, the most incredible discovery was made on 4th November 1922. When English archaeologist Howard Carter was working in the Valley of the Kings, he found the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62). It was the best-preserved pharaonic tomb ever discovered which contained over 5,000 artefacts including the Gold Mask and the Golden Throne.

Kingdom of Egypt – Monarchy (1922–1953)

Egypt became the monarchy during the period of the Muhammad Ali dynasty’s reign. After the UK recognised its independence in 1922, Sultan Fuad I became King of Egypt. In 1948 Egypt joined the military Arab coalition, which included Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon and attacked Israel. The country was under the control of the kings until the Egyptian Revolution in 1952, led by Muhammad Najib and Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1953 the monarchy was abolished and the Republic of Egypt was established.

Arab Republic of Egypt (1953-present)

In 1953 Muhammad Najib became the first president of the Republic of Egypt. His role was soon replaced by Gamal Abdel Nasser, who led the country from 1956. When Israel launched the attack on Egypt in 1957, the Six Day Arab-Israeli War began. As the result, Israel took control over Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula.

Gamal Abdel Nasser initiated the project of building the High Aswan Dam across the Nile, one large enough to end the annual flooding and bring electric power to every corner of Egypt. At first the project was sponsored by the UK and the US but once they found out that Egypt went into the agreement with the USRR, they cancelled the funding. Eventually, The High Aswan Dam was completed in 1970 with help from the USRR. Unfortunately, the president Gamal Abdel Nasser died of the heart attack just before it was officially open, so the giant water reservoir created nearby was named the Nassar Lake in his honour.

Between 2010 and 2012 the world witnessed the uprising called the Arab Spring. It was a series of anti-government protests and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab World. The goal was to oppose the oppressive regimes and very low standard of living. People wanted the democracy, free elections and improving the human rights and employment. It started with protests in Tunisia, but soon expanded to other Arab countries, including Egypt.

Hiking in Egypt

When you think of Egypt, you instantly image the sandy dunes and the endless deserts. In fact, more than 90% of Egypt is taken by the them. The main deserts in Egypt are the Eastern Desert, Sinai Desert and the Western Desert, which is the part of the Sahara Desert. Both, Eastern and Western Deserts are separated by the Nile River, which runs from Sudan, through Egypt and into the Mediterranean Sea. Other famous deserts in Egypt include the Black Desert, White Desert, Blue Desert, Great Grand Sea, Libyan Desert and the Wadi El Natrun.

Mountains in Egypt

The highest peak in Egypt is the Mount Catherine (2,629 m), located on the Sinai Peninsula near the city of Saint Catherine. There are many mountains in Egypt and the major ones include:

• Mount Sinai (Jabal Mousa)
• Mount Catherine
• Shaiyb al-Banat
• Gabal Elba
• Mount Serbal
• Jabal Umm Shūmar
• Jabal Zubayr
• Hashem el-Tarif

Hiking Trails in Egypt

In summary, the best hiking trails in Egypt include the Mount Catherine in Sinai, Mount Moses in Sinai, The Coloured Canyon in Nuweiba, Blue Lagoon in Dahab, Wadi Degla Protectorate in Cairo, The Valley of the Whales in Fayoum (Wadi El-Hitan) and the Red Sea Mountain Trail.

Beaches in Egypt

Egypt is surrounded by waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. In addition, the country is crossed by the longest river in the world, the Nile River and the Suez Canal, the human-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. The Suez Canal is considered land border between Africa and Asia.

Egypt has a coastline of over 2,900 km and the most famous islands such as Giftun Islands in Hurghada, Qulaan Islands in the Wadi El Gemal National Park, Pharaoh’s Island in Taba, Abu Minqar Island in Hurghada, El Ikhwa Islands in El Qoseir, Zabargad (St. John’s) Island in Elba National Park, Shadwan Island in Northeast of El Gouna, Tiran Island in Sharm el Sheikh.

The most beautiful Egyptian beaches can be found in Sharm el Sheikh (Naama Bay), Dahab Lagoon, El Gouna (near Hurghada), Taba Beach, Soba Bay and Marsa Alam.

Where to Stay in Egypt

Because Egypt is such a big country, it’s good to plan your stay around the major cities. The good starting point is spend up to one week in Cairo, where you can travel to Giza, Memphis, Saqqara and Dahshur. Afterwards, you can fly to take the Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor, ideally for three nights (four days). Eventually, it’s good to end up on the beach in one of the Red Sea resorts (eg. Sharm el Sheikh) and relax around one week.

If you want to spend your holidays in Egypt, there are six regions to choose from: the Lower Egypt, Middle Egypt, Upper Egypt, Western Desert, Red Sea Coast and the Sinai. To be precise, Egypt is divided into 27 governorates.

Regions	Cities
Lower Egypt	Cairo, Alexandria, Damanhur, Dumyat, El Alamein, Tanta, Fayum, Mansoura, Marsa Matruh, Memphis, Zagazig
Middle Egypt	Beni Suef, Minya, Mallawi, Asyut, Sohag
Upper Egypt	Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Sohab, Asyut, Minya, Lake Nasser
Western Desert	Oasis (Siwa, Bahariyya, Farafra, Kharga, Dakhla)
Red Sea Coast	Port Suez, Hurghada, Ain Sukhna, Ras-Gharib, El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay, Safaga, El Quseir, Sahl Hasheesh, El Quseir, Port Ghalib, Marsa Alam, Berenice
Sinai	Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba Heights, Taba, El Tur, Arish, Na’ama Bay, Nabq Bay, Mount Sinai, Mount Catherine, Coloured Canyon, Blue Lagoon, Ras Abu Galum, Basata

Most recommended hotels in Egypt:

• Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo
• New Grand Royal Hotel in Cairo
• Hayat Pyramids View Hotel in Giza
• Marriott Mena House in Giza
• Best View Pyramids Hotel in Giza
• Steigenberger Resort Achti in Luxor
• Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa
• Aurora Oriental Resort in Sharm el Sheikh
• Maritim Jolie Ville Resort & Casino in Sharm el Sheikh

What to Eat in Egypt

The Egyptian cuisine is often underrated, but it’s one of the most delicious in the world. As a matter of fact, it makes a heavy use of well spiced beans, lentils, rice, pasta, plus the fruit and vegetables grown in the Nile Valley. The truth is, the people of Egypt love lamb kebabs, grilled chicken and the fish straight from sea.

The street food in Egypt is really cheap (LE20 to LE80, £1 to £3.50) and dining in traditional restaurants really affordable (LE150 to LE200, £7 to £9). If you want to try fine dining, be ready to spend roughly LE900 (£40) per head. If you want to buy the beer in Egypt, you must show your passport to prove you’re not Egyptian. The average price for the pint of Egyptian Stella or Sakkara Gold is LE80 (£3.60). If you smoke, the pack of 20 cigarettes is around LE40 (£1.80).

Don’t leave Egypt without tasting:

• Egyptian Bread – resembles pita but it’s made out of white wheat flour.
• Mezzes – baba ghanoush (smoky eggplant dip) or hummus or duqqa (nuts, herbs, spices dip)
• Ta’meya – Egyptian Falafel, crushed fava beans, served with Ful, tahina, salad and bread
• Besarah – green creamy mash from parsley, dill, leek, grinded fava beans, spices, green pepper
• Shakshouka – poached eggs, tomato sauce, peppers and garlic for breakfast
• Gebna we bateekh – white cheese and watermelon salad, cooling dish
• Alexandrian Liver and Sausages – spicy street food, served with tomato sauce
• Shawarma – kebab meat, served with bread, salad and tahina
• Hawawshi – stuffed meat sandwich, spiced ground beef or lamb, cooked inside a whole pocket of bread
• Mahshi – veggies such as zucchini, eggplants, pepper, tomato, cabbage, filled with spicy rice
• Mulukhiya – green leafy veggies chopped & cooked with garlic in meaty stew, served with rice
• Ful Medames – stew of cooked fava beans with oil and lemon juice, garlic, onion, parsley
• Koshary – rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas with tomato, chili, garlic vinegar sauce and crispy fried onions
• Rozz Me’ammar – white rice, milk, butter or cream and chicken broth baked in the oven
• Fattah – layers of fried bread and rice cooked in tomato sauce, topped with chunks of meat
• Sayadeya – white fish cooked with yellow rice, onion, spices, tomato sauce
• Kunafa – two layers of flour noodles, baked and filled with cheese, typical desert
• Drinks – Shai (tea), black tea, hibiscus tea, mint tea

How to Get Around Egypt

Well, the best way to get around Egypt is flying between the cities. This is the fastest and safest option, takes roughly one hour and costs around £30 one way with Egypt Air.

To be honest, the rail service is very limited in Egypt as it mainly follows the Nile River. So, if you don’t mind spending 13 hours on the train, the line worth taking is either the standard or sleeping train from Cairo to Aswan. That’s where you start sailing the Nile towards Luxor. The standard train costs around £9 and the Watania sleeping train roughly £60 per person in the double cabin or £7.50 for the corridor seat one way.

The Nile Cruise is once in a lifetime adventure and should definitely be done during your holidays in Egypt. After exploring Cairo, you can indulge on the luxury ship and visit the ancient temples along the Nile River. The typical price for three night (four day) cruise starts from £230 with overnight stay, dining and excursions included.

When you explore the major cities, it’s best to use the taxis. Luckily, there’s Uber available in Cairo (fares from £0.50 to £2 per ride). The local taxis elsewhere charge from £5-£10 one way.

Egypt Travel Guide – Cost and Budget

The average price for flying from the UK to Egypt is £300 to £350 return. It’s best to use skyscanner to find the best air carries and most recent flight deals. It takes roughly 5 hours to get from London to the main Egyptian cities. Flying domestically between the main cities takes about one hour and costs £30 one way.

Backpacker’s Budget in Egypt

If you’re a backpacker wishing to visit Egypt, your daily budget shouldn’t be more than £22. That’s assuming you stay in the dormitory accommodation (LE150, £7), eat street food such as Koshary or Shawarma (LE30, £1.40), use local buses within the cities (LE2, £0.09) or trains between towns (LE180, £8). This sort of budget allows you to see the key attractions such as eg. the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan and Coptic Cairo Museum (LE80, £4).

Mid-Range Budget in Egypt

If you want to explore Egypt on the mid – range allowance, you should spend around £82 daily. This budget makes it possible to stay in the nice hotel rooms with charges from £15 in Cairo to £50 per night in Sharm el Sheikh. Additionally, you can dine at the most amazing Egyptian restaurants (typical meal costs LE150 to LE200, up to £10), travel with taxi around the cities (£0.5 to £2 per ride) and fly between the destinations (£30 one way). Within this budget you can see things such as the Pyramids of Giza (LE200, £9 to enter the Giza Plateau and LE400, £18 to go inside the Great Pyramid) and take the Nile Cruise (starts from £230 for 3 nights).

Luxury Budget in Egypt

If you want a luxury in Egypt, you must pay roughly £190 a day. This kind of budget should cover staying in the top rated hotels (such as Kempinski Nile Hotel or Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa), the most finest meals in the rooftop restaurants (LE1800, £80), frequent use of the mini cabs and the best of what Egypt has to offer including the Hot Balloon Ride in Luxor (£60).

	Accommodation	Food	Transport	Attractions	Avg Daily Cost
Backpacker	£7	£3	£1-£8	£4	£22
Mid-range	£30	£12	£3-£30	£10	£82
Luxury	£90	£30	£50	£20	£190

Egypt Travel Guide – Best Time to Visit

The fact is that Egypt enjoys the warm weather all year long. But, the best time to go to Egypt is either autumn (September to November) or spring (March to May). Winter is also popular with the holidaymakers but feels much cooler. The Red Sea Riviera can be visited all year around, although summers are very hot and winters more windy and colder. When planning to visit Egypt, you should avoid travelling during the Ramadan (ninth month in the Muslim calendar).

Autumn in Egypt

Basically, Egyptian autumn (September to November) brings between 25°C and 32°C, which makes it easy to explore the major cities, enjoy the beach, cruise the Nile, visit Luxor or go to the desert, all in one trip.

Spring in Egypt

If you travel to Egypt in spring (March to May), you’ll experience the temperatures between 24°C to 31°C. Although, spring is a good time to visit the cities and the beach, that’s often when the Khamsin sandstorm arrives in Sahara blowing on and off for about 50 days.

Winter in Egypt

If you come to Egypt in winter (December to February), you’ll experience the mild temperatures around 20°C. Although, it’s still nice to visit the cities and other tourist attractions, the Red Sea Riviera and Sahara gets cooler at night.

Summer in Egypt

In summary, the summer (June to August) is the low season in Egypt, except for the beach resorts. Those months bring the highest temperatures up to 40°C, which makes it hard to travel the country, but pleasant to stay on the beach on the Sinai Peninsula.

Egypt Travel Guide – Average Monthly Temperatures

Basically, the weather in Egypt is nice all year around, but it’s the hottest in summer, from June to August. Those months bring the highest temperatures between 34°C and 37°C, with July being the hottest. In contrast, Egypt is the coldest in winter, from December to February. That’s when you still get plenty of sunshine but the temperatures drop down to 19°C, with January being the coldest.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp (°C)	19	21	24	28	31	34	37	35	32	30	25	21
Low Temp (°C)	8	9	12	15	18	21	23	22	21	19	14	10

Egypt Travel Guide – Average Monthly Precipitation

Generally, Egypt doesn’t experience a lot of rain throughout the year. The country is the wettest in winter from December to February. In fact, January is the month when it rains the most with up to 11 mm and 3,5 days of showers. On the contrary, Egypt is the driest during summer from June to August and that’s when it hardly ever rains.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainfall (mm)	11	7	5	2	1.5	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3	3	6	10
Rainfall (days)	3.5	3	1	0.9	0.5	0.1	0	0	0	0.5	1	3

Egypt Travel Guide – Practical Information

This part of my travel guide is full of tips on what to expect during your trip to Egypt. For more information on language and local time, religion, electricity plug, internet, currency, visa, safety and health matters in Egypt, just follow my clues below.

Photography is such a sensitive subject in Egypt and you can take my word for that. As I learnt during my travels the drones are NOT allowed in Egypt under no circumstances. It’s because the Egyptian law forbids bringing them into the country and they will be confiscated when you cross the border. In the worst case scenario, the possession of the drone can even lead to a jail sentence.

If you want to shoot photos and videos, you’re only allowed to use your MOBILE PHONE DEVICE in most of the places. The professional cameras, tripods and other video recorders, including Go Pro devices are permitted to use in the open spaces, but NOT inside the buildings. If it’s allowed, there’s an additional fee to pay.

Population and Language – Around 100 million people live in Egypt and roughly 10 million in the capital of Cairo. The official language is Arabic and most Egyptians speak good English.

National Symbols:

• Flag – red, black, white with golden eagle
• Flower – Egyptian lotus
• Sport – football
• Other symbols – pyramids, pharaoh, sphinx,

Religion – 90% Muslim, 9% Coptic Christians, 1% Other Christians.

Local Time – There is 1 time zone in Egypt: UTC+2 hours.

Electricity – Egypt runs on 220V voltage. There is 50Hz and the two round pin plug type C, F and L. Getting an adapter is recommended.

Internet – The internet in Egypt is improving every year. Most of the premium hotels provide the free Wi-Fi, but there are still places you have to pay extra for it. The internet cafes are available around the big cities but It’s recommended to buy a cheap Egyptian sim card (£2) and the mobile data on arrival. The best prepaid sim cards in Egypt are: Orange Egypt, Vodafone Egypt or Etisalat.

Money and Currency in Egypt

Money – The ATMs in Egypt are located around the big cities and it might be harder to find them in the rural areas. For the safety reasons, it’s best to use the hotels or the banks to withdraw the money (for a standard fee). Visa, MasterCard and other major Debit or Credit Cards are widely accepted in Egypt. There’s quite often a charge of 3% to 10% when paying with your card. In Egypt, it’s always best to have the cash (preferably US dollars) and lots of change (many sellers or taxi drivers don’t give change).

Currency – The official currency in Egypt is Egyptian Pound (LE). Most businesses (hotels, tour operators etc) insist on paying in US Dollars ($) so it’s best to have this currency in cash instead.

Visa Requirements for Egypt

Visa – The British and Polish citizens need to apply for the visa when entering Egypt. There’re the e-visa (online, $25, valid for 3 months for GB and 30 days for PL) or visa on arrival ($25, valid for 30 days). The only exceptions are Sharm el Sheikh, Taba and Saint Catherine where you don’t need to apply for the visa if staying only within those areas for up to max 15 days (your passport will be stamped at the airport).

Safety in Egypt

Safety Overall, Egypt is a safe country to travel. Since the Arab Spring in 2011, the only areas you shouldn’t go to are the Governorate of North Sinai (jihadi groups fighting against Egyptian military forces), the Governorate of South Sinai (except for the Sharm el Sheikh, Taba and Dahab), the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, excluding the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh. It’s safe to take the Nile Cruise along the river, including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings. The Red Sea resorts (Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada) are also safe to stay in and you can take the organised trip tours out of the cities (it’s good to check your insurance policy if you’re properly covered).

To be honest, there’s a very little crime in Egypt, although petty thefts may happen in the crowded areas around the bigger cities. The typical scams involve the guides offering the tours and tickets in the streets and they should be avoided. If you want to visit the tourist places, it’s best to use the reputable companies or buy the tickets at your destination. Sometimes people will invite you in for some tea or to show you their goods inside the house or the shop, but bear in mind, they just want to lure you in to demand money. The taxi drivers often claim not to have the right change, so best set the price first and have the exact cash ready. Solo travelling in Egypt is safe for women, but they may occasionally be a subject of the sexual harassment. Plus, Egypt is a Muslim country so covering the knees and arms is advisable. LGBT is illegal in Egypt.

Emergency Numbers – The numbers for each emergency services in Egypt are: Police – 122, Medical Services – 123, Fire – 180, Highway Emergency Service – 136.

Health and Travel Vaccinations in Egypt

Health – Before you travel to Egypt, it’s recommended to consider: the cholera vaccination, meningococcal meningitis vaccination, tuberculosis (TB) vaccination, typhoid vaccination and malaria vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that everyone is covered for the diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B regardless of their destination.