8 Unmissable things to do in Egypt | Complete Guide

OVERVIEW

Egypt is home to some of the most fascinating histories in the entire world. The country is dotted with structures and tombs dating back thousands of years ago. Additionally,  the country is also home to red sea which is one of the most scuba diving spots in the world. Below is the list of the most unmissable things to do in Egypt.

THINGS TO DO

1. Great Pyramid of Giza

  • No surprises there! This pyramid is the largest and oldest of the famous three pyramids in Giza. It is also one the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the only one to remain largely intact.
  • Construction of this structure was completed around 2560 BC, which makes it 4581 years old at the time of writing this article, and it is still intact. It is still not known to mankind that how such a structure was built at the time.
  • The pyramid was made to house the tomb of Khufu, an Egyptian king.
Panorama of Pyramid of Giza and Sphinx in the Giza pyramid complex
Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash



2. Karnak Temple Complex

This is a huge open to air complex comprising of large pillar structures. Dating back to around 2000 BC (4021 years old), this complex comprises of decayed temples and chapels of ancient Egypt.



3. Valley of the Kings

  • Located in Luxor, this valley contains tombs of pharaohs and powerful nobles of ancient Egypt that ruled between the period of 16th and 11th century BC. This valley contains 63 rock cut tombs and chambers of the royal figures.

4. Nile River Cruise

  • The only river in Egypt, Nile, connects many famous Egyptian cities. Many cruises are operated between cities. There are many options depending on the duration and luxury. The most popular sector is 4/5 nights Luxor – Aswan cruise. Other sector include the 11 to 14 nights cruises between Cairo-Luxor, and Cairo-Aswan.
  • These cruises also cover the famous tourist sites on its route.
Cruise parked near Temple of Kom Ombo in Egypt
© FreeProd / Adobe Stock



5. Red Sea

  • Firstly, no, the sea is not really red in color. Its beautiful bluish green. So then why the name? Because, occasionally this sea becomes filled with one kind of algae, which when dies, turns the color of the sea to reddish brown. The color is not intense and it happens to parts of the water, not the whole sea at once. So please don’t expect to see a rose colored water body.
  • That being said, red sea is spectacular!
  • The best way to tour red sea is to live in one of the cities on its coast. The most beautiful and popular cities on its coast in Egypt include Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Sharm, Dahab and many more. Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh also have airports which makes them the most convenient entry points to red sea from Egypt. There is also a ferry availabe between these two cities. You can take a taxi or car rental from these cities in case you want to go to any other city.



6. Abu Simbel temples

  • These are two massive rock temples near Aswan. They date back to 13th century BC. They were made as a lasting monument for a king and his queen named Nafertari.
  • The temples boasts massive rock statues including the iconic rock reliefs of the king and the queen.



7. Temple of Kom Ombo

  • This is a very unusual and fascinating temple in the town of Kom Ombo. This place has a unique double design, meaning the temple is divided into equal halves for two sets of gods. All the courts, halls, rooms and sanctuaries are duplicated in both these halves. The two sets of gods include the god of crocodile, fertility, creator of the world and many more.
  • The place dedicated to god of crocodile in this temple is home to the famous mummified crocodiles.
Kom Ombo temple in Egypt
Image Credits : www.wallpaperflare.com



8. Hike Mount Sinai

  • Mount Sinai is believed to be the place where Moses (the important prophet of Judaism) received the Ten Commandments. The summit of this mountain has a small mosque and church, where is believed to be the place where he received it. Additionally, the mountain offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains in the Sinai Peninsula. This makes it a popular spot for tourists. The summit especially at a staggering height of 2285 meters.
  • There are two routes to the summit, Camel route and Steep Steps route. The former allows the tourist to conveniently hop on a camel until a point near the summit. From here, there are around 750 small stone steps to the top. The latter route is a tedious 3750 stone step route, and the steps are not small. Both routes meet at the same point from where the 750 small steps start. If you are not a avid hiker, you can obviously take the camel route both ways.
  • As view is the reward here, people aim for catching sunrise and sunsets at the summit. For that, most of the people hike during the night to catch the dawn and to avoid the scorching heat during the afternoon. If you want less people at the top, face the heat and hike during afternoon.
  • You can do this by yourself or by joining a group/private tour. Most of the tours operate from the nearby resort town of Sharm El Sheikh.



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