Egypt: What to Expect / Highlights

Attractions in Cairo

The Pyramids of Giza which are the only remaining of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world; the Sphinx at Giza and the Egyptian Museums.

Luxor

The capital of the ancient Egyptian empire and a city often described as the "best open-air museum in the world."

The Valley of the Kings

Located on the West Bank at Luxor (ancient Thebes) contains many of the tombs of pharaohs from the New Kingdom, including Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great. The most famous Egyptian pharaoh today is, without doubt, Tutankhamun. The boy king died in his late teens and remained at rest in Egypt's Valley of the Kings for over 3,300 years.

The Valley of the Queens

Also located on the West Bank of Luxor there are between 75 and 80 tombs here belonging to the Queens of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties.

White Desert

Located between the Baharia Oasis and the Farafra Oasis, this desert is one of the unique wonders of Egypt featuring a moonlike landscape of wind-sculpted white limestone unlike any place on Earth. Limestone formations in strange forms rise from the flat desert floor and the ground is covered with stone artifacts, crystal quartz and small black meteorites shaped like stars. Many of the naturally made limestone 'sculptures' stand over 50 feet high.

Siwa Oasis

Lying some 60 feet below sea level on the edge of the Great Sand Sea; known for incredible landscapes as well as its olives and dates.

Sinai

Breathtaking natural beauty with its colorful rocks and mountains, desert plains, white beaches and coral reefs.

Scuba Diving

For divers Sharm El Sheikh offers unparalleled access to some of the best diving in the world, with a host of world famous dive sites. With its pristine coral reefs and countless species of fish, Sharm El Sheikh offers easy access to over forty dive sites, including famous dives in Ras Mohammed National Park and the Straits of Tiran.

 

Time to go:

March to May or September to November is the best time to visit Egypt. Everywhere south of Cairo is uncomfortably hot in the summer months (June-August), especially Luxor and Aswan, so winter (December-February) is definitely the best time to visit these areas. Summer is also the time when the Mediterranean coast is at its most crowded, but winter in Cairo can get pretty cool.

• The Islamic (or Hejira) calendar is a full 11 days shorter than the Gregorian (Western) calendar, so public holidays and festivals fall 11 days earlier each year. Ras as-Sana is the celebration of the new Islamic year, and Moulid an-Nabi celebrates the Prophet Mohammed's birthday around May. These celebrations include parades in the city streets, with lights, feasts, drummers and special sweets.
• Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It was during this month that the Quran was revealed to Mohammed, and out of deference the faithful take neither food nor water until after sunset each day. At the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) the fasting breaks with much celebration and gaiety.
• Eid al-Adha is the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and each Muslim is expected to make the pilgrimage (haj) at least once in a lifetime. Streets are decorated with colored lights and children play in their best clothes. The ritual of Mahmal is performed in each village as passing pilgrims are given carpets and shrouds to take on their journey.