I'm sure as a kid it was everyone's dream to see the mighty Pyramids one day and wondered how they were built. Egypt is a great escape for female travellers interested in cultural immersions and to travel back in time. The various temples filled with historic treasures with tremendous history to be told. Even today, Egypt is wrapped in archaeological mysteries that are not yet uncovered. It is an enchanting nation often associated with myths and legends. The country’s allure goes beyond the pyramids and is often characterized by ancient relics, charming beaches, buzzing markets and more!!
Contents
An Insight into Egyptian Land
Egypt is a large country holding the 29th rank in the world in terms of area. It is mainly hot and dry throughout Egypt.
- The Northern Coast: Covering Alexandria, Northern Sinai, Nile Delta region which has a Mediterranean type of climate - hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
- Central and Southern Parts: Notably Cairo, Minya, Asyut, Qena, Luxor, Aswan where temperature fluctuates between day and night. Daytime temperatures are hotter and nights are windy and a bit cold.
- Being close to the Red Sea cities like Hurghada & Sharm El-Sheikh have mild winters and very hot summers.
- Saint Catherine also know as Egypt's White Roof in the Sinai region faces the coldest winter in entire Egypt. During the months of December-February can be covered with snow!
- Many of Egypt’s best-preserved sites are in Desert Regions like Western Desert & Sinai Desert where it never rains. The parched atmosphere and desert winds can switches temperatures from hot in the day to freezing at night.
WOW Pro Tip: Pleasant months to travel to Egypt are between October-March when the evenings are cooler but always carry a hat and sunscreen for the daytime as they can be harsh on your skin.
How many days to spend in Egypt?
During the course of 8 days you can cover the major parts of Egypt. Here's our perfect 8 days itinerary to experience history, culture, heritage and adventure.
- Day 1) Arrival in Cairo: Cairo has their very own 'Cairo International Airport'. Make sure you land latest by 1 pm so that you have some time in your hand to unwind and relax. In the evening, attend the Sound and Light show at the Pyramids Area. The first glimpse of the Pyramids in the dark is overwhelming with colourful lights striking it and ofcourse at the Sphinx too! In addition to that, the voice of Omar Sharif narrating the show who was a hero in yester times, it's surely a delight to hear his lovely voice.
WOW Pro Tip: The Sound and Light show at Giza starts everyday at 7 pm, leave as early as 5 pm because the traffic in Cairo increases your driving time and arriving early means you get a seat in the front row. The duration is 1 hour and the ticket costs USD 19 per person.
- Day 2) Cairo Sightseeing: Leave for the day around 9 AM with the first stop being the mighty Pyramids & Sphinx. As it's an open area, visiting Pyramids in the morning saves you from the heat of the sun. One can choose to go inside the Pyramids at the cost of USD 20. Next on your list should be the great Egyptian Museum which stores numerous Artifacts being about 4,000 years old!! After a historical adventure indulge into the famous and old local Souq of Khan-El-Khalili known for it's beautiful unique narrow streets, souvenir, traditional items, cafes, clothes, spices, jewelry and more.
- Day 3) Cairo - Aswan: Time to visit the southern part of the country, take an early morning flight to Aswan. Upon reaching, visit the High Dam and Philae Temple. Later check-in into the Nile Cruise which sails from Aswan and ends in Luxor. After freshening up, proceed for the Felucca ride around Elephantine Island & Botanical gardens and visit the colourful Nubian Village. Overnight stay on board.
WOW Pro Tip: To avoid crowds, visit Philae Temple around 5 PM and also watch the amazing Sound and Light Show which starts at 6:30 PM in English on Monday, Friday & Sunday; On Wednesday & Saturday it begins at 7:45 PM costing USD 19 per person. Philae Temple's Sound and Light Show is magical and brings back to life the story of Goddess Isis and God Osiris.
- Day 4) Excursion to Abu Simbel: Abu Simbel easily being one of the marvelous accomplishments build by the greatest and most powerful Pharoah of the Ancient Egypt known as - King Ramses II. Suggest you leave early in the morning i.e. 4 AM with packed breakfast because it takes approximately 5 hours to reach Abu Simbel from Aswan. Return to the cruise for lunch and relax before heading out for another amazing Temple. The cruise starts to sail towards Kom Ombo in the afternoon. Upon arrival, visit the Kom Ombo Temple dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the falcon-headed god. Later in the evening, the cruise starts sailing to Edfu. Overnight stay on board.
- Day 5) Sail from Edfu to Luxor: Give yourself a break this morning, check-out the souvenir, jewellery or clothing shops, or else, to truly relax go on the deck to feel the cold wind hitting your face and get lost in the beauty of the mesmerising Nile River. Afterwards in the evening, visit the Luxor and Karnak Temples which remains to be the most remarkable religious complex ever built on earth. Overnight stay on board.
- Day 6) Hot Air Balloon! : Get ready to fly high above Luxor and witness the city's rural areas, agriculture and monuments. The Hot Air Balloon ride in Luxor happens at Sunrise so leave as early as possible before refreshing yourself with some morning tea/coffee and biscuits. Return to the cruise for checkout. Next visit the Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Valley of the Kings. Begin your drive from Luxor to Hurghada which takes 4 hrs approximately.
- Day 7) Hurghada: After winding up the historical aspects of the country spend your last day in a beach resort town known as Hurghada which is honestly the best way to conclude the trip. Engage yourself in the water sports activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, glass bottom boat, water ski, speedboat, wind surf etc.
- Day 8) Departure: To return to India, you'll have to take a flight to Cairo due to no connectivity from Hurghada to Indian cities. Take an early morning flight and arrive at Cairo Airport to board the flight back home.
BEST Sites in Egypt!
We agree that a trip to Egypt is incomplete without visiting the Pyramids and the Sphinx but there is so much more to Egypt than them. Here is a list of some unmissable attractions -
Karnak Temple
It is considered to be one of the largest ancient religious site in the world with an area of about 200 acres! The Complex contains a 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows, mix of chapels, a pylon with an avenue of 20 Sphinxes on each side, decayed temples, and other buildings.
Valley of the Kings
A Valley dedicated to powerful and noble Pharaohs of ancient Egypt having over 60 tombs of kings. The isolated Valley was decided to be a burial ground of royal chambers by the New Pharaohs for the Ancient Pharaohs to remain closer to their roots. The underground Tombs were prepared for the afterlife filled with treasures, belongings of the Pharaoh, lots of food to feast in the next world, jewelry, furniture, pets and ofcourse the mummified body in their sarcophagus.
The most famous tomb is of Boy King Tutankhamen or King Tut, discovering his tomb was a great achievement in archaeological discoveries because of the wonderful treasures that got unfolded with his intact tomb. Imagine finding about 5,000 treasures in one single tomb to name a few his funeral gold mask, statues, jewelry, model boats, chariots, chairs, paintings, canopic jars; today most of these treasures are present in Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Temples of Abu Simbel
The massive main temple of Abu Simbel is a treat to the eyes, seeing 4 gigantic resting structures of Ramses II being 20m high are carved out of sandstone cliff resting on the shore of Lake Nasser. On the feet of Ramses' statue, the statue of his wife Nefertari is carved there along with his children and mother. Although Ramses had many wives but Nefertari was his 1st and his most beloved one. In every monument or structure by Ramses II, you'll see traces of Nefertari also being there which shows how much he admired her. The main temple dedicated to the sun gods with their paintings and painted images of Battle of Kadesh. The other small temple is dedicated to his wife and Goddess of Love, Hathor.
Fun Fact: On two days of the year at the same time on February 22 and October 22, the sunshine shine travels from the entrance and straight to the statue of Ramses II at the end of the temple passing through the 60 m deep gallery. This event has been taking place for over 3,200 years. Giving birth to the "Sun Festival" in Egypt.
Edfu Temple
Dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus and it's one of the Egypt's best preserved temples. A huge temple having a colossal courtyard, rooms for the preparation of perfumes by the priests and their recipes written on the walls in hieroglyphics, the passage of victory and a shrine. Take a horse carriage riding through the streets which takes 20 mins to reach the temple.
Kom Ombo Temple
The Kom Ombo Temple is a very interesting temple being a double temple dedicated to two gods The Crocodile god Sobek and the Falcon-headed god Horus. Sobek was regarded as a symbol of the pharaoh’s power and Kom Ombo became it's chief sanctuary because back in old times, a number of crocodiles were found on the River Nile there. Some part of the temple was destroyed due to natural disasters however the carvings depicting history about both the gods is still there on the walls and columns. Interestingly, on one of the walls surgical and medical instruments are depicted showing scissors, scalpels, medicine bottles, prescriptions, cupping instruments etc. plus picture of two goddesses sitting on birthing chairs. Another fascinating aspect about Kom Ombo Temple is that few crocodiles were mummified and can be found in a museum just next to the temple.
Philae Temple
Beautifully residing on the Agilkia Island and rising out like a dream. Also known as Temple of Isis - The goddess of motherhood, healing and birth. The temple has a greek touch to it as it was built by Greek trying to construct it like Egyptians. The boat ride to the temple makes it an exciting start, you'll love the view one gets from being in the middle of the water. The story of Isis itself is a very unique one which talks about Isis, the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.
Western Desert
The Western Desert is an area of the Sahara Desert in Egypt ranging from the west part of river Nile till the Libyan border being home to Siwa Oasis, Bahariya Oasis, Farafra Oasis, Dakhla Oasis and Kharga Oasis. Each oasis has different properties due to it's diverse landscapes. The White Desert of Farafra brings a lot of attention because of the massive chalk rock formations and The Black Desert also draws visitors to Bahariya.
Sinai Region
The Sinai Peninsula lies between the Suez Canal and Gulf of Suez mainly known for Mount Catherine in St Catherine, the highest mountain in Egypt and Mount Sinai & it's Oasis. St. Catherine is a beautiful destination where one can visit St. Catherine Monastery & enjoy climbing Mount Sinai known as the place where Moses happened to receive the Ten Commandments.
Pyramids & the Sphinx
A trip to Egypt is not complete without visiting the Pyramids of Giza, the only standing wonder of the 7 Ancient Wonders of The World. Seeing the pyramids from close quarters imagining the many workers who lifted, cut and polished them. The elaborate way of preparing for life after death is what will struck you most when you will see those magical pyramids. One can choose to go inside the pyramids to learn the inside built of the magnificent pyramids at the cost of USD 20 however avoid going inside if you have breathing problems or back ache because most of the walking requires you to bend constantly and it gets more suffocating as you get inside deeper. One can even take a picture by sitting and posing on a camel in front of the Pyramids for just USD 3.
Egyptian Museum
One of the best preserved Museums around the world is the Egyptian Museum with more than 120,000 items on display which stores artifacts being 3000-4000 years old!! The first floor displays the famous collection of Tutankhamen items like its beautiful gold death mask and sarcophagus and the royal Mummy room. A new Egyptian Museum is being built which is expected to get inaugurated in October 2020.
Cairo Citadel
Also known as the Salah El-Din Citadel located in the heart of Cairo. It's named after Saladin as the fortress was built under his reign to protect Cairo from any threat however the citadel got completed by another ruler. The fortress houses the popular Mosque of Muhammad Ali, various museums displaying artifacts related to Military, Al-Gawhara Palace, Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque, Police Museum and many more. This fortress in Egypt holds historic importance and is a must visit as it is different than the Pharaonic Temples.
Coptic Cairo
A part of Old Cairo, Coptic Cairo is a historical delight. It is home to the country’s oldest synagogue and the best place to learn about Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh. Originally, it was a bastion for Christianity before the Islamic rule. According to legend, Jesus and his family visited this place in the ancient past. With a few monuments originating in the 6th century BC, Coptic Cairo has enough to keep visitors happy for days. The highlights are the Babylon Fortress, Greek Church, Hanging Church, Coptic Museum and Synagogue Ben Ezra.
Cruising on Nile River
River Nile being the longest river in the world and plays a major role in the history of Egypt as well as was a backbone of ancient Egyptians in terms of cultivation and providing fertile land. Presently, to learn and explore the ancient Egypt, people cruise over Nile river to witness the ruins of history. Bear in mind that it's not a proper cruise, more like a floating hotel which stops at different places and remains stationary most of the time.
The cruise moves between Aswan and Luxor. Cruising for 4 days on Nile River is a good amount of time to cover places. One can spend more than 4 days if they have a lot of time in hand because the cruise repeats the same routing for sailing without any addition of attractions so that time is just for relaxing on the cruise.
WOW Pro Tip: Most preferred route is from Aswan to Luxor because going to the southern part first (Aswan) and returning to north (Luxor) makes more sense as Cairo is also situated in Northern part of Egypt from where you can depart to your respective countries conveniently.
Routing of Nile Cruise for 4 Days/ 3 Nights
Day 1 : Aswan
Day 2 : Aswan - Kom Ombo - Edfu
Day 3 : Edfu - Esna - Luxor
Day 4 : Luxor
How to dress up in Egypt?
- Egypt receives abundance of sunshine thus the days are too sunny and dry, carrying hats, sunblocks, shades and moisturizer are a must.
- It's a barren land so wearing bright colours for photos is always a good idea.
- Be sure to respect the local culture by dressing appropriately by avoiding wearing revealing clothes.
- Wear comfortable cotton clothes like Maxi dresses, long skirts, scarves and cardigans can be your go-to pieces.
Tips for Travelling to Egypt
- In terms of transportation, Cairo city has a wonderful metro service, which is also incredibly cheap. Metros also have one or two carriages reserved for women only, providing a great way to interact with local women and learn more about the country’s culture. Pink Taxi is another women-only transportation option introduced in Cairo. The cabs are driven by females and feature a camera, an SOS button and GPS.
- Whether you are travelling alone or with a friend, booking a local tour guide can be such a game-changer as walking around with them at your pace is peaceful, they also share loads of information about ancient sites and modern-day Egypt.
- Don't engage yourself with the shopkeepers because they'll trick you into buying souvenirs for a much higher price so it's better if you take the help of your local guide for negotiating.
- Most hotels and cruises in Egypt don't offer free WiFi so buy a SIM Card at the airport itself as it'll also cost you a relatively cheaper rate.
- Carry hotel’s address and phone number in case you get lost on the streets.
- Drink bottled mineral water in order to avoid gastric upsets and don't drink Tap water.
- While travelling to the desert, dehydration and sunburn is the norm. It is recommended that you carry plenty of fluids and wear breathable clothes.
- Be extra careful while shooting video of streets and locals as for some odd reason locals get offended.
- Wear flat shoes that are comfortable and offer stability. High-heel footwear and sandals aren't a good choice when you have to spend most of your walking in large complexes of the temples.
- Public toilets in Egypt are not in proper condition. They are usually dirty, and there might be a scarcity of running water. Carry your toilet papers, sanitation products and hand sanitizer for extra safety.
Money Matters
Egyptian currency is known as Egyptian Pounds (EGP). GBP, USD and Euros are easily exchanged at any major bank or your hotel. Currency comes in the following denominations: 50pt and EGP 1 (coins) + EGP 5, EGP 10, EGP 20, EGP 50, EGP 100 & EGP 200 notes. There is a severe shortage of small change. EGP 1 & EGP 5 notes are hard to come by so save them for tipping or paying to use the
toilet.
Where and what to shop?
Almost everything is open to a little bit of bargaining, especially in the markets. Whatever you choose, make sure you inspect the item thoroughly and bargain hard. Aim for 30 ‐ 50% of the asking price and work your way up from there, with a smile on your face.
- Khan-El-Khalili Market in Cairo ‐ is one of the biggest and oldest markets in Africa and the Middle East. Built in the 14th Century in a grand Islamic design, it still boasts much of its Mamluk Architecture today. It is famous for copper handcrafts, backgammon boards and chessboards made from alabaster, ebony or camel bone. A common purchase is a Shisha ‐ water pipe, where the choice is limitless.
- Aswan Market – is colourful and a little exotic. Wander through the small narrow alleyways and you’ll experience Egyptian life as it has been for many centuries. Aswan is famous for spices, cotton products, (t‐Shirts, galabeya etc.) Nubian handcrafts, (bracelets, necklaces made from wood, Nubian hats), Hibiscus, saffron and indigo.
- Luxor Market - Luxor is the place for gold and silver jewellery. In fact most of the jewelry made in Egypt comes from the workshops of Luxor. You can have your name written in hieroglyphics on a cartouche, bracelets, rings and
even earrings in all different sizes and shapes. You'll also find the dates, hibiscus and souvenir stuff to buy.
Arabic Terms
Try to learn basic Arabic phrases as they always come in handy like these listed below :
Hello - Salam Alaykoom
How are you? - Ezayak
Good Morning - Saba il Kheir
Good Afternoon - Mesa il Kheir
Goodnight - Tisab ala Kheir
Goodbye - Maa salama
Yes - Ai’wa
No - La’a
Please - Min fadlak
Thank you - Shokran
You’re welcome - Afwan
How much (is it)? - Bekam (da)?
I want... - Ana ayiz
Let’s go - Yalla
There’s no problem - Mafeesh Mushkayla
