Egypt’s glorious past still lives on through its spectacular monuments and stories. The mighty Nile remains the lifeblood of the land and people. This is the land where Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean converge. In ancient Egypt, Upper Egypt was known as “the Land of Reeds” or “the Sedgeland”. It is the area south of the Nile delta. In ancient Egypt, Lower Egypt was known as the “north”. It contains the area north of the Nile delta to the Mediterranean Sea.

Adventures | Must Sees | Food | Transportation

ADVENTURES

Exploring inside the Great Pyramid

Climb tunnels and crawl through shafts to the secret chamber containing Khufu’s sarcophagus

Sailing a Felucca on the Nile

Slowly travel on a traditional single-sail boat on the Nile River

Swimming in the Nile

Swim past a camel and turn around by a cow

MUST SEES

The Great Pyramid

The pharaohs required houses of death for their journey into the afterlife. The Great Pyramid was the tomb of Khufu on the Giza Plateau. In 2600 BC, 20,000 laborers moved 2.3 million blocks over 27 years. Each stone is as tall as a person, weighing in at 2.5 to 15 tons.

Pyramid of Khafre

Khafre was the son of Khufu and his pyramid still has some of the white exterior casing intact at the apex of the capstone. This pyramid is at the center of the three main pyramids.

Pyramid of Menkaure

Menkaure was the grandson of Khufu. The grandson’s pyramid only takes 10 minutes to walk around. There are columns and structures you can explore. There are still a few rows of granite at the bottom.

The Great Sphinx

The Great Sphinx seems to be guarding the pyramids behind it. It has the face of Pharaoh Khafre and the body of a resting lion. The paws and forearms are on the ground and its tail is wrapped around its side.

Egyptian Museum

This museum in Cairo has 120,000 artifacts from Egypt’s cultural heritage. There’s a black basalt pyramidion and the only statue of a tiny Khufu seated on a throne. The highlight is the room with King Tut’s golden funerary mask.

Valley of the Kings

New Kingdom pharaohs built 65 underground tombs in the valley near Luxor. Each tomb’s shaft descends to a sarcophagus. The walls show colorful scenes from the Book of the Dead, a guide for souls entering the afterlife.

Temple of Hatshepsut

The temple rises against a cliff face with two grand ramp staircases leading into vast terraces. Hatshepsut was one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs. Her statues had beards to command the same respect as a male pharaoh.

Abu Simbel

At Abu Simbel, Ramesses had massive temples cut into the rock. There are four giant statues of Ramesses in front of the main temple. Inside are columns with the head of Osiris on top. The final chamber has statues of Ramesses next to gods.

Kom Ombo

Kom Ombo is a temple for Horus, the falcon god, and Sobek, the crocodile-headed god. The temple has two partitions: to the right is Sobek’s half and to the left is Horus’s half.

Karnak Temple

The Karnak Temple Complex is the largest collection of temples near Luxor. Two rows of ram-headed sphinxes line the main road. The Great Hypostyle Hall has 134 columns in 16 rows.

Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. He is in a seated position looking to the Nile. After a couple major earthquakes, the statues have sustained substantial damage.

Philae Temple

Ptolemy II built Philae Temple on an island around 246 BC. In the 1960s, the flooding from the Aswan Dam threatened the temple. The entire temple complex was meticulously moved to another island.

Nubian Village

On Elephantine Island, there is a Nubian Village with colorful homes. A circular dirt path goes around a school and a mosque. There is a farm in the center and great views of the Nile. Enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal.

FOOD

Koshary

This is dish combine pasta, rice, chickpeas, lentils, and fried onions. You can add a spoonful of tomato sauce to the dish. You can also add some garlic vinegar sauce or chili oil.

Falafel

Egyptian falafel is juicy, herbal, green, and lightly fried. They are made with fava beans instead of chickpeas. It is an easy grab and go snack, as the round thin patties can be placed in a fluffy pita.

Tajin

Tajin is served in a super-heated clay dish. Meat and vegetables, such as lamb, okra, tomatoes, and onions are simmered for a long time until everything is tender.

Kofta

Kofta are grilled skewers of minced lamb. It is tender, juicy, and seasoned with delicious spices. Kebabs are skewers of chunks of beef or lamb. The meat comes with rice, fries, and vegetables.

 

TRANSPORTATION

Overnight Train to Aswan

The overnight train connects Cairo with Aswan. It leaves around 8:45 pm and arrives at 9 am. Every sleeping cabin has 2 bunk beds and a sink.