7 Things You Cannot Miss During Your Next Visit to Egypt

Tourists visit places for different reasons. The major reason people looking to travel to or within Africa is that they are looking to experience the culture, ancestral history, religious history, food adventure, and wildlife. Being the birthplace of ancient civilization and the premise for some religious events in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, Egypt makes for one of the most compelling places to visit when looking to combine a little bit of history, Arabian culture, desert adventure, and pure fun.

This combination is exactly why tourists favor the Egypt tour packages over other African countries. Egypt easily makes it into many people’s bucket list and we know why. There are so many places to visit in Egypt but there are 7 things you should not miss during your next visit.

Pyramids of Giza

The most obvious place are the Pyramids of Giza. It is almost inconceivable for anyone to visit Egypt without noticing or even visiting the Great Pyramids. There are three pyramids in El-Giza that are located a few miles outside the capital of Egypt, Cairo.  The pyramids were built over 4,500 years ago as tombs for Egypt’s pharaohs who wished to become gods after death. The largest of the three pyramids stands 481 feet tall with over 2 million stone blocks. All three pyramids can be seen from the streets of Cairo and are a part of the city’s skyline.

Saqqara

Located just 15 miles southwest of Cairo in a place now called Memphis is an ancient burial ground in the form of tombs. The royalties and elites of ancient Egypt were strictly buried in tombs as a testament to the power they once held when they were alive. Just last year, in 2018, archaeologists discovered the tomb of a high priest. The tomb is believed to have been preserved for 4,400 years until its first discovery in 2018. The most popular structure to visit in Saqqara, however, is The Stepped Pyramid of Djoser, the burial site of the pharaoh Djoser.

Karnak Temple

Built over 2,000 years in Luxor are the temples of gods, the sacred lake, massive pillars, court, and chapels of Karnak dedicated to 4 deities. The entire temple was a sacred place of worship for the believers. The temple is one of the most visited places in Egypt. And like most of Egypt’s ancient structures, it still stands today – a testament of their architectural advancement.

The White Desert

As the name suggests, this is a desert that is unusually white. It is quite popular with tourists and local schools. People drive around the unusual white rock formations scattered all over the desert. Schools take their pupils for excursions to visually explain the geological phenomenon that makes the limestone rock formations. The most attractive feature here is the ‘chicken and mushroom’ rock formation. Camping is allowed here.

Abu Simbel

Yet again, another temple that is worth checking out is that of Abu Simbel. It is located in the Nubian region that lies in the southern part of Egypt, not too far from Sudan. The two major temples showcase huge sandstone statues of Ramses II and his beloved wife, Nefertari (not to be confused with Nerfertiti). Private tours can be organized to enter the temples.

River Nile

One of the longest rivers in the world is located in Egypt. The Nile stretches over 6,000 kilometers and pours into the Mediterranean Sea. It offers beautiful coastal views of cities like Aswan. There are a lot of restaurants and hotels in Aswan that overlook the Nile, offering beautiful sunset and sunrise dining experiences. There are also short and long cruises and some water sports that stretch along the river.

The Egyptian Museum

For those who do not have enough time or money to travel around Egypt’s historic attractions like the temples and deserts, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo offers a glimpse into ancient history with over 120,000 artifacts. Some of the items include actual mummy masks, gold masks of kings, statues, and prisoner tiles. Aswan has some museums as well.

There are many more places to visit and things to do in Egypt. These are simply the main attractions that you cannot miss. The best vacations are those that you end up meeting amazing people, learning and exchanging cultures, revisiting historic sites that take you back in time, and help you appreciate nature and humanity in general. Egypt is the perfect place to experience all these.