Egypt Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

Alexandria
Egypt's second city has a French colonial atmosphere, felt as much in the delicious patisseries as the 19th-century architecture. Other highlights include the Greco-Roman Museum, Roman Amphitheater and 15th-century Fort Quait Bey, built on the foundations of the fabled Pharos Lighthouse.

Aswan
The relaxed, former frontier town of Aswan offers many attractions, including Elephantine Island in the middle of the Nile. Nearby is the Island of Plants upon which Lord Horatio Kitchener built a beautiful botanical garden in the 1890s. If time, also worth a visit is Aswan's Nubia Museum.

Cairo
The atmospheric corners of Medieval Cairo include Midan Hussein Square with its tea houses and imposing Mosque of Sayyidna Al-Hussein, the Al-Azhar Mosque with the world's oldest university, the Museum of Islamic Art and the Citadel with its panoramic views. Cairo also has a fascinating early Christian history: visit the Coptic Museum (www.copticmuseum.gov.eg), Hanging Church, Monastery of St George and the churches of St Sergius and St Barbara.

Egyptian Museum
Understandably one of the country's greatest attractions, the Egyptian Museum (www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg) houses over 130,000 exhibits, including Pharaonic and Byzantine art and sculpture, the Mummy Room and the celebrated Tutankhamun exhibition.

Great Pyramids of Giza
The pyramids are not among the world's most visited monuments for nothing. Few can fail to be awed by these great valedictions to the mortal world. For a magical introduction, attend the nightly sound and light show at Giza (www.soundandlight.com.eg).

Luxor
Straddling the Nile, Luxor is the site of the ancient city of Thebes. On the east bank lies the spectacular Temple of Karnak featuring epic statues, reliefs, obelisks and lotus-columned halls. With many other treasures, the town is a destination in its own right.

Memphis
Few visitors know before arriving in Egypt that the country's Old Kingdom precedes the building of the pyramids by many centuries. Saqqara was the ancient capital's necropolis, crowned by the Step Pyramid. Nearby Dahshur has is famous for the Bent Pyramid and a huge field of royal tombs.

Nile archaeological sites
Kom Ombo ('city of gold'), 30km (18 miles) north of Aswan is a largely Nubian settlement, known for its Temple of Haroeris and Sobek. Another common destination on Nile cruises is Edfu, famed for the largest and best-preserved Pharaonic Temple in Egypt, the Temple of Horus.

Sphinx
With the head of a woman and body of a lion, the Sphinx has bewitched visitors for centuries. Despite being used as target practice by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops, the presence of this enigmatic sculpture still haunts the site at Giza.

Suez Canal
The best way to see this great feat of modern engineering is by boat; the view from the Peace Bridge that crosses the canal near Isma'iliya, is a good second best. The sight of giant tankers plying the narrow channel between the Red Sea with the Mediterranean is simply surreal.

Valley of the Kings
On the West Bank of the Nile, burrowed into the dusty hillsides, the extravagantly painted tombs of kings, queens and nobles have kindled our imaginations for centuries. Tutankhamun, whose tomb rendered some of the world's greatest treasures, was actually a relatively minor king.

Top Things to Do

Camel trading
Perhaps best not to purchase a camel yourself while on vacation, but to observe this exotic activity, head to the Camel Market (Souq al-Gamaal), held every morning at Birqash, around 35km (21 miles) from Cairo on the Western Desert fringe. A livestock market is also held every Tuesday morning at El-Hebel, 4km (2.4 miles) from Luxor.

Diving
The Red Sea justly deserves its worldwide reputation for underwater adventure. Teeming with a colorful marine life, the crystal waters are landscaped with coral and dramatic drop-offs. Head for Ras Mohamed National Park (www.rasmohamed.com) for the underwater world at its best.

Explore the desert
Egypt's six oases in the vast Western Desert offer a fascinating glimpse of Bedouin and Berber life, often with ancient ruins nearby. Don't miss the White Desert, an area of dazzling white, wind-blown rock forms scattered across the wilderness.

Fresh fish suppers
A walk along the corniche in Alexandria is a good way to work up an appetite for one of the city's fabled fish suppers. The catch of the day, seasoned with exotic spices and dressed with a dozen mezze (small dishes), is a treat worth being hungry for.

Golf
While it's not a sport readily associated with Egypt, the country is now making quite a golfing name for itself and offers around 20 courses. They range from locations within sight of Cairo's Pyramids to settings alongside the Red Sea.

Haggling
Take a trip to Cairo's famous Khan-el Khalili bazaar, where haggling for spices, copper, perfume and trinkets has been refined into an art form. Don't miss Fishawi's tea house; in business for over 200 years, it is the ultimate place to people-watch.

Hiking
For centuries, pilgrims of different denominations have been making the journey up historic Mt Sinai to witness the sun rise across the desert landscape. If the three-hour hike sounds a bit ambitious, stay overnight at St Catherine Monastery, hire a camel and walk down in leisure.

Hot-air ballooning
Luxor, strewn either side of the Nile, looks good from the ground, better from the river and superb from the air. Rise above the land of the Pharoahs in a hot-air balloon and take a god's-eye view of the colossal works of ancient mortals.

Nile cruise
Plying the river between Luxor and Aswan, and generally lasting around three to five days, a boat ride is the quintessential Nile experience. Along the Nile, egrets flock to the water's edge and Egypt's ancient wonders unfold like a story book along the river bank.

Snorkeling
Egypt's spectacular coastline is accessible without a wetsuit. Simply wade out with a mask or snorkel or take a glass-bottomed boat from the shores of Sharm el-Sheik and the fish will come to you.