Egypt – the name evokes thousands of emotions. A country, known as the cradle of civilisation, the gift of the Nile, is where everything started. Some say Egypt might be older than time itself. Each of us read about the Great Pyramids of Giza in school books and nurtured the dream of experiencing Egypt ourselves. In Egypt, every stone whispers the tales of the past, and every sunset on the Nile River feels eternal. From the colossal Great Sphinx of Giza to the spectacular Karnak Temple, Egypt is a living museum that never ceases to amaze. Countless places to explore in this historical country surely makes it difficult to frame a perfect Egypt itinerary.
If you’ve ever dreamt of tracing the footprints of the Pharaohs, then this detailed 12-day Egypt itinerary is your key to a timeless adventure. From the vibrant chaos of Cairo to the monumental Great Pyramids of Giza, from the spectacular Abu Simbel Temple to the painted ceilings of Dendera Temple – this 12-day Egypt itinerary has got all covered. This Egypt travel guide will help you plan the perfect trip through the heart of ancient Egypt.
Day 1: Flying in Cairo
We took a non-stop Egypt Air flight to Cairo from New Delhi. The flight time was 6 hours and 50 minutes. We mostly slept through the flight, occasionally peering through the window to steal a glance at the desert below.
Cairo surprised us with pleasant weather and a cool breeze blowing from the Mediterranean. A seamless immigration was followed by:
- Easy currency exchange at the counter of Banquet Misr near the baggage claim.
- Buying a Vodafone SIM card with 30 GB data for LE 750.
Our Airbnb was in Zamalek, a pleasant neighbourhood tucked in greenery. Later in the evening, we strolled around the area and had lip-smacking pizza at Vinny’s Pizza. We went to bed early with butterflies running amok in our stomachs because tomorrow we’re going to the Pyramids.
Day 2: Pyramids, Sphinx, and GEM
Finally, the day we have been waiting for a long time. At the crack of dawn, we reached the Giza Necropolis. And as we approached the Panorama Point, we could hardly believe our own eyes! The Great Pyramids of Giza appeared on the horizon, shrouded in a thin veil of mist.
Great Pyramids of Giza: The three pyramids, belonging to the father-son-grandson trio of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, hog all the attention. And rightly so! The only surviving wonder of the ancient world is truly a sight to behold. We kept watching them on and on, yet couldn’t get enough of them.
Breakfast at Khufu’s: After exploring the three pyramids, we headed to Khufu’s Restaurant for breakfast. One of the best restaurants in Africa, Khufu’s specialises in Egyptian cuisine with a modern twist. Khufu’s was a pleasant addition to our Egypt itinerary.
Great Sphinx of Giza: After breakfast, we headed to the Great Sphinx. Another marvel of ancient Egypt, the half-human, half-lion sphinx is believed to be modelled after Khafre himself.
Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM): The GEM is the world’s largest archaeological museum, which houses the unparalleled treasures of Tutankhamun. We grabbed a quick lunch at an outlet of Zooba inside the GEM. For the next 4 hours, we toured the countless galleries of this state-of-the-art museum.
Sunset from a rooftop cafe: It was a long day, so we decided to let our hair down at a rooftop restaurant in Giza and watched the sun set behind Khafre’s stunning pyramid. Don’t forget to include the sunset view of pyramids in your Egypt itinerary.
Day 3: Museums, Coptic Cairo, & Downtown Food Tour
The third day was dedicated entirely to Egypt’s dynamic capital. Exploring Cairo itself takes 2-3 days. However, owing to time constraints, we shortlisted a handful of landmarks:
National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC): This modern museum in Old Cairo showcases the evolution of Egyptian civilisation. Its highlight is the Royal Mummy Hall, where 22 royal mummies are displayed.
Coptic Cairo: Home to some of Egypt’s oldest Christian and Jewish sites, this picturesque neighbourhood flaunts the Coptic period of Egyptian history. Coptic Cairo is dotted with many historic churches. We opted to visit the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, Cairo’s oldest church, dating back to the 5th century BCE. It is believed that the Holy Family, along with baby Jesus, took shelter here while fleeing the Roman persecution. Next, we went to Ben Ezra Synagogue. According to local belief, Moses’s mother hid him here. Lastly, we saw the Amr ibn al-As Mosque, which was the first mosque ever built in Egypt.
Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square: The oldest museum of Egypt, it is home to countless priceless artefacts such as silver coffin of Psusennes I, gold death mask of Yuya and Thuya, Narmer Palette, limestone statue of Djoser, wooden statue of Ka-Aper, statues of Khufu and Khafre, statue of Hatshepsut, and so on.
Downtown Food Tour: To explore Cairo’s lively food scene, we booked a Downtown Cairo food tour with Bellies En Route. This was a walking tour spanning over 5 hours when we learnt about Egyptian cuisine, visited iconic food joints like Fish & Chips and Abou Tarek, and tasted Egyptian delicacies like Koshari, Molokhiyya, Fiteer, and Ta’ameyya.
Day 4: Saqqara and Dahsur
On the fourth day, we journeyed out to the outskirts of Cairo to Saqqara and Dahshur. Including these two sites in the Egypt itinerary helps in getting an idea about the evolution of pyramid construction. Saqqara is the largest archaeological site in Egypt, renowned for numerous burial sites of Pharaohs and Nobles of the Old and New Kingdoms. Since there is no dearth of tombs in Saqqara, we narrowed down to the following:
Step Pyramid: It was built under the patronage of Third Dynasty ruler Djoser by his chief architect Imhotep. At 4,800 years old, it is the oldest stone monument in the world.
Pyramid of Userkaf: The pyramid of the first ruler of the Fifth Dynasty now lies in complete ruin.
Pyramid of Unas: Unas was the last king of the Fifth Dynasty. His pyramid heralded the practice of decorating royal burial chambers. The interior is decorated with hymns of funerary practices, which eventually came to be known as the Pyramid Texts.
Tomb of Mehu: Mehu was an Old Kingdom noble. His tomb exhibits the most beautiful false door in Saqqara as well as stunning artworks.
Tomb of Ptahotep: Another Old Kingdom noble, Ptahotep’s tomb is noted for the vibrant colours.
Dahshur, located 10 km from Saqqara, was once home to many Fourth and Twelfth-Dynasty pyramids. Only three have survived to the present:
Bent Pyramid: The Fourth Dynasty Pharaoh Sneferu was a great builder. His first attempt at creating a geometric pyramid was the Bent Pyramid. This pyramid has a unique shape, which resulted from a change in slope from 54 degrees at the base to 43 degrees at the top. We ventured inside the Bent Pyramid, which was quite adventurous given its peculiar structure.
Red Pyramid: Sneferu’s architect benefited from the errors of the Bent Pyramid and adjusted their angles to a gentler 43 degrees. The end result was the Red Pyramid, which is regarded as the world’s oldest true pyramid.
Black Pyramid: It is a dilapidated mud brick pyramid built by the Twelfth Dynasty ruler Amenmhat III.
The day ended with delicious Yemeni food at Ahl El Yemen restaurant in Cairo.
Day 5: Flying into Aswan and exploring Aswan
We bade Cairo goodbye and proceeded to Upper Egypt. We took the 6-30 AM flight from Cairo to Aswan. An hour later, we touched down in Aswan. Since check-in at the hotel was not possible before 2 PM, we decided to explore Aswan first:
High Dam: One of the world’s largest embankment dams, it was built across the Nile in 1970. The purpose was to control the annual flooding of the Nile, generate hydroelectricity, and irrigation.
Philae Temple: One of the prime attractions of Egypt, the Philae Temple was dedicated to the worship of Isis. A Graeco-Roman type of temple, it was originally located on the Philae island. However, the temple faced the danger of inundation when the Aswan Low Dam was constructed in 1902 by the British. The temple remained submerged for a prolonged duration, which led to the washing away of the colours of the temple’s reliefs and the silting of the bricks. Under the initiative of UNESCO, the Philae Temple was rescued, cleaned, dismantled, and transported piece by piece to the neighbouring island of Agilkia.
Unfinished Obelisk: This obelisk was commissioned by Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh Hatshepsut. It was built from a single block of granite. However, construction was abandoned midway when a crack appeared during its carving.
Since the heat was becoming unbearable (Aswan is way hotter than Cairo owing to its location in the midst of the desert), we decided to call it a day. We checked into our Nubian-style hotel, which was situated just beside the Nile. We enjoyed our evening while lingering by the riverside.
Day 6: Journey to the Abu Simbel Temple
The sixth day started at an ungodly hour. As Abu Simbel is situated near the Egypt-Sudan border, the Aswan-Abu Simbel highway remains open for a specific time due to security concerns. Also, special permits are required beforehand, and a police convoy escorts the tourist vehicles. So, one needs to start at 4 AM to join the other cars and the convoy.
It takes around 4 hours to reach the Great Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel. Overlooking the cerulean Lake Nasser, the temple is dedicated to Ramses II and the Gods Ra-Horakhty, Amun, and Ptah. Its celebrated facade displays four colossi of Ramses II, each measuring 20 m high. Smaller statues of some of Ramses’ 160 children, his mother Queen Tuya, and his wife Nefertari, stand beside and between his legs.
Beside this grand temple, there lies a smaller shrine dedicated to Ramses’s favourite wife, Nefertari and Hathor, the goddess of love, fertility, and music. It features six 16-m high colossi on its facades depicting Ramses and Nefertari.
Back in Aswan, we visited the fortress-like Kalabsha Temple. Situated in the midst of the Nile, it dates back to the reign of Roman emperor Augustus and is dedicated to the worship of the Nubian sun god Merul.
During sunset, we took a stroll in the alleys of the Nubian village of Gharb Soleil and were fascinated by the colourful mud brick houses and vivid graffiti.
Day 7: Pitstops at Edfu and Esna on the way to Luxor.
At sunrise, we left Aswan for Luxor. Our Egypt itinerary included the two Ptolemaic-era temples in Edfu and Esna. En route, we visited them.
Temple of Horus, Edfu: Devoted to the falcon-headed god Horus, this temple designates the spot where Horus defeated his uncle Seth and avenged his father Osiris. The main attractions are the pylon carvings of Ptolemy XII smashing the skulls of his enemies, granite statues of Horus at the gateway, perfume laboratory, carvings of Horus subduing a hippopotamus-headed Seth, and reliefs of the New Year Festival.
Temple of Khnum, Esna: One of the most beautiful temples of Egypt, it was dedicated to the ram-headed creator God, Khnum. It was buried by 15 centuries of sand and silt until Auguste Mariette excavated the beautiful Roman-era hypostyle hall in the 19th century. Ptolemy VI Philometor commissioned this temple. The hypostyle hall was vividly painted in bright hues, most of which have survived to the present. The ceiling is covered with lavish depictions of cosmological scenes. Most travellers omit Esna from their Egypt itinerary, thankfully we didn’t make that mistake!
There is another temple on this route – the Temple of Sobek in Kom Ombo. Sobek was the crocodile-headed creator god. We skipped Kom Ombo as the temple is mostly ruined, and the wall reliefs are inferior compared to those in Edfu and Esna.
We reached Luxor in the afternoon.
Day 8: Exploring the iconic landmarks of Luxor’s West Bank
The eighth day started with a blissful morning – a picturesque sunrise with hot air balloons flying in the sky and a sumptuous breakfast spread. Today’s reserved for visiting the famous historical sites of the West Bank:
- Valley of the Kings: Tucked in the Theban cliffs, this is the burial site of New Kingdom Pharaohs. Only a handful of the tombs remain open to the public. The normal entrance ticket allows visitors to enter three tombs. Additional tickets are needed for the tombs of Seti I, Ramses V/VI, and Tutankhamun. We visited the following tombs:
- Tomb of Seti I: Hands down, this is the most beautiful tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The extra ticket costs a whopping LE 2100, but it’s worth every penny. From the entrance to the burial chamber, it is decorated with an astronomical ceiling painted with constellations and stars.
- Tomb of Ramses V/VI: This tomb also requires an extra ticket. It is one of the most vivid tombs depicting scenes from the Book of the Dead. The ceiling displays the nocturnal journey of the sun god Ra conducted within the body of the sky goddess Nut.
- Tomb of Ramses IV: Entry is included within the general ticket. It lies nearest to the entry gate. It exhibits exquisite artwork and one of the largest sarcophagi in the valley.
- Tomb of Merenptah: This is one of the largest tombs in the valley. Most of the artworks have deteriorated. Inside, there is a huge sarcophagus.
- Tomb of Ramses III: This is also a lengthy tomb and decorated with vibrant scenes from the Book of the Dead.
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut: Spread across the bottom of the honey-coloured Theban cliffs, Hatshepsut’s memorial temple is a sight to behold. Once graced with a fragrant garden, it overlooks the Karnak Temple on the East Bank of Luxor. The temple was primarily devoted to Amun-Ra and also housed chapels for Anubis, the jackal-headed god of mummification, and Hathor, the goddess of the Theban necropolis.
Mortuary Temple of Montuhotep II: The funerary temple of this great Eleventh Dynasty ruler is now reduced to rubble.
Medinat Habu: This grand temple was the memorial of Ramses III, the last great Pharaoh of ancient Egypt. The temple is noted for the brightly coloured ceilings and columns.
Due to the scorching heat, we decided to take a long lunch break. In the afternoon, we visited the following:
Colossi of Memnon: These are the two gigantic statues of Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep III. It was part of his mortuary temple, which has been destroyed. At present, Egyptologists are excavating the surroundings and have unearthed remnants of this temple.
Mortuary Temple of Merenptah: Located just beside the Marsam hotel, this funerary temple is now in complete ruin.
Day 9: Hot air balloon ride and offbeat sites in the West Bank
The morning kicked off with an adrenaline rush as we hopped onto a hot air balloon during sunrise. It took us to the archaeological sites and agrarian farms of the West Bank. The view from above was extraordinary. It turned out to be one of our most memorable mornings in Egypt. The hot air balloon ride in Luxor is integral to any Egypt itinerary.
Post-breakfast, we decided to explore a few sites in the West Bank that are a bit off the tourist radar:
Deir el-Medina/Workers’ Village: The Eighteenth dynasty ruler, Amenhotep I had started excavating tombs in the Valley of Kings. He also constructed a carefully planned settlement for workers and artisans, who worked exclusively in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens. The remains of the workers’ village, also known as Deir el-Medina, provide a sneak peek into their daily lives.
Deir el-Medina also hosts some of the most beautiful tombs in Egypt, belonging to the artisans themselves. They are known for their vividly coloured decorations, which portray their daily lives and religious beliefs. Three tombs are open for visitors – tombs of Sennedjem (TT1), Inerkhau (TT359), and Peshedu (TT3).
Ramesseum: This is the funerary temple of Ramses II, the Great. Excavation of the temple site is still ongoing. One of the largest temples in Egypt, it is characterised by a 48-column hypostyle hall and scenes from the Battle of Kadesh and Syrian wars.
Tomb of the Nobles: This is a burial site for high-ranking officials, priests, and nobles belonging to the New Kingdom. The tombs are scattered over a large area, and navigation is difficult owing to the absence of signage and maps. Even with a guide, we got confused locating the tombs. We visited 5 tombs belonging to Sennefer, Ramose, Userkaf, Khonsu, and Nakht.
To escape the blazing sun, we took a respite from exploring and enjoyed a relaxing lunch instead. With the heat becoming tolerable in the afternoon, we left for East Bank.
Luxor Museum: A small and well-organised museum that displays interesting artefacts such as the mummy of an Eighteenth Dynasty king Ahmose, a statue of Amun-Ra, an alabaster statue of Amenhotep III with crocodile-headed god, Sobek, and an exquisitely carved statue of Thutmose III.
Later, we went to a rooftop cafe by the Nile and watched a picturesque sunset while sipping hibiscus tea.
Day 10: Day trip to Qena and Abydos
We checked out of our hotel in the West Bank. Today, we ventured out of Luxor to visit two of the most epic temples in Egypt – Dendera Temple in Qena and Temple of Seti I in Abydos.
Dendera Temple: Qena is an hour’s drive from Luxor. The highlight of this small town is the splendid Dendera Temple. A Ptolemaic era temple, it was dedicated to the worship of Hathor. The present temple follows a Graeco-Roman style. The hypostyle hall featuring massive columns topped with capitals resembling Hathor’s heads draws attention. The ceiling of this hall is painted sky blue and adorned with elaborate celestial scenes, including the 12 astrological signs. One of the outer walls depicts the celebrated Cleopatra VII and her son Caesarion.
Temple of Seti I: Previously, Abydos was the cult centre of Osiris. The construction was initiated by the Nineteenth Dynasty Pharaoh Seti I and completed by his son, Ramses II. The temple was devoted to the worship of Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah. The artworks on the walls are regarded to be the finest in Egypt. The temple is also noted for depicting the list of Pharaohs since the Old Kingdom. Behind the main temple complex, there lies the Osireion, which is a symbolic tomb of Osiris.
We returned to Luxor by sunset. We finished our tenth day with pizza at Pizza Roma.
Day 11: Exploring Karnak Temple & Luxor Temple
Time to take a tour of the marvels of Luxor’s East Bank.
Karnak Temple: We reached the temple premises by 6-30 in the morning to catch the sunrise as well as to evade the maddening crowd of tourists. The Karnak Temple was dedicated to the worship of Amun-Ra. The construction spanned for several centuries, thus making Karnak the largest religious structure ever built. The main attractions are the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, the Great Hypostyle Hall furnished with 134 gigantic columns, the 30m high Obelisk of Hatshepsut, the sanctuary of Amun, the Great Festival Hall of Thutmose III, and the sacred lake. The Karnak Temple complex also houses chapels of Mut, Montu, and Khonsu; however, they are off-limits for tourists. It took us over 4 hours to explore the nooks and crannies of Karnak.
Mummification Museum: This is a small museum near the Luxor Temple which showcases the process of mummification and the instruments involved. The museum displays mummies of a crocodile, cat, baboon, and ibis. Mostly overlooked, it’s inclusion in the Egypt itinerary gave us priceless insights into the mummification process.
Luxor Temple: Another gem of the East Bank. Like Karnak, this temple was also constructed over the centuries with prominent contributions from Amenhotep III, Tutankhamen, and Ramses II. It was a site for the celebration of the annual Open Festival when the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were brought here in an elaborate procession from Karnak.
After lunch, we went shopping at the souk of Luxor. We drew the final curtain on our Egypt itinerary by watching the light and sound show at Karnak Temple.
Day 12: Bidding farewell to Egypt
Our last day in Egypt. We took a morning flight (that got considerably delayed without any reason!) from Luxor to Cairo. Before boarding our evening flight to Mumbai, we watched another memorable sunset from the Cairo airport.
Our experience in Egypt:
Now that we have shared our 12-day Egypt itinerary, let’s divulge our experience in Egypt. For us, visiting Egypt was a dream that we had nurtured since our childhood. As we researched about Egypt, we came across bleak accounts regarding various scams that tourists face in this North African country. The more we read into the unpleasant experiences, the more we became wary of Egypt. But then we remembered what Aldous Huxley said, “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” We followed our wits, explored Egypt for 12 days, and fell head over heels with this beautiful country. Let’s share our Egypt experiences, which’ll help you to prepare yourself.
- Egypt takes the security of tourists seriously. Tourist police are deployed everywhere. In every historical landmark, a legion of armed police is stationed at the entrances. We even spotted military vehicles at multiple locations. In sensitive areas, police convoy escorts the tourist vehicles. With unemployment so high in Egypt, tourism is the bread and butter of common Egyptians. For a country that thrives on tourism, thieving or harassing tourists is frowned upon. In short, Egypt is safe for tourists.
- Scams are common in touristy countries, so no need to single out Egypt. Cab drivers will try to overcharge you, souvenir sellers will haggle with you, a random person will try to extort money just because you asked for directions, and so on. Just stay alert, avoid unwarranted advice from unknown fellows, and use your common sense.
- To avoid the hassle, we hired a guide for our entire trip. This proved to be a boon and enhanced our experience. Not only were we able to bypass the nuisances, but we could also deeply delve into Egypt’s glorious past.
- The Egyptian people are some of the friendliest people we have ever met. They are obsessed with Bollywood and love Indians. Wherever we went, people greeted us with a big smile and repeated, “India, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan”! The Egyptians are quite chatty. Often, we were engaged in long conversations about Bollywood and India with chefs and staff in hotels.
- Egypt’s language is Arabic. However, guides and drivers are well-versed in English. Also, the retinue in the hotels are also quite fluent in English. However, common Egyptians do not understand English mostly and can speak only a few words only. Make sure to install Google Translator (or any equivalent app) in your phone and download the Arabic language to interact with the locals.
- The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (EGP/LE). Banknotes start from LE 1 and go up to LE 200. Coins are available but rare in circulation. We exchanged money from an outlet of Banque Misr at Cairo Airport. We also used an international credit card at restaurants.
- Tipping, or ‘baksheesh’, is an integral part of Egyptian hospitality. Everyone expects tips, even the bathroom attendants. It’s annoying, true. But given the high rate of unemployment and dismal rate of wages, the Egyptians seek tips to make ends meet. USD is accepted for tips, but we paid tips in EGP. We always kept the small change as a tip is expected everywhere.
- The four-star hotels in Egypt are actually comparable to the three-star hotels in India. Hence, staying in budget or mid-range hotels or anything below five-star may be tricky here. Before booking Airbnbs and hotels, check reviews thoroughly. In Cairo, we opted for Airbnb, a Nubian-styled hotel in Aswan, and a heritage hotel in Luxor.
- The Egyptian food is simple yet delicious. It mostly centres around fava beans, chickpeas, and other beans. Bread and rice are staples, accompanied with vegetable or meat-based tagine or stew. Non-vegetarians, vegetarians, and vegans – all can find their choice in the Egyptian cuisine.
- We avoided drinking tap water in Egypt. Bottled drinking water is cheap. A 1.5 litre bottle costs LE 20.
- Egypt is extremely hot, and staying hydrated while exploring the attractions is a challenge. We had packed electrolytes with us and always carried drinking water. For hydration, we also opted for yoghurts and fresh fruit juices.
- Egypt is a Muslim country, and thus dressing modestly is appreciated. The tourist areas have a relaxed vibe. Given the scorching heat in Egypt, we packed loose-fitting clothes made of cotton and linen. We made sure to take modest clothes for mosques and churches. For other tourist destinations, we packed shorts, dresses, skirts, and trousers.
Important FAQs:
1. General information regarding Egypt:
- Egypt is officially known as the Arab Republic of Egypt.
- It is located in northeastern Africa.
- It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the north, Palestine and Israel in the northeast, the Red Sea in the east, Sudan in the south, and Libya in the west.
- It is the third most populous country in Africa with a population of over 107 million.
- The capital of Egypt is Cairo, which is also the country’s largest city.
- The official language is Arabic.
- The currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP/LE).
2. How can I reach Egypt:
Cairo is well-connected with major cities in the world. Egypt Air conducts daily flights from New Delhi and Mumbai to Cairo. The flight time is 6 – 7 hours. You can also look for flights of Qatar Airways and Emirates with a 3 – 4 hours layover in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Doha.
3. Where can I stay in Egypt:
- In Cairo: Tahir Plaza Suites, Carlton Hotel, Steigenberger in Downtown Cairo; President Hotel, Hotel Longchamps, Horus House Hotel in Zamalek. The Zamalek area has lots of nice Airbnb options suiting every budget.
- In Luxor: Marsam Hotel in West Bank; Nefertiti Hotel, Iberotel, Sonnesta St. George, Steigenberger Nile Palace, and Jollie Ville Resort in East Bank.
- In Aswan: Mango Guest House and Baba Dool in Elephantine Island; Anakato, Kato Dool, and Artika Wadi Kiki in the Nubian village of Gharb Soheil; Hapi Hotel, Noprea Boutique Hotel, and Philae Hotel in mainland Aswan.
- You can book your accommodation from Booking.com.
4. Where to eat in Egypt:
- In Cairo: Fish & Chips, Abou Tarek, Cairoma, Le Bistro in Downtown Cairo; Zooba, Vinny’s Pizza, Buffalo Burger, Granita, Luuma, Crimson Bar & Grill in Zamalek; Fishawi’s, Al Hussein Rooftop Restaurant in Islamic Cairo.
- In Luxor: Sofra, Cilantro, Gerda’s Garden, Pizza Roma in East bank; Marsam, Maratonga Cafe, Wannas Art Cafe, Al Gezira Hotel in West Bank.
- In Aswan: King Jamaica Restaurant, Kafana Restaurant, Nubian Dreams in Elephantine Island; Chef Kahlil, Makani, and Sala el-Din in Downtown Aswan.
5. Do I need a guide for Egypt:
A guide is not compulsory, true. However, since Egypt is basically a historical destination, hiring a guide – who introduces you to the unending layers of ancient Egyptian history – is helpful. We went for Mo Knows Egypt and he made our trip even more memorable in every way.
Egypt isn’t just a destination — it’s a journey through the soul of civilization. Standing before the Pyramids of Giza, watching the Nile shimmer at sunset, or tracing ancient hieroglyphs in Luxor’s temples, you feel the weight of history and the wonder of discovery all at once.
This 12-day Egypt itinerary offers a perfect blend of culture, history, and magic — a reminder that some stories are best told by the sands of time themselves.
So pack your curiosity, charge your camera, and let Egypt’s timeless beauty unfold before you.
