The 16 most beautiful places to visit in Egypt

You dream of finding yourself in the time of the Pharaohs? We have selected for you 16 of the most beautiful places to visit in Egypt!

We are all looking for our roots and the study of ancient civilizations at the entrance to the college is often a passion that drives us to explore the countries that formed the cradle of modern times.

The use of writing in Mesopotamia and Egypt over 5,000 years ago was the major element of their development and allows us to understand today the messages left long ago.

In Egypt, the testimonies of the greatness of these first civilizations are still particularly numerous and continue to surprise us with their majesticness. We invite you to discover the most beautiful of them and the setting in which they are located.

1. Abu Simbel

In the years 1960 , when the Egyptian government decided to build the Aswan Dam, to regulate the devastating floods of the Nile, the problem of the disappearance of a large number of temples has arisen. A great international movement was born, whose main purpose was to save Abu Simbel And his royal colossus.

As we are in Egypt, it took a pharaonic work to cut the 2 temples into blocks of several tons and reinstall them 100 m higher. The result is spectacular, especially since we have taken the precaution to respect the same orientation, which allows the sun to penetrate to the bottom of the temple twice in the year. Located in the extreme south, the site of Abu Simbel is definitely to be included when you want to visit Egypt. It’s all the easier than a airport was built right next door.

2. Alexandria

The city created by Alexandre in the years 300 BC. , then enlarged and magnified by Ptolemy is the most European of Egyptian cities. Even if she lost the lighthouse which was her emblem, and whose scale and sophistication earned her to be among the 7 wonders of the world, Alexandria still retains many ancient monuments.

Having become an influential port in the nineteenth century, it has seen the flowering of very elegant buildings, which can be admired during the immanquable promenade of the Corniche, which goes from the Silsila point to the fort of Qaïtbay . Nor should we miss the visit of the new library, inaugurated in 2002, worthy of its missing ancestor, which radiates on the ancient world.

3. Al Qoseir

If you are looking for an authentic village, away from the crowd of tourists, stop by Qoseir at the edge of the Red Sea. Once a port of importance, when the Suez Canal was not yet pierced, it kept its charm, with its pretty Ottoman houses by the sea.

You can also visit one ancient fortress and one mosque 18th century. Here you will have real contacts with the villagers, without their hand for a possible alms. You can make it your home port and then radiate to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.

4. Aswan and its islands

The rocky congestion of the Nile form cataracts, which are 6. The first is at the level of Aswan At the gates of the Nubie. The landscape is particularly striking here: the blue waters of the Nile nest between the green islands facing the city.

They are. Kitchener and its botanical garden, Elephantine and the temple of the god Khnoum, Sehel and his stele. They are as many invitations to join them on board a boat, this sailing boat that must be borrowed during any visit of Egypt.

5. Cruise on the Nile

The organ point of any visit of Egypt is, without doubt, the discovery of the main sites from a gliding boat on the Nile. From one day to more than 3 weeks, cruises on the Nile are the opportunity to admire and visit the most beautiful places in Egypt.

You can leave Cairo or more probably from Luxor, to discover Karnak, the Valleys of Kings and Queens, Aswan, Abu Simbel and sleep on a comfortable cabin.

6. Desert white

Most sites to visit in Egypt are located along the Nile or the Red Sea, but the desert also contains wonders. The most spectacular is probably the white desert .

See these limestone concretions of a sparkling white in the middle of a sea of sand of ochre color is an unforgettable scene. Make sure you have enough space on your photo card, because you’re going to want to immortalize these rocks that take fantastic shapes.

7. Karnak

More than a temple, Karnak is a huge religious complex, whose construction took place over more than 2,000 years. The city contained all the buildings necessary for the lives of the servants of the supreme deity.

The visit passes through time, because over the centuries, buildings were destroyed to erect new ones. At the entrance, the first tower already imposes it with its 113 m of façade. At least 2:30 visiting to admire the temples , colonnades , obelisks and shrines , all more imposing than others.

8. Cairo

Difficult to visit Egypt without devoting at least one day to the visit of its capital, Cairo. You can start by climbing to the Tour of Cairo , in order to have a panoramic view of the city, walk in the old town, lose yourself in the maze of the souk Khân al-Khalili and spend a good part of the day at the fantastic Cairo Museum , where you will be able to perfect your knowledge of the ancient world. And it is from Cairo that you will be able to discover the pyramids of the Gizeh Plateau.

9. Luxor

Thebes became » rel= »noopener » target= »_blank » riseLuxor , but his temple is still as imposing. L’ Sphynx aisle already gives the vertigo, and you feel really small at the foot of the huge columns of the yard of Ramses II and monumental statues of the famous sovereign.

He completed the site developed by his predecessor Amenophis III , of which we also visit the court as well as the temple and the chambers of birth and offerings, as well as the Chapel to the Teachers. A must during any visit of Egypt!

10. Hurghada and the Red Sea

Between two visits to temples, it is good to go relax on the seaside. If you also want to enjoy great scuba diving spots, then it’s at Hurghada we have to go. Reconverted fishing harbour in tourist area with many hotels, this city enjoys a long sandy beach and offers a sublime landscape of islands surrounded by perfectly transparent water.

The coral massifs, which are protected, are all opportunities to practice diving. Are you a beginner? No worries, here you will find many schools that can initiate you. And if you are not tempted, try snorkeling. You will be marvelled by the spectacle of the fish of all colors.

11. Sinai

A visit of Egypt cannot be complete without the discovery of the peninsula Sinai , its desert and its extraordinary geology. Landscapes of dunes and palm groves cohabit with high peaks, such as that of Mount Sinai , also known as Mont Moïse.

In this high place of Catholicism, you can visit Sainte-Catherine Monastery . On the way, it is not uncommon to meet nomads breeders of goats or dromedaries, who jealously retain their ancestral culture. Admire the beautiful clothes of women, whose colours indicate status.

12. Oasis de Dakhla

By sinking into the desert, in the direction of the Lybia, the path is dotted with oasis, relatively remote from each other. Dakhla , in the south, is the largest of them. Many small villages were built on its shores, including Dakhla, which has 4,000 inhabitants, most of them Bedouins.

Here, the aridity of the desert stops and leaves room for greenery and varied cultures: olive groves, palm groves, fields of cereal, orange trees and apricot trees, to mention only a few.

13. Philæ

After the rescue of Abu Simbel’s temple, the world began to dream of a similar operation to rehabilitate it island of Philae and his temple of Isis. This was indeed regularly under the water because of the first Aswan dam, erected in the early twentieth century.

The temple was therefore moved to a nearby island, with higher relief, in the course of the years 1970 . We can then walk again in the temple complex and its annexes.

14. Saqqarah

What would be a visit of Egypt without that of some of its pyramids? In a hundred, the construction of which has spread from - 2,700 to -1,550 BC. , with an evolution in architecture over time. The oldest was erected to Saqquarah , near the old capital, Memphis .

Designed by the architect Imhotep , it was destined for the sovereign Djéser , founder of the Old Empire. It is a pyramid with degrees, in the center of a complex that includes many mastabas (individuals’ tombes), open to the visit and allowing to appear the life of the time.

15. Gizeh

The Gizeh Plateau, not far from Cairo, includes the 3 pyramids of Kheops , Khephren and Mykerinos. These were built about 200 years after Saqquarah and are smooth. This is where you can see the famous and imposing Sphinx .

It is possible to enter inside the pyramids to go to the funeral room. You will have to walk in the gallery that leads to it, but the impression is striking, you must not miss it!

16. Valley of the Kings

Around Louxor is the vast ensemble of the Necropolis Thebaine. The kings gradually abandoned the construction of pyramids for tombs dug in the mountain. Valley of the Kings concentrate a set of 63 burials , the last of which were discovered in 2006 .

This is where the tomb of Toutankhamon , most of which are at the Cairo Museum. It is better to devote the visit to the richest tombs, such as Ramses III. The entry ticket provides access to 3 of them, each with its specificity.

Good trip!