Start with a place.
Then shape the days.
Egypt is long and narrow, and the places worth seeing are spread out. Here is what each one offers, how long it deserves and what sits well next to it.
Nine places,
nine different moods.
From the capital to the far Western Desert. Each page explains the main sights, how long to stay and the best months to go.
Cairo & Giza
The pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum and a thousand years of Islamic and Coptic Cairo. Almost every trip starts here.
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Luxor
Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the temples of the west bank: the greatest open-air collection of ancient monuments on earth.
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Aswan
Granite islands, feluccas, Nubian villages and the temple of Philae. The gentlest town on the Nile and the gateway to Abu Simbel.
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Hurghada
The Red Sea's busiest resort coast: reefs a short boat ride away, family resorts, and about four hours by road from Luxor.
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Sharm El Sheikh
The southern tip of Sinai, where desert mountains meet some of the best coral reefs in the Red Sea. An hour's flight from Cairo.
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Marsa Alam
The quiet, far south of Egypt's Red Sea coast: empty bays, sea turtles at Abu Dabbab and a calmer resort stay.
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Alexandria
Alexander's city on the Mediterranean: catacombs, the Qaitbay Citadel, the new library and a long seafront.
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Marsa Matruh
Egypt's Mediterranean coast: white sand, turquoise bays and a summer holiday town on the road west to Siwa.
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Siwa Oasis
Salt lakes, date palms, mud-brick ruins and the edge of the Great Sand Sea, far out in Egypt's Western Desert.
Explore →How the places
connect.
Think of Egypt as three areas. The Nile Valley runs south from Cairo through Luxor to Aswan and holds almost all the great ancient monuments. The Red Sea coast, to the east, is for beaches and reefs: Hurghada and Marsa Alam on the mainland, Sharm El Sheikh in Sinai. The north and west have the Mediterranean coast around Alexandria and Marsa Matruh, and Siwa Oasis deep in the desert.
Most first trips combine Cairo with the Nile Valley, then add the Red Sea if there is time. Luxor to Hurghada or Marsa Alam is about four hours by road, which makes the pairing easy. Sharm El Sheikh is best reached by a short flight from Cairo. Alexandria and Siwa are usually for a second visit, or for travellers who want something quieter.
| Route | Travel time | Usual way |
|---|---|---|
| Cairo → Luxor or Aswan | About 1 hour | Domestic flight |
| Aswan → Luxor | 3 to 4 nights | Nile cruise |
| Luxor → Hurghada | About 4 hours | Private car |
| Luxor → Marsa Alam | About 3.5 to 4 hours | Private car |
| Cairo → Sharm El Sheikh | About 1 hour | Domestic flight |
| Cairo → Alexandria | About 3 hours | Private car or train |
| Alexandria → Siwa | About 8 hours | Private car, via Marsa Matruh |
Not sure which
places to pick?
Tell us how long you have and what you enjoy. We will suggest the combination that makes the most sense and explain why.