There are so many things to see and do in Egypt besides just marveling at the pyramids. So to celebrate the dreamer in you, we’ve put together our favorite pictures of Egypt to remind you to add this amazing country to your list of travels. For now, enjoy these beautiful photos of Egypt! (CC: All images of Egypt by ThePlanetD)
With all that is going on in the world, Egypt is often considered a no-travel zone by people but Egypt is wonderful. The people are friendly and kind, the scenery is beautiful and the history is out of this world. Read more Facts about Egypt
Table of Contents
Ancient Egypt In Pictures
Are you ready to see Egypt? Having visited Egypt several times. We have been lucky enough to see remote parts of the country from the seat of a bicycle, the back of a truck, and even in luxury with a private driver.
We started our cycling trip through Africa in Egypt way back in 2008, we have backpacked on a budget in Egypts, and have been guest speakers at a conference where we were treated with five-star service, so we’ve seen Egypt with many different eyes and our photography has captured all of our unique experiences.
1. Pyramids of Giza
Okay, I know I said above that there is a lot more to see in Egypt than the Pyramids of Giza, but you cannot visit the country without taking a tour to see the Giza Pyramids in person. They are truly magical. We visited the Pyramids of Giza at sunrise when leaving on our cycling tour through Egypt, at sunset, and during mid-day. No matter what time of the day you visit, these centuries-old monuments are awe-inspiring.
Make sure to take a tour to see the pyramids from a different perspective. We hired a camel to see the pyramids and fulfilled our fantasy of being Bedouins in the Sahara Desert. If you like adventure, you can book a quad bike and camel tour of the pyramids. We’ve gone quadding in the Sahara and it is cool. No matter what way you decide to experience the Pyramids of Giza, make sure to have your camera ready to snap memories of a lifetime.
2. Great Sphinx of Giza
My favourite thing to see at the Giza complex is the Great Sphinx standing guard over the pyramids. The sphinx represents a mythical creature that is half man half lion. They say that the face of the Sphinx represents King Khafre. The fourth king of the 4th Dynasty of 2575 BC. Man, that’s old.
3. Alabaster Mosque
The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali is located in the Citadel of Cairo and is not to be missed. Built between between 1830 and 1848 it helps to contribute to Cairo’s nickname as the City of Minarets.
Make sure to go inside to see the beautiful interior of the most visited mosque in the country.
In Cairo, we have stayed in both Five Star, Budget, and Midrange hotels. In all honesty, it was the budget hotel that we had the best time in Cairo. But here are the three that we have stayed at.
- Intercontinental Cairo City Stars – This was truly an amazing hotel with all amenities and fine dining. We loved the spa.
- Dahab Hostel – This place was cheap and we loved it. Located in the heart of downtown, it’s walking distance to major sights like the Egyptian Museum and Tahrir Square.
- Cataract Pyramids Resort – This mid range hotel offers fantastic views of the Pyramids.
4. Abandoned Mosque
The Alabaster Mosque may be the most visited in Cairo, but don’t rule out other mosques. We found the polished marble of an abandoned mosque to be one of our favorite photos of Egypt.
5. Library of Alexandria
The Library of Alexandria is filled with one of the greatest collections of literature on earth but it is the modern architecture that is so striking. Students hang out in the complex and ponder the challenges of Egypt’s future while we snapshots of its striking design.
Alexandria was home to one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world, the Alexandria Lighthouse. The Library of Alexandria was the largest library in the ancient world. It was founded in 323 BC. It may be situated in an ancient city, but it has also been updated to modern times.
Here’s a cool fact – The Bibliotheca Alexandrina houses the world’s largest digital collection of historical manuscripts in the world. They are definitely staying in tune with the 21st century.
6. Ancient Burial of Saqqara
One of the largest funerary temples in Egypt, it is also where archeologists discovered the oldest coffins ever found. There are more temples in Egypt than just the Pyramids of Giza.
The amazing thing about traveling in Egypt is that they are still discovering temples and burial grounds. You will always see a working archeological dig.
7. Alexandria Street Car
The Alexandria Tram System began operation in 1863. We didn’t expect to see streetcars driving through the streets. A very cool fact, is most of the Streetcars came from Toronto. It was cool to see a connection from home in this ancient city.
8. Red Pyramid
Located 40 km outside of Cairo, The Red Pyramid is an amazing place to visit. It is far less visited than the Pyramids of Giza, but no less impressive. We could even crawl inside to the center of this temple. Read more: The Red Pyramid of Egypt – Experience it Inside and Out
9. The White Desert
The White Desert of Egypt is like being on another planet. Located in the Farafra depression in western Egypt, a visit here is a once in a lifetime experience. Imagine sleeping like the ancient Bedouin among the massive chalky white rock formations.
The White Desert National Park is just 5 hours from Cairo, but not many people visit this protected area that spans 300 square kilometers. Check out more here: The Lunar Landscape of Egypt’s White Desert
10. The Black Desert
Egypt has a lot of deserts. home to the mother of them all the Sahara, you can also see a black desert here too. The Sahra al-Suda, consisting of mounds of black mountains is a stark contrast from the light and sandy deserts we are used to.
11. Valley of The Kings
No trip to Egypt would be complete without a visit to the Valley of the Kings. Located on the Nile River, it was part of the ancient city of Thebes. Here you’ll see King Tut’s Tomb, Ramses and all of the other famous ancient Egyptian Kings.
12. Temple of Hatshepsut
This impressive temple is dedicated to the female King Hatshepsut. She was the leader of the Pharaohs for 27 years. Hatshepsut’s monument rivals even the greatest of kings. Built between 1490-1460 BC it is one of the most impressive temples in Egypt.
13. The Nile River
Aswan is located on the Nile in the South of Egypt just before the journey over Lake Nassar. It’s a popular town with ships setting sail each day, but be sure to spend a few days exploring. You don’t have to take a cruise though, you can hire a felucca for a very reasonable price to take you out to see the sights. While visiting Aswan, you can see the Philae Temples, and Abu Simble and take a cruise along the Nile.
14. Luxor
The Luxor Temple is the star attraction of Luxor located on the banks of the Nile it is one of the best-preserved of all the temples in Egypt. It was the capital of the New Kingdom, Take a 3 day luxury Nile Cruise from Luxor you won’t regret it.
Dating back to the 11th dynasty of ancient Egypt, Luxor is known as one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. With over 800 archaeological sites, Luxor is often referred to as the “world’s greatest open-air museum.”
The city, originally named Thebes, was the flourishing capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom period. Visitors can explore the Valley of Kings, which houses more than 60 royal tombs including the famous tomb of Tutankhamen. The Valley of Queens the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, The Luxor Temple, and the sprawling Karnak Temple Complex.
15. Karnak Temple
The Karnak Temple is one of the most famous ancient Egyptian sites, located on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor. This vast complex was constructed around 2055 BC and continuously expanded over more than a millennium, particularly between the Twelfth and Twentieth Dynasties. Over time, various pharaohs from the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemaic dynasty contributed to its grandeur, making it the largest temple complex of its kind in Egypt??????.
The Avenue of the Sphinxes is one of the most impressive sites. It is a 3-kilometer processional route that connects the Luxor Temple with the Temple of Mut at Karnak. This grand avenue was lined with more than 1,050 sphinx statues.
The initial phases of the Avenue of the Sphinxes’ construction are attributed to Queen Hatshepsut, and although none of the chapels built during her reign remain today, the avenue itself has been a significant archaeological and historical feature, originally comprising over 1,500 statues. The avenue and its sphinxes were buried under layers of sand for centuries until modern excavations revealed their grandeur once again????.
16. Abu Simbel Temples
Located on Lake Nassar Abut Simbel is Ramses II imposing temple. It was built to show the power of Egypt Originally located on The Nile, Abu Simbel needed to be moved when the Egyptian’s created the Aswan Dam project (which decimated neighboring Wadi Halfa in Sudan by the way). It would have been engulfed by water never to be seen again until the government came to its rescue.
We saw Abu Simbel en route to the Sudan but you can visit it on day trips from Aswan and Cairo.
17. Siwa Oasis
Siwa takes you far off the beaten path near the border of Libya. In the middle of the Siwa Oasis is an 13th century walled fortified town built by mud brick and rock salt. It is in ruins today, but a tour through the abandoned buildings is a highlight of any trip to Egypt. It is here that there is plenty of desert adventures from dune buggy rides to sand boarding.
We didn’t visit here, but one of our cycling companions spend a lot of time in the desert and couldn’t stop talking about it so we had to include it.
18. The Red Sea
We had the privilege of cycling along the Red Sea in Egypt and it is beautiful. We have also been snorkeling in the Red Sea. I do wish that we had gone scuba diving while there, but we were too busy pushing boundaries and cycling a continent so we didn’t have a lot of time for play. Sharm El Sheikh is one of the most popular places to visit on the Red Sea.
Celebrated for its luxurious resorts, fine dining, vibrant nightlife, and especially for its underwater adventures, the region boasts crystal-clear waters and extensive coral reefs that have become havens for snorkeling and scuba diving. Ourselves included!
And these are our favorite pictures of Egypt. We’ll be adding more as Dave goes through his photo library. The beauty of being locked down for so long, is that we have had the pleasure of revisiting our travels around the world.
One of our trips through Egypt was courtesy of Memphis Tours., We also cycled the continent from Cairo to Cape Town and spent more than 30 days exploring Egypt. Egypt is a country close to our hearts as the starting point of this great travel journey that we’ve been on for the 15 years. Each time we visit, it brings back fond memories of our first time walking through its ancient passageways.
