Ways to travel
One country, sixteen ways to travel
Historical sites and museums, Nile cruises, Red Sea beaches and diving, yachting, desert safaris, eco-tourism, wellness, road trips, conferences, adventure, family, luxury and food travel in Egypt — with places, photos and responsible-travel notes.
- 01
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Historical & archaeological
Five thousand years, standing in the openPyramids, temples and tombs from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period, Coptic churches and the mosques and gates of medieval Cairo. Egypt has seven properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List, from Memphis and its pyramid fields to the Nubian monuments of Abu Simbel and Philae. - 02
© Sohilaali869 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Museums
The collections behind the monumentsFrom the Grand Egyptian Museum beside the pyramids to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the Museums of Islamic and Coptic art, and regional museums in Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria. - 03
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Religious heritage & the Holy Family
Places sacred to three faithsHistoric mosques and madrasas, the churches of Coptic Cairo, desert monasteries, and Saint Catherine's Monastery below Mount Sinai. Coptic tradition records the Holy Family's journey through Egypt; on Beyond Egypt each station is labelled as tradition or documented history. - 04
© Ввласенко · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Nile cruises & dahabiyas
Travel at the river's paceThree to four nights between Luxor and Aswan by cruise boat, or a slower voyage under sail on a dahabiya, stopping at Edfu, Kom Ombo and riverside villages. Lake Nasser cruises reach the temples of Nubia. - 05
© E v Schoonhoven · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Beaches & the Red Sea
Two seas, very different coastsThe Red Sea coast and South Sinai offer clear water and coral reefs close to shore, from Hurghada and El Gouna to Marsa Alam, Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab. On the Mediterranean, Alexandria and the North Coast are a summer escape. - 06
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Diving & snorkelling
Reefs a few metres from shoreThe northern Red Sea is known for its coral reefs, wrecks and marine protected areas, from Ras Mohammed National Park and the Straits of Tiran to the southern reefs off Marsa Alam, where dolphins and dugongs are sometimes seen. - 07
© Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Yachting & marinas
The Red Sea and the Nile under sailDay charters and liveaboards leave from the Red Sea marinas of Hurghada, El Gouna, Sharm El Sheikh and Port Ghalib; on the Nile, dahabiyas sail between Esna and Aswan. Private yachts arriving from abroad need entry formalities and cruising permits arranged in advance. - 08
© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Desert & safari
Silence, stars and sandThe Western Desert's oases — Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga — the volcanic Black Desert and the chalk formations of the White Desert; the mountains of South Sinai; and the fossil valleys of Fayoum. Most trips are by 4×4 with overnight camping. - 09
© Clr202 (Christoph Rohner) at de.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Eco-tourism & protected areas
Nature that needs looking afterEgypt's protected areas, managed by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, cover reefs, mangroves, deserts and wetlands — among them Ras Mohammed, Wadi El Hitan (a UNESCO natural site), Wadi El Rayan, the White Desert and Saint Catherine. Lake Qarun and the Red Sea coast are also known for birdwatching. - 10
© ولاء · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Wellness & medical tourism
Rest, warmth and careEgypt's wellness offer ranges from spa resorts on the Red Sea and Sinai to Siwa's traditional sand baths and salt lakes and the hot springs of the Western Desert oases. Medical travellers also come for planned treatment at private hospitals and clinics. - 11
© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Road trips & self-drive
Egypt between the stopsClassic routes include Cairo to Alexandria by the desert road, the Red Sea coast road south from Hurghada to Marsa Alam, the Nile Valley through Middle Egypt, and the Western Desert oasis loop from Bahariya to Kharga. Long distances, desert stretches and permit checkpoints make planning essential. - 12
© Marc Ryckaert · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Conferences & events (MICE)
Meetings with a settingCairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Alexandria and the Red Sea resorts host conferences, incentive trips and events. Sharm El Sheikh hosted the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 in 2022; the Bibliotheca Alexandrina has a conference centre. - 13
© Grand Parc - Bordeaux, France from France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Adventure & sport
Climb, ride, dive, sailHiking in the High Mountains of South Sinai, kitesurfing and windsurfing on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, freediving in Dahab, sandboarding in the Fayoum desert, and desert cycling and running events. - 14
© Petar Milošević · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Family travel
History children rememberPyramids and mummies, glass-bottom boats and shallow reefs, a felucca ride and a night in a Nubian guesthouse: Egypt works well for families when days are short and the heat is planned around. - 15
© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Luxury & tailor-made
Private, unhurried, well guidedPrivate guiding and early or after-hours access where sites allow it, dahabiya charters, desert camps, historic hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, and Red Sea yachts — arranged by licensed operators and confirmed in writing. - 16
© Hassan Hamdy wahidy · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Food, crafts & living culture
Egypt as Egyptians live itKoshari and ful in Cairo, seafood in Alexandria, Nubian cooking in Aswan, dates and olives in Siwa; the bazaars and workshops of historic Cairo, the pottery village of Tunis in Fayoum, and live music from Sufi performances to Nubian song.
Two in one trip
Combine ways of travelling
Distances in Egypt make it easy to pair a beach with history, a holy mountain with the reef, or two deserts in one crossing.
© Argenberg · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Mediterranean beaches + Alexandria's history
Summer days on the North Coast with the Graeco-Roman catacombs, the Bibliotheca and Qaitbay a short drive away.
Beaches & the Red SeaHistorical & archaeologicalMuseums
- 1 North Coast (Mediterranean)
- 2 Alexandria
- 3 Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa
- 4 Bibliotheca Alexandrina
- 5 Montaza Palace gardens
© Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Sinai's sacred mountain + a Red Sea beach
Sunrise on Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery, then reefs and rest in Sharm El Sheikh and Ras Mohammed.
Religious heritage & the Holy FamilyBeaches & the Red SeaDiving & snorkelling
Build this journey →© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons White & Black Desert camping
A 4×4 crossing from Bahariya oasis over the volcanic Black Desert to a night among the chalk formations of the White Desert.
Desert & safariAdventure & sportEco-tourism & protected areas
Build this journey →