Egypt
Top Tips
Our pick of Egypt's bumper crop...
Cairo’s Islamic Quarter is the coolest district in the capital. This is where the city was founded in 969AD by the Fatimid dynasty. You’ll find a thousand years of history including Khan al-Khalili, Cairo’s most famous souk.
The Pyramids at Giza on the southwest fringe of the city. These 4000-year-old behemoths are unmissable, though come early to avoid the crowds. It is possible to hire camels or horses, then approach across the desert thus avoiding the tourist hordes.
The Step Pyramid at Zosser (30km south of Cairo) is the oldest on the planet and attracts far fewer tourists than those at Giza. It can easily be coupled with a visit to Memphis, which, 5,000 years ago, was the first capital of Egypt.
Siwa, an oasis in the Western Desert that many people haven’t heard of. It is one of the most magical places in Egypt, so take our word and head east into the Great Sand Sea. You’ll find vast dunes, Roman tombs, golden mountains, 27-million-year-old fossil beds lining the desert floor.
Dhakla, the most beautiful of all the oases with hot springs, myriad orchards and lush palm groves all over the place. The abandoned mediaeval town of Al Qasr is nothing short of spectacular.
The Valley of the Kings, the final resting place of choice for any self-respecting Pharaoh. The valley itself is awe-inspiring: blue sky, red rock, golden sand. Walk over the hill and tumble down to Hatshepsut, one of the most beautiful buildings you’ll see here. Then take a boat across the Nile to The Temples of Karnak and wonder at the forest of implausibly high columns in the Hypostyle Hall
The Nile - serene, tranquil, a highlight of your time in Egypt. It is a river that lives up to its billing, as beautiful as any you are ever likely to see. Its lush banks may turn to desert within a kilometre, but they teem with diverse wildlife. Take a felucca ride at sunset or splash out on a cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Wonderful.
The Temple of Horus at Edfu, the last of the great Pharaonic buildings, which was finished in 32BC by Cleopatra’s father. It was discovered 120 years ago buried in sand, a fact you may have trouble believing when you behold its vast entrance. It took 180 years to build and is almost perfectly preserved.
The Temple of Isis at Philae near Aswan was half-flooded for six months a year when the first Aswan Dam was built. It would have been lost entirely with the coming of the High Dam had UNESCO not stepped in to save it, moving it brick for brick from one island to another (it still keeps its old name despite the change).
Dahab on The Red Sea, once a tiny fishing village, then a backpackers resort, now a paradise for divers, who come for some of the best coral reefs in the world. It's only an hour from Sharm el-Sheikh, and far less developed.
Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery, where Moses saw the burning bush, a sign from God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Sunrise from the top of Mount Sinai is a rite of passage for many who visit this wild and wonderful land.