12 Places in Egypt That You Need To Visit

Good news, ladies and gentlemen! Your flight to Egypt has been confirmed. You’re probably thinking “Wait. What? Egypt!?!? Flight?!?!?!” Well, there’s no time to talk, the taxi has already arrived to take you to the airport and the driver is looking very impatient. Since you’re going to be spending about two weeks there, we suppose you should probably create an itinerary of things to do or something. But since your brain is still kind of shocked over the news of your unexpected vacation, we’ll do you a favor and plan everything for you. Here are 12 places in Egypt that you’re totally going to visit.

1. Islamic Cairo
Looking for some of the most beautifully preserved Islamic architecture in the world? Of course you are! Islamic Cairo is the place to be. There are lots of nice narrow streets, a maze of shops where coppersmiths and artisans still do their coppering (?) and arising (?). The place is full of merchants eager to sell you perfumes, spices and whatnot. Lots of mosques to visit as well, including one dedicated to Sultan Hassan and another to Al-Azhar. If you’re looking for a really lovely panoramic view of the area, climb to the roof of the ancient medieval gate of Bab Zuweila. Just don’t fall off. We don’t want you to get hurt on Day One of your vacation!

2. Egyptian Museum
Do you like museums, folks? Not really? Come on. Keep an open mind. The Egyptian Museum is awesome! It’s home to one of the greatest collection of artifacts in the world. The exhibits are sort of arranged in a random, haphazard fashion. But confusion and having to guess is part of the fun! If you have always wished that King Tutankhamun could have been your ruler, sorry but it isn’t going to happen. However, you can still enjoy a whole bunch of things related to his reign. You can also check out the royal mummies…if you dare!

3. Aswan
After a mind-blowing experience of visiting that museum, you’re going to want to find a place to chill out for a bit. May we suggest a nice, quiet city along the banks of the River Nile? Yes, we can! Drink tea till your heart’s content while you take in the views such as the exquisite-looking orange dunes. If you think you can get away with it, steal a camel and ride it to the desert monastery of St. Simeon. Catch a ferry and make your way to Elephantine Island and hang out with the non-existent elephants (So what’s up with the name then? Simple. From the sky the island looks like an elephant’s tusk).

4. Abu Simbel
You know the place even if you weren’t aware of it. Here’s a clue: this is where you can find the Great Temple of Ramses II. The huge statues guarding the temple are pretty impressive. But we’ll share with you a fact that is really nuts. Back in the 1960s the temple was in danger of being swallowed up by the water because of the Aswan Dam. UNESCO managed to move the entirety of Abu freggin’ Simbel to a safer place. This massive undertaking took more than four years.