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PLAN YOUR TRIP
Welcome to Egypt .......... 217 Top Experiences ........ 6Need to Know ................. 14What’s New ..................... 16If You Like... ..................... 17Month by Month ............. 21Itineraries ........................ 24Cruising the Nile ............. 27Diving the Red Sea ......... 36Travel with Children ...... 49Regions at a Glance ....... 52
YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT
Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip
UNDERSTAND EGYPT
Egypt Today .................... 440History ............................. 443Pharaonic Egypt ............. 461The Egyptians ................. 480The Arts........................... 487Egyptian Cuisine ............ 494Environment ................... 501
Egypt Today You say you want a Revolution…It’s all change in Egypt at the moment. After three decades of President Hosni Mubarak’s regime, and almost another three before that under Presidents Nasser and Sadat, Egyptians decided to break the mould. Theextent of change is still not known at the time of writing, but two thingsare clear now as they have been for many years: Egyptians demand theirright to vote and many of them will use it to support the Muslim Brotherhood and more extreme Islamist parties, banned under Mubarak
This state of revolution clashes with the idea that Egypt is a lace where time stands still. This is, after all, where Menes united the two
f U L E d h f f h
≈ 30 people
UKEgypt USA
population per sq km
History The history of Egypt is as rich as the land, as varied as the landscape andas long as the Nile, longer than most in the world. As recent events haveshown, it can also be as lively as the character of its people. While muchof Europe was still wrapped in animal skins and wielding clubs, ancientEgyptians enjoyed a sophisticated life, dedicated to maintaining orderin the universe and to making the most of their one great commodity,the Nile.
The NileThe Nation’s Gift The Gree historian Herodotus observed that Egypt was the gift of theNi e an a though it might now be a cliché, it also ha ens to e true.The ancient Egy tians called it simply iteru, the river. Without the Ni e
Pyramids & More With sand-covered tombs, austere pyra-mids and towering Pharaonic temples, Egypt brings out the explorer in all of us. Visit the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, where Tutankhamun’s tomb was unearthed, and see the glittering nds in the Egyptian Mu-seum in Cairo. Hop o a Nile boat to visit a waterside temple, or trek into the desert to nd the traces of Roman trading outposts.
You never know – your donkey might stum-ble across yet another nd, just as many previous discoveries were made.
Two Religions Egypt once ruled an empire from al-Qahira – Cairo, the City Victorious. The
metropolis is packed with soaring mina-rets, and medieval schools and mosques, some of the greatest architecture of medi-eval Islam. At the same time, Egypt’s native Christians, the Copts, have carried on their traditions that in many respects – such as the church’s liturgical language and the traditional calendar – link back to the time of the pharaohs. Tap into the history in re-mote monasteries and ancient churches.
Beaches & Beyond That empty beach with nothing but a candlelit cabin, and a teeming coral reef o shore: they’re waiting for you in Egypt. The coast along the Red Sea has a rugged desert beauty above the waterline and a
Welcome to Egypt
“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET
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439GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP
Learn about the big picture, so youcan make sense of what you see
Siwa Oasis & the Western Desert Ancient History Wilderness Ecotourism
Graeco-Roman Traces Ruined garrisons at Qasr ad-Dush and Qasr al-Ghue-ita hint at the lively trade routes that criss-crossed the desolate sands during the glory days of the Roman Empire. Well before that, the Oracle of Amun foretold destruction in the 6th cen-tury BC.
Wild Deserts ‘Desert’ doesn’t convey the full variety of wild land here: soak in hot springs or cold pools such as the fa-mous Cleopatra’s Bath. The White Desert gleams like a snow eld in the full moon.
Ecotourism Few trips are lower impact than a camel safari under the stars. Round out the adventure with a stay at one of several exceptional lodges designed to integrate seam-lessly with the desert land-scape and the date-palm groves of the oases.
p 278
Alexandria & the Mediterranean Coast Nostalgia Ancient History Fun in the Sun
Alexandria Cafes Traces of Alexandria’s cos-mopolitan glamour, at its height in the early 20th century, can still be found in scores of old cafes where writers Lawrence Durrell, Constantine Cavafy and oth-ers once mused.
Port-City History The Bibliotheca Alexandrina may have opened in 2002 but its model is the ancient library that once drew scholars from all over the Mediterranean and beyond. For a portrait of the city from Graeco-Roman times on, visit the excellent Alex-andria National Museum.
Fun in the Sun Seafront pleasures here in-clude fresh sh dinners on Alexandria’s corniche and beaches strung out to the west, mobbed in summer as Egyptians escape the heat. One nicer spot is Sidi Abdel Rahman, near the WWII battleground of El Alamein.
p 317
Suez Canal Nostalgia Ancient History Industry
Ismailia & Port Said Squint just right in down-town Ismailia and Port Said, and you can almost see the be-fezzed pashas and Euro-pean dandies who built the canal, strolling in front of the decaying French-colo-nial buildings. With hotels of the same vintage, these cities are like museums you can sleep in too.
Ancient Waterways Before the British and French opened up the shipping channel between Africa and Asia, the phar-aohs and the Greeks dug waterways here. See the archaeological traces at the Ismailia Museum.
Cruise the Canal Watch global commerce in action as giant container ships transit through the canal. In Port Said stroll the waterside boardwalk then hop a free ferry to cruise the canal yourself and get a glimpse of the action.
p 353
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PLAN YO
UR TRIP REG
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Pyramids of Giza
1 Towering over the urban sprawl of Cairo and the desert plains beyond, the
Pyramids of Giza (p 125 ) and the Sphinx are at the top of every traveller’s itinerary. Bring lots of water, an empty memory card and plenty of patience! You’ll have to fend o lots of people pushing horse rides and Bedouin headdresses in order to enjoy this ancient funerary complex, but no trip to Egypt is complete without a photo of you in front of the last surviving ancient wonder of the world.
Luxor
2 With the greatest concentration of ancient Egyptian monuments anywhere
in Egypt, Luxor (p 190 ) rewards time spent here. You can spend days or weeks around this town, walking through the columned halls of the great temples on the east bank of the Nile, such as the Ramesseum, or climbing down into the tombs of pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank. Time spent watching the sun rise over the Nile or set behind the Theban hills are some of Egypt’s unforgettable moments. Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut (p219)
17 TOP EXPERIENCES
6
Top Events
Dahab Festival, April
Ramadan, July
Eid al-Adha, October
Siyaha, October
Cairo International Film Festival, November
Month by Month
January Winter in most of Egypt means balmy days, perfect for sightseeing, but chilly nights, especially in unheated hotel rooms. Alexandria and the Mediterranean coast can be a bit rainy, but otherwise precipitation is still rare.
�z�Cairo International
Book Fair Held at the Cairo opera grounds in the last week of January and the rst of February (see www.cairo-bookfair.org for dates), this
�2�Egyptian Marathon
Endurance runners take to the west bank of the Nile near Luxor, starting from in front of the Temple of Hat-shepsut. The race takes place in late January or early Feb-ruary, followed by a half-mar-athon in Sharm el-Sheikh in March. For dates, see www.egyptianmarathon.com.
February The winter chill continues, though it’s the perfect time of year in the south. Tourists think so too, and Aswan and Luxor are packed, as are the beaches.
March With warmer days come winds, especially the khamsin, a hot current that causes periodic, intense sandstorms lasting a few hours and often grounding flights. Bear this in mind when booking trips through to early May.
April The khamsin carries on, and on days when it’s not blowing, the air is pleasantly fresh. This is the shoulder season for tourism, and
21
I SBN 978 -1 -74179 -959 -0
9 781741 799590
99525
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Egypt 11 Cover.indd 2Egypt 11 Cover.indd 2 13/04/2012 2:26:59 PM13/04/2012 2:26:59 PM
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
Zora O’Neill Michael Benanav, Jessica Lee, Anthony Sattin
YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE
In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Directory A–Z .................. 508 Transport ......................... 521 Language ......................... 530 Index ................................. 542 Map Legend ..................... 550
VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO
HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP
ON THE ROAD
o rity
guides under-
s in ‘act’, e’, aw as in as in ‘see’,
oo’, u as in the Parisian unced as the
s the ‘s’ in dicates the middle of e indicated
s your name?ككإسمك أيه؟ is·mak ay (ككإسمك أيه؟ is·mik ay (f)
My name is …إسمي … is·mee …
Do you speak English?بب/بتتكلمي //بتتكلم bi·tit·ka·lim/bi·tit·ka·lim·e
in·gi·lee·zee (m/f) إنجليزي؟I don’t understand.
مش فاهم. mish fa·him (m)
مش فهمة. mish fah·ma (f)Can I take a photo?
ممكن أصور؟ mum·kin a·saw·ar
ACCOMMODATIONWhere’s a …? فين …؟ fayn … campsite ممالمخيم il·mu·khay·am guesthouse البنسيون il·ban·see·yo· hotel الفندق il·fun·du’ youth hostel بيت شباب bayt
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#_
Red SeaCoast
Sinai
SuezCanal
CairoOutskirts& the DeltaAlexandria & the
Mediterranean Coast
Nile Valley:Esna to
Abu Simbel
Nile Valley:Beni Suefto Qena
p317p146
p353
p58 p387
p169
p278p364
p242
Nile Valley:Luxor p190
Siwa Oasis &theWestern Desert
Cairo
1361 Egyptian Museum
00-title-egy11.indd 100-title-egy11.indd 1 13/04/2012 2:08:44 PM13/04/2012 2:08:44 PM
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CAIRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58GREATER CAIRO. . . . . . . . 125Giza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Heliopolis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
EGYPTIAN MUSEUM . . . . . . . . . . 136MUSEUM TOUR: GROUND FLOOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Room 43 – Atrium . . . . . . 137Room 48 – Early Dynastic Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Rooms 47 & 46 – Old Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Rooms 42, 37 & 32 – Masterpieces of the Old Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Room 26 – Montuhotep II . . . . . . . . . . 140Rooms 21 & 16 – Sphinxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Room 12 – Hathor Shrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Room 3 – Amarna Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Room 10 – Ramses II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Room 34 – Graeco-Roman Room . . . . . . . . . . 141MUSEUM TOUR: FIRST FLOOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Rooms 56 & 46 – Royal Mummies Halls . . . . . . . . . 142Tutankhamun Galleries . . 142Room 4 – Ancient Egyptian Jewellery . . . . . . 144Room 2 – Royal Tombs of Tanis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Room 14 – Graeco-Roman Mummy Portraits . . . . . . . 144Room 34 – Pharaonic Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Room 43 – Yuya & Thuyu Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Room 53 – Animal Mummies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Room 37 – Model Armies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Rooms 32 & 27 – Middle Kingdom Models . . . . . . . 145
CAIRO OUTSKIRTS &THE DELTA . . . . . . . . 146DESERT ENVIRONS . . . . . 148Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148Al-Fayoum . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157Wadi Natrun . . . . . . . . . . . 163THE NILE DELTA . . . . . . . . 165Birqash Camel Market . . 165Nile Barrages . . . . . . . . . . 166Tanta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166Zagazig & Bubastis . . . . . 167Tanis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
NILE VALLEY: BENI SUEF TO QENA . . . . . 169Beni Suef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171Gebel at-Teir & Frazer Tombs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Minya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Beni Hasan . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Beni Hasan to Tell al-Amarna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Tell al-Amarna . . . . . . . . . . 176
Tombs of Mir . . . . . . . . . . . 179Deir al-Muharraq . . . . . . . 179Asyut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180Sohag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Abydos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Qena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
NILE VALLEY: LUXOR . . . . . . . . . . . .190
NILE VALLEY: ESNA TO ABU SIMBEL . . . .242SOUTHERN UPPER EGYPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245Esna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245Al-Kab & Komal-Ahmar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246Edfu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247Gebel Silsila . . . . . . . . . . . 250Kom Ombo . . . . . . . . . . . . 251ASWAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253AROUND ASWAN . . . . . . . 267Aswan Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . 267Seheyl Island . . . . . . . . . . . 267Philae (Agilika Island) . . . . . . . . . 267High Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269LOWER NUBIA & LAKE NASSER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270Lake Nasser . . . . . . . . . . . 273Kalabsha, Beit al-Wali & Kertassi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Wadi as-Subua . . . . . . . . . 274Amada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274Qasr Ibrim . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275Abu Simbel . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
On the Road
See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.
SIWA OASIS &THE WESTERN DESERT . . . . . . . . . . .278AL-KHARGA OASIS. . . . . . 281Al-Kharga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281Around Al-Kharga . . . . . . . 286DAKHLA OASIS . . . . . . . . . 287Mut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288Around Mut . . . . . . . . . . . . 291FARAFRA OASIS . . . . . . . . 294Qasr al-Farafra . . . . . . . . . 294FARAFRA OASIS TO BAHARIYA OASIS . . . . . . . 296White Desert . . . . . . . . . . . 296Black Desert . . . . . . . . . . . 297BAHARIYA OASIS . . . . . . . 298Bawiti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298Around Bawiti . . . . . . . . . . 302SIWA OASIS . . . . . . . . . . . . 304BEYOND SIWA. . . . . . . . . . 316Qara Oasis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316Great Sand Sea. . . . . . . . . 316
ALEXANDRIA & THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST . . . . . . . . . . . . 317ALEXANDRIA . . . . . . . . . . 318AROUND ALEXANDRIA . . 343Aboukir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343Rosetta (Ar-Rashid) . . . . . 343
MEDITERRANEAN COAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345El Alamein . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345Sidi Abdel Rahman . . . . . 347Marsa Matruh . . . . . . . . . . 348Sallum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
SUEZ CANAL . . . . . . .353Port Said . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Ismailia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358Suez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
RED SEA COAST . . . 364Red Sea Monasteries . . . . 366El-Gouna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369Hurghada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370Safaga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378Al-Quseir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379Marsa Alam & Around . . . 381Eastern Desert . . . . . . . . . 383Berenice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385Shalatein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
SINAI . . . . . . . . . . . . .387SINAI COAST . . . . . . . . . . . 392Ras Sudr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392Al-Tor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393Ras Mohammed National Park . . . . . . . . . . 393Sharm el-Sheikh & Na’ama Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . 395Nabq Protectorate . . . . . . 405
Dahab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate . . . . . . . . . . . 416Nuweiba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416Taba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425SINAI INTERIOR . . . . . . . . 427St Katherine Protectorate . . . . . . . . . . . 428Wadi Feiran . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Qalaat al-Gindi & Nakhl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436NORTHERN SINAI . . . . . . 436Al-Arish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436Rafah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
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GebelGala Siwa
GebelUweinat
SiwaOasis
QaraOasis
BahariyaOasis
FarafraOasis
DakhlaOasis
Al-KhargaOasis
Al-FayoumOasis
S U D A N
L I B Y AGreat Sand Sea
GhardAbu
Muhariq
WadiNatrun
Gilf Kebir
Al-Qasr
Abu Minqar
Baris
Jaghbub
Mallawi
Alexandria
Deir Mawas
Mut
Qasr al-Farafra
Giza
Bawiti
Siwa
El Alamein
Sidi AbdelRahman
RosettaBaltim
Sallum
SidiBarani
Mansura
Tanta
Benha
Asyut
Al-Kharga
BeniSuef
Medinatal-Fayoum
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MarsaMatruh
CAIRO
Tobruk
Al-Burdi
Pyramids of Giza
White DesertNational Park#÷
#ø
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GizaThe world-famouspyramids (p125)
Western DesertGet lost on a desert
safari (p280)
Siwa OasisThe ultimate ‘awayfrom it all’ (p305)
CairoMummies at the
Egyptian Museum (p136)
CairoExperience calm in
Cairo’s mosques (p58)
AlexandriaEgypt’s bustling
Mediterranean port (p318)
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REDSE A
24°N
27°N
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32°E 34°E
36°E
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Tropic of Cancer
Suez
Can
al
River Nile
Great BitterLake
LakeNasser
LakeNubia
GebelHamata(1977m)
Mt Sinai(Gebel Musa)
(2285m)
J O R D A N
S A U D I A R A B I A
ISRAEL & THEPALESTINIANTERRITORIES
Red
SeaM
ountains
Gulf of Suez Gulf o
f Aqa
ba
Rafah
Taba
NuweibaZafarana
DahabRas Gharib
Al-TorSharm el-Sheikh
MarsaAlam
Al-Quseir
Berenice
Ain Sukhna
Al-Balyana
Qus
Esna
Edfu
AbuSimbel
Safaga
Abu Kebir
Luxor
Aqaba
Gaza
Zagazig
Qena
Al-Arish
Aswan
Sohag
Port Said
Hurghada
Suez
Ismailia
Damietta
JERUSALEM
Wadi Halfa
St KatherineProtectorate
Abydos
Monastery ofSt Anthony
Ras MohammedNational Park
Tanis
Dendara#ä
Red Sea CoastA lush underwater
world awaits (p364)
The NileCruise through Egypt
in style (p27)
AswanHeart of Nubia,
then and now (p253)
Abu SimbelRamses II’s biggest
temple (p275)
LuxorKing Tut slept here (p190)
DahabThe classic beachhang-out (p405)
Mt SinaiThou shalt see
sunrise from here (p429)
Monastery of St AnthonyAncient Copticholy site (p366)
Abydos & DendaraGorgeous temples,
few crowds (p184 & p187)
Top Experiences ›
OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.
Zora O’Neill Coordinating Author, Cairo, Egyptian Museum, Cairo Outskirts & the Delta Zora fi rst visited the Big Mango in 1992. She spent the summer clubbing, and learned a few verb conjugations. Twenty years on, Zora has earned a Master’s degree in Arabic literature and has contributed to more than a dozen guide-books, including an earlier edition of Lonely Planet’s Egypt. She writes about food and travel for the New York Times and Conde Nast Traveler, and is working
on a book about Arabic language and travel in the Middle East. She lives in Astoria, Queens, and reads the El-Said Badawi Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic for fun.
Michael Benanav Siwa Oasis & the Western Desert, Alexandria & the Mediterranean Coast Michael cut his adventure-travelling teeth in Egypt back in 1998, and his experiences were so bizarre he fi gured he’d better start writing about them. Since then, he’s authored several books, including Men Of Salt: Crossing the Sahara on the Car-avan of White Gold, about traveling with one of the world’s last working camel caravans. He also writes and photographs for the New York Times and other
publications. Now that he’s a father, his Egyptian friends call him Abu Lucas.
Jessica Lee Suez Canal, Red Sea Coast, Sinai Jessica escaped small-town New Zealand and high-tailed it for the road at the age of 18, spending much of her 20s traipsing extensively through Asia, Africa and Latin America. She washed up in Egypt in 2004 where she fell in love with the Arabic language and the incredible hospital-ity of the people. Since 2007 she has lived in the Middle East full-time, mostly based in Cairo, and has authored several guidebooks to the region. She tweets
about things Middle Eastern @jessofarabia.
Anthony Sattin Cruising the Nile, Nile Valley chapters, Egypt Today, History, The Egyptians, The Arts, Egyptian Cuisine: Bi-l Hana wa-Shifa!, Environment Anthony has been travelling around and writing about Egypt and Egyptians for more than 20 years. He has contributed to previous editions of Lonely Planet’s Egypt and Discover Egypt, as well as Morocco and Algeria. He contributes to the Sunday Times and Conde Nast Traveler and presents documentaries for BBC radio. Anthony’s
nonfi ction includes A Winter on the Nile and Lifting the Veil. Follow him at anthonysattin.com.
Read more about Jessica at:lonelyplanet.com/members/jessicalee1
OUR WRITERS
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 98311th edition – July 2012ISBN 978 1 74179 959 0© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
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MORE WRITERS
Contributing Author Dr Joann Fletcher wrote the Pharaonic Egypt chapter and several boxed texts. She has a PhD in Egyptology and is a research and teaching fellow at the University of York, where she teaches Egyptian archaeology and undertakes scientifi c research on everything from mummifi cation to ancient perfumes. Joann regularly appears on TV, has contributed to the BBC History website and has written several books.
Itiner-aries
Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.
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Four WeeksEgypt Bottom to Top
In a month you can cover most of Egypt’s main sights – a trip of nearly 2000km. Head south from Cairo on the sleeper train to Aswan, where you can soak up
Nubian culture and make the side trip to the awesome Abu Simbel. Sail back down the Nile to Luxor on a felucca. If you want to skip the crowds at the big sites, take a
boat to Dendara and Abydos instead. When you’ve had your fi ll of ancient ruins, make your way back to the modern metropolis
of Cairo. Along with the top sites, make time to sit in one of the city’s bustling ahwas (ca-fes), wreathed in sweet sheesha (water pipe) smoke.
After Cairo, take the bus to Siwa Oasis, one of Egypt’s most idyllic spots. After hang-ing out in this tranquil haven, and perhaps going on a desert safari, backtrack along the Mediterranean coast to Alexandria and spend a couple of days in its wonderful cafes and museums.
Finally, head for Dahab to recharge and enjoy the laid-back Bedouin vibe, pausing only to arrange the obligatory dive trip and to hike up Mt Sinai.
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One–Two WeeksWhistle-Stop Nile Tour
If you pay for domestic plane tickets, one week is enough time to sample Egypt’s top sights. With two weeks, you can extend your trip to Aswan.
Three days in Cairo will allow you to see the astounding Pyramids of Giza, seek out the treasures of the Egyptian Museum and explore the medieval souq of Khan al-Khalili. Then fl y to Luxor. In three days you can visit most major sights, including the Valley of the Kings, the Val-ley of the Queens and Deir al-Bahri on the west bank of the Nile, as well as the spec-tacular temples of Karnak and Luxor on the east bank.
If you can add another week to your trip, or even a few days, you can head further south. The long, relaxing version is to spend four days sailing up the Nile to Aswan on a budget-friendly felucca or a luxurious cruiser; the shorter version is to hop on the morning train. From Aswan, you absolutely must visit Abu Simbel, the grandest of all Pharaonic monuments, perched on the edge of Lake Nasser. Fly there, then to Cairo and home.
One–Two WeeksDesert Escape
Inspired by Lawrence of Arabia and The English Patient scenery, would-be desert rovers can get sand-happy in the amazing Western Desert.
Begin with a bus from Cairo or Asyut to Al-Kharga Oasis, the southernmost oasis in the Western Desert loop. Spend a day here exploring the Al-Kharga Museum of Antiquities as well as the Graeco-Roman temples, tombs and other interesting traces of the trade routes that fl ourished here dur-ing the Roman Empire.
From Al-Kharga, make your way north-west to Dakhla Oasis to see the fascinating hivelike, mud-walled settlements of Balat and Al-Qasr. Next, hop north to either Fara-fra Oasis or Bahariya Oasis, where you can make a two- or three-day camp in the stunning White Desert National Park.
If you have closer to two weeks, then you can strike west across several hundred kilo-metres of open sands to Siwa Oasis. You’ll need to go as part of an organised desert tour, or hire a 4WD to drive the remote desert highway, one of the most surreal spots in the entire country. Perched on the edge of the Great Sand Sea, Siwa is renowned for its dates and olives and is a great base for ad-ditional dune exploration, should you need it.
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One WeekUrban Jaunt
Get a taste of contemporary Egypt in its two largest cities. First thing in Cairo, head to the Pyramids of Giza, on the city’s western edge. Not only
will you check these sightseeing biggies off your list, you’ll get a sense of the scale of this megalopolis. Spend the next day wander-ing Islamic Cairo and Al-Azhar Park, on the city’s east edge. For contrast on your third day, take the metro to Coptic Cairo and the excellent Coptic Museum. Nearby Souq al-Fustat makes for easy, attractive souvenir shopping. In the evening, ride a felucca on the Nile. On your last day, cafe-hop in leafy Zamalek and the Cairo Opera grounds. At sunset, take the elevator up the Cairo Tower for a fi nal view.
The next morning, take the express train to Alexandria, rich with Graeco-Roman history. The stunning modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina hints at the glory of the ancient library here – stop here and at the excellent Alexandria National Museum. On your sec-ond day, indulge in Alexandria nostalgia: ride the creaking streetcar and tour cafes where the city’s literati sipped coff ee and scribbled. Thanks to the new airport, you can fl y directly out of Alex.
10–14 DaysExploring the Sinai
To sample all the peninsula has to off er, spend up to two weeks in its incredible desert landscapes and se-rene underwater world. You’ll also
have time to hop across the border to Petra, in Jordan.
From Sharm el-Sheikh, arrange a trip to the spectacular reefs of Ras Mohammed National Park. Divers will want to head on to the Thistlegorm, a sunken British supply ship that many consider the world’s best wreck dive. For those who prefer snorkel-ling, there are fi ne reefs close to shore (and in Sharm as well).
Then hop on a bus to Dahab, a laid-back town dubbed the ‘Ko Samui of the Middle East’. From here, you can arrange camel and jeep safaris to such natural wonders as the Coloured Canyon.
After a few days’ beach time, lace up your boots and head to the St Katherine Pro-tectorate for a trek with a Bedouin guide, as well as a night-time ascent of Mt Sinai (Gebel Musa)to catch a sunrise of biblical proportions.
In your last few days, take the ferry and bus to the ancient city of Petra. Return, af-ter two nights, to fl y out of Sharm el-Sheikh.
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UR TRIP ITIN
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