Location: Cairo
Day 1 - 1 Apr 2019
Cairo International Airport
Content: The airport is big enough but not up to the mark as an international airport should be. Everything looks old and seems proper and periodic maintenance are not done. Toilets are not up to the mark in the arrival lounge.
Marriott Mena House
Content: This is where we stayed and it was fantastic. It was 9 pm and dark by the time we arrived at the hotel, but what a thrilling experience to see the Great Pyramid from our balcony.
Location: Cairo
Day 2 - 2 Apr 2019
The Pyramids of Giza
Content: Nine pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and a collection of smaller tombs sit on the Giza Plateau, also called the Necropolis of Giza. The Pyramid of Khufu, with its two neighbors, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, form one of the most iconic sights in Egypt, if not the entire world.Top things to do on the Giza Plateau include a camel ride around the pyramids, seeing the Great Sphinx, going inside one of the pyramids, visiting the photographic viewpoints, and seeing the solar boat.
Egyptian Museum
Content: The Egyptian Museum is located on Tahrir Square in Cairo. To get here, we recommend hiring a driver and guide. It takes roughly 30 minutes to travel between the Giza Plateau and the Egyptian Museum. We Spent the afternoon at the Egyptian Museum, which contains the world’s largest collection of Egyptian artifacts. Highlights of a visit include seeing the solid gold mask and the golden sarcophagi of Tutankhamun, the Royal Mummies room, and an astonishing number of statues, jewelry, and treasures.
Qasr al-Nile Bridge
Content: From the Egyptian Museum, we walked through Tahrir Square to the Qasr al-Nile Bridge.
Cairo Tower
Content: From the top of the Cairo Tower, you get a bird’s eye view over the city. On a clear day, you can see the Pyramids of Giza.
The Revolving Restaurant 360
Content: The view is amazing, the food is excellent, the staff are very friendly, however the atmosphere can be improved. The lighting is so dim that I couldn't see my food.
Location: Cairo
Day 3 - 3 Apr 2019
Dahshur
Content: Today, you will leave the congested city streets and head out to Dahshur and Saqqara, to see some of the oldest pyramids in Egypt.
Location: Dahshur
Day 3 - 3 Apr 2019
Bent Pyramid
Content: The Bent Pyramid was the first attempt at building a smooth-sided pyramid, but they didn’t quite get it right, which accounts for its different angles.
Red Pyramid
Content: The Red Pyramid was the second attempt and it was a success, the first smooth sided pyramid. This pyramid gets its name from the red limestone, the material that was used to construct this pyramid.
Memphis
Content: Memphis was the first capital city of Egypt, and some records state that it could have existed as far back as 6000 BC. What remains today are the foundations, the stumps of pillars, and some statues, which you can visit in the open air museum. Highlights of a visit here include the alabaster sphinx and massive statue of Ramesses II.
Location: Memphis
Day 3 - 3 Apr 2019
Saqqara
Content: Saqqara was the necropolis for the Egyptian capital city of Memphis. It is here that you can see the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser and the oldest complete stone building complex in the world.
Location: Saqqara
Day 3 - 3 Apr 2019
Aswan
Content: From Saqqara, it takes roughly 1.5 hours to drive to the Cairo International Airport, depending on traffic.To get to Aswan, plan on taking a late afternoon or early evening flight. Nonstop flight time is one and a half hours.
Location: Aswan
Day 3 - 3 Apr 2019
Movenpick Resort
Content: We stayed here and we had a great experience, but this hotel does get mixed reviews. We are unsure why, but we got upgraded to a Royal Villa, which was amazing (they knew nothing of our travel blog and we pay full price when we travel). We had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and a terrace with a private view of the Nile River. It was spectacular.
Location: Aswan
Day 4 - 4 Apr 2019
Unfinished Obelisk
Content: Unfinished Obelisk, the largest known obelisk in the world. It still sits in a stone quarry in Aswan since it cracked during excavation.
Philae Temple
Content: The Philae Temple is one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt, and to get here, it’s a pleasant ride by boat on the Nile River.
Nubian Villag
Content: We ended the day with a visit to the Nubian Village. Some people love a visit here, some think it’s a tourist trap. We liked it, but it was fun arriving by boat, shopping, and seeing the camels that walked through the city streets.
Panorama Restaurant
Content: Panorama Restaurant at the Movenpick, amazing views of Aswan but mediocre food.
Location: Aswan
Day 5 - 5 Apr 2019
Abu Simbel
Content: We booked a 9:25 am flight Aswan to Abu Simbel and a 1:10 pm flight Abu Simbel to Aswan. Including transportation time to and from our hotel in Aswan, this day trip took a total of 7 hours
Location: Abu Simbel
Day 5 - 5 Apr 2019
The Great Temple
Content: Four massive statues of Ramesses II stare down at visitors. Sitting next to and between the legs of Ramesses are members of the royal family, including his beloved wife Nefertari, sons, daughters, and his mother. The broken statue was damaged in an earthquake and a portion of the statue sits on the ground in front of the façade.
The Small Templ
Content: The Small Temple is a temple of Hathor, dedicated to Nefertari. Of the statues on the façade of the temple, Nefertari is represented as Hathor, with the horns of a cow, a solar disc, and two plumes.
Location: Aswan
Day 5 - 5 Apr 2019
El Masry
Content: Very good choice and reasonable prices near the souk. Clean restaurant, professional service, and good meals. My shish tawok was lemon marinated and smooth.
Location: Aswan
Day 6 - 6 Apr 2019
Luxor
Content: Today, we will travel to Luxor by land. By “scenic route,” the rural roads along the east bank of the Nile River.
KOM OMBO
Content: The Temple of Kom Ombo is a double temple that was constructed for two sets of gods. One half of the complex is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god who is associated with fertility of the land along the Nile River. The other half is dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god.
Temple of Edfu
Content: The Temple of Edfu is the largest temple dedicated to the god Horus. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.
Temple of Esna
Content: The Temple of Esna is dedicated to the god Khnum, his consorts Menhit and Nebtu, their son, Heka, and the goddess Neith. The temple sits 9 meters below street level. Over several millennia and the repeated flooding of the Nile River, the city slowly built up around this temple.
Location: Luxor
Day 6 - 6 Apr 2019
Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa.
Content: The views of the Nile River and the balloons that drift over the West Bank are magical. The rooms are large, clean, and quiet. There are several onsite restaurants, a pool, and a fitness room. We loved this place and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.
Al- Sahaby Lane
Content: Beautiful restaurant with street or terrace seating... highly recommend the terrace. Great views of Luxor temple and the Nile. Good selection of Egyptian, Lebanese and pizza. But, food is average and nothing great. Friendly and helpful staff.
Location: Luxor
Day 7 - 7 Apr 2019
West Bank of Luxor
Content: To visit the West Bank of Luxor we hired an Egyptologist and driver.
Location: West Bank of Luxor
Day 7 - 7 Apr 2019
Valley of the Kings
Content: The Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. This is a royal burial ground, with exquisitely decorated tombs for the pharaohs who ruled Egypt between 1539 and 1075 BC. There are over 60 tombs in this small area, although only a handful are open to public.
TOMB OF QUEEN NEFERTARI
Content: Located in the Valley of the Queens, this is the most spectacular tomb we visited in Egypt. It has a huge ticket price, 1400 EGP, plus the entrance fee of 100 EGP to get into the Valley of the Queens, but it is worth it.
MORTUARY TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT
Content: This temple, with its three terraces and location in the cliffs of Deir el-Bahri, has a much different appearance than many other temples in Egypt. It is dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut, one of the most powerful female rulers of ancient Egypt.
MORTUARY TEMPLE OF RAMESSES III
Content: This huge temple complex is dedicated to Ramesses III. There are several courtyards, pylons, and peristyle halls, with inscribed reliefs depicting the defeat of the Sea People during the rule of Ramesses III.
RAMESSEUM
Content: This is a mortuary temple that usually does not make it on the must-visit list of the West Bank of Luxor, but maybe that is why we liked it so much. We shared this visit with just a few other people, which was wonderful. It is a beautiful temple, another one of many temples dedicated to the great Ramesses II.
Location: Luxor
Day 8 - 8 Apr 2019
East Bank of Luxor
Content: There are four major sites to visit on the East Bank of Luxor, so today is a shorter, more low-key day than yesterday.
Location: East Bank of Luxor
Day 8 - 8 Apr 2019
Karnak Temple
Content: Start at the Karnak Temple. This is the second largest temple complex in the world. Enter through an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, gaze up at the massive columns in the famous Hypostyle Hall, and visit the Karnak Open Air Museum. It’s very easy to spend several hours here, exploring the various sections of the complex.
Luxor Temple
Content: When you first approach Luxor Temple, you will see only one obelisk in front of the first pylon. The other obelisk can be found at Place de la Concorde in Paris, France.
Luxor Museum
Content: This museum contains artifacts that were found in the Luxor area, as well as artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. A visit here typically lasts about one hour.
Aboudi Coffee Break
Content: This restaurant sits across from Luxor Temple and since it is on the second level, it has a great view of the temple.
Mummification Museum
Content: This is a small, somewhat interesting museum about the mummification process. Not only can you see mummified people but there are also mummified cats, birds, and crocodiles.
Location: Luxor
Day 9 - 9 Apr 2019
Abydos
Content: We left Luxor behind, making our way to Abydos, a city found 260 km northeast of the city.
Location: Abydos
Day 9 - 9 Apr 2019
Abydos Temple
Content: In Abydos we'll see its famous temple, constructed by Set I in honour of Osiris. In this temple, you can't only find important scenes from the life of Set I and Ramses II, but also the famous Royal Lists, with the names of the 77 kings of Egypt from Menes to Set I himself.
House of Life Abydos
Content: We ate a late lunch in the hotel at their restaurant after a visit to ABydos Temple. The lunch was buffet style. Most dishes were very good. The beef with peas and carrots was wonderful. The chicken was died out though this was on a buffet and later in the afternoon, so I assume it was better before the time in the warmer. There were several good desserts as well. The dining area and bathroom were very clean. The service was prompt and friendly.--We did not stay at the hotel so I can not address those reviews.
Dendera Temple
Content: The Dendera Temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and its construction, beginning in the reign of Nectanebo I, continued into the Roman period. The temple has two decorated crypts, two halls with ceilings supported by columns and two funeral chapels, from where the famous "zodiac" from the Louvre comes.
Location: Dendera
Day 9 - 9 Apr 2019
Temple of Isis
Content: Having made one last stop at the Temple of Isis, we'll leave Dendera behind to bead back to Luxor.
Location: Luxor
Day 10 - 10 Apr 2019
Cairo
Content: In the morning, we took an early flight to Cairo and spend the day touring the city. Visited the Coptic area of Cairo, took a walking tour through Old Cairo with a visit to the Khan el-Khalili bazaar
Location: Cairo
Day 11 - 11 Apr 2019
Washington
Content: We took Turkish Airlines flight from Cairo to Washington. Egypt was a wonderful historical experience.