Egypt travel guide: Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and the Nile

Egypt was where my life as an English teacher began. From 2007 to 2013 I taught in Alexandria, in Dahab on the Red Sea and in Cairo, at AMIDEAST, at a language center in Dahab and at the American University in Cairo, where I taught in the English Access Microscholarship Program for teenagers. Those years shaped me as a teacher and as a traveler. Egypt is a country where five thousand years of history live next to busy markets, where the call to prayer mixes with car horns, and where hospitality is a matter of honor. This guide covers the essential places, the food, the customs and the practical advice I wish I had known when I first arrived.

For the Red Sea coast and the Sinai, read my separate guide to Dahab and the Red Sea.

Egypt at a glance

Cairo: the city that never stops

Cairo is intense, loud, chaotic and absolutely fascinating. Give yourself time to adapt, and the city will reward you with some of the greatest treasures on earth.

The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx

The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Built more than 4,500 years ago, it was the tallest human-made structure on earth for thousands of years. Next to it stand the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and the enigmatic Great Sphinx. Arrive early in the morning to avoid the heat and the crowds, and walk to the panoramic viewpoint for the classic photo of all the pyramids together.

The museums

• The Grand Egyptian Museum, near the pyramids, is a vast modern museum created to display the treasures of ancient Egypt, including the collection of Tutankhamun.
• The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the historic museum with its pink façade, still holds thousands of artifacts.
• The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization displays the royal mummies in a dramatic setting.

Check which collections are in which museum before you go, since major pieces have been moved in recent years.

Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili

Historic Cairo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is full of medieval mosques, madrasas and minarets. Walk along Al-Muizz Street, visit Al-Azhar Mosque, one of the oldest centers of learning in the world, and get lost in the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, where you can buy lamps, spices, perfume and textiles. Stop at a traditional café for mint tea and watch the city go by.

The Citadel and Coptic Cairo

The Citadel of Saladin, on a hill above the city, houses the Mosque of Muhammad Ali with its domes and slender minarets and offers wide views over Cairo. Coptic Cairo, the Christian quarter, has the Hanging Church, ancient synagogues and the Coptic Museum, a reminder that Egypt has been a meeting point of faiths for millennia.

Saqqara and Dahshur

South of Cairo, Saqqara has the Step Pyramid of Djoser, considered the oldest large stone building in the world. At Dahshur, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid show how ancient architects experimented before building Giza. These sites are usually much quieter than Giza.

Alexandria: Egypt's Mediterranean pearl

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria was once the intellectual capital of the ancient world, home to the legendary library and the Lighthouse of Pharos, another of the Seven Wonders. Today it is a city of sea breezes, faded elegance and seafood restaurants. I taught at AMIDEAST in Alexandria, and I remember the city as calmer and more relaxed than Cairo, with families walking along the sea in the evening.

• The Corniche: a long seafront promenade, perfect at sunset.
• Bibliotheca Alexandrina: a spectacular modern library and cultural center inspired by the ancient library.
• Citadel of Qaitbay: a fifteenth-century fortress built on the site of the ancient lighthouse.
• Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa: underground tombs mixing Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles.
• Montaza Palace gardens: green spaces and beaches at the eastern end of the city.

Luxor: the world's greatest open-air museum

Luxor, ancient Thebes, has an extraordinary concentration of monuments.

• Karnak Temple: a gigantic temple complex built over centuries, with the Great Hypostyle Hall and its forest of enormous columns.
• Luxor Temple: beautiful at night, when it is illuminated, and connected to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes.
• The Valley of the Kings: royal tombs decorated with colorful paintings, including the tomb of Tutankhamun.
• The Temple of Hatshepsut: a terraced temple cut into the cliffs, dedicated to one of Egypt's few female pharaohs.
• The Colossi of Memnon: two giant statues standing alone in the fields.
• Hot-air balloon rides: at sunrise, balloons float over the West Bank, the temples and the green fields along the Nile.

Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Nile

Aswan, in the south, is relaxed and colorful, with Nubian villages painted in bright colors, granite islands and the clearest views of the Nile. Sail on a felucca, a traditional wooden sailboat, at sunset. Visit Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis and moved stone by stone to save it from the rising waters after the construction of the High Dam. From Aswan, many travelers visit Abu Simbel, the colossal temples of Ramses II, which were also relocated in a famous international rescue operation.

Nile cruises

A cruise between Luxor and Aswan, on a ship or a traditional dahabiya, is one of the classic ways to see Egypt. You stop at temples such as Edfu and Kom Ombo and watch rural life along the riverbanks.

The desert

Egypt's Western Desert holds surprises: the White Desert, with chalk formations shaped by the wind; the Siwa Oasis, near the Libyan border, with palm groves, salt lakes and a unique Berber culture; and the oases of Bahariya and Farafra. A night camping under the desert stars is unforgettable. Travel with licensed operators and follow current safety advice.

Egyptian food

Drink karkadeh (hibiscus tea), fresh sugarcane juice, strong Turkish-style coffee and endless glasses of sweet tea. For restaurant phrases, see ordering food abroad.

Culture and etiquette

Egyptians are famously warm and humorous. You will be welcomed with "Welcome in Egypt!" many times a day. A few customs help you show respect:

• Dress modestly, especially in religious sites and outside tourist resorts: shoulders and knees covered. Women should bring a scarf to cover their hair in mosques.
• Friday is the main day of prayer and part of the weekend.
• During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight, and enjoy the festive atmosphere after sunset.
• Use your right hand to eat and to give or receive things.
• Bargaining is normal in markets; do it with a smile.
• Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life for small services.
• Accept tea: hospitality is important, and refusing everything can seem cold.

Compare these customs with other countries in cultural etiquette in six countries.

Useful Arabic and English phrases

Teaching in Egypt: what my students taught me

My Egyptian students were curious, talkative and full of humor. In the Access Program at the American University in Cairo, I worked with motivated teenagers who used English to explore the world beyond their neighborhoods. They taught me that confidence grows when learners use English for something they care about: a debate, a project, a story about their families. That lesson is still at the heart of my classes. I tell more of this story in what teaching on four continents taught me.

Egyptian learners of English often have excellent listening skills, thanks to films and music, and they are not afraid to speak. Their typical challenges are vowel sounds and the difference between "p" and "b," since Arabic has no "p" sound. In class we worked on minimal pairs like "pen" and "Ben," "pill" and "bill." If pronunciation is your goal, my pronunciation guide explains how to practice sounds that do not exist in your language.

When to visit

Practical tips

• Entry requirements: many nationalities can obtain a visa online or on arrival, but rules change. Check official information before you travel.
• Hire licensed guides for major sites; they add enormous value to the visit.
• Carry small bills for tips, toilets and small purchases.
• Stay hydrated and protect yourself from the sun; bring a hat and sunscreen.
• Drink bottled water.
• Use ride apps or agree on taxi prices before the journey.
• Follow current travel advice from your government, especially for remote desert areas.
• Get travel insurance; see planning long-term travel.

Suggested itinerary: ten days in Egypt

1. Cairo: arrival and Islamic Cairo at sunset.
2. Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
3. Saqqara, Dahshur and Coptic Cairo.
4. Train or flight to Aswan; felucca at sunset.
5. Philae Temple and a Nubian village.
6. Abu Simbel.
7. Nile cruise toward Luxor with stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu.
8. Luxor: Karnak and Luxor Temple at night.
9. Balloon ride, Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple.
10. Fly to Cairo, or continue to Alexandria or the Red Sea.

Traveling responsibly in Egypt

Tourism is essential for millions of Egyptian families, and the way you travel makes a difference. A few principles help your money and your presence support local communities and protect the monuments.

• Do not touch or climb ancient monuments, and never take stones or fragments as souvenirs. Flash photography is forbidden in many tombs because it damages the paintings.
• Choose ethical animal experiences. Avoid camel or horse rides when animals look tired, injured or mistreated.
• Buy from artisans: handmade glass, textiles, alabaster and Nubian crafts support local families directly.
• Eat in local restaurants as well as hotels: a plate of koshari in a busy neighborhood restaurant is cheap, delicious and part of real Egyptian life.
• Reduce plastic: bring a refillable bottle where safe water refills are available, and say no to unnecessary bags.
• Respect privacy: always ask before photographing people, especially women and children.
• Learn a few words of Arabic. A simple "shukran" opens smiles everywhere.

Responsible travel is not complicated. It is about curiosity, respect and remembering that you are a guest in someone else's home. In Egypt, guests are treated with great generosity, and returning that respect is the best way to say thank you.

Why Egypt stays in my heart

Egypt taught me patience, humor and the joy of teaching. It showed me that a classroom can be a place of real cultural exchange, where students teach the teacher as much as the other way around. Every time I see a photo of the Nile at sunset, I remember the sound of my students laughing and the taste of sweet tea after class.

If you go, go with an open mind. Egypt can be overwhelming, but it is also generous, wise and full of wonders. As Egyptians like to say: whoever drinks from the Nile will always return.