Egypt
Egypt is a land on many people’s bucket list and a country that draws wonder and intrigue for so many around the world. As a child I visited traveling Ancient Egyptian Museum exhibits and even recently visited my local museum to see replicas of the “Boy Pharaoh” Tutankhamun’s treasures and tomb. As a child I played games like Civilization where one of the goals was to build Ancient Wonders such as the Pyramids, The Lighthouse and Great Library of Alexandria and many others. In 2025 we made the trek to Egypt to see all of these amazing places ourselves on a Viking River cruise. It was the greatest adventure we have ever taken on and it was spectacular!
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Getting to Egypt and Transportation
There are multiple international airports in Egypt that you can fly into. Cairo’s international is by far the largest and is served by many airlines around the world. Cities like Alexandria and Luxor have smaller international airports mainly served by Middle Eastern airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish and Egypt Air to name a few. We flew Lufthansa from Houston to Frankfurt and then onward to Cairo on our way to Egypt. There are some cruise lines that stop in Egyptian ports that will allow you to see some of the country. Flying in is the best route in my opinion. As for transportation, I do not recommend renting/hiring a car as the driving can be chaotic with lanes being more a suggestion and cities like Cairo are very clogged with traffic. There is public transportation in cities like Cairo, but I do not recommend that option either as it might not always be safe and vendors selling things can be aggressive. My recommendation is to go with a guided tour company like Viking, AmaWaterways, Trafalgar and many others. Being with a great guide is truly essential to get the most out of your trip and handle your transportation details. To get between the cities we flew from Cairo to Luxor and back. We also flew from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back. We cruised the Nile from Luxor to Aswan.
Country Information
Egypt is an African nation that sits in the far Northeastern corner of Africa. It’s a huge country that is nearly double the size of France. It’s culture like all the Northern/Saharan African nations is Middle Eastern with Arabic being the language spoken. On a guided tour English will be widely spoken but you will run into many people who might know little to no English. I did not learn Arabic for this trip but did learn basic greetings that would put a smile on many locals faces when I spoke to them in Arabic. It gave me the opportunity, for example to take a picture with the golden key to the famous Abu Simbel temple of Ramses II. The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian Pound that as of this writing has the conversion rate of $1 USD = around 50 Egyptian Pounds. Due to this fact things like food is cheaper than back home. The US Dollar, Euros and other currencies are widely accepted in Egypt. It is very important to have cash on hand for buying souvenirs and for tips. Credit Cards are accepted even in some marketplace shops, but cash is king. In many marketplaces it is expected to haggle around the prices as is customary in many places in the Middle East, but we will discuss that in another section. At the time of this writing the US State Department set a threat level at 3 – Reconsider Travel due to crime and possible terrorist risks. While on our tour we did not ever feel unsafe with all the security provided by the Egyptian Government, but you should do research and decide if it is for you.
Safety
This is one of the topics that many people look into before traveling to nations like Egypt. You see on the news many horror stories from Middle Eastern Countries. While terrible things can and do happen, we have found that most people in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries are incredibly kind and welcoming. It is still best to go with a tour group or at the very least have a guide to provide more security. As mentioned in the paragraph above there are risks like the US State Department states. The Egyptian government takes security and safety VERY seriously with there being an armed guard with us on the tour bus, and police stationed at the dock for our ship. The police with us on the bus and on our tours were very kind and helpful. They really did watch out for all of us as we had several officers move aggressive vendors away and they helped people on the trip with things like steep steps who had walking difficulties. When entering a hotel, they have airport style metal detectors and bag scanning, and they check all vehicles with bomb sniffing dogs before going to the lobby drop off. Each historic site has a heavy police presence and might have multiple metal detector check points. It’s common to see things like armored cars and sometimes tanks in critical areas like the Aswan High Dam. It’s also common to see police with machine guns like the AK-47 while touring. At the airport there is multiple security checks with one to get into the airport (must have a boarding pass to enter at all) and then one before you enter the departure area. We felt very safe personally with all the additional security but as said above you should research and decide on the level of risk you want to take.
Vendors and Marketplaces
A common complaint of travelers during their time in Egypt is the high-pressure sales tactics of vendors in the marketplaces. Just like after a theme park ride, museum exhibit or other attractions you will go through a marketplace before and after visiting temples and other sites. You won’t see prices on most items as haggling is normal in Egyptian and Middle Eastern Culture. The vendors will start high and it can be hard to get the price dropped. They will walk up to you and at times will not leave by putting things in your hands and trying to pressure you to buy things. A few tips we learned is not to walk into the shops and have them bring things to you as you can walk away and the price drops. Don’t show the amount of money you have in your wallet as the price goes up. In some cases, they will say $1 for a shirt or something else and when you try to purchase it the price changes. You will see people of all ages (kids to older adults) trying to sell you items. If you are not interested, keep walking and ignore them. We did have two vendors start arguing where the police had to break it up due to trying to win me over as a customer. The lens you should look at this through is that people are trying hard to make a living and feed their families. For many in Egypt the economic situation is challenging and the one or two sales they get might be the difference between feeding their family or not. While it isn’t comfortable dealing with the high pressure sales I put myself in their shoes and I might not the same if I was desperate enough. We ended up buying more than we really wanted and probably paid more than we should have ,but the way I look at it is we helped others who might be struggling. This should not keep you from visiting Egypt, but it is something to be prepared for just like when visiting most developing nations.
Cairo
Cairo is the capital and heart of modern Egypt. It’s the largest city in Egypt, Africa and the middle East with a population of over 20 million people in the metro area. The Nile River which is the giver of life in Egypt runs right through the city. The city can be chaotic with the traffic of all the people living there and it can all be overwhelming at times. It’s also an ancient city full of history, culture and knowledge. It was once known as Memphis, the former capital of Ancient Egypt before it was moved to Thebes (present day Luxor). It is home to multiple world-class museums with priceless artifacts. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is the largest museum in the world. It is home to the Pyramids of Giza (One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world) and many other pyramids like the step Pyramid in Saqqara. Here is what we experienced in this fabled city!
Where We Stayed in Cairo
The Sheraton Cairo Hotel and Casino
For the first few days in Cairo before we flew to Luxor, we stayed at the Sheraton Cairo Hotel and Casino. It has great views of the Nile River and has two towers, multiple restaurants and meeting spaces. We booked the family suite that was wonderful for my parents, Donna and I. The suite has two separate bedrooms with different room keys. One is a standard room with two queen beds, a walk-out balcony, and a nice bathroom with a rain shower. The suite room has a full living room with a large couch, an indoor terrace with great views, a king bedroom, a huge closet area and a full bathroom and a second half bath. The room was high tech with automated window curtains for the large amount of windows that gave us views of the Pyramids and the Nile. The terrace, living room, bedroom and closet area all had separate air conditioning units. It was a wonderful setup for the 4 of us.
The hotel has many great restaurants that are not highly priced. Giovanni’s is an Italian restaurant that we ate at twice (once on our own and once with Viking that was a buffet). The pizza and pasta were great and for Pizza, Pasta drinks and soup it was only around $50 for the 4 of us. Sapporo is a Japanese restaurant that serves Sushi and Hibachi food. We were served special tea in the beginning and then got great food with a show. Rawi is the hotel breakfast buffet that has a huge setup with pastries, a short order cook for eggs, Egyptian and international breakfast food. They also have great fresh juices. The Sheraton Executive lounge was also a highlight with great fresh juices, snacks and beautiful views of Cairo. The staff is amazing at the hotel with Soha and the Executive lounge staff being superb and incredibly helpful, the cleaning crew going above and beyond and people like Omar in Rawi that provided exceptional service. They take security seriously with airport style security to enter and checks of vehicles when they enter. They have a casino as well that we did not visit. It’s a wonderful hotel close to many attractions that is worth staying at.
Intercontinental Cairo Hotel
The Intercontinental Cairo Hotel is a beautiful hotel that is fairly close to the Cairo International Airport. The lobby is designed to look like an ancient Egyptian Temple with paintings of Egyptian gods and colors that I saw at true temples. There is an obelisk surrounded by small Sphinxes and a fountain. The hotel has a huge and well decorated swimming pool with replica ancient Egyptian statues and Obelisks throughout. The large Spa and Fitness Center is in a glass pyramid that inside has a large gym and a very nice spa with steam rooms and a hydrotherapy pool. There are many different restaurants there ranging from traditional Egyptian to Japanese. They have a very well done and expansive buffet where we ate Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner while there. The buffet had Egyptian and international foods. For dinner it was Mexican Food night, so we had an assorted number of dishes from Mexico that did have North African twists and flavors to it. We stayed in a standard room with a king bed and a French balcony where the door did not slide open completely for safety reasons. We only stayed here one night after our river cruise and before we headed to Alexandria.
Citadel of Cairo
On our first tour in Cairo led by our amazing Egyptologist Hany, we headed to an important fortress that is nearly 900 years old built on a high bluff in Cairo. Today it is a historic landmark that has multiple museums and historic places inside. They have the National Military Museum, a carriage museum and multiple mosques to visit. We did not have time to visit the museums, but we did visit the Alabaster Mosque of the great Egyptian ruler Mohammed Ali. You might be thinking about the American Boxing champion but that is a different man. On the outside it is carved in beautiful white alabaster and inside it is ornate with amazing Islamic art and writing. Mohammed Ali was laid to rest inside the mosque as well. While in the mosque like all others you either need to take your shoes off or cover them like we did ours. You also have wonderful views of Cairo from the top of the Citadel walls. After a walk through the mosque and the Citadel walls we headed to our next stop in Cairo. The Citadel is well worth the visit to be able to go inside a mosque and see an old fortress that is more modern than the ancient Egyptian sites you will see.
The Egyptian Museum (Original)
On our second stop we headed to the world-famous Egyptian museum that is right on Tahir Square. Tahir Square is the main square in the city and the main political focal point in the country during movements like. “The Arab Spring” that forced President Mubarak out of power in Egypt after 29 years. The museum itself is being retired due to the opening of the world’s largest museum (The GEM). The Original Museum was built in 1902 and houses some of the world’s most treasured antiquities. The oldest artifact ever found from the first Pharaoh of Egypt called Narmer is in the front of the museum. You will also find the only depiction of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) who had the Great Pyramid in Giza built as his final resting place. It is a very small sculpture near another amazing-colored artifact that is a sculpture of a scribe ready to write on papyrus that can be found on the 200 Pound Egyptian note currently. There are many amazing sculptures and pieces from other Pharaoh’s from the first dynasties.
There are other exhibits such as King Psusennes I’s full silver sarcophagus and hundreds of other sarcophagi including the mummies of two influential Advisors/ministers named Yuya and Tuya. Some believe that Yuya is Joseph from the Bible who rose to advise the Pharaoh. The museum is un-air conditioned so it can be a bit hot. The outside facade of the museum is also a work of art worth taking a look at. This museum is at the end of its life so at the time you might be reading this it might be closed already (June 2025).
The Egyptian Museum of Civilization
Another amazing museum in Cairo is the new Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The Egyptian Civilization started over 4000 years ago and this museum showcases how it has changed over the many years. From its humble beginnings to the times of Great Pharaoh’s to the present age the museum goes over it. You can see sculptures such as the face of the much-maligned Pharaoh Akhenaten, a ladies ancient make up box, a more modern Bedouin Tent and the Former cover of the Kaaba which is the holiest place in Islam located in Mecca. The museum is in the shape of a pyramid and very modern. The highlight of the museum is the Royal Mummies of Egypt. The museum has mummies on display of Pharaohs and Queens of Egypt. By each mummy they explain who they are, when their reign was and for how long and what their accomplishments were. Most of the famous Pharaoh’s are there including Ramses II also called Ramses the Great. Just outside the museum is a variety of air-conditioned shops where the workers do not hassle you. They have a papyrus puzzle store, a chocolate and coffee store and much more. For the Royal mummies alone this museum is well worth visiting. We took a couple of hours there when we visited.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)
The Grand Egyptian Museum also known as GEM for short has had a soft opening and we had the opportunity to visit the not quite finished museum. When fully opened it will be the largest museum in the world that cost over a billion dollars to build. It is right next to the Great Pyramids of Giza and you have a great view of them from the museum. The museum is high tech with laboratories for analyzing artifacts and mummies right at the museum. I could see they are developing a 3D theater and augmented reality experiences. The entrance is a grand hall and you are greeted by a colossal granite statue of Ramses II and just outside the museum the Cartouches of the Kings of Egypt. To get to the main gallery you can ride a moving sidewalk up past sculptures of the Kings of Egypt, pieces of temple doorways and other artifacts. At the top you get a marvelous view of the Pyramids. The main gallery is split up into three sections that starts at the top with the oldest history and you work your way down through time. There is a section on Civilization, the Kings and Queens and the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians. There are many artifacts throughout including prehistoric hand axes, a rare statue of the Queen Hatshepsut who was always pictured as a man but was one of the female leaders of Egypt over history. One of the most interesting and unique parts of the gallery is a digital animation of a middle kingdom Egyptian king’s tomb that shows the stencil work and then painting of the tomb. They then make the paintings come to life. Its an amazing experience. This museum really ties together any trip to Egypt and is a must see experience!
Cairo Museum Tours
Saqqara Necropolis
Saqqara is a very ancient Necropolis (burial place for kings, queens and nobles) that goes back 5000 years to the first Pharaohs of Egypt. The older rulers preferred Pyramids honoring them as their final resting place and the very first Pyramid for King Djoser also called the Step Pyramid due to its stair step design where Imhotep was the architect of the project. Imhotep later became the Egyptian god of Medicine. There are many other Pyramids and Tombs throughout the area. We visited the small Pyramid that looked more like a desert hill for King Teti. There we were able to climb down the very narrow shaft (had to be hunched over) into the tomb. Hieroglyphs were all over and the outer sarcophagus was still there. King Teti is thought to have been murdered in ancient times. Across from the Pyramid is the Tomb of a Royal Vizier where the colors are still there on the carvings. Our last stop was the great Step Pyramid where we got to see it from the outside. In the far distance we could see another set of large Pyramids of Dahshur that is less visited than the great Pyramids of Giza.
Saqqara Tours
The Pyramids of Giza
In the afternoon of our third day in Cairo we headed to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Pyramids of Giza are legendary and known world-wide. They have been in countless films and have been researched for years. The Pyramids are from the early years of the Egyptian civilization with the first being the Great Pyramid of King Khufu (also known as Cheops). It is the largest Pyramid in the world and is nearly 5000 years old! The second largest is the Pyramid of King Khafre (Chephren) that still has some of it’s white limestone cladding at the top. All the pyramids used to be smooth with a layer of limestone. It was removed long ago from most of the pyramids, so all is left is the inner core. There are three main pyramids and many smaller pyramids. They were all looted by robbers which helped change future Kings minds around the type of tomb they had.
All historic sites in Egypt have strong security so we headed into the visitors center with a lot of information about the multiple Pyramids and through airport style security. We first went to ride camels in front of the pyramids. We rode as a family and got great pictures. The camels had traditional saddles and not the kind you might see at carnivals in the US. They had a kick when they stand up or lay down as they would throw you forward hard. After the camel ride we went to the Pyramids themselves. There are some VERY aggressive vendors who are scammers honestly who will try to give you a “free” gift. Our police escort ran him off from us and we got to take great pictures of the Great Pyramid, including on top of the first stone. We also went to some of the smaller pyramids. From there we headed over to see the famous Sphinx. It was brutally hot being the midafternoon, so we got some good pictures and viewed the amazing statue. From there it was time to head back to the hotel and relax for the evening.
Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
Other Cairo Tour Options
Flight to Luxor
For the bulk of our trip we headed to Southern Egypt to the former capital of Ancient Egypt that was once called Thebes. The city is now called Luxor and has around 260,000 inhabitants. It is the center of a rich historical heritage with places such as the Valley of the Kings and many famous temples like Karnack Temple.
Viking arranged a charter flight on an Egyptian Airline called Petroleum Air Services (PAS). They provide air service for oil industry employees. They fly small regional jets and propeller aircraft. On our flight we used a CRJ-900 regional jet. We were taken to the small charter airline domestic terminal where we went through two levels of security. One to get into the terminal and one to go to the departure area. We were bussed to our aircraft and we had extra seats thankfully for our large carryon bags as they did not fit in the small bins. We were given water by the very friendly crew and after an hour we arrived in Luxor. Viking handled our checked bags and quickly we were off to visit some of the spectacular historic sites in the area!
Nile River Cruise Portion of the Trip
For the Nile River cruise portion of our trip we sailed on the MS Antares that is a classic style Nile River Cruise ship that from the inside looks to be from the luxurious era of “Death on the Nile”. It has wood paneling, ornate tile and flooring and gorgeous dining, and state rooms. We had a French Balcony room, and my parents had a Deluxe French Balcony room. The crew were wonderful and so was our guide Hany. There was only room for 62 guests so it never felt crowded!
Short River Cruise Options from Luxor
Karnak Temple
The very first temple we visited in Egypt was the stunning Karnack Temple in Luxor. It is a massive complex dedicated to the Sun God Amun. It is the largest temple complex in Egypt. Amun was the most important God to the Pharaoh’s and the people of Ancient Egypt. You can walk through the massive pylon (main gate) and see the massive open area before the incredible hypostyle hall with its over 100 massive columns. Many of the columns still have their vivid colors on the hieroglyphs. The temple has one of the tallest obelisks in the ancient world built by Queen Hatshepsut. The largest sacred lake in ancient Egypt is also there. Films such as James Bond The Spy Who Loved Me were filmed at this massive temple. The temple also is along the well over a mile long Avenue of Sphinxes that linked Karnack to the Temple of Luxor. It is full of small Sphinxes flanking both sides of a grand avenue.
Luxor Library and Heritage Center
There is a nice Library and Heritage Center in Luxor that we had the chance to visit on our tour. The center has a nice video on the Grand Temples and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. They also have a great viewing area for the Avenue of Sphinxes.
Luxor Temple
Luxor temple is on the other side of the Avenue of Sphinxes and is a unique temple not dedicated to a god but to Pharaoh’s who were gods themselves in their own right. In the temple you can see Sphinxes of different Pharaoh’s and sculptures. At the first pylon/gate you can see large statues of Ramses II (Ramses the Great) who ordered major building projects throughout the kingdom with many depicting himself as a god. There is also the mosque of Abu Haggag that was built by locals who lived inside the temple and has been left as an active mosque. Inside the holy chapel of the Ancient temple Alexander the Great who was crowned Pharaoh of Egypt built a shrine depicting himself as a Pharaoh of old and interacting with Amun-Min which is the great god Amun shown in the form of a god with a large erect phallus being related to fertility. Alexander the Great can be seen interacting and “pleasing” Amun-min. Each temple we visited was unique and never tiring to me.
Dendra Temple
We left Luxor and cruise down the Nile to the small city of Qena, Egypt. We sailed past the green palm and reeds. Small towns also passed by. People young and old would wave and say hello to us. Qena is a less visited city in region due to the richness of things to see and do in Luxor. It’s unfortunate as Dendera Temple I found is an amazing temple that is largely intact and still has beautiful colors painted by the Ancient Egyptians. The towns police gave us an escort to the Temple and people came out to watch us pass by. Dendera Temple is a Greco-Roman temple that was built in the later Egyptian Ptolemaic period. When you step into the temple built for the Goddess Hathor (the cow goddess of fertility who was the consort of gods like Amun and Horus) with colors on the ceiling being spectacular. The blue of the sky, priests and Pharaohs doing rituals and stories being told. The ceiling was once black due to people living in the temple making fires, but it was restored by locals. At this temple you can go up to the roof by an ancient staircase full of stories and hieroglyphs that made me think of movies of an explorer with a torch going to undiscovered places. On the roof you could see where the idol of Hathor was placed on New Years to accept the new year’s sun. There is also a room with the interesting story of the first crime in Egyptian mythology. The god Osiris was killed by his jealous brother. His wife Isis brought he barely back to life (at least one part of his body) and was able to conceive the god Horus with him. They also have a replica of the only intact Egyptian Zodiac that was found there but is currently in the Louvre in Paris. I thoroughly enjoyed this temple and bought some items from the shopkeepers who truly do not get a lot of business. The man was very grateful that I helped support his family. True or not I am glad to give a little back.
Temple Tours from Luxor
The Valley of the Kings
After our visit to Dendera Temple in Qena we cruised back to Luxor, one of the top sites to visit in a country full of amazing places to visit that will astound you. We headed out to visit the Valley of the Kings to see the tombs of the Pharaohs of Egypt. There are many different tombs but with a limited amount of time we were determined to max out the number of tombs we could visit (our ticket allowed 3 and we had extra tickets to Seti I and Tutankhamun’s tombs.
As we drove from the fertile and green Nile to the Valley of the Kings the stark difference in terrain was extreme. We entered a desert devoid of all vegetation. In some deserts I have seen small grass or cacti but not there. It was only dirt and sand due to the rain they only get every 20 years or so as our guide said. The Valley of the Kings for ancient times was not easy as there was a guarded entrance to the valley and a mountain pass for workers. This was on purpose since they wanted to stop grave robbing that occurred in Memphis (Cairo) at the Pyramids. There are other valley areas as well. We drove past the Valley of the Nobles where Egypt’s elite were laid to rest in the vicinity of the Pharaohs. There is also the Valley of the Queens that we did not visit on this trip. Once we arrived there were security, and ticket checks as normal and a golf cart ride to the tombs themselves. The tomb entrances now incased in concrete for protection can be seen everywhere. We headed immediately to the most famous tomb known in the world first!
King Tutankhamun's Tomb - KV62
In the Valley of the Kings each tomb is give a number. King Tutankhamun’s tomb is KV62 as it was the last to be discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 that is the greatest archaeological find in history with an intact tomb that was not robbed. King Tutankhamun was known as the boy king since he ruled as a child (started at 9 years old) and died at age 19. He is a relatively forgotten Pharaoh that is not included in the registry of kings you can see in the British Museum. His father was a much-hated Pharaoh named Akhenaten who changed the location of the capital from Thebes to a city named after himself called Akhenaten (now Amarna). The biggest change is he banned the worship of Amun and the other gods and made Aten the monotheistic god of Egypt. Akhenaten was once Amenhotep IV but changed his name to revoke worship of Amun. He proclaimed he was the son of Aten (sun god). He also changed art and his was depicted much differently than other Pharaohs with an elongated face, and feminine figure. The royal line up to him was full of intermarriages in the family such as brother and sister so he most likely had genetic issues. This abrupt change caused a lot of stress in the kingdom, so he was mostly forgotten.
Tutankhamun came to power at 9 and he (with a vizor’s help and most likely direction) put the religion of old back and banned Aten. Not much is known about him or how he died. Some say he was a warrior king and died in battle, but others note he had leg deformities and other genetic issues and could have died from disease. What is known is he had a rushed and botched mummification different than other pharaohs and was given a very small and rushed tomb.
When we walked into the entrance to the tomb there were a few steps but not many and the room was very small. It was not much bigger than a modern living room in a middle-class home. King Tutankhamun’s mummy is now located in what was the antechamber that was filled with treasure, and you see him immediately when you enter to the left. To the right once was a wall to his burial chamber that was taken down. You can still see the vivid paintings in his burial chamber but are not carved like in all other pharaohs chambers and is not nearly as elaborate as we found later in other tombs. You can see the small doors to the treasury and annex, but you can’t enter the small rooms. It is very hot and stuffy in the tomb with no ventilation other than the tomb entrance, so we spent a few minutes in the tomb and then headed out to visit our next tomb.
Tomb of King Seti I - KV17
King Seti I came after King Tutankhamun and the hated reign of his father. He was known as a great King who reconquered lands that were disputed after the neglect of King Akhetaten before. He had multiple military campaigns against the Hittites during his reign. He also is father to one of the greatest Pharaohs of them all, Ramses II. In the Bible, he is thought to be the Pharaoh who adopted Moses. His great reign as king (the length of it is debated) meant that his people carved out of the solid bedrock a grand tomb. The tomb is 449 feet deep at the bottom! We headed down into the tomb through two corridors full of inscriptions and decorations including the sky with stars on the ceiling. We headed into the first of multiple chambers before heading to the burial chamber. We crossed over a chasm before making it into the chamber. The first chamber with four pillars had decorations about the book of the dead and Seti with the gods. There was a small chamber behind it was unfinished decorations. It was only stenciled in.
We continued deeper and it became hotter with the lack of ventilation that deep. We passed through some more corridors and small chambers to enter the 6 pillared antechamber to the main burial chamber that was once again lavishly decorated and largely intact after thousands of years. We were astonished at all we had seen so far, but then we entered the burial chamber itself. It was covered in blue paint on the ceiling and brilliant-colored inscriptions and stories all along the walls. The ceiling represented the sky and the Book of the Day and Night. The people depicted were the personifications of the planets that their astronomers knew about long before telescopes were invented. It was truly amazing to be able to see such things with our own eyes. We would have liked to stay longer but the heat made us start to head back but not after visiting the also brilliantly decorated side rooms around the burial chamber. We then headed back up to the top walking on the many stairs and taking a couple of breaks. Being so deep, if you have any issues walking then this is not the tomb for you to visit. On the way out the tomb lights went out briefly that was a bit eerie (they were switching generators) but then we were out and ready to take a little break before we visited other tombs.
Tombs of Rameses III - KV11, Ramses IV - KV2, Ramses IX - KV6
Before we left The Valley of the Kings, we visited three more tombs that were much easier to visit with them having few stairs if any at all. So thankfully there are options to visit the amazing tombs for most everyone.
Ramses III - KV11
Ramses III’s was a light incline with multiple beautifully decorated chambers showing carvings of King Ramses III and different stories from his life and stories about the gods. There were multiple chambers with columns before the burial chamber. The columns depicted gods like Osiris with his green skin, Horus and others. Ramses III was King in the New Kingdom and during a time when the Egyptian Civilization’s power was slowly starting to wane. He was a warrior king that did keep Egypt intact at the time. He was assassinated by his second wife and a group she led due to disagreement on who would succeed Ramses III. His tomb is a great one to visit if you do not feel you can handle a lot of stairs and incline and it’s great in general to visit.
Ramses IV - KV2
Ramses IV came to power after his father was killed, and he fought to take over the throne. He executed all those who conspired against his father. He came to power in difficult times but did build temples including adding onto Karnak Temple. His tomb is relatively small but larger than King Tutankhamun’s rushed tomb. It’s an easy slope into the tomb through lavishly decorated corridors including stars, gods, and hieroglyphics. At the end of the corridors a large stone outer sarcophagus was left in the tomb that was unique as I had not seen another like it other than the smaller one for King Tutankhamun. This is another great tomb to visit for anyone as it’s easy to go into it.
Ramses IX - KV6
King Ramses IX was most likely the grandson of Ramses III based on research and reigned later into the 20th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. The tomb was a bit longer than Ramses IV and did have stairs heading into the tomb. The tomb had multiple decorated corridors that I noticed featured red sun disks that represented the sun god Ra. There were also well preserved cared and colored hieroglyphics. At the end of the corridor is a four columned room that was unfinished possibly due to an untimely death. There were stairs to the tomb where you could see a pit cut for the sarcophagus. After our 5 tomb visits it was time to take the golf cart back and head to our next stop!
Valley of the Kings Tours from Luxor
The Howard Carter House
Our next stop was just outside the Valley of the Kings to the home where the famous archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter lived while he discovered Tutankhamun’s Tomb in 1922. His home still has period furniture and some from Howard Carter himself. In his study, I had the chance to sit at Howard Carter’s desk. The museum told the story of Howard Carters time in Egypt and making the greatest archeological discovery to date. It also has a replica of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb where tou can walk into the chamber more freely than the actual tomb. After this quick visit we headed to our final stop in the area.
Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple
Our last major stop was for the very interesting and unique Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple not far from the Valley of the Kings. What make this particular Pharaoh unique is she was a rare female ruler. She was the Queen with her husband (and half brother) Thutmose II and once her husband died she became the regent/co-ruler with her young son Thutmose III. She eventually usurped his position and became the full ruler. She led during a time of prosperity and peace. She was a prolific builder having added the tallest obelisk in honor of herself at Karnak Temple and many other places. She never depicted herself as a woman in any statues made for herself. She is always depicted as a traditional King. Her mortuary temple is massive and faces Luxor. You could see it from our river cruise ship on the Nile. It is made up of three massive terraces filled with columns built into the cliff side. There are many statues to Hatshepsut especially at the third level that also gives a great view of the green Nile Valley and Luxor. There are small shrines to gods like Amun, Hathor and Anubis in the temple. Outside the temple near the parking lot there are the roots of the ancient trees she planted that are still preserved from thousands of years as it was said she planted lush greenery lining the grounds approaching the temple. This temple was heavily destroyed during the reign of her son Thutmose III after she had died when efforts were made to erase her reign. It’s not completely known why he did this, but some speculation is the he wanted to erase a woman King from the list of rulers or maybe he had a grudge for his mother taking part of his ruling time. Polish Archeologist worked hard over many years and pieced the temple back together from the rubble, so we can all think their hard work for restoring this great temple! When we arrived at the temple it was in the afternoon and was very hot and after the tomb visits, we became relatively tired. I would have liked to have visited more of the temple and learned more but it was time to cool down and get more liquids, so we visited each terrace but not the entire area. The temple is a great place to visit and if you have the time visit in the morning to beat the heat!
The Colossi of Memnon
Our final stop was a short stop at the ruins of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt built large temples like Hatshepsut to memorialize themselves and the gods. Amenhotep III was Akhenaten’s father and Tutankhamun’s Grandfather. While much of Amenhotep III’s temple has been lost to time due to Nile flooding and erosion as it’s much closer to the Nile than other areas like the Valley of the Kings. The amazing part of the temple is the huge statues of Amenhotep III. They are 60 feet tall and cut from single pieces of stone. Amenhotep III is seated in each statue. They are massive and as is common in the ancient world are called Colossi. Unfortunately, the faces are worn away, but they have survived well for over 3000 years! After a quick visit we headed back to the ship.
Other Luxor Tour Options
Whirling Dervish Show
After our visit to the Valley of The Kings we headed to Esna but that night we had a wonderful show featuring a whirling dervish. A whirling dervish is a sect of devout Muslim believers who meditate or pray spin in a circle many times while having one hand in the air towards Allah ready to receive Allah’s blessing and one to the Earth to share the blessing with others. This was a show and not a religious prayer, but the performer wore a version of the same clothing a religious whirling dervish would wear. He spun for over 15 minutes in his heavy clothing and did tricks as he spun. Eventually he turned green lights on as he spun. Green is the color of Islam, so it is seen often on mosques at night lighting them up. He took off his long tunic and started spinning it around over people as they watched. He gave me a typical greeting in Arabic as he came to me as I had greeted him that way when he arrived. It was a great show and a nice way to learn about the culture in the region!
Esna Temple
We visited Esna Temple in the morning after the wonderful but rather strenuous day at the Valley of the Kings. Because of the hot and strenuous day before many in our tour stayed on the ship to rest up. We went to see Esna Temple, and we were glad we did. The temple is dedicated to the god of the Nile River Khnum (the Ram god) and his consorts Menhit (goddess of war and the sun and had a lioness head) and Nebtu (goddess of fertility) and others. The temple has not been fully excavated as there is work around the main temple building with its hypostyle hall. This temple is well below the level of the modern city of Esna so it shows you well the passage of time and the layers of sand and dirt that pile up throughout the ages. Like Dendra Temple, this temple has beautiful colors remaining after thousands of years from the Middle Kingdom times. Brilliant blue, red, green and yellow are visible throughout the temple telling the stories of Khnum and the history of Pharaohs. I noticed other gods represented like Bes who was colored green (the god of good and protector of the household) While there we had a small and friendly cat begging for food. We wish we had something for it so in the future we might bring cat treats along on trips just in case. After the wonderful tour we headed to the marketplace. Here vendors were especially intense as two men got into a very heated argument over my business where the police had to break it up. While it was uncomfortable the intense selling, I once again understand the desperation of people who are struggling and trying to put myself in their shoes. There were some vendors not being pushy, so I rewarded them with a bit of business. After our visit we cruised the Nile.
Wheelhouse Tour, Gebel el-Silsila, and Egyptian Night
After Esna Temple, it was time to enjoy sailing on the Nile for the rest of the day. Another reason we love river cruising is the ability to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery that is ever changing as you gently cruise. There is no seasickness as river cruises are very calm and you can see small cities and other scenery. Kids would come to the shore to wave at the ship while swimming or fishing. We took some time to rest but there are plenty of activities to go to as well. In the afternoon we had a chance to tour the wheelhouse (the bridge). It was a much different wheelhouse from our Europe Cruise as the captain largely sails by his own knowledge of the river. He knows where the shallow parts and what the current is doing by sight.
After the tour we passed by an interesting ancient site that our guide explained to us. Gebel el-Silsila was the quarry for the stone used in many of the temples of Egypt such a Karnack, Kom Ombo and so many others. There were small temples along the Nile meant for the ancient quarry workers. There was a unique rock as well that looked to be balancing on a relatively thin base. There were other things to do as well including educational presentations throughout the cruise including learning Arabic, Hieroglyphics, and history.
That evening we had Egyptian night where at dinner we tried multiple different Egyptian dishes. Afterwards we got dressed in Egyptian Galabiyas and headed to a Nubian show. Local performers boarded the ship and showed us the Nubian style of song and dance. They also brought people from the audience to try out dances and saying. It ended with a group dance in a circle and a type of conga line. It was another interesting experience that we had on the cruise!
Abu Simbel
After we reached the Southern Egypt city of Aswan in the ancient Nubian region we set out on an adventurous day trip. We headed by to see the great Aswan damn that is massive spanning the Nile River. From there we headed to the Aswan Airport and boarded an Egypt Air flight to the furthest South city on the Nile called Abu Simbel. As we flew, the desert was truly desolate with little signs of life. We were the only flight for a couple days outside a possible charter flight. As one might expect it’s a very small airport and while the city is nice it’s also very small with a population of around 2,600. We flew close to the Sudanese border to see the great Temple for Ramses II and the Temple for his favorite wife Nefertari. The temple was saved in an amazing worldwide effort when the Aswan Dam was set to cover the magnificent temple with the water of the Nile. The Temple was taken apart piece by and reassembled over 200 feet higher. A dome was built to act as a mountain for the temple to rest against as it had for thousands of years. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, built massive temples and statues of himself. So, on the border of the Egyptian Kingdom, he wanted the first thing people saw sailing down the Nile was a huge monument to himself. You probably have seen this great Temple in many movies like James Bond “The Spy Who Loved Me”, and Death on the Nile. The facade of the Temple has four huge statues of Ramses II measuring 66 feet tall! The temple is also dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty and Ptah. Ramses II considered himself a deity on Earth and in heaven with the gods that is different from other Kings. So the Temple was also dedicated to worshiping his god form. It’s a little walk up the hill to get to the new location of the temple but you can stop to see the original location now underwater in Lake Nasser. The temple is massive and on the bases of the colossal Rames II Statues are stories of him conquering other cultures. We walked in and after I greeted the guard in Arabic, he let Donna and I hold and take pictures with the golden key to the temple. Inside the hypostyle are stories of Ramses II and gods like Osiris and how Ramses II is related to them. In the interior room there is a carving about Ramses II most heralded battle, The Battle of Kadesh. The most curious carving is Ramses II worshiping Ramses II! The Earthly King Ramses II is worshiping the god Rameses II. Talk about a big ego! In the inner sanctuary are four statues of Ramses II in god form sitting with Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah. On February 22 and October 22 at sunrise a beam of light from the sun illuminates the gods through the temple entrance. It’s amazing how good the ancient people were at calculating the positions of the heavenly bodies.
Temple of Hathor and Nefertari
Near the main temple is a smaller temple to Hathor and Ramses II’s chef wife Nefertari. There are six statues in the facade of the temple that are smaller than the main temple but still impressive at over 30 feet tall. They are of Nefertari and King Ramses II. Inside is a hypostyle hall that is dedicated to many different gods and goddesses including Hathor, Horus, Isis and many others. There are carvings of Nefertari and of course King Ramses II inside. After visiting the temples we headed to get a view of nearby Sudan in the distance and then headed back to the airport (not before going to the market) while driving through Abu Simbel city. We headed into the small airport where there was a door security check like all other airports and a few feet away was the departure security. We headed back onto the same Egypt Air 737 that we flew on with the same crew and we headed back to Aswan and to our cruise ship after a great day trip visit.
Abu Simbel Tour Options
Nubian Village
After Abu Simbel we stayed in Aswan another day for more unique opportunities to dive into Egyptian and African culture. We took a traditional boat in the morning from our ship up the Nile to visit the Cataracts (rock formations in the Nile) near the original Aswan dam. We could see towering sand dunes with a mausoleum dedicated to an important Islamic cleric Agra Khan III in the Ismaili Shia sect of Islam, we passed by the thrush bushes waving gently in the water. It reminded me partially of a real life “Jungle Cruise” (but not in the jungle) at Disney in a way. We were heading to see a Nubian village. Nubia is a region of Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan that has a unique culture separate from Egypt itself. Their culture is as Ancient as the Ancient Egyptian culture we are all familiar with. Their homes are colorfully painted and built with local stones and resources from the area. They have a unique design with domes, courtyards and open living spaces different than in Cairo or Luxor. As we cruise up the river local children on stand-up paddle boards, surfboards and the like would swim to our boat, and they would sing local and international songs for us. In the tough economic climate, they were looking for tips. We gave a few tips as we truly feel bad for the struggling people in the region. The Nubian city we visited was amazing. We were welcomed into a family’s home to see what their life is like. They had humble rooms and a kitchen. The home was multiple stories tall with multiple families/or generations (I could not tell if they were all one large family or multiple families living together). They sold unique handicrafts different than in the rest of Egypt including dolls wearing the traditional clothing of Nubia. They also had crocodiles in a pen that are their pets and for us to see. I held one for pictures. They were wonderful and friendly people.
After we left the home, we headed through the marketplace where many children and others were trying to sell us things. I did buy a few things but had one young girl follow me all the way to the bus asking for money. I did give her a dollar for a small doll on the way out. The village has dirt roads, and you could tell they do not survive on a lot of income, which is sad to me. We headed for another great cultural experience in visiting a Nubian pre-school run and funded by the local community.
The small school building was humble with small older school desks and no air conditioning in the hot Egyptian summer. Even with the meager facilities the kids and teachers were joyful and happy to see us. They counted in both English and Arabic and sang for us. I sat in the desk with a young boy you chatted with me a bit. Afterwards the kids fist bumped me and chatted as we left. Such friendly kids with great teachers doing their best. I donated some of the cash I had left, and we headed out.
Nubian Village Tours
Philae Temple
The last Temple we visited in the Aswan/Nubian region was Philae Temple. It’s on an island in the Nile River and is another example of the astounding effort taken to save the temple from destruction when the Aswan Dam was built. The 95 structures were taken apart and reassembled on the island it currently sits on. To get to the temple you board a traditional Egyptian boat similar to ones we took to the Nubian village. It was a quick ride and on the island we found quite a few more cat friends. The staff at the island take care of the cats and they were friendly. After our tour a kitten jumped up and sat on my dads lap before we had to go.
As for the temple itself it is dedicated the goddess Isis and gods Osiris and Horus. It tells the story of Osiris’s death and the miraculous conception of Horus after Osiris’s death. It’s an expansive complex that has lion statues and obelisks. After our nice visit we went by the marketplace and then headed to our final stop in Aswan.
Sondos Papyrus
Our last stop was to a Papyrus art gallery in Aswan. Papyrus is one of the first known paper types in the world that goes back thousands of years. It is made from parts of the Papyrus plant in a multistep process that ends in thick paper. They showed us how Papyrus is made and then we had the chance to look at the gallery that was filled with beautiful hand painted Papyrus scrolls. They were of Pharaohs, Egyptian Maps, scenes of Egypt and paintings of the gods. They were reasonably prices, and we bought a few including Osiris, Newt, a map and one of Akhenaten. It is a stop well worth it to get Papyrus made in the way of ancient times and hand painted art!
Kom Ombo Temple
We headed in the evening to the interesting and unique temple of Kom Ombo. I know some at this point might have been “Templed Out” like some touring Europe say, “I’ve already seen so many churches”. Each temple we visited was quite different and had unique characteristics that the others did not have. This temple is a double temple with two separate altars side by side, two hypostyle halls and two entrances. Another unique aspect is one side of the temple is to Sobek the Crocodile god who generally is not a good god with his violence and ferocity. He had another side as he was the god of the Nile and that was fertility and protection. We had not seen any carvings for Sobek yet. Much of the Two Temples were lost to time but at the holy altar we saw a hollow wall where priests might have gone in to do things such as watch worshipers or talk like a confessional to others. There are important hieroglyphs at the back of the temple, with one that shed a light into medical practices in Ancient Egypt. On the back wall of the temple are glyphs of medical tools that they used. Many of the tools are not that much different than today’s medical tools. We also saw carvings that had deep eye cavities. This was for precious stones that once colored the eyes. Just outside the temple complex there is the Crocodile Museum. The priests and cult of Sobek mummified Crocodiles and Crocodile eggs. In the museum you can learn about Sobek and see mummified Crocodiles large and small. The friendly museum staff member offered to take pictures for us without us asking. Afterwards we headed through the market and had kids follow us all the way to the dock. Local police talked to them and had them leave. Once child gave me a “free gift” that I knew was not free and I gave him a dollar. On the way back he wanted more money or for me to give it back. The police stopped him, and the child said goodbye and wished me well as he knew it was over. From there we continued sailing North back to Luxor and some of the last temple stops on the trip as the cruise portion was coming to an end.
Edfu Temple
The final Temple and place we visited in Southern Egypt as part of the river cruise was Edfu Temple. Edfu temple is dedicated to the important god Horus and is the one of the most intact temples from the ancient world. It’s a late Egyptian temple built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom and is the contemporary with other temples we visited like Kom Ombo Dendera and Esna. For many years this temple was literally lost to the sands of time. It was nearly completely covered in sand over the years to the point locals were living on the roof area of the temple. Archeologists uncovered the temple and found it nearly intact as it was when it was built. The temples many carvings telling the stories about horus and other gods like Hathor, the hyporstyle hall and the inner sanctuary are all intact so you can get a true feeling of what an ancient Egyptian temple was like. The brilliant colors of the ceiling and walls have been lost to time. The combination of visiting temples like Dendera, Esna and Edfu truly give you a picture of what ancient Egyptian temples and life were like. When you combine the structural completeness of Edfu and the brilliant paint and colors of other temples, in your mind you can imagine what a temple would have been like in Egyptian times. For me one of the most amazing parts was the inner sanctuary where they have a replica ceremonial boat and inner shrine where the statue of Horus could be found. Only the highest of priests could enter this area. The boat was used to parade Horus out of the temple during major celebrations. Hathor of Dendera would make the journey to Edfu to unite with Horus in a particular celebration/ritual. Our wonderful Egyptoligist Hany also explained that the boat also saved the god during a Nile flood as it would float to the top. Edfu was the only temple where we could see all of this. After this final Temple visit, we headed back to our ship to enjoy sailing on the Nile and listening to a very interesting and meaningful cultural lesson from Hany!
Aswan Tour Options (Click Below)
The Women of Egypt and heading back to Cairo
That afternoon we had a great presentation around the Women of Egypt. Women in Islamic countries is a topic that is talked about around the world and is a sensitive one as it deals with human rights. In this discussion we will talk about Egypt and what I learned and experienced myself. Egypt has gone through a lot of turmoil in the most recent years. It’s rather arrogant President Mubarak was overthrown and brought in the Muslim Brotherhood era and then they were pushed out to pave the way for the current government. The rights of women have ebbed and flowed over the years. While compared to Western Standards Egypt has a way to go, but in general they have had improving rights. From what I experienced I saw women working, they could decide to wear a hijab or not (so I saw many who did and others who did not) and are represented in the Egyptian Government. We had a good discussion on the ship as a group around the history of Women’s Rights in Egypt and how there have been many improvements but there are many especially in the rural and less educated areas that do continue with things such as Female Genital Mutilation even though it is illegal. It’s a very sensitive subject for both Westerners and Middle Eastern people as there are cultural differences and much more to consider. While I do believe Egypt has work to do in this area, I am hopeful with what I saw and heard that women and the Egyptian people in general will have brighter days ahead compared to the past.
After our last evening on the cruise, we left the MS Antares and headed back on a Petroleum Air Services flight back to Cairo and to the Intercontinental Hotel. We went to the GEM museum and then the next morning we said goodbye to our amazing guide Hany and headed by bus through the desert to Alexandria.
Alexandria, Egypt
Our final stop in Egypt was the ancient city of Alexandria. Growing up I played a game called Sid Mier’s Civilization and in it you tried to build up a Civilization along with building the “Wonders of the World” throughout human history. Egypt in general is full of ancient wonders like The Pyramids of Giza which were the first of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”. Alexandria has one as well being the “Lighthouse of Alexandria” or in the ancient times was known as “The Pharos of Alexandria”. It also was home to the largest library of scrolls in the ancient world. The ancient wonders and history of this city drew me to visit while in Egypt. It’s a large city of over 5 million people and has been around thousands of years as it was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC who became a Pharaoh of Egypt and was welcomed as a liberator after he defeated the occupying Persians. He provided sacrifices to the Egyptian gods, went into the desert to seek the advice of Oracle of Amun-Ra. We saw carvings of him in many of the ancient temples we visited like Luxor Temple as he added to temples. No one knows where Alexander the Great’s mummy is and some think it is in his former capital on the Mediterranean of his empire named after him. We spent 2 days exploring the city and its ancient sites. Here is what we found!
Where we stayed – The Four Seasons Alexandria
Viking put us up in one of the most luxurious hotels we have stayed in while in Alexandria. When we stepped into the elegant lobby that looked like a European palace, the staff immediately greeted us in a lounge area with fresh strawberry juice and asked us to sit and wait in the lounge to relax. We got the keys to our room brought to us and we headed into the well decorated Victorian themed elevator. We had a king room with a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. The room had crown molding, a chandelier, a very comfortable bed and a beautifully decorated bathroom with tile that made it look like an ancient site. The resort has a tunnel that goes under the busy promenade road in front of the hotel to their beach area. There you will find multiple restaurants including the buffet we ate at for breakfast that had a view of the Mediterranean. There’s plenty of green space for soccer (football), pickleball and other things and a beautiful garden. On our first day in Alexandria, we relaxed and enjoyed the resort, so we headed to the beach. As soon as we arrived the staff immediately got us beach loungers, an umbrella and a cooler full of iced bottles of water. The beach was very nice, and the water was clear. The only sad thing that has absolutely nothing to do with the wonderful hotel is there was a decent number of micro-plastics in the water that you could see.
The hotel is also connected to a nice mall with a wide variety of shops and restaurants. We ate there twice for a nice economical meal. They have many American fast food options like McDonalds, Hardees, Burger King, KFC, and Pizza Hut. We got room service one evening and it was wonderful and not too expensive. We got Egyptian food one last time before we left. The gentleman who brought the food was very friendly and we chatted a bit about Egypt. He completely set our table for us and made it a fancy dinner. It was great. The breakfast buffet was also great with a custom omelet, pancake, waffle and French Toast section and plenty of fresh cheese, international and Egyptian breakfast staples. We loved our time at the resort!
Touring Alexandria and Eid al-Adha
We had a full day tour of Alexandria to see the main historic sites, mosques and churches in the city. The day before we were supposed to take a tour of the New Great Library of Alexandria that was built on the site of the Ancient Library, but it was closed due to a major Islamic Holiday called Eid ql-Adha that commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his so as God instructed. In the celebration families have big meals and give food to the poor. They also have sweets and decorative lambs as we saw in the mall and with chocolates waiting for us in our room at the Four Seasons. We headed out with our guide and small group and visited a wide variety of sites in a city that is a little less toured by Westerners.
The Great Library of Alexandria
The largest library full of from 40,000 to 400,000 scrolls was in Alexandria which was a city of great learning and education in ancient times. In a time long before the printing press, television or the internet a giant library of knowledge like this was the great information source of its time. It was built between 285 and 246 BC during the Ptolemaic era and was accidently burned during Julias Caesars siege of Alexandria. Over the years during Roman rule Alexandria’s importance started to wane and eventually the library was lost to time. Today a new Great Library is on the exact spot the old library once stood. It is designed to represent both Egypt and the knowledge of the world. On one side we saw windows designed to look like ancient Egyptian eyes and on the façade on the other side languages from all around the world adorn it. A great statue that once stood in front of the lighthouse of Alexandria is there at the library. It’s not just a library but also has a planetarium and research center. Sadly, we were not able to go inside due to the national holiday but it’s an amazing new library that is gathering more books every day and is already into the thousands of books. It hopes to overtake the Library of Congress in the US as the largest library in the world. We stopped twice to see both sides of the library.
The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
On our tour we went and visited a site that is part of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. A unique catacomb system in Alexandria was found by accident. The site above the catacombs was a garbage dump and by accident a donkey fell into a shaft in the catacombs. What was found is a blend of Roman, Greek and Egyptian styles and gods in the tombs. We walked down the winding staircase into the pretty deep catacombs and saw the main tomb that was decorated with Medusa from Greek Mythology, Roman columns, Egyptian gods dressed in Roman uniforms and much more. The family in the tombs wanted to appease all the different gods and it shows the great blending of cultures in the late Egyptian kingdom. No bodies were found in the tomb because tomb robbers took the bodies out and then stole any jewelry they were wearing. There are multiple areas in the catacombs for multiple families and different crypts. The only bones found were prized horses from a leader. It was a very interesting place to visit!
El-Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque
We spent some time visiting the grandest mosque in Alexandria and the leaders of the mosque let us in the see their house of worship. It had beautiful red carpet for the prayers, a separate area for ladies to pray, and Islamic architecture of geometric shapes as art with people’s images is not customary in Islamic art. Our guide spoke about Islam and some of the practices of the religion. The mosque was built in the late 1700s and the most important in the city It was a nice and good cultural learning experience for the small group touring with us in Alexandria.
Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
Egypt is predominately Muslim, but there is a minority Christian population that are part of the Coptic Orthodox Church. We headed to the main basilica of the church that is home to the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox church. To get into the area around the church we had to head through metal detectors and there was a decent amount of security with police with machine guns guarding the alleyway to the church. This is because a tragic terror attack on April 9, 2017, where many guards were killed by a bomb targeting the church. There is a memorial in the alley where it happened. The church itself reminded me of a combination of Greek Orthodox and Catholic churches. We went down into the crypt of the church where popes and other religious leaders were laid to rest. We also saw the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist at the church who wrote the Book of Mark in the Bible. His head and other parts are there and the rest of his body is in Venice, Italy. It was another unique visit in the diverse and vast land of Egypt.
Historical Center of Alexandria (Roman Theater)
We visited the archaeological site that is still being excavated that was once the center of Alexandria. There is where you can see recovered statues and stones from the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The site is far below the street level where you can see the layers of time. Inside the site you can see the roman theater, a school for theater, homes, a government site and in a protected area, mosaic floors. There is a mystery of where Alexander the Great’s tomb might be. There are shows from places like National Geographic that discuss the search for his tomb in Alexandria. It is a massive city with much of the ancient city having been built over so someday maybe the lost tomb of one of the greatest military commanders and leaders will be uncovered and who knows it might rival the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb.
Alexandria City Tours including the Historic Sites
Cultural Scenes in Alexandria and Experiences at the Mall
As we headed back to our hotel from the city center, we passed by a poorer area of the city. There we saw a gruesome sight that is also a cultural experience to learn more about the people and their customs in Egypt. If you don’t want to read about this story, please move on to the next paragraph. We passed by a large cow that had just had its throat slit in the Halal style of preparing meat. It was done on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building. Our guide told us that they were donating the meat of the cow to the poor so they could eat as is customary for the Eid-al-Adha celebration. They donate meat and food to the poor during this time to share with them in the feast. While it was a sight I will not soon forget and it was very sad to see, it also is a great gesture by people trying to help feed the poor who might not have the blessings others have in getting a nice meal daily. It was a learning experience for me, and not something I think poorly upon of the Egyptian people.
While staying at the Four Season we went over and had pizza at a local restaurant in the food court and on another visit got some food from a local fried chicken chain. We were the only Americans in the food court during each visit. On one visit the staff came out to see us and when I was waiting in line a man came up to me to shake my hand and tell me I’m welcome in Egypt and he would help me with anything I needed when ordering. I mentioned I was from Texas when he asked, and he made a gun shot sound and drew his had like an Old West gunfight. A group of kid also came up to me to ask about America and what I thought about Egypt and the Egyptian people. I had good things to say to them. Another kid came up to me and in English asked me for the time. We were somewhat of a novelty there as I doubt too many Americans visit there. I was glad to share a bit about my homeland and make some peoples day just chatting with the friendly Egyptians.
Alexandria Tour Options
The Food of Egypt
While in Egypt we tried many kinds of foods. We found the food delicious and has a wide variety of options. The food is a mixture of Arab and Mediterranean foods with its own unique flair. The Egyptian bread is amazing! It reminded me of flatbread with a slight sweet taste. We added honey during breakfast that made it taste like a sopapilla in Mexico or the US. It is also great to dip into the many hummus and Baba Ganoush dips. Our personal favorite is Koshari, that is a dish with multiple noodle types, rice, lentils and topped with fried onions like we use for Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving in the US. The Hawawshi sandwich was also very good. It has a pita bread for the buns and inside minced meat, onions and peppers. They also have many types of kabobs, falafel, and shawarma dishes. For dessert there are many great things to eat. Om Ali is a great desert that reminded me of bread pudding in the US. They also have baklava, basbousa (a type of sweet cake), kanefeh (a sweet cake made from noodles and cream cheese) and others. My personal favorite is the Zalabya, which is a fried fritter that is a bit hard and crunchy that has a syrup glaze on the outside. It tasted like a doughnut with caramel on top. The food is great and well worth trying the different dishes. One dish we did not see served anywhere we went was pigeon which is a delicacy there and you can see pigeon coups all over the area.
Leaving Egypt and Tips
After our adventure of a lifetime, it was time to head back home. We were able to get a nice breakfast at the resort and had a bit of time to relax before we headed to the El Borg el Arab that is around an hour away and is a dual international airport and military base. On the way out we got to see the Great Library and the coast of Egypt one last time. At the relatively small airport we went through the first check and got to the check in for our flight. We had two carryon bags each on the Qatar airways flight, but the allowance was 2 checked bags and one carryon. So, we spent some time consolidating our bags, rearranging souvenirs and clothes and then getting the bags wrapped in plastic. The policeman that was with us for the day helped us in every step including without asking he filled out our exit paperwork for us with our passports. I can’t say enough good things about the police service who guarded us throughout the trip. They were all very kind and did everything they could to help everyone on the tour. They especially looked after my mom and us throughout the trip. After the check in, we headed through the last security check and headed shortly onto our Qatar Airways flight to Doha. As we flew over Egypt, I got a last glimpse of the beautiful Nile, Saqqara and the Pyramids of Giza. Our Egyptian adventure ended as we flew over the Sinai Peninsula looking at the arid and legendary land of Egypt as the sands of the Sahara blew in the wind like the sands of time throughout thousands of years of Egyptian history, we were so fortunate to see ourselves.
Egypt is a grand adventure and the greatest journey we have had in our many travels. It is absolutely worth the long flights and hot desert air to see these amazing places and meet so many great people. The Egyptian people are a truly kind and welcoming people we found. While the vendors are very aggressive due to the economic situation in Egypt, most other people are helpful and kind. Our guide Hany was absolutely amazing and I’m glad to keep in touch with him and call him a friend, and so were our other new Egyptian friends who were in the dining room of our ship named Hamad, Amir and Ahmed. While there do get to know your guide and local Egyptians and you will see the true hospitality and knowledge they have. Do know that an Egyptian adventure is fairly strenuous with a lot of walking with stairs and sometimes cramped spaces. You don’t have to visit every tomb or temple but do be prepared with plenty of water, hats for the sun, and miniature fans to keep cool. Also have allergy medication as the sand and smog (in Cairo) can get to your allergies. Saline spray to keep your nose moist and ChapStick for your lips is a good idea. We brought a trail walking stick and that was a great addition to help with the hiking and tombs. Do not drink or brush your teeth with the water and be cautious food wise outside of the ship and hotels especially with uncooked foods like salads so you do not have stomach issues. Around vendors have the money you want to spend with you and avoid opening your wallet as they will glance at what you have and will want more. Bring plenty of small bills for tips as tipping culture is very strong in Egypt. You also should go on a guided tour like Viking, AmaWaterways or Trafalgar when going to Egypt as it makes it easier and safer for you. At the very least book guided day tours as I do not recommend doing it on your own. The best tip I can give is to go to Egypt and experience the history, food, culture and people for yourself. You will come back from it wiser, and changed with a new perspective on this historic and amazing country!
If you are Interested in this trip:
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