Giza/Alexandria/Cairo/Luxor/Aswan/Sharm El Sheikh

OVERVIEW

• When: Total trip 18 December 2024- 5 January, 2025. Egypt: 19 December 2024- 1 January, 2025.
• Where (accommodations): Giza: Egypt Pyramids Inn; Luxor: Sonesta St George Hotel, Nile River cruise on Sonesta Moon Goddess (booked through Nile Cruisers); Sharm El Sheikh: White Hills Resort
• Transportation: KLM/Delta BOS-FCO, then ITA FCO-CAI. Egypt Air CAI-LXR, Air Cairo ASW-CAI, Egypt Air CAI-SSH. Saudia SSH-JED and JED-CAI. Back to Boston on ITA/KLM/Delta.
• Sights/attractions:  Saqqara Necropolis, Golden Eagle Papyrus, Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Pompey’s Pillar, Bibliotheca Alexandrina,
  Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), Ibn Tulun Mosque, Khan el-Khalili Bazar, Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, Karnak Temples Complex, Hypostyle Hall, Obelisk of Hatshepsut, Luxor Temple, Hot Air Balloon over Luxor, Valley of Kings, Tomb of Tutankhamun, Two Grand Colossi of Memnon, Hatshepsut Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Unfinished Obelisk, Philae Temple Complex, Felucca Sailing and Nubian Village tour, Abu Simbel, Al-Sahaba Mosque, Al Mustafa Mosque, Dive in Ras Mohamed National Park (Blue Ocean Dive Club)
• Food/drinks: 9 Pyramids Lounge, Rooftop 7000, Alfredo Restaurant Marriott Mena House Cairo, Fish Market restaurant, Alexandria, Cafe Elzahra Restaurant, Farsha Cafe

4500 year old pyramids, remains of the gorgeous temples, Nile river, and the Red Sea- Egypt has everything! History, adventure, legends and myths – this is the cradle of civilization, and we were super excited to see it with our own eyes. It is a huge transcontinental country- literally part of it being in Africa and part in the Middle East. A lot of times we jump through several countries on a longer trip like this one, but Egypt deserves more than a few days. We really wanted to feel the country and were able to get a good taste of it in the 12 days that we were there.

Lets start with the basic travel info first. From Boston we flew on KLM (operated by Delta) and ITA airways with a connection in Rome, Italy. We had almost 4 hour layover, so with the overnight flight, we didn’t get to Egypt until late in the afternoon the following day.

Customs was no hassle- we had a multi entry e-visa which I obtained online. To get the said e-visa was quite a test for my patience. The website is super glitchy, it was not working for the several attempts that I tried, the payment was getting declined until I called my credit card to unblock it (it was being flagged as suspicious charge). I think I was ready to give up when it finally went through, and e-visas were approved almost immediately. Would I recommend this? Probably not. You can easily get a visa on arrival (check before traveling for your country requirements, I am only speaking for Lithuanian and American passports). We did not see any long lines to get the visa, so I think I spent more time online, than what it would’ve taken us to actually get the visa in the ‘passport upon arrival’.

Make sure take out cash at the ATM- we used cash a lot. Especially for tipping. Egypt is a very ‘tip friendly’ country. Tip is expected everywhere, including going to a public restroom where the person might or might not hand you a tissue.

We set up transportation from the airport through the hotel. I would never ever recommend driving in Egypt. Sean drives in many countries that we travel, but Egypt is not one of them. The roads are great and there are no animals to avoid (like it was in India), but the drivers are chaotic and fast -there is only one rule as our driver informed us. The rule is that there are no rules. On a 5-6 lane highway cars are driving straddling the lanes, nobody is using directional lights, the lanes are literally optional. We saw several bad accidents and were grateful we didn’t need to drive there. For most of the trip we had guides/drivers and it was totally worth it for the piece of mind.

We spent first three nights in Giza (about an hour drive from Cairo). From here we sightseed Saqqara Necropolis, Giza Pyramids and Sphinx on one day guided tour. Second day we had a day trip to Alexandria (about 2.5 hour drive each way) and the local guide showed us Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Pompey’s Pillar, University House Alexandria Library. On the last day we had a tour of the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and Old Cairo– Ibn Tulun Mosque, Khan el-Khalili Bazar and Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church. Our guide was Sameh who was recommended by a traveler I follow in IG and he was excellent. He is an Egyptologist, super knowledgeable, great English- we learned so much from him and had a great foundation of knowledge for the rest of our trip.

Then we flew to Luxor, where we spent one night at the hotel, before boarding the four night Nile river cruise to Aswan. There are cruises that go the opposite direction, but those are only three nights, so make sure you start in Luxor if you want to have more time (it was needed). On the last morning after the cruise we were driven to Abu Simbel (about 3 hour drive each way). The temples are incredible and totally worth the early wake up. Right after that, the driver took us to Aswan airport and we flew to Cairo, followed by a flight to the final destination in Egypt- Sharm El Sheikh. This is where we danced into the New Year 2025 before having a short trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Looking back I would not change a thing. This was a perfect route for the time that we had in Egypt. It was not overly exhausting, with a good mix of learning the history, seeing cities and nature, and finally unwinding and relaxing.

GIZA

ACCOMODATIONS

Even though the flight was to Cairo, we didn’t stay there. There are many hotels (and a lot fancier ones) to choose from, but we had one wish- to wake up and see the pyramids. Egypt Pyramids Inn delivered! When we arrived, there was a light show happening and we watched it right from the hotel terrace.

To be completely honest- hotel is extremely simple and run by a bunch of young guys. Everyone was VERY nice, but English was a bit basic (we got by fine) and the service for breakfast and dinner was extremely slow.

Dinner was ok, breakfast was not worth the wait, so for the next few mornings we bought yogurt and fruit at the nearby shop, made coffee in the room and enjoyed the self made breakfast from our balcony. However, we did not see any other nearby places with such direct, unobstructed view of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, so the stay here was absolutely worth it.

There were people coming to our hotel terrace for sunset to enjoy the view and it is truly spectacular! I would stay here for the view, but would go eat in the other places. We found a great restaurant in the hotel next door – Rooftop 7000, so on our second dinner we went there. Fast service, excellent food and also a nice rooftop view.

There is a very popular, especially amongst influencers – Marriott Mena House Cairo hotel that also claims to have the view of the pyramids. We looked into it before booking our simple Egypt Pyramids Inn. The cost for the nights we were looking to stay was astronomical (talking about 1k per night). So now that we were close by, we wanted to see what’s so special about this place. We booked massages one evening in their Saray Spa and a dinner at their Alfredo restaurant.

To get there we took an Uber and it was a bit of a drive because of the traffic. Hotel is DEFINITELY not as close to the pyramids as our place. Of course, pyramids are huge, so there is SOME view of them from the Marriott, but the best view is while standing outside, in the yard. We did not see many rooms that were facing towards the pyramids (those were probably the 1k per night cost). So this was a great validation of making a right choice. Yes, hotel looked nice, but for sure the view that we had was by far better.

We did like their spa- massages were amazing and very well priced. Alfredo restaurant was also excellent- they had gluten free pasta and were able to make any sauce with it. There was even a great Negroni and a GF cheesecake! For sure have dinner here.

After all the ‘investigations’ we were happy with our choice of accommodations and will definitely never forget this view!

Saqqara Necropolis

Our first morning in Egypt and we started right around 8am. Sameh, our guide and the driver picked us up and we headed to the oldest complete stone building complex known in history- Saqqara Necropolis. There are multiple structures and tombs, including the Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid.

By staying in Giza we also avoided dealing with crazy Cairo traffic, so keep that in mind when booking your hotel. We arrived before it got busy and basically had the place to ourselves.

How are we here, looking at the first Egyptian pyramid?! Built in the 27th century BC. The century that lasted from the year 2700 BC to 2601 BC!!! It is both mind blowing and also seems so normal:). No big deal, we’ll just walk around, take some pics. It is really hard to grasp how old these structures are and how short human life is in comparison.

Golden Eagle Papyrus

As with all tours, there is always a stop for shopping. Sameh asked us before if we wanted to see how papyrus paper is made and if we wanted to shop for some Egyptian oils. There was no pressure to buy anything and it was a very pleasant experience.

First we smelled and tried a few essential oils (claim to be no additives or artificial ingredients), selected some favorites, and they were nicely packaged ready for transportation back home. Then there was a demonstration on how paper is made out of papyrus plant and then you could buy an art piece that was done on the papyrus. The demonstration we liked a lot actually. It is pretty incredible how durable the paper turns out to be, how you can submerge it in water and it retains what was written on it with a pen. But also, how you can erase things with the end of the plant too! It did not feel like any kind of sales pitch, but in fact was very informative and quick demonstration.

Giza Necropolis and 9 Pyramids Lounge

And now it’s time for the Pyramids! The main reason (at least for me) to visit Egypt. Even though we already saw them from our hotel, being close up with a guide was a totally different experience.

Sameh got us the entrance tickets, including the additional ticket to enter the Great Pyramid. First he gave us the info about the history (there is so much info that it’s hard to absorb it all), answered any of our questions, took some fun pictures and let us wander around freely for a bit.

There are vendors walking around and offering things to buy. Also, some of them kept offering to ‘fix’ my head scarf. Sameh wrapped it on for me, so I know it was done right. But they kept saying it needs to be ‘fixed’ (presumably allowing to do so, they would want money). It was not a lot of them though and we never felt annoyed or unsafe in any way.

We had tickets to enter The Great Pyramid, but we were very hungry for lunch and Sameh had made reservations (at my request) at the 9 Pyramids Lounge. So we decided to go there first, then come back and explore the Great Pyramid from the inside.

This restaurant is the only one that gets the incredible view of all 9 pyramids (hence the name) and really should not be missed.

Sameh scored us amazing table outside with the best view and we enjoyed our food which was fresh and delicious. We then moved from the table, to the lower seating area for some tea and dessert (and to pet the very friendly doggies that were chilling near by).

We actually tried giving them bread, but the alfa dog buried it into the sand and nobody ate it 🙂 .

It is not a cheap lunch, but worth every penny for the view alone!

The driver picked us up and we returned to The Great Pyramid, where we went inside while our guide waited for us in the area. Now this was my LEAST favorite activity. I was not prepared on how narrow, tight, and suffocating the passageway from the Grand Gallery to the King’s Chamber would be.

We started climbing these narrow stairs and had to periodically stop and try to let people squeeze by that were coming down. It was pretty chilly outside, but everyone coming down were dripping sweat, so that seemed odd. Well, we soon found out why. The more we climbed, the hotter it got. At one point I nearly had a panic attack. I told Sean- I don’t think I can do this. I really don’t like small spaces and just the thought of being inside the massive brick structure with no windows and a narrow passage really freaked me out.

Sean assured me that ‘you can do this’, I had a few deep breaths and continued on. Eventually the low ceiling stairs opened up to a taller space, which instantly made the climb more manageable. Finally we reached the destination- empty chamber with the empty tomb. The room felt hot like a sauna, and there was nothing to see- all these tombs were robbed thousands of years ago. Now we only needed to make the same tight walk back and out of this pyramid. I swear I never felt happier to be outside once this was said and done. So yeah, I can say we have been inside the Great Pyramid! Would I want to go inside again? Abso-figgin-lutely NOT.

Great Sphinx of Giza

Last, but by far not the least, stop on our tour today was the Great Sphinx of Giza. Of course we already saw it straight from our balcony, but to be close up is much more impressive. Made out of limestone, this mythical creature with head of a human and body of a lion is one of the most recognizable statues in the word.

We came late afternoon, so there were a lot of people, but there is so much space that you can always manage to take good photos regardless. You cannot get right in front of it (unless there is some special entrance we did not know about), so most of the close up pictures are from the side view. The best front photo we took was from our hotel terrace.

ALEXANDRIA

The second largest city in Egypt, largest city on the Mediterranean, Alexandria is about 2.5 hours drive away from Giza. Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, this city once served as Egypt’s capital. On the second day we had a day trip to check it out. Sameh did not go with us, but, because the tour was booked through him, he arranged a local (woman) guide to show us around.

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

We started the tour with the visit of the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa– archeological site consistent on tombs and statues merging Roman, Greek and Egyptian styles.

Once again, it was very much useful to have the guide with us because she pointed out the details we otherwise would’ve totally missed.

Pompey’s Pillar

Next stop on Alexandria’s tour- Pompey’s Pillar-the only ancient monument in Alexandria that is still standing in its original location. It was built in AD 291 to support a statue of the emperor Diocletian, but named  by travellers who remembered the murder of the Roman general Pompey by Cleopatra’s brother.

Just like with Sameh, this guide gave us the facts and then waited while we wandered around the ruins. You don’t need much time here, the Catacombs were much more impressive.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

I love libraries, especially the beautiful ones. This University Library is a site worth visiting while in Alexandria. The building alone is marvelous, with lots of natural light coming in through the slanted ceiling windows.

UNESCO organized an architectural design competition in 1988 to choose the design, and it was won by a Norwegian architectural office. The library has space for millions of books, has several permanent and temporary exhibitions, museums, specialized libraries for blind and visually impaired, children etc.

Located near the beautiful harbor this was a great stop before heading to lunch.

We didn’t have any specific food preferences, but being near the Mediterranean it made sense to have fish. Our guide called ahead and ordered us food at the Fish Market restaurant.

Food arrived soon after we were seated and was fresh and tasty. However, for Egypt we thought it was quite expensive- $70 USD pp.

And that concluded a quick Alexandria tour. We chose to not go to the castle, we saw it from the restaurant, but knowing that we have 2.5 hours drive back to Giza, did not want to have to travel back in the dark. We also had massages scheduled at the Marriott Mena House, so needed to make sure we get back in time.

GEM and CAIRO

Grand Egyptian Museum

Grand Egyptian Museum (GED) is located in Giza, not far from the pyramids (you can actually see pyramids from there) and currently is only partially opened.

As of 16 October, 2024 the Grand Hall, Grand Staircase, commercial area, 12 public galleries and the exterior gardens are open for tours and we could not wait to experience it.

From the outside, to the entrance hall, to all of the open galleries- it really is GRAND.

Our guide Sameh was back with us today and it was only his second time here. There is A LOT to absorb. Even with the fraction of the museum being open you could spend hours here.

Once again we were grateful for the guide, but after a couple of hours it all started to blur. The brain could not take in any more facts or dates, so we decided that it’s enough.

There is a great caffe inside, so we had a light snack before our drive to Cairo. For sure this museum should be part of your Egypt visit!

Coptic Cairo

It was almost an hour drive with traffic, but we could not leave on to our next destination without actually seeing at least some parts of Cairo. Coptic Cairo, or Old Cairo is an historic area with many Christian sites.

Abu Serga

We started our Cairo tour with a visit to Abu Serga or The Cavern Church St. Sergious and Bacchus. This church’s roof is said to be shaped like Noah’s Arch and it’s believed that it’s been built over a cave where Mary, baby Jesus and Joseph stayed for three months after fleeing to Egypt to escape persecution from King Herod of Judea.

There is a lot more to the Coptic Cairo, you could spend a whole day there visiting all the churches and wandering narrow streets, but we were on a tight schedule, so this was the only Coptic Orthodox church that we visited.

Ibn Tulun Mosque

You can’t miss Ibn Tulun Mosque– this is one of the oldest mosques in Cairo surviving in its full original form. To walk on the carpets in the inner yard area you need to cover up your shoes (Sean’s feet were too big for the regular plastic covers, so he got these special cloth bags).

While you are there, don’t be lazy and climb to the top of the tower- the view from the top is spectacular!

Parts of the James Bond “The Spy Who Loved Me” were filmed here, amongst some other movies!

Khan el-Khalili Bazar

Last stop in Cairo was busy and chaotic Khan el-Khalili Bazar. I think if we haven’t been to the markets before, it would’ve been more impressive, but for some reason this one did not move the needle for us. We walked around, vendors tried to invite to see their stuff, all looked kind of the same and there were a lot of beggars.

We didn’t have a big lunch at the museum, so wanted to try pigeon, which was served at one of the restaurants that guide recommended – Elzahraa Caffe/Restaurant. The pigeons are being raised in Egypt for food (we saw multiple pigeon farms on the way to Alexandria) and they are eaten while still very young, not the old ‘street pigeons’ that one might think.

It was stuffed with delicious rice and even though it was not much meat, surprisingly it was very tasty! There are a LOT of stray cats, so we shared some food until we were literally surrounded.

As the sun was setting, the tour with our wonderful Sameh was over. It’s been great first 3 days in Egypt!

Time to get back to the hotel, collect our belongings and head back to the airport. Luxor and the Nile River cruise is next!

LUXOR

ACCOMMODATIONS

Our flight from Cairo to Luxor was late in the evening and when we got to the airport we were told there is another hour delay. By the time we landed it was almost 1am. Our Nile River cruise did not start until the following day, so we booked a hotel nearby for the short one night stay.

Sonesta St George Hotel

By the time we checked in it was pretty much 2am and I am glad we asked our guide to move the next day excursion to the afternoon. This hotel is beautiful and I just wish we had more than 10 hours to spend here.

It was pitch black when we arrived, but in the morning we really appreciated the Nile view (especially from the bathroom!)

We totally overslept breakfast, but luckily room service was available, so we enjoyed it on the balcony right before we checked out.

Sonesta Moon Goddess

Our guide (arranged through the cruise company) picked us up at the Sonesta St George Hotel and brought us to Sonesta Moon Goddess ship that was docked close by. There are MANY cruise ships and many companies to choose from for the Nile River cruise journey. The ships are not like in the Caribbean- the ones on the Nile are about 4-6 stories, typically have around 100 passengers and all look fairly similar.

I am sure, some have a lot more luxurious interior, maybe higher end meals than others, but they all stop at the same stops and go the same route. We went through Nile Cruisers (after getting quotes from other companies) and decided on the mid to higher range Sonesta Moon Goddess ship. For us the deciding factor was to have a balcony and of course we read the reviews and the ratings.

To be 100% honest we barely spent time in the balcony after all. When we were not on the shoreside excursions, we spent most of our time on the upper deck laying out and getting some sun. There was a shallow pool, but it was freezing cold, so we braced ourselves and jumped in one day, but it was more like doing an ice cold plunge.

There was nightly entertainment – be it a belly dancer, or Nubian music, or a themed (Egyptian) evening. The spa was small but great- we got very good massages (followed by face mask that made my skin very soft).

The drinks unfortunately were not great. They really tried, but either they did not have correct alcohol, or did not know how to make a good cocktail- I gave up and only had wine eventually with dinner.

The staff was very attentive and kind. They went out of their way to accommodate gluten free food options for us (I swear, coconut dessert they made for us was better than some non GF options in the buffet). Most of the time food was buffet, but for Christmas Eve dinner they made it special and the set multi course meal was prepared.

What I liked the most about the Nile River cruise was how peaceful and relaxing it was when we were sailing from place to place. The river is wide, so even though there are a lot of boats, they do not climb on top of each other (only when they dock, then they tie them one to another and you sometimes have to cross other boats to disembark).

Sunsets were spectacular, it was nice to not have to pack and move hotels, but yet to be able to arrive to another destination and enjoy the new place. We are not big cruise people, but both Sean and I loved this river cruise. Also, four nights is a perfect amount to not get bored, relax and unwind.

It was a pretty cool experience to cross Esna locks. For those that never crossed the locks near the dam, it was definitely a new and exciting experience. Water gets raised, locks open and the ship crosses to the other side- the basic dam, but to be on the boat while crossing was pretty awesome.

LUXOR SIGHTS

Even though we boarded the ship in Luxor on Monday, we did not start sailing until Tuesday afternoon. After checking in and having lunch on the ship, our designated guide Mohammed came to the boat to pick us up for the afternoon excursion. Normally it would’ve been in the morning, but because we arrived so late the previous night and wanted to sleep in, we did the same tour in the afternoon.

We did not know how the guides were set up, but either that’s how it always works, or we just got lucky. The same guide was our designated guide for the whole Nile cruise experience. He showed us around Luxor, then met us in the other stops and finally in Aswan. There were no other people in our group, so it was super convenient to have the guide all to ourselves and not have to wait for anyone else.

Karnak Temple Complex

Less than 2 miles north of Luxor, Karnak Temple Complex was our first sightseeing stop with Mohammed. Alongside with Hypostyle Hall and Obelisk of Hatshepsut this complex is part of UNESCO World Heritage list since 1979.

We thought that after seeing the Giza Pyramids nothing will surprise us in Egypt, but we were so wrong! This place was busy, but absolutely gorgeous.

Mohammed, just like our previous guides gave us the info, answered (many) of our questions and let us wander around and admire the place on our own for a bit.

The busiest was in the main ‘street’- straight at the entrance. But the complex is so big that you can easily find peaceful corners to enjoy. We loved Karnak, for sure one of our favorites in Egypt!

The key difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Construction of temples started in the Middle Kingdom and continued into Ptolemaic times. Approximately thirty pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity, and diversity not seen elsewhere. It’s believed to be second most visited site in Egypt (after Giza Pyramids).

Luxor Temple

Right before sunset we headed closer to the ship, but still for one more archeological site- Luxor Temple.

Located on the east bank of the Nile River, Luxor Temple was constructed approximately 1400 BC.

In the Middle Ages the population of Luxor settled around the temple and eventually it was buried under the sand, rubble and houses. When the excavations began, these massive statues in the front of the temple were only visible from the chest up.

Sunset glow made this temple complex even more beautiful, though also very busy during this time of day.

Abu Haggag Mosque is located within the temple, standing on the ancient columns. That part of the Luxor Temple was converted to a church by the Romans in 395 AD, and then to a mosque around 1,200 AD, which is more than 4,000 years of continuous religious worship.

Spectacular, wow, we are VERY impressed with Luxor!

Hot Air Balloon over Luxor

If you know us, you know we love hot air balloon rides. Of course there needs to be a spectacular scenery below. We’ve done one over the desert in Dubai, Maasai Mara in Kenya, the pyramids in Mexico and this will be our fourth ride- over Luxor, Egypt!

Just like the previous hot air balloon rides, this one was at sunrise as well. Nothing like getting up at 4am, go on a shared van ride, then a speed boat ride to cross the Nile…But trust me, it is ALL WORTH IT.

There is simply something magical about seeing the sun peek through while you are up in the sky, floating above the ancient ruins and green fields. What a perfect Christmas Eve morning!

The only downside was that it felt too short. Other hot air balloon rides were more expensive, but also lasted about 45 min. This one was barely 30 min from take off to landing. It is still amazing and I would 100% recommend it to anyone visiting Luxor.

Landing was super smooth, but we touched down in some farmer’s field and the farmer appeared to be quite mad. The crew had to pay him something, but I guess that’s a pretty common practice- everyone in Egypt expected to be paid/tipped. There did not seem to be any crops growing in the field, so I am not sure why the farmer was upset, but as soon as he got some money, he quickly left. We then were transported to our next destination to meet up with our guide for the morning sightseeing the West Bank of the Nile.

Two Grand Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III. They have stood since 1350 BC, and were well known to ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as early modern travelers and Egyptologists.

There is not much remaining of the temple and we did not go any further, I don’t believe it’s allowed.

Hatshepsut Temple

To try and avoid the crowds, our guide switched up the order of the usual sights. Most of the tours after the hot air balloon go to the Valley of the Kings first and then Hatshepsut Temple, which makes both of them very busy. Instead, he started with the temple and upon arrival there was barely any people.

Hot air balloons were still floating in the distance, making this a dreamy backdrop.

This is a mortuary temple built during the reign of Pharaoh Hatshepsut of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Located opposite the city of Luxor, it is considered to be a masterpiece of ancient architecture.

Stories upon stories carved out and painted on the walls and having Egyptologist guide was once again very useful.

Valley of the Kings

During the New Kingdom’s period of ancient Egyptian (1539-1075 B.C.), the Valley of the Kings was the major burial ground for most of the royal pharaohs. The most famous pharaohs buried there were Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses II.

Tombs were cut deep into the rock and at the visitor center there is a great visual model explaining the principal on how these tombs were constructed and hidden.

There are several tombs that visiting is permitted, we went into four of them, Tomb of Tutankhamun being one I was most interested in. There was a bit of a line to get into it, but that is an additional ticket, so it was not as busy as some of the other tombs.

King Tut’s mummy is still there (the only one out of all the tombs). Tutankhamen wasn’t an especially important king, he died young, but his tomb was the only royal burial found intact in modern times. All other tombs were robbed, but this one was a true treasure to discover. Most of the tomb’s goods are now on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

We saw a few other tombs and did not want to wait in line for more, because in essence they are somewhat similar. Some are more colorful and elaborate, telling stories of the King’s life, some less fancy (such as King Tut’s, because he died young and unexpectedly, so his tomb had to be finished quickly).

And with this, we ended the tour of West Bank of the Nile, said our goodbyes (for now) to the guide and boarded our cruise ship, which now started sailing up the Nile towards Aswan.

Kom Ombo Temple

We sailed through the rest of the Tuesday and on Wednesday morning the ship was docked in Esna. There was an option to visit Esna Temple, but it was not part of the itinerary and our guide explained why. He said the only way to reach the temple is with the horse and carriage buggy. They used to do the tours from the ship, but the people that do this type of transportation abuse the horses, rush and beat them. Therefore tourists complained to the cruise company and this excursion has been canceled. The guide said we still CAN do it, but at our own risk/expense and if we see any horse abuse, we can’t really complain to anyone. We saw a lot of temples and were going to see more, so we decided that we don’t need to support the animal abuse and stayed onboard.

Sailing soon resumed and we relaxed on the deck and enjoyed the Nile. Right before sunset we reached Kom Ombo. That’s where we disembarked and met up with our guide, who arrived by train to give us the tour.

This temple is right on the Nile, so it was steps away from the dock. Kom Ombo is a double temple, dedicated to Sobek- the crocodile god, and Horus- the falcon-headed god.

Before the dam was built, the Nile was full of crocodiles and this temple used to keep some of them in the special ‘pool’ near by.

It’s a great temple, we liked visiting it and learning more about the crocodile god. There is a small Crocodile Museum near by (with crocodile mummies no less!), so we visited that one too before returning back to the ship.

ASWAN

On Thursday morning we woke up docked in Aswan, which was the final destination of the cruise. Nile river flows from South to North and this was going upstream, therefore it was a four night adventure. For those going from Aswan to Luxor it’s downstream, so the cruise would end in three nights and I feel like a lot of the excursions might be rushed. We thought four nights was a perfect amount to spend on the ship.

Unfinished obelisk

The unfinished obelisk is the largest known ancient obelisk and is located in the northern region of the stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan. Mohammed met us again and gave a tour, history and all the known facts.

Had the cracks not appeared, this would have been a largest obelisk ever erected and would’ve measured around 41.75 meters (137.0 ft). Since the cracks appeared, the work was abandoned and the bottom of the obelisk remained attached to the bedrock. It was incredible to see how the work was done with the primitive tools and still hard to comprehend how they managed to lift and transport the obelisks that were literally weighing tons. The obelisk and wider quarry were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

Philae Temple Complex

Today a lot of the sights will be reachable by boat. Not on our cruise ship, that one is docked and not leaving Aswan until the following morning. To get to Philae Temple we took a quick 15 min or so speed boat.

The Philae temple complex is an island-based temple in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser. Originally the temple was on Philae Island near by, but once the dam was built, it would’ve been submerged and destroyed, so it had to be moved piece by piece.

It is dedicated to Isis, the goddess of healing, birth, and magic, as well as Osiris and Horus. The Philae Temple is also one of the last temples that practiced Egyptian religion, before it was converted to a Christian church in the sixth century during the reign of Justinian. Therefore you can see the Christian altar and the cross engraved into the wall.

This was a fun morning tour of Aswan, time to get back on the cruise for lunch and get ready for the afternoon excursion!

Felucca ride and the Nubian village

A felucca is a traditional wooden sailing boat with a single sail used in the Mediterranean and the Nile River. This was our last excursion with Mohammed and a super relaxing afternoon.

There was not much wind, so the sail boat had to be pulled by a motor boat on and off. It was only us, the boat driver and our guide- pleasant private excursion.

After felucca sailing was over, we opted to pay for an extra excursion- deeper down the Nile to a Nubian village. It was not part of the package, but I am glad we did it. We transferred to a smaller motor boat and were able to get to the parts of the Nile where the bigger cruise ships cannot access. It was so peaceful, especially when the boat motor was turned off. We saw the birds, and people fishing-it really felt like being part of nature.

For a short stop we got off near the sand dunes/white sand beach. There were a lot of vendors trying to sell stuff and some people (tourists from our cruise ship!) went swimming and jumping off the rocks. It was way too cold for us to swim, but we dipped our toes into the Nile and then continued on towards the Nubian Village.

We disembarked alongside with many other boats- the port was very busy, but then people seemed to spread out. We walked around the colorful houses and local markets with camel riders casually strolling by.

The colors and the market was my favorite part here. We then visited a Nubian family house and had some tea. Now comes my least favorite- they had ‘pet’ crocodiles.

The poor animals were in the small cages with literally no space to make a few steps. We poured some water on the large crock and he just came alive. You could see how much he craved to be in the water and yet he was caged in this prison. I could not wait to leave this house.

It was interesting to see the simple village life, walk around the dirt streets, but I could have gone without seeing the ‘pets’. Overall though, I would recommend this excursion, because getting there was gorgeous- you would not see this part of the Nile River by just going on a cruise or even on a felucca boat.

Abu Simbel

This is the last day in Aswan and the day that everyone is checking out of the cruise ship. For those that did not plan any other excursions, check out was a bit later. We, on the other hand, had our bags ready and disembarked before sunrise. Before flying to the next destination we added one last (but by far not the least) temple complex to our packed Egypt itinerary- Abu Simbel.

It was almost three hour drive from Aswan to the temples, but our driver made it in 2.5 hrs. He was flying (140km/hr) with no seat belt on until we saw a tragic car accident. Sean covered my eyes and I only saw the smushed cars on the way back, but Sean saw the body out on top of the car that came out the windshield. We later found out it was a guide and a driver from Aswan that unfortunately died. I insisted that our driver puts his seat belt on from that point and we were pretty shook the rest of the drive. Unfortunately that road (which is super straight and bump free) has many accidents (a lot of them involving tourist busses). People drive very fast, do not obey the lanes and it seems like police are not doing much to prevent this. There is an airport near Abu Simbel, and had we known the statistics, we probably would’ve flown rather than driving five hours in the same day.

Either way- Abu Simbel temples are incredible and should not be missed while in Egypt.

This historic site is comprised of two temples cut out of rock. The larger one is dedicated to Ra-Horakhty, Ptah and Amun, Egypt’s three state deities of the time, and features four large statues of Ramesses II in the facade. The smaller temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, personified by Nefertari, Ramesses’s most beloved of his many wives.

Both of these temples were moved from the nearby original location due to the construction of the Aswan Dam.

The salvage of the Abu Simbel temples began in 1964 by a multinational team of archeologists, engineers and skilled heavy equipment operators working together under the UNESCO banner.

Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 meters higher and 200 meters back from the river. This was one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history.

It is hard to comprehend the scale of this project standing near these massive temples- for sure one of the most impressive sights in Egypt.

Our guide did not go with us, but he arranged a local guide to give us the main info about the temples, which he did in probably 10 or so minutes. The rest of the time was for us to wander around, enjoy and just take it all in. Once we were done, the driver took us straight to Aswan airport for our flight to Cairo and then Sharm El Sheikh.

SHARM EL SHEIKH

We have seen enough temples and tombs to last us a while. It is time to relax, get some sun, swim in the Red Sea, and celebrate the New Year 2025!

There are no direct flights from Aswan to Sharm El Sheikh, so unfortunately we had to go back to Cairo. Then we had a long layover, flight was delayed another two hours, and then we made it to our final destination in Egypt around three in the morning.

ACCOMMODATIONS

This is our last hotel in Egypt, also the one where we’ll end 2024 and greet 2025, so we wanted to make it special. There are a LOT of options in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, so we had a hard time deciding on the best one.

White Hills Resort

After some consideration we booked a 5 star White Hills Resort with the Posh Club access. Might as well go big, right?

What exactly did it give us? Well, first, transportation from and to the airport was included. Arriving at nearly 3 in the morning and having someone wait for us was definitely appreciated. We also got a room with a jacuzzi on a private terrace, and a ‘butler’. There were some issues at the start- jacuzzi water was set to no more than 30.5C, which was cold, especially in the chilly evenings. We worked with the manager and the ‘butler’ to get this fixed, they sent a bunch of ‘engineers’. Eventually filled the hot tub with hot water that they carried with buckets. To come the next morning and have the housekeeping let all the water out. At the same time the other worker was painting a wall near by and splashing paint all over jacuzzi and the terrace…It was frustrating, we were definitely upset at the start. But all is well that ends well, right? Finally they sorted it all out, painting stopped, water was hot and we got free massages for all the troubles.

We definitely enjoyed this amenity, especially during sunset.

The best part of the Posh Club though was the restaurant. While the other guests had several buffet options, we were enjoying (unlimited) gourmet food that only Posh Club members could access. The service, the quality of the food, the fact that they baked fresh gluten free bread for us every morning- it was amazing. It was a sit down and order a la carte for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but all included in the price of the stay. We ate amazing food, but differently from the buffet, never felt like we are overeating. It was so good that we did not even try any other restaurants (and there were several) on the premises.

Fresh juices (guava for me, mango for Sean), amazing egg Benedicts, great espresso martinis! Talking about alcohol-Egypt does not get all the usual alcohol, there is some import issue, so for example they could not make Aperol Spritz because they do not get Aperol. Basically I had way more espresso martinis than I normally would have, because every other drink they tried making simply tasted awful 🙂 .

White Hills has several pools, all very nicely heated (it DOES get chilly in December). That was actually one of the things we called about before booking the stay. We have been to hotels where the pool looks beautiful, but is freezing and impossible to enjoy, so we wanted to make sure we are not arriving to the same situation here.

Resort is located right on the Red Sea and you can swim/snorkel right in front of it. We booked a day trip excursion and knew that we’ll be in the water a lot, so while in the hotel we mostly spent the time by the (adults only) pool.

After the initial issues were resolved we had amazing time at this resort and would return/recommend the stay here for sure.

Soho Square

As much as we loved the resort, we (me) are not the type of people that can stay still and not leave the resort the whole time. There are a few places in Sharm El-Sheikh that you should visit, regardless on how nice and comfortable your stay is.

Soho Square is walking distance from the White Hills Resort, so to get some steps we strolled there one evening.

I don’t know how it is during other times of the year, but it was gorgeous right before New Year’s! So many lights, decorations, lots of people walking around- we did not expect it to be so charming and lively!

Farsha Cafe

From Soho Square we grabbed an inDrive (ride share app like Uber) and went to a famous Farsha Cafe that nobody should miss while in Sharm El-Sheikh. I was worried it will look kitschy, but we were both very impressed!

This hookah/tea/cafe/restaurant is huge, but they don’t take reservations. It’s located right in front of the beach and built into the mountainside. I believe the most popular time is around sunset, because then you can see it before all the lights come on, but we only made it later in the evening.

When you arrive, you have to get the ticket (free) and wait in the lounge area upstairs for your turn. It’s a bit hectic and I am not sure how they actually find the people to let them in, because even the lounge is massive. We waited about 45 min and asked a few times if it’s our turn yet. I fell like if we didn’t ask, we would’ve waited even longer. Either way it was worth the wait.

You get seated in these cozy areas around the small table with other people. I am sure if it’s a bigger group, then you get your own table, but otherwise you share the space with strangers. We like talking to people, so it was actually fun to hangout and chat. I smoked some strawberry hookah with tea, while Sean got a milkshake. They serve food too, but I would say it’s more of a lounge than a restaurant and I don’t know how good the food is, we came after dinner.

There are so many random objects, lamps, different smells, and good music- we liked it so much we stayed until almost 1am.

Al-Sahaba Mosque

The largest mosque in the region and for sure very impressive! We came right before sunset and had to wait for the prayer to be finished before we were able to get in.

As we waited we walked around the Old Market Sharm El- Sheikh and the time passed quickly.

To get inside the mosque women have to be covered up. Regardless of my long skirt, I had to put abaya and the lady wrapped my head to look proper. This was next door to the mosque and was free to ‘borrow’. Of course for men no special rules apply. Some guys got flagged for wearing shorts, but even that was not strictly enforced.

The inside of the mosque was a let down. We have seen some super impressive mosques in Oman, Dubai and Turkey, so this one was not at all spectacular. They closed it for another prayer soon after and we told people who couldn’t get it that they did not miss much. The most beautiful sight of the Al-Sahaba Mosque is for sure from the outside!

Ras Mohammed Diving

We do not have diving certifications and have only done a 45 min intro dive in Brazil back in 2015, nine years ago. I remember being scared, there were very little instructions (we did have a guide with each of us at all times), but at the end we loved it.

Not many places allow diving without certifications, but Egypt has an option for the 30 min intro dives. Instead of snorkeling we booked the day trip to Ras Mohammed National Park with the Blue Ocean Dive Club right through our hotel.

At 8am we were collected from the hotel lobby and alongside with guests from other hotels taken to the port to board the nice and comfortable boat.

Some people were professional divers, so they went first and in a different location than the beginners. We had two dives, 30 min each and it was a fabulous experience!

The visibility was great, we went about 33 feet (8-10 meters) deep, each had an instructor with them and it was really a moment of overcoming fear for me. They clearly explained how to equalize the ears, and how to get rid of the water if some gets in the mask or the breathing tube. There were very strict instructions to not touch coral (some countries we have been to did not respect that at all), nobody was feeding the wild life- we had a wonderful time and were very satisfied with this experience.

The only complaint would be that the photos/video were very expensive (but we wanted memories) and that it was freezing cold after getting out of the water. They provided wet suits and the water actually was not cold, but the wind outside was making everyone shiver.

Lunch and snacks were provided, we were also suppose to stop at some sand bar, but the water was too high for that stop and the sea was getting a bit rough. Thus, for safety reasons, the captain decided to skip that part. We came back around 4pm, tired but happy. Snorkeling in French Polynesia still beats Egypt, but it was still a VERY good and healthy coral and a lot of colorful fish. Professional crew of Blue Ocean Diving made this day trip one we will not forget.

Happy New Year 2025!

And just like that, 2024 season comes to an end…

White Hills went all out- the lights, the decorations, the huge tent with an enormous amount of food – we were very impressed.

Not only that, but the entertainment! The party started at around 6pm (we got massages and showed up around 7) and went all the way until midnight.

There was a belly dancer, various acrobatics performers, ballet, lights and music. Our favorite waiter took care of us as well- brought us a ton of GF options, made sure we have drinks- the staff truly went out of their way. I don’t know if this was because we had the Posh Club room, but the party did not cost anything extra! For every other New Year’s gala hotel typically charges a hefty ticket price, but here all was included.

It did end right at midnight (they actually missed the countdown and it was already 12.01 when the MC started counting backwards from 10 :)) . Anyone that wanted to party longer had to buy the tickets to the Vibe club located at the property. We danced all the way until midnight, so didn’t feel like we needed more. Instead, we enjoyed our jacuzzi and called it a night. It was a fun party, any new year you greet dancing is a good new year!

Our flight to Saudi Arabia was not until the evening of January 1st, so we relaxed and enjoyed the hotel up until the last minute- another dip in a jacuzzi, another swim in the pool, one more (or two) espresso martinis and the delicious Posh Club food. It’s been a great end of 2024/start of the 2025, we can only hope the year goes as well as it has started!

CONCLUSION

If I didn’t plan it myself, I’d say that this was a very well organized trip : ) . We had a perfect amount of history, temples, tombs and mosques. There was some city experiences, some calm and relaxing – cruising on the Nile. And finally, the completely different Egypt in Sharm El-Sheikh. There is not one thing that I would recommend changing. I am glad we did not rush in and out of Egypt and properly explored this old and rich in so many ways country. There is not a regret ‘oh, I wish we could’ve done more’. I am sure there are many other cities to visit, but we really felt like we got to know this country well enough, and were only sad that vacation is coming to an end… But we have a few more days, so stay tuned for Saudi Arabia!