our tour group at the Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza
Ever since I was a little kid, I have wanted to visit Egypt. There was something about the mystery of the majestic ancient monuments, the Nile, and the desert sands that was so alluring and intriguing.
In May 2025, those lifelong dreams came true. Tara and I embarked on a 12-day journey with Intrepid Travel company to Egypt, visiting many highlights of the country.
To put it bluntly, the trip exceeded our expectations. It was magical, awe-inspiring, and life-changing.
I'm going to devote several blog posts to our vacation in Egypt. Before diving in, I wanted to provide our itinerary, sing praises to our travel guide, and provide a brief overview of the country and its long, storied history.
enjoying breakfast while overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria
Egypt (Misr in Arabic) is a large country in northeastern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Although geographically located in Africa, it is also generally regarded as part of the Middle East. With over 120 million people, it is the most populous country in the Arab World. Due to the unforgiving Sahara Desert, 95% of the population live on 5% of the land, the long, narrow strip along the banks of the Nile. 930 miles of the Nile (the longest river in the world) flows through Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Producing a ribbon of blue and green, in stark contrast to the harsh, expansive brown of the surrounding desert, it's hard to overstate how important the Nile is to Egypt. The country's economy, tourism, culture, and history revolve around the river. To put it simply, the Nile is life.
Cairo is the economic and political center of the country, located where the Nile begins to branch out as it starts to flow into the Mediterranean Sea (an area known as the Nile Delta), and serves as the capital. The official language is Arabic (the dialect spoken in the country, Egyptian Arabic, is colloquially known as Masri). The overwhelming majority of Egyptians, about 85%-90%, are Muslim (Sunni Islam), with a significant minority (10%-15%) of Christians (known as Copts, or Coptic Christians).
Egypt can be divided into two regions, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Because the Nile flows northward, the southern half of the country is called Upper Egypt, and the northern portion is called Lower Egypt (sometimes referred to as the Nile Delta).
Tara and I on a Nile riverboat.
Here was our itinerary. Our flight landed in Cairo (at about 1:00 am on a Sunday morning). A staff member with Intrepid was there to greet us, help get us through customs, and provide a shuttle to our first hotel in Giza (a suburb of Cairo). We woke up a few hours later and explored Cairo on our own. We visited the Citadel (an imposing fortress on a hill in the middle of Cairo), the Mohammad Ali mosque (also known as the Alabaster Mosque), and an historic Coptic Church (the Hanging Church). That evening, we met our tour guide and the other members of our group.
The next day was spent at the Pyramids at Giza and then the Egyptian museum in downtown Cairo. We then took a shuttle bus to Alexandria (about a 2-3 hour drive from Cairo) on the Mediterranean coast. We visited the Catacombs of Kom, the modern-day Alexandria Library (continuing on the legacy of the ancient library that was burned in 48 BC), and Fort Qaitbey, built on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, that was destroyed by an earthquake in the 10th century.
We then traveled back to Cairo via shuttle bus, stopping at the Coptic Monastery of St. Pishoy en route. Once we got back to Cairo, we took an overnight train to Aswan in Upper Egypt (southern Egypt). In Aswan, we visited Philae Temple, and drove out to the Abu Simbel temple complex. Tara and I also took a camel ride to the Tomb of the Nobles.
Then we took a three-night Nile River Cruise from Aswan to Luxor, stopping at the Kom Ombo Temple and Edfu Temple. In Luxor, we visited the Luxor and Karnak Temples (connected by the Avenue of the Sphinxes), and took a hot-air balloon ride to see the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings. We then visited a number of tombs in the Valley of the Kings (including King Tut's) and the Hatshepsut Temple.
We then took a short flight from Luxor back to Cairo. Once back in Cairo, we visited the Al-Hakim Mosque and browsed the shops at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. Finally, on our last day, Tara and I visited the archaelogical sites at Memphis and Saqarra (in Cairo area) on our own.
What a trip!
our Intrepid tour guide, Wa-el (at the Abu Simbel Temple)
Tara (looking classy as always) at the bazaar in old Cairo
enjoying hibiscus tea and pastries at a cafe in the bazaar with our Intrepid tour group
We were very satisfied with Interpid Tours. They are an Australian-based company. They took care of everything (all the hotel arrangements, site visits, transportation, etc.) All we had to do was book our flight to Cairo, they took care of the rest. Our tour guide, Wa-el (an Egyptian originally from Aswan), was great. Fluent in English, and was very informative, patient, and accommodating. Egypt can be an intimidating, chaotic place. Tara and I felt very safe and taken care of. It would have been very difficult to plan a trip like this on our own. So, if you feel intimidated by international travel (particularly to a developing country), look into a tour group. I recommend Intrepid. They offer tours all over the world.
Intrepid travel: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/us
Our tour group was small (11 people, including Tara & me). We were the only Americans in the group. There was a woman from Belgium, and the rest were from Australia. This small-group setting made for a more intimate and immersive experience. At some of the sites we visited, we saw other tour groups (from Viking River Cruises, etc.) that were all much larger (like 40-50 people). I really enjoyed having a small group. Plus, Aussies are a fun, entertaining bunch.
riding a felucca (a small sailboat) on the Nile in Aswan
We went in May. This is a very hot time of the year to visit. Aswan in the summer can exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Prime tourist season is in winter (October to March) for milder weather. The Islamic holidays of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are in January, February, or March (depending on the year) and can offer a unique travel experience.
Dress so you'll be comfortable. We'd recommend light-weight, breathable clothing (100% cotton or linen). It's a good idea to dress modestly to respect local culture (Egypt is a secular country, but is relatively conservative; modest clothes will be required if visiting a mosque) and it also offers good protection from the sun and sand. Wide-brimmed hats are also a good idea.
Most of the locals we interacted with were friendly and eager to share with us their customs and culture. Just be aware that Egypt is a tipping society (and believe me, they'll expect a tip for just about everything), so make sure to carry lots of small bills (either US$ or Egyptian Pounds).
obligatory camel ride in Aswan. Camel rides in Aswan were much cheaper than riding a camel at the Pyramids in Giza.
I would also recommend brushing up on Egyptian history before the trip. This will help you better appreciate all the incredible sites you'll be seeing.
So, here's my crash course in Egyptian history:
Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Around 3150 BC (over five thousand years ago), Narmer (aka Menes) unified the kingdoms of Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt and became the first pharaoh. Ancient Egyptian history is commonly divided into three eras: Old, Middle, and New.
Old Kingdom (c. 2700-2200 BC): this is the time period of the construction of the great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Famous pharaohs during this era include Khufu (aka Cheops), Khafre, and Menkaure. The capital during this time period was Memphis (near present-day Cairo).
Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1700 BC): the pharaohs in this time period established the capital in Thebes (present-day Luxor) approximately 400 miles south (upriver) from Memphis. Pharaohs were no longer interred in pyramids, but were instead laid to rest in tombs such as the Valley of the Kings. Famous pharaohs during this era include Senusret I, who built the temple complex in Karnak.
viewing the mighty pillars of Karnak temple
New Kingdom (c. 1570-1069 BC): capital remained in Thebes. Famous rulers of this era include Ramses II, Tutankhamun ("King Tut"), Nefertiti, and Hatshepsut. During this time period, the Egyptian Empire expanded southward into Nubia (present-day Sudan).
This expansion and the subsequent Nubian rebellions gradually weakened the empire. In 525 BC, the Persian Empire (present-day Iran) conquered Egypt. Egypt became a satrap (or colony) of the Persians.
Alexander the Great (of Macedonia/Greece) conquered Egypt in 332 BC. Alexander later conquered the entire Persian Empire. Alexander died shortly after this conquest, and his newly-won empire was divided into three parts. One of Alexander's generals, Ptolemy, became ruler of the part that included Egypt. Under Ptolemy (aka the Ptolemaic Dynasty), Egypt was hellenized (aka "Greek-ified"). However, Ptolemy and subsequent rulers adopted pharaonic traditions to legitimize their rule, appearing on monuments in ancient Egyptian style and participating in local religious life (combining elements of both the ancient Egyptian gods with classical Greek gods). A new capital was founded at Alexandria, where the Nile River empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (she reigned from 51 BC - 30 BC).
Just to give you an idea of how old Egyptian history is: Cleopatra lived chronologically closer to our present time than she did to the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza. During Cleopatra's lifetime, the pyramids were viewed by her people in the same vein as we view them today: ancient monuments that were thousands of years old; relics of a very distant past.
The Romans, under Octavian, captured Alexandria and overthrew the Ptolemaic Dynasty in 30 BC. Egypt was an important province of Rome. During the 1st century, St. Mark the Evangelist brought Christianity to Egypt, where it flourished. By the 5th century (c. 450 AD) a distinct Christian sect (known as the Coptic Orthodox Church) was established.
Roman (and Byzantine) influence continued in the region until c. 650 AD, when Arab Muslim forces (from present-day Saudi Arabia) under Amr ibn al-As conquered Alexandria, bringing Islam (specifically Sunni Islam) to Egypt. Subsequent caliphates ruled Egypt from foreign areas, first the Umayyads (ruling from present-day Syria), and the Abbasids (governing from Baghdad).
The Fatimid Dynasty (a Shi'a Islam sect) founded a locally-governed, Egyptian caliphate in 909. The Fatimids established their capital in Fustat (now called Cairo) in 969.
In 1171, Saladin conquered the Fatimids and established the Ayyubid Dynasty. The Ayyubids were Sunni Islam. Saladin ruled as a Sultan in Cairo, and greatly expanded the empire, defeating the Crusaders in the Holy Land. Cairo grew to become a massive economic, political, and religious center under Saladin's rule. The Mamluks (a knightly military class) ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1517.
In 1517, the Ottoman Empire (from present-day Turkey) conquered Egypt and ruled until the 1800s. In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt and briefly occupied the country. In 1805, Muhammad Ali Pasha (an Ottoman viceroy of Albanian ethnicity), centralized power in the region and declared indepdence from Ottoman rule. Egypt's autonomy was officially recognized by the Ottoman Empire in 1867. Muhammad Ali Pasha's dynasty would rule Egypt until 1952. Muhammad Ali Pasha is generally considered the father of modern Egypt.
The Suez Canal, completed in 1869, became a very valuable commercial asset for Egypt. In 1875, financial mismanagement and mounting debts led Isma'il Pasha to sell Egypt's shares of the Suez Canal to Britain. This allowed British power and influence in Egypt to grow. Although Egypt never officially became a colony of the British Empire, Britain essentially was the de facto ruler of Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (especially after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I). Britain officially recognized Egypt's independence in 1922.
In 1952, a group of army officials (led by Gamal Abdel Nasser) overthrew King Farouk (the last ruler of the Muhammad Ali dynasty) and ushered in a period of Arab nationalism that eschewed pro-Western policies of previous rulers. Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956 and began construction of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile (completed in 1970). Egypt fought numerous wars with Israel in the 1960s and 1970s over the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. Nasser's successor, Anwar Sadat, signed a monumental peace treaty with Isreal (brokered by US President Jimmy Carter) in 1978 (aka the Camp David Accords), in which Israel agreed to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt agreed to withdraw claims to the Gaza Strip and officially recognize the state of Israel. Although Sadat was assassinated in 1981 by a radical Islamist angered by this peace treaty, the treaty has held to this day. Sadat's successor, Hosni Mubarak, ruled Egypt for decades until he resigned after massive protests in 2011 (part of the Arab Spring movement). Egypt's first democratic presidential election was held in 2012, narrowly won by Mohamed Morsi. Morsi's party was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization. Morsi's administration was short-lived. After several protests both for and against Morsi in 2013, military officials, afraid that Morsi would de-secularize the country, overthrew him and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (colloquially known simply as "Sisi") has ruled as President since that time.
Pro-Sisi posters were everywhere throughout the country when we visited. Many in the international community (and likely many Egyptians) regard Sisi as an authoritarian dictator. One evening, our group had a lively and respectful discussion with our tour guide about some of the issues facing modern Egypt. Wa-el recognized that Sisi's administration was not particularly democratic, but he appreciated its stability and commitment to secularism. International tourism is a crucial part of Egypt's economy. Without that stability and secularism, there would likely be a profound, detrimental effect on that sector of the economy.
Well, there it is, my crash course on Egyptian history.
Whew...that was a lot. I started by saying I would give a "brief" overview of Egyptian history. But, when it comes to Egypt and history, it's impossible to be brief. 😀
lookin' cool in our elevator selfie
rooftop restaurant in Luxor. Ate some local cuisine.
I had camel (kind of chewy, tasted like pot roast), and Tara tried pigeon.
We're excited to share with you are unforgettable adventures in Egypt!
