Thinking Of Visiting Egypt? These Are The Sites You Should Visit

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Egypt. It’s the pyramids from elementary school textbooks, the desert backdrops in documentaries, and the grand temples that fill film and fiction. These varying references can shape your perception of a place before ever visiting. Egypt has (and will always be) a dream destination for history enthusiasts and those wanting to visit the oldest and only Great Wonder still standing, the Great Pyramid. But it can also fade into that once-in-a-lifetime trip you never seem to get around to booking. 

And in the back of your head, you may be wondering: will it live up to the weight of expectation? Yes, it will. The grandeur and expanse of the preserved temples, pyramids, monuments, and relics from thousands of years ago invoke a sense of awe that can’t be replicated. 

So the question isn’t whether or not you should go. (You should—take it from me.) It’s what to prioritize during your time here.

Many trips to Egypt start in the capital city Cairo. This massive city is home to the country's most iconic archaeological sites, museums, and monuments. While you could easily spend a week here, you can still experience many of the highlights in just two or three days with thoughtful planning.

The Giza Plateau is home to Egypt’s three most famous pyramids: the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Even after seeing them in photos for years, the scale is difficult to process in person.

The site itself is expansive (as it also contains many smaller pyramids and temples). The Great Sphinx sits right in front, the massive limestone statue with the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh that stretches about the length of a commercial plane.

This museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities, spanning thousands of years of Egyptian history (from pre-dynastic times to the Greek and Roman). It includes 100,000+ statues, jewelry, mummies, sarcophagi, papyrus scrolls, and enormous stone carvings recovered from temples and tombs across the country.   

The most famous (and yes, one of the most impressive) collections includes the treasures of King Tutankhamun (King Tut), including the iconic gold funerary mask, ornate jewelry, ceremonial objects, and items recovered from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. 

The sheer density of artifacts is impressive. Room after room filled floor-to-ceiling with relics from ancient Egypt.

About an hour or so outside Cairo in the middle of the desert, sits Saqqara. This is one of Egypt’s most significant archaeological sites and home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest pyramid in Egypt (built more than 4,500 years ago). 

There are also many smaller pyramids and elite noble tombs of the Old Kingdom (circa 2686–2181 BCE), many of which still contain remarkably preserved hieroglyphics. While these stones and paintings are astonishingly old, many red and blue pigments are still visible across walls and ceilings. 

Dahshur was my first stop after arriving in Cairo and one of the most unexpectedly memorable sites of the trip. The two main pyramids here are the Red Pyramid (which gets its name from the hue of the limestone) and the Bent Pyramid (as the angle of the pyramid visibly changes partway up).   

You are able to enter both pyramids, though my guide recommended only going inside the Red Pyramid (apparently, the Bent Pyramid has more bats and a stronger smell).

Once the ancient capital of Egypt, Memphis now functions as a small open-air museum showcasing artifacts and statues recovered from the former city. The site mainly houses large-scale sculptures, including the colossal limestone statue of Ramses II and a massive alabaster sphinx, along with scattered relics from ancient temples and monuments that once stood throughout the region.

My stop at Memphis lasted just over an hour with my guide. 

Located within Cairo’s historic Citadel, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks with soaring domes, tall minarets, intricate chandeliers, and expansive marble interiors. It also houses the tomb of Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Ottoman ruler widely considered the founder of modern Egypt.

After the constant hustle and movement of Cairo, Luxor felt like a breath of fresh air.

The Valley of the Kings is one of Luxor’s most famous sites and the burial place of New Kingdom pharaohs, including Tutankhamun. Built into the desert hills on the West Bank, the site is far larger than I expected, with tomb entrances spread throughout the valley.

Most tickets include access to several tombs, though it helps to research ahead of time which ones you most want to visit, since some require separate entry. Inside, the tombs are long, colorful, and covered floor-to-ceiling in hieroglyphics and painted scenes designed to guide pharaohs through the afterlife. Some of the more famous tombs can get crowded, but the preservation of the artwork is incredible.

Karnak is easily the busiest site in Luxor, but also one of the most grand. The massive temple complex was expanded over nearly 2,000 years and contains the Avenue of Sphinxes, the Great Hypostyle Hall (where 134 towering sandstone columns rise overhead in tightly packed rows), and the sacred lake. 

Egypt is a trip that should be planned to a tee. This is not a trip you figure out on the fly.

You can either work directly with a travel agent to plan a customized itinerary (along with a driver and guide), opt for a cruise, or join a group trip with a more set itinerary. 

I chose the latter, and the entire trip was seamless. The tour I chose was an equestrian holiday with an itinerary that combined riding with sightseeing. Every guide (Egyptologist) we had was knowledgeable, and there was no stress about trying to navigate these busy cities.