Cairo: Itineraries: Classic Egypt Itinerary

Classic Egypt Itinerary

The classic Egypt itinerary starts with a few days in Cairo, to see the pyramids, the Islamic and ancient sights and the Egyptian Museum. Then most head up the Nile to view the famous temples between Luxor and Aswan, as well as the Valley of the Kings. The ideal way to view these is on a Nile cruise, because the grand hotels, such as the Winter Palace, in Luxor, and the Old Cataract Hotel (closed for renovation until 2010) have not been very well kept up, so your accommodations and comfort will likely be better on a good boat; and second, because sailing along the river allows you to view incredible landscapes that have remained unchanged since Biblical times (The best Nile boats book up months in advance, so it is essential to plan ahead.) After Cairo and a cruise, many choose to relax with a few days at the seashore, either in one of the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea or in Alexandria on the Mediterranean; others go to the desert to visit an oases, such as Siwa.

Read a review of the Zahra Nile cruiser.

Read a member’s postcard on traveling off the tourist’s path in Egypt

Read a member’s postcard about a family trip to Africa, including time in Egypt

Read a member’s postcard about a family trip to Israel and Egypt