My sister and I were slightly nervous but also very excited to finally do our bucket list Egypt tour in January 2024. We were so glad we did!!! Our tour guides were fantastic, the sights and unique experiences were amazing, and we felt safe and well protected as we traveled as a group through out Egypt.
Our tour was jam packed with sights to see and new experiences to try and the best advice from our guide in Cairo…Walk around, Explore but Don’t try to cross the road. I have never seen so many people or so much traffic in a city, not even in China. On our first night, we saw the Nile River and the Cairo city lights as we swam in our hotel’s roof top pool. Truly Awesome!
The Three Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and the Temple of the Valley in Giza were definitely highlights of the sights we saw the next day, especially when seen from the top of a camel (My Sister’s Idea). The rest of our day was spent in the Egyptian Museum, the home of the largest collection of amazing jewels, relics and statues from the golden age of the pharaohs.
After a short morning flight to Aswan we went to the Nile River to enjoy a cruise on a traditional felucca boat and see the Nile Falls. Then we saw the Granite Quarry, home to an unfinished ancient obelisk and the High Dam of Aswan before boarding the Nile Cruise Boat, our home for the next three nights. In the afternoon we enjoyed an optional boat ride to the Island of Philae, in the reservoir of the Old Aswan Dam. It is home to the ancient ruins of the Temple of Isis and offers a fascinating insight into life and beliefs in ancient Egypt. We had some free time to explore on our own and enjoy the sunshine before the relaxing boat ride back to our Nile cruise ship for more amazing food and an after dinner show.
We got up very early the next morning for an optional excursion to Abu Simbel, on the border of Sudan, and home to many rock-carved temples. Well worth the loss of sleep and the long bus ride to see and explore these amazing temples, carved on the western cliff of the desert by Ramses II in the Xl century BC, and to see the iconic 20-meter high statues, dedicated to the god Amon Ra, and the Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hathor.
The next stop was Kom Ombo, where we explored the Twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek and saw the amazing Nilometer, used to measure the rising and falling levels of the Nile, an important life source in Egypt. Afterwards, we visited a unique Crocodile Mummy Museum, which was fascinating in an eerie way (not my favorite). Then back to our ship for another mouth watering dinner followed by belly dancing and acrobat demonstrations.
The next day we docked in Edfu to see the Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the Egyptian god of Horus. It’s one of the best-preserved monuments in the country as its imposing structure has been protected by the desert sands. Then back on the ship to continue to Luxor where the ancient heart of Thebes awaits as well as the Temple of Luxor, constructed by the two great pharaohs, Amenhotep II and Ramses II.
We got up very early this morning for another optional excursion, the opportunity to see the sunrise over The Valley of the Kings in a hot air balloon. I highly recommend this and this definitely was the highlight of the trip for me. I will never forget the sight of 32 hot air balloons with over 1000 people in the air over the Valley of the Kings, and watching the sun rising from our balloon basket (which holds 32 people). We were floating thru the clouds for one magical hour and our pilot was so good, landing our balloon so smoothly we didn’t even know we were back on the ground! Truly an amazing experience!!!
We caught back up with our group to continue to the ancient city of Thebes and the world-famous Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of Tutankhamon was discovered, revealing the riches of the ancient pharaohs. It is here that the most powerful and influential kings of Ancient Egypt were buried. After exploring this site, we continued to the Temple of Hatshepsut, an imposing terraced structure, located below towering cliffs. Then we said goodbye to this world of ancient kings and queens as we crossed the river into modern-day Luxor and our hotel. We swam and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon at the beautiful hotel pool beside the Nile. Then we experienced a delicious traditional Egyptian Dinner at a family run restaurant recommended by our tour guide, Isis.
We set off early in the morning to visit the Karnak Temple Complex, home to a vast array of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other ancient buildings. We had some tome to explore the ruins and soak up the unique atmosphere and let our imaginations run wild as we learned about life in Ancient Egypt. Then, it was time for our bus ride to our all inclusive resort in Hurghada, a popular area on the Red Sea known for its white sands, crystalline waters and excellent coral reefs.
The resort was truly beautiful and after our busy week we really enjoyed these last three days relaxing by the pool, on the beach, and enjoying all of the plentiful food and beverages. We did opt to do a glass bottom boat tour and some snorkeling in the red sea to enjoy swimming in the sea and seeing the life under the water.
After the bus ride back to Cairo we did the optional excursion to the Saladin Citadel and a beautiful mosque that just happened to be decorated extravagantly for a wedding that day. We ended the day with a walk through the lively Khan el Khalili, the largest bazaar in the city, and bartered for our treasures and tasty treats to bring home, and sampled some more yummy traditional Egyptian food.
We exchanged photos and contact information with all of the new friends we made on this one of a kind bucket list tour. Unfortunately, we had to fly home the next morning, back to our regular lives, but we will always remember and treasure our wonderful memories of Egypt.
