14 tips for first-time visitors to Egypt

Useful Things To Know Before Traveling TO Egypt

Egypt is a beautiful country with a rich history and culture. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your visit:

1. Avoid large crowds and political demonstrations, as they can sometimes turn violent

2. Avoid walking alone in very quite and remote areas especially if you’re a woman

3. Dress conservatively at all times and especially when visiting religious sites

4. Keep a copy of your passport and other important documents in a safe place

5. Keep your personal belongings secure at all times

6. Dress for the desert

7. Bring the right shoes

8. Purchase a SIM card

9. Bring hand sanitizer and sun screen

10. Avoid tap water for drinking

11. Stay hydrated

12. Euros, British Pound Sterling, and USD are widely accepted

13. Service charges and VAT may apply in some places

14. Shukran! (Thank you in Arabic) you can use it for saying no thanks also whoever will offer things that you do not want

also in Egypt you can discover and see many beautiful places from pharaohs temples and tombs to stunning resorts and oasis for relaxation all of it can find it organized tours packages for it here

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Tanis ( the mysterious capital of Egypt )

Discover Tanis (the capital of the pharaohs)


For several centuries Tanis was one of the largest cities in the Delta, and became a site of great importance after the end of the New Kingdom, especially during the Late Period (747–332 BC). as it was the capital of Egypt for almost 250 years

In Tanis The oldest buildings are from the time of the king Psusennes I from the 21st dynasty as he built a great wall around the Temple of Amun and his royal tomb was found in 1939, intact full of great collection of jewelry, was found in 1939 and now all of it are displayed in the Egyptian Museum. it was clear many items that was found in Tanis were taken from previous places and were reused there. after psusennes 1 the followers kings added temple to Mut, Khons and the Asiatic goddess Astarte, and the sacred lake,
The archeologist Montet was surprised when he found the stunning treasure collections of this burial chamber. next to antechamber was asilver coffin plus many other silver items, it was clear that everything was intact also through a crack in the side wall he saw gold shimmering, later he asked the Egyptian authority to put soldiers to protect the treasures in the tomb.

Tanis that was mentioned in Indiana jones movie

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It is considered as one of the richest archeological sites with many temples and royal tombs in the same spot.

You can reach Tanis by several ways like a microbus or East Delta bus or taxi or organized tour with one of the specialist tour operators which is more recommended

Tanis is known as (the lost city)

because of its special location it became a famous commercial center during the late period of the pharaohs, but political situation was changed by the time and also, the Nile River branch has been filled with mud and was cancelled after this, that is why the importance of the capital was minimized, until the capital was totally changed to somewhere else.

you can discover Tanis and its secrets with us using this link.
a private tour.

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Best places to visit in Cairo.

Fun activities in Cairo

Cairo is a massive city with a variety of attractions that span from ancient to contemporary times. Some of these places include pharaonic, medieval, Islamic, and modern sites that we will describe below.

# Giza pyramids

The only survived thing from the ancient seven wanders of the world and the main symbol of Egypt as the area has 3 pyramids for the same royal family and 6 other small pyramids for the royal lades and the sphinx, your visit to Egypt will not be completed without visiting this amazing spot.

# the Egyptian Museum

The museum was opened more than 120 years ago and has more than 100 thousand items makes it one of the world’s great museums. You would need a lifetime to properly see everything on show. includes the magnificent collection of Tutankhamun that the government willing to move it to the grand museum, The Egyptian Museum sits right beside Midan Tahrir, the central square of Downtown Cairo.

# Al-Azhar Mosque

Al-Azhar Mosque is the best building from Cairo’s Fatimid era and one of the city’s earliest surviving mosques, was
built in 972 ac ,also it is considered the world’s oldest universities , Al-Azhar Mosque is right in the heart of the Islamic Cairo district


# Old Cairo (Coptic Cairo)

the area of Coptic Cairo has some of the oldest churches on earth, includes (the hanged church) which was built in the 4th century and Abu Serga church where the holy family stayed in the same location of it for 3 months during their journey in Egypt, just outside the quarter, you can also visit the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As; the first mosque built in Egypt.

# Saqqara & Dahshur

Saqqara was the main cemetery for the pharos for more than 1000 years and it is like an open-air museum, and has the oldest pyramid ever that was built on earth which is the step pyramid also it has the stunning Serapeum, where the mummies of the sacred Apis, next to Saqqara you can find Dahshur’s Red Pyramid and Bent Pyramid which shouldn’t be missed.

# The civilization museum

it was opened officially in April 2021, and it contains the royal mummies in the first floor plus a lot of amazing antiquities that shows the development of the life in Egypt from the predynastic period until the modern life.

Also, there are many other unique places you could visit in Cairo if you interested to know more about it check the link here.

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Siwa oasis (best places in Siwa)

Siwa oasis (the pure natural paradise)

It is a peaceful and pristine spot on earth as it is situated almost 800 km from Cairo on the western desert near the Libyan border. The local people of Siwa are called Amazigh and they speak their own language that the rest of Egyptians cannot understand when they talk to each other. The area is known for its natural and pure spots and it is a wonderful place for relaxation and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There you can see many unique sites such as

# The salt lakes


There are hundreds of salt lakes spread throughout the Siwa Oasis region of Egypt. The pools are actually part of a salt mine right outside of the town each of these pools has their own health benefits the salt pools are particularly good for skin and eye infections. You can float in them such as the dead sea.

# Cleopatra spring


The oasis has many cold and hot springs that is full of sulfuric water which is very useful for skin among this springs Cleopatra spring, which is almost the most famous one there, its name refers to Queen Cleopatra VII, there is no evidence that Cleopatra ever bathed there.

# Amon temple

this temple known also by name of the oracle temple as it was built almost 2500 years ago and there are many records confirmed that Alexander the great came to this temple to predict his future military campaigns and to show his respect to god Amon the main god of Egypt back at this time to get the loyalty of the local people.

# The Ancient Shali Fortress

The ancient Shali Fortress, located in the downtown, and it was built from kerchief (chunks of salt mixed with rock, brick and clay), during 13th-century the fortress was a spectacular sight to wander around. Shali Fortress is an important historical and religious symbol of Siwa. and it was built on a high point to make the local people safe from any attacks.

# Sand dunes and the stunning desert
The Sand Dunes of Siwa are a great place to explore in jeeps, on sand boards or by foot. sandboarding is One of the most popular activities for a fun day out

# The mountain of the dead
The Mountain of the Dead is a wonderful place to shoot photos as it is on the highest point of the oasis so you can have a panoramic view for the whole area from it . This mountain is home to thousands of graves which are cut into the bedrock giving it the name ‘Mountain of the Dead’.it was built during the 26th dynasty of the pharos and the burials continued here until the late Roman era.

# Fintas island
Fintas island is a stunning spot where you can enjoy unforgettable sunset view from it, somewhere looks like a paradise with oriental places for siting and relaxing.

Going to Siwa oasis could be by west delta buses or you can book an organized tour

you can visit and discover this stunning oasis with us in a private tour.

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Valley of the whales ( Egypt )

The wander valley of the whales

It is one of the most extraordinary places on earth as it has many fossils of whales that date back to 40 million years ago. The significance of the area is that it shows the evolution of the whales from land-dwelling animals to sea-going mammals and it was designated by UNISCO as a world heritage area

The valley of the whales reveals a whole unknown side of Egypt.

This site has a wonderful, contemporary museum that was constructed in 2016, showing some of the best examples of exhibits and descriptions. Descriptions are written in Arabic and English. The restroom area is up-to-date, with all essential facilities.

The main importance of the valley of the whales

1- because it is the only place that has skeletons for whales with limbs that shows transaction of the whales from land-based animal to ocean going mammals

2- it is very clear example for the climate change as this remote desert was full of underwater life millions years ago it just became very dry desert and all the sea life died

Where is Valley of the whales located?


in Egypt’s Western Desert is the only place in the world where the skeletons of families of archaic whales can be seen in their original geological sites.

The fossils of Wadi El-Hitan were first found in 1902 by H. J. L. Beadnell of the Geological Survey of Egypt and it was by chance. Between 1983 and 2007, nine expeditions were conducted by Egyptian and American paleontologists. The expedition teams located and mapped about 400 whale and sea cow skeletons in the valley. During the 1989 expedition, the first fully aquatic whale specimens with legs and feet were uncovered.

The ancient whales of Wadi El-Hitan are an important link in the evolution of whales. Fully aquatic Basilosaurus and Dourdan with their tiny legs and feet demonstrate that the transition from land to water was successful.

you can discover the secrets of this mysterious valley with us in a private tour.

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Best times to visit Egypt

When is the best time to travel to Egypt

Egypt Egypt offers excellent diving conditions all year round.

From October to May, the climate is cooler and the huge cruise ships are more common. To dodge the crowds of buses, it is better to visit the main attractions early in the morning or late in the afternoon during these months.

*The best time for watching dolphins if you do dive or snorkeling specially in Dahab is from March to November.

*The temperature increases from May to August, as it reaches up to 48 degrees on some days, but it is not too humid, so it is recommended to drink a lot of water and use sunscreen. August is the warmest month,

In September, the temperature falls a bit and becomes more cooler during October and November.

From December till March this is the winter season in Egypt but still nice warm during daytime and cold at night, long sleeved top required. It is hotter in the south, but it can get cool at night as well.

Coptic Christians, who make up 15 percent of Egypt’s population, don’t celebrate Christmas on 25th December, but around 7th January. The celebrations are a wonderful sight to see.

Ramadan is a 30-day religious celebration period, during daytime not everywhere will be open as usual other days, but at evening you can see amazing things and people stay up and all the shops open till early morning with decorations and nice lifestyle everywhere.

Whenever you want to visit Egypt feel free to check this link here to see all the options and and activities that you do while you will be there

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White Desert and Baharia oasis

interesting information about White desert Egypt

The location of the white desert :

The white desert is a national park that covers an area of 300 square kilometers in the Farafra depression, 45 km north of the town of Qsar El Farafra. It is part of the Farafra Oasis in the New Valley Governorate. It is famous for its white chalk rock formations that have been shaped by the wind and sand into forms that resemble giant mushrooms, pebbles, or animals. The white desert is also home to various wildlife, such as gazelles, sheep, jackals, foxes, and sand cats

-White desert was declared as a notional park on 2002

The white desert is a popular destination for adventure travelers who want to experience an alien landscape that changes color with the sun and the moon. The best time to visit the white desert is from October to February, when the weather is cooler and less windy. Visitors can camp overnight in the park, but they need to pay a fee and have a permit from the tourist police. The park can be reached by car or by joining a safari tour from Cairo or other nearby towns.

Some of the attractions in the white desert include:

– The Crystal Mountain: a large rock made entirely of quartz with a hole through its middle. It is located beside the main road 24 km north of Naqb As Sillim, the main pass that leads into and out of the Farafra depression

– The Twin Peaks: two flat-topped mountains that are a key navigation point for travelers. They offer a spectacular view of the surrounding hills that look like giant ant-hills

– The White Canyon: a canyon with white chalk towers called inselbergs that create grand boulevards of sand. It is located on the west side of the Farafra–Bahariya highway

If you willing this amazing place one day feel free to check this link here to more about the organized tours to it

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The black desert Egypt and Bharia oasis

The Black Desert is a region of volcano-shaped and widely spaced mounds, distributed along about 30 km in western Egypt between the White Desert in the south and the Bahariya Oasis in the north. Most of its mounds are capped by basalt sills, giving them the characteristic black color

The mounds of the Black Desert, up to 100 m high, vary in size, composition, height, and shape as some are dark consisting of iron quartzite while others are more reddish as its surface rocks consist of iron sandstone. On the outskirts of the Black Desert are volcanic hills proving the eruption of dark volcanic dolerite, dating back to the Jurassic period 180 million years ago

After discovering a large dinosaur skeleton on its borders, the Black Desert has been declared a natural reserve as of 2010
the whole area was full of volcanic activities before ,
there are special organized tours to the area

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Abu Simbel tembles

Abu Simbel, site of two temples built by the Egyptian king Ramses II (reigned 1279–13 BCE), now located in Aswān muḥāfaẓah (governorate), southern Egypt. In ancient times the area was at the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt, facing Nubia. The four colossal statues of Ramses in front of the main temple are spectacular examples of ancient Egyptian art. By means of a complex engineering feat in the 1960s, the temples were salvaged from the rising waters of the Nile River caused by erection of the Aswan High Dam

Carved out of a sandstone cliff on the west bank of the Nile, south of Korosko (modern Kuruskū), the temples were unknown to the outside world until their rediscovery in 1813 by the Swiss researcher Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. They were first explored in 1817 by the early Egyptologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni.

The 66-foot (20-metre) seated figures of Ramses are set against the recessed face of the cliff, two on either side of the entrance to the main temple. Carved around their feet are small figures representing Ramses’ children, his queen, Nefertari, and his mother, Muttuy (Mut-tuy, or Queen Ti). Graffiti inscribed on the southern pair by Greek mercenaries serving Egypt in the 6th century BCE have provided important evidence of the early history of the Greek alphabet. The temple itself, dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte, consists of three consecutive halls extending 185 feet (56 metres) into the cliff, decorated with more Osiride statues of the king and with painted scenes of his purported victory at the Battle of Kadesh. On two days of the year (about February 22 and October 22), the first rays of the morning sun penetrate the whole length of the temple and illuminate the shrine in its innermost sanctuary.

Just to the north of the main temple is a smaller one, dedicated to Nefertari for the worship of the goddess Hathor and adorned with 35-foot (10.5-metre) statues of the king and queen.

In the mid-20th century, when the reservoir that was created by the construction of the nearby Aswan High Dam threatened to submerge Abu Simbel, UNESCO and the Egyptian government sponsored a project to save the site. An informational and fund-raising campaign was initiated by UNESCO in 1959. Between 1963 and 1968 a workforce and an international team of engineers and scientists, supported by funds from more than 50 countries, dug away the top of the cliff and completely disassembled both temples, reconstructing them on high ground more than 200 feet (60 metres) above their previous site. In all, some 16,000 blocks were moved. In 1979 Abu Simbel, Philae, and other nearby monuments were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site

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The Red Sea (The underwater paradise )

The Red Sea, Arabic Al-Baḥr Al-Aḥmar, narrow strip of water extending southeastward from Suez, Egypt, for about 1,200 miles (1,930 km) to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects with the Gulf of Aden and thence with the Arabian Sea. Geologically, the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba (Elat) must be considered as the northern extension of the same structure. The sea separates the coasts of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea to the west from those of Saudi Arabia and Yemen to the east. Its maximum width is 190 miles, its greatest depth 9,974 feet (3,040 meters), and its area approximately 174,000 square miles (450,000 square km).

The Red Sea contains some of the world’s hottest and saltiest seawater. With its connection to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, it is one of the most heavily traveled waterways in the world, carrying maritime traffic between Europe and Asia. Its name is derived from the color changes observed in its waters. Normally, the Red Sea is an intense blue-green; occasionally, however, it is populated by extensive blooms of the algae Trichodesmium erythraeum, which, upon dying off, turn the sea a reddish-brown color.

Climate
The Red Sea region receives very little precipitation in any form, although prehistoric artifacts indicate that there were periods with greater amounts of rainfall. In general, the climate is conducive to outdoor activity in fall, winter, and spring—except during windstorms—with temperatures varying between 46 and 82 °F (8 and 28 °C). Summer temperatures, however, are much higher, up to 104 °F (40 °C), and relative humidity is high, rendering vigorous activity unpleasant. In the northern part of the Red Sea area, extending down to 19° N, the prevailing winds are north to northwest. Best known are the occasional westerly, or “Egyptian,” winds, which blow with some violence during the winter months and generally are accompanied by fog and blowing sand. From latitude 14° to 16° N the winds are variable, but from June through August strong northwest winds move down from the north, sometimes extending as far south as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait; by September, however, this wind pattern retreats to a position north of 16° N. South of 14° N the prevailing winds are south to southeast.

Physical Features
Physiography and submarine morphology
The Red Sea lies in a fault depression that separates two great blocks of Earth’s crust—Arabia and North Africa. The land on either side, inland from the coastal plains, reaches heights of more than 6,560 feet above sea level, with the highest land in the south.

At its northern end, the Red Sea splits into two parts, the Gulf of Suez to the northwest and the Gulf of Aqaba to the northeast. The Gulf of Suez is shallow—approximately 180 to 210 feet deep—and it is bordered by a broad coastal plain. The Gulf of Aqaba, on the other hand, is bordered by a narrow plain, and it reaches a depth of 5,500 feet. From approximately 28° N, where the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba converge, south to a latitude near 25° N, the Red Sea’s coasts parallel each other at a distance of roughly 100 miles apart. There the seafloor consists of the main trough, with a maximum depth of some 4,000 feet, running parallel to the shorelines.

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