Top Choice Tomb in Luxor
Valley of the Kings
The west bank of Luxor had been the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but it was the pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (1550–1069 BC) who chose this isolated valley dominated by the pyramid-shaped mountai…
Top Choice Temple in Luxor
Medinat Habu
Ramses III’s magnificent memorial temple of Medinat Habu, fronted by sleepy Kom Lolah village and backed by the Theban mountains, is perhaps one of the west bank's most underrated sites. This was one of the first pl…
Top Choice Temple in Luxor
Karnak
Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad but also to the greater glory of pharaohs. The site covers over 2 sq km; it's large enough to contain abou…
Top Choice Archaeological Site in Cairo
Pyramids of Giza
The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids have invited the obvious questions: ‘How were we built, and why…
Top Choice Museum in Cairo
Egyptian Museum
One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan Tahrir. Inside the great domed, oddly pinkish building, the …
Top Choice Museum in Alexandria
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Alexandria’s ancient library was one of the greatest of all classical institutions, and while replacing it might seem a Herculean task, the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina manages it with aplomb. Opened in 2002, this im…
Top Choice Museum in Luxor
Luxor Museum
This wonderful museum has a well-chosen and brilliantly displayed and explained collection of antiquities dating from the end of the Old Kingdom right through to the Mamluk period, mostly gathered from the Theban te…
Top Choice Market in Cairo
Khan al-Khalili
The skinny lanes of Khan al-Khalili are basically a medieval-style mall. This agglomeration of shops – many arranged around small courtyards – stock everything from soap powder to semiprecious stones, not to mention…
Top Choice Dive Site in Dahab
Blue Hole
Carved into a reef just offshore, 8km north of Dahab, is Egypt’s most infamous dive site. The Blue Hole is a gaping sinkhole that drops straight down – some say as deep as 130m. Exploring the deeper depths should be…
Top Choice Tomb in Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur
Mastaba of Ti
The Mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. It is perhaps the grandest and most detailed private tomb at Saqqara, and one of our main sources of knowledge about life in Old Kingdom Egypt. Its owner…