Find places in Egypt

Must-Haves

• Pyramids of Giza (Giza Plateau)
  The last standing wonder of the ancient world, best at opening time before the heat and crowds.
• Saqqara Step Pyramid of Djoser (Saqqara)
  The oldest pyramid in Egypt, with painted tombs and far fewer people than Giza.
• Al Muizz Street (Islamic Cairo)
  A walkable open air museum of mosques, madrasas and fountains, magical when lit at night.
• Cairo Citadel and Mosque of Muhammad Ali (Salah El Din Citadel)
  Saladin's fortress with an Ottoman mosque and views across the city to the Pyramids on clear days.

Off the Beaten Path

• Red Pyramid and Bent Pyramid (Dahshur)
  Two great pyramids you can often enjoy almost alone, including a climb inside the Red Pyramid.

Must-Haves

• Grand Egyptian Museum (Giza)
  The world's largest museum of a single civilisation, with the full Tutankhamun collection on show.
• Egyptian Museum (Tahrir Square, Downtown)
  The original pink museum, still crammed with statues, coffins and atmosphere.
• National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (Fustat)
  Home of the Royal Mummies, displayed in a hushed, dramatic hall.
• Al Azhar Mosque (Islamic Cairo)
  One of the oldest mosques and universities in the world, calm and welcoming to modest visitors.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bab Zuweila (Islamic Cairo)
  Climb the twin minarets of this medieval gate for a rooftop view of old Cairo.

Must-Haves

• Khan el Khalili (Islamic Cairo)
  The great medieval bazaar of lanterns, spices, silver and perfume, best at dusk.
• Souq Fustat (Coptic Cairo)
  Handicraft shops with fixed prices, a stress free place to buy gifts.

Off the Beaten Path

• Diwan Bookstore (Zamalek)
  Cairo's best loved bookshop, with English titles on Egypt and a calm café.

Must-Haves

• El Fishawy Café (Khan el Khalili)
  A centuries old café of mirrors and brass where mint tea comes with people watching.

Great for Date Night

• Al Azhar Park (Salah Salem)
  A green hilltop park with sunset views over a thousand minarets.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Koshary Abou Tarek (Downtown)
  Cairo's most famous koshari house, serving one dish and doing it brilliantly.
• Felfela (Downtown)
  A long running favourite for ful, taameya and classic Egyptian plates.
• Zooba (Zamalek)
  Playful modern takes on Egyptian street food, great for a first taste.

Great for Date Night

• Abou El Sid (Zamalek)
  Traditional Egyptian dishes in a lamp lit, old Cairo setting.
• Sequoia (Zamalek)
  Nile side dining at the tip of Zamalek, beautiful at sunset.

Great for Date Night

• Cairo Jazz Club (Agouza)
  The city's best known live music club, with bands and DJs most nights.

Must-Haves

• Cairo International Film Festival (Cairo Opera House, Zamalek)
  The Arab world's oldest international film festival, held each autumn.

Must-Haves

• Marriott Mena House (Giza)
  A historic palace hotel with the Great Pyramid rising over its gardens.

Great for Date Night

• Cairo Marriott Hotel and Omar Khayyam Casino (Zamalek)
  A former khedival palace on the Nile with grand gardens.

Must-Haves

• Karnak Temple (East Bank)
  A vast temple city whose Great Hypostyle Hall leaves everyone speechless.
• Luxor Temple (East Bank, town centre)
  Graceful by day and unforgettable when lit up after dark.
• Valley of the Kings (West Bank)
  The painted tombs of the pharaohs, including Tutankhamun's.
• Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir el Bahari, West Bank)
  The terraced temple of Egypt's great female pharaoh, set against golden cliffs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Medinet Habu (West Bank)
  The temple of Ramesses III, with some of the brightest carved colour in Egypt and few crowds.

Must-Haves

• Luxor Museum (Corniche, East Bank)
  A small, beautifully lit museum of masterpieces, calm in the evening.

Fun for Everyone

• Mummification Museum (Corniche, East Bank)
  A quirky short visit explaining how the ancients prepared their dead.

Great for Date Night

• Felucca sail at sunset (Corniche, East Bank)
  An hour on the Nile as the sun drops behind the Theban hills.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sofra Restaurant (East Bank)
  Traditional Egyptian cooking in an old house with a rooftop terrace.

Great for Date Night

• Winter Palace terrace (Corniche, East Bank)
  A drink on the historic terrace overlooking the Nile.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Luxor Souk (East Bank, town centre)
  A lively market of spices, galabiyas and scarves, fun with patient haggling.

Great for Date Night

• Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor (Corniche, East Bank)
  The Victorian era grand hotel where history and Nile views meet.

Must-Haves

• Philae Temple (Agilkia Island)
  The island Temple of Isis, reached by boat and loveliest in late light.
• Abu Simbel Temples (Abu Simbel)
  The colossal rock cut temples of Ramesses II, worth every minute of the early start.

Fun for Everyone

• Gharb Soheil Nubian village (West bank)
  Brightly painted houses, Nubian tea and a warm welcome, reached by boat.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tombs of the Nobles (West bank hill)
  Ancient governors' tombs with a sweeping view of the Nile.
• Monastery of St Simeon (West bank desert)
  A ruined fortress monastery reached across the sand.

Must-Haves

• Felucca sail around Elephantine Island (Corniche)
  Glide between granite islands and golden dunes at sunset.

Great for Date Night

• Aswan Botanical Garden (Kitchener's Island)
  A shady island garden of exotic trees, peaceful in the afternoon.

Must-Haves

• Nubian Museum (Corniche)
  A calm, superb museum on Nubian history and the rescue of its temples.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Aswan Souk (Sharia el Souk)
  A relaxed market for hibiscus, spices, baskets and Nubian crafts.

Great for Date Night

• Old Cataract terrace (Sofitel Legend Old Cataract)
  Sunset tea or a drink on the terrace where Agatha Christie wrote.

Must-Haves

• Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan (Corniche)
  One of Africa's most famous hotels, full of history and Nile views.

Must-Haves

• Abu Simbel Sun Festival (Abu Simbel)
  Around 22 February and 22 October the sunrise lights the temple's inner sanctuary.

Must-Haves

• Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Shatby)
  A striking modern library with museums and exhibitions inside.
• Alexandria National Museum (Fouad Street)
  A compact museum covering the city's long history.

Must-Haves

• Citadel of Qaitbay (Eastern Harbour)
  A fifteenth century fort on the site of the ancient lighthouse.
• Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (Karmouz)
  A strange underground tomb blending Egyptian, Greek and Roman art.

Fun for Everyone

• Pompey's Pillar (Karmouz)
  A giant granite column on the site of the Serapeum.
• Roman Amphitheatre (Kom el Dikka)
  A small marble theatre and Roman baths in the city centre.

Off the Beaten Path

• El Alamein War Cemetery (El Alamein)
  A moving World War Two cemetery and museum on the coast west of the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Montaza Palace Gardens (Montaza)
  Royal gardens and beaches at the eastern end of the city.

Great for Date Night

• The Corniche at sunset (Corniche)
  Miles of seafront promenade, at its best as the sun goes down.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mohamed Ahmed (Raml Station)
  A famous no frills spot for ful and taameya.
• Kadoura (Bahary)
  A busy seafood house where you pick the catch and it arrives grilled.

Must-Haves

• Trianon (Raml Station)
  A grand old café of pastries and coffee from the city's cosmopolitan age.

Great for Date Night

• Délices (Saad Zaghloul Square)
  A historic Greek era patisserie by the sea.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Attarine Market (Attarine)
  Lanes of antique dealers and old furniture shops to browse.

Great for Date Night

• Steigenberger Cecil Hotel (Saad Zaghloul Square)
  A historic seafront hotel that has hosted famous guests for a century.

Must-Haves

• Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano (San Stefano)
  Seafront rooms and a private beach in the modern east of the city.

Must-Haves

• Giftun Island (Offshore from Hurghada)
  White sand and clear water on a day boat with snorkelling stops.

Fun for Everyone

• Snorkelling trip to the reefs (Hurghada Marina)
  Coral, colourful fish and sometimes dolphins on a day boat.
• Kitesurfing at El Gouna (El Gouna)
  Steady winds and shallow lagoons for lessons and experienced riders.

Fun for Everyone

• Hurghada Marina (Sakkala)
  A seafront promenade of cafés and restaurants, lovely in the evening.
• Bedouin desert trip (Eastern Desert)
  A jeep ride to a desert camp for tea, stars and a simple dinner.

Off the Beaten Path

• El Dahar old town (El Dahar)
  Hurghada's original town, with a local souk and simple cafés.

Great for Date Night

• El Gouna Abu Tig Marina (El Gouna)
  Waterfront dining and strolling in the lagoon town north of Hurghada.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hurghada Old Market (El Dahar)
  Spices, fruit and everyday goods away from the resort strip.

Must-Haves

• Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel (Hurghada)
  A large beach resort with pools and space for families.

Must-Haves

• Ras Mohammed National Park (Southern Sinai tip)
  Spectacular reefs and walls at the meeting of two gulfs.
• Straits of Tiran (Off Sharm El Sheikh)
  Four famous reefs with drop offs, turtles and big fish.
• Blue Hole (Dahab)
  A famous reef sinkhole where snorkellers float above the drop.

Fun for Everyone

• Naama Bay beach (Naama Bay)
  A sheltered bay with easy snorkelling and a lively promenade.

Must-Haves

• SS Thistlegorm wreck dive (Gulf of Suez)
  A Second World War cargo ship and one of the world's great wreck dives.
• Mount Sinai sunrise climb (St Catherine)
  Climb through the night to watch the sun rise over the Sinai mountains.

Fun for Everyone

• Soho Square (Sharm El Sheikh)
  An evening entertainment hub with an ice rink, fountains and restaurants.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dahab Lighthouse reef (Dahab)
  An easy shore dive and snorkel straight from the promenade.

Must-Haves

• St Catherine's Monastery (St Catherine)
  One of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Old Market Sharm (Old Sharm)
  Spices, sweets and souvenirs, livelier and more local than the resorts.

Must-Haves

• Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh (Sharm El Sheikh)
  A hillside resort with a fine house reef.