Egypt is one of humanity's oldest civilisations and one of the world's most powerful travel experiences. The monuments left by the pharaohs — built over three millennia before the common era — remain the largest and most impressive ancient structures ever constructed, and standing before them in person never fails to deliver the sense of scale and time that photographs cannot capture.
The Giza Plateau outside Cairo is where the Great Pyramid of Khufu — the only surviving wonder of the ancient world — rises 138 metres above the desert. At dawn, before the crowds arrive, the pyramids and the Sphinx are silhouetted against a pale sky in a scene that has barely changed in 4,500 years. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo holds the gold mask of Tutankhamun and thousands of other artefacts; the Grand Egyptian Museum, opened in stages near Giza, is becoming one of the world's great archaeological institutions.
Luxor, 700 kilometres south on the Nile, is often called the world's greatest open-air museum. The east bank holds the Karnak Temple Complex — a vast ceremonial city of obelisks, colossal statues, and hypostyle halls — and Luxor Temple, which glows amber at night. Crossing to the west bank brings the Valley of the Kings, where 63 royal tombs have been discovered, including the intact burial chamber of Tutankhamun.
A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is one of the world's classic journeys. The Aswan region holds the Temple of Abu Simbel — relocated in its entirety in the 1960s to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser — one of the engineering achievements of the modern world. At Abu Simbel, twice yearly, sunlight aligns precisely to illuminate the inner sanctuary.
The Sinai Peninsula offers a completely different Egypt. The Red Sea coast from Sharm el-Sheikh to Dahab has some of the world's finest coral reef diving — the Blue Hole at Dahab is legendary among divers.
Egyptian food is warming and generous. Koshari — a mix of rice, lentils, pasta, and spiced tomato sauce — is the beloved street food. Ful medames, slow-cooked fava beans, is the breakfast of millions. The best time to visit is October to April, when temperatures are comfortable throughout the country.
