Holidays in Egypt Through the Valley of the Kings and a Nile River Journey

By Bea Metcalfe

If Egypt's only attractions for travellers were the Pyramids and the Sphinx, holidays in Egypt would still be very popular. People would still want to go on holidays in Egypt if it offered nothing but the Nile, Aswan and the Valley of the Kings, and even if Egypt's wonders had vanished like the other Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, holidays in Egypt would still be desirable for the stark beauty of the desert and the life and colour of Cairo. The difficulty with holidays in Egypt is much more about what you'll have to leave out than what you'll see.

This is one of the world's oldest civilisations so though many tour operators promise to show you the highlights in a matter of half days it's worth trying to plan at least nine or ten days if you're hoping to see the treasures of Cairo and the gems of the Nile at Aswan and Luxor. And that's before you consider the diving and snorkelling treasures of the Red Sea, or camel rides off into the desert holidays in Egypt afford travellers.

By dividing your holiday in Eqypt into two parts, the first flying in to Cairo and the second planning to sail between Aswan and Luxor, you'll get the classic Egyptian experience, but you can tailor make the details of you holidays in Egypt - from booking a package, to doing Cairo and Giza alone then sailing on a small craft or even sailing yourself.

Cairo and the Pyramids:

Cairo is the starting point for many holidays in Egypt, with its colourful and frenetic population of 16 million, sprawls over both banks of the Nile and has spread out to the west to absorb Giza and the Pyramids. Days in the city should include trips to the Egyptian Museum, the entertainments around Tahrir Square, the Sultan Hassan Mosque and the crazy bazaar and night markets of Khan-el-Khalili. The Egyptian Museum alone demands half a day. Time should then be made for Egypt's pride, the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, and Memphis for the Necropolis. Tours are run out of Cairo for as little as half a day, but this kind of whirlwind would only leave you wanting more.

Nile River Journey from Aswan to Luxor

People have been taking holidays in Egypt, journeying along the wide, flat waters of the mother Nile on the puffs of breezes for centuries. The thing about cruising the Nile is that it's a relatively simple trip, but it's really the only way to carve through the desert and see the sights of ancient Egypt -- this is the way the Pharaohs travelled. The traditional dahabiya, felucca and sandal boats, the ones with the tall graceful sails and bows lying low in the water, suit the waters and lack of wind perfectly and create a particularly romantic white-sailed scene, but newer yachts are now mixing in among the paddle steamers that ran her waters in the 19th Century, so there's plenty of choice when it comes to sailing holidays in Egypt.

The main sailing route passes between Aswan and Luxor, while some people insist on going upstream towards the dam, the natural route would always be downstream leaving Aswan and arriving in Luxor. Aswan as a city is so much cleaner then Cairo. It's a fusion of African and Egyptian design and culture.

October through February are the best months to take holidays in Egypt. The sand storms start up in late March and it's too hot to travel through the middle of the year.

World reviewer.com gives excellent independent reviews on holidays in Egypt, including Valley of the Kings and a Nile River Journey.

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