Holidays in Egypt

Egypt was an adventure like no other. From the massive pyramids of Giza to the incredible desert dunes, every day was packed with something new and exciting. Here’s a breakdown of what we did on our incredible journey.

Day 1: We started our trip with a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, and it was so cool! The museum covers the entire history of Egypt, from prehistoric times to modern day. The building itself was really modern, and inside, there were tons of ancient artifacts, statues, and even jewelry from thousands of years ago. The best part was the Royal Mummies Hall, where we saw the actual mummies of famous pharaohs like Ramses II and Hatshepsut. It was crazy to think that these rulers lived thousands of years ago, yet their bodies were still so well-preserved!

Day 2: We started off this morning early at 8:00 am. We first went to the Great Pyramid and went inside which was very cool. There were stairs inside the pyramid that we climbed and it was very interesting to see but it was also extremely hot. After, we visited the Great Sphinx of Giza which is an enormous statue made of lime stone with the body of a lion and the head of a human. After visiting these cool sites we went to eat a traditional food called Koshary- it has pasta, rice, tomato sauce, chickpeas, fried onions, and lime. It was really delicious but it didn’t look very appealing. We then went back to the hotel to end off the night. 

Day 3: We didn’t do much today besides driving. We drove from Cairo to Siwa which was about a 10 hour drive. We stoped half way for some food which was chicken, rice, and soup. When we finally arrived to Siwa we went to the beach for sunset, fresh fruit juices, and dinner. 

Day 4: Today was our first day in Siwa. We went to the lakes which was saltier than the Dead Sea in Israel. We are here in Egypt in the winter so it was absolutely frigid but we had to go in and float. We went in and floated until we needed to move on but we found that we didn’t want to get out after acclimating to the water. After the salt lake we had some juices, a quick shower, and changed into our clothes. Later, we had lamb with couscous for lunch and returned to our hotel to relax for the evening. 

Day 5: Today was one of the funnest days ever. We went sand boarding and drove a 4X4 car up and down these massive sand dunes which was so fun. It felt like we were on a roller coaster. We stopped to see many fossils which were pretty cool and very satisfying to crack. After we ended our day of the sand dunes, we headed back to eat dinner and pack up to drive back the next day. 

Day 6: Today, we did the 10 hour car drive, again. We stopped at the same spot to eat lunch which was lamb, soup, and rice this time which was delicious. When we made it to our hotel we ate at the lounge and went to sleep. ​

Day 7:  This day was a long day. We ate some breakfast at our hotel and then we immediately drove to the is brand new museum in Cairo, The Grand Egyptian Museum. It is the biggest museum I have ever been to. We learned about the pharaohs, reincarnation, mummification, and their beliefs. It was so big you could probably spend a whole day reading and seeing the artifacts. We spent a few hours at the museum then made a quick stop at Starbucks for some drinks then headed to the Red and Bent pyramids. We climbed up the Bent pyramid which was super cool and had so many bats alll over the walls and roof. There was a great breeze through this pyramid and so it was much cooler than the Great Pyramid. After this long exhausting day we went back to our hotel to pack up for our early 6:45 am flight tomorrow to go to Aswan. 

Day 8: Today was utterly exhausting. We woke up for our 6:45 am flight at 4am and the drive took about 45 minutes. We went through security easily and then hoped on our flight. The flight was short and we all slept the entire time. We landed and got all of our stuff and started our Nile River Cruise tour. We met our tour guide named Ahmed who was very nice and we started our drive to the first destination, the Aswan Dam. We didn’t do too much at the dam besides taking a few photos and left. 

Next, we drove to a temple called Philae Temple. To reach it, we took a boat,which was very fun and relaxing. This temple is dedicated to the goddess Isis, the goddess of healing, motherhood, magic, and protection. The temple had many carvings on the walls that told stories about Isis and other gods. You could even see carvings from people who visited this temple all the way back to 1830. This was a cool site to visit and definitely very interesting to see the evidence of travelers here over the centuries. After the temple we went to check into our Nile cruise which didn’t look very nice at first but once we walked in it was very nice. We ate some food at the buffet and relaxed for the rest of the day. We were exhausted from our early morning wake-up so this was needed!

​Day 9:  Today we visited Kom Ombo Temple which was really interesting because it’s actually two temples in one. It’s dedicated to two gods, Sobek the crocodile god, and Horus the falcon god. There were so many carvings in the walls of Horus and Sobek which were very detailed and very well preserved. After exploring the temple, we went to the Crocodile Museum nearby. It had mummified crocodiles, which were gross but cool. Afterward, we headed back to the cruise and spent the rest of the night relaxing on the Nile and enjoying the Christmas Eve dinner onboard.

​Day 10: Merry Christmas! Today we started the day bright and early at 6:00 am to go to Edfu Temple. We traveled there by a carridge that was pulled by horses, which was kind of fun but it didn’t smell the best. The temple is dedicated to Horus the falcon god and it’s one of the most well preserved temples in Egypt.

​Day 11: Today we saw what we have all been waiting for: Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, and finally, Karnak Temple. First, we visited Luxor Temple at night and it was amazing to see it all lit up in the dark. Before the Valley of the Kings we went on a hot air balloon ride. After the hot air balloon ride we went straight to The Valley of the Kings. I enjoyed looking around the tombs and seeing all the hieroglyphics but I think it is a bit overrated considering there are so many other cool tombs.

Finally, it was time for our last stop— Karnak Temple. Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt, is one of the biggest religious sites in the world— and the 2nd largest temple complex in the world only after Angkor Wat in Cambodia! Built over 2,000 years, it was a sacred place for the gods, especially Amun-Ra. The temple has 134 massive columns, giant statues, and an ancient road lined with sphinxes. Pharaohs kept adding to it for centuries, making it a never-ending construction project. Walking through Karnak feels like stepping into a stone forest built for giants! 

This was the last day of our tour which was a bit sad to end but I was happy to sleep in the next few days by the Red Sea in Hurgada.

Overall, I really liked Egypt. It was such a cool place to visit. The history, the temples, and even just driving through the Sahara desert made it such a unique experience. Seeing the pyramids in real life and exploring ancient tombs was definitely a highlight. It was a great trip to end 2024!