Egypt is considered the land of ‘sights’ in the popular imagination, and not without good reason—from the pyramids at Giza, the awe-inspiring Sphinx and the monuments liberally littering ancient Thebes, to the underwater explosion of colour in the coral reefs off the Red sea coast.  

Egypt’s destinations can be divided into six super-sites—the north coast and the delta area, the upper Nile area, the lower Nile area, the desert and oases, the Sinai and Red Sea area, and Cairo and the surrounding areas.

The north coast has the novelty of pleasant climate even in the summer (it being the Egyptian Mediterranean), and has two main tourist centres—Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh. Alexandria was founded in 332 BC by Alexander (surprise!), and has a long and glorious history as a centre for trade and learning. Today, it is a waterfront town with some pleasant 18th and 19th century colonial buildings.

 Marsa Matrouh is being enthusiastically developed by the Egyptian government as a major tourist center, but despite some good beaches (Shatt al-Gharam, Agiba and Ubaiyyad), it has little to offer. 

The upper Nile area (which is actually in the south of the country) boasts three very interesting towns, albeit for different reasons.

The city of Luxor is a regular tourist hotspot for the reason most travelers visit Egypt—the sheer grandeur of its well-preserved monuments dating from the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms of ancient Egypt. The best part is that you don’t need to be an Egyptologist or even a history buff to appreciate the beauty of Luxor’s monuments.

The temples of Karnak on the east bank of the Nile in the Luxor area are nothing short of spectacular. The west bank holds the Necropolis of the ancient city of Thebes.  

The Valley of Kings here is highly recommended, since the tombs there give one a sense of the elaborate way in which ancient Egyptians conceptualized the afterlife. The tombs of Ramses VI, Queen Tawsert/Sethnakt and Tuthmosis III are the most impressive, and are better value for your money than the much-hyped Tutankhamen’s tomb. The tomb of Queen Nefertari allegedly contains the finest wall paintings in all of Egypt.

Aswan, a strikingly attractive and historic town on the Nile, contains a newly excavated town on Elephantine Island, the Unfinished Obelisk, the well-preserved Monastery of St Simeon and the Tombs of the Nobles dating from the Old and Middle kingdom. One activity that is an absolute must when you visit Aswan is taking a felucca ride. The Great Temple of Abu Simbel, about four hours from Aswan, is also worth visiting—it was relocated out of the way of the rising waters of Lake Nasser in the 1960s thanks to UNESCO.

 The monuments of the now-submerged island of Philae, now relocated in another island located just south of Aswan are the remaining attractions in the upper Nile area. The main structure is the Temple to Isis, the Egyptian goddess of sexuality and motherhood.

The lower Nile area contains the towns of Beni Hassan (with some extremely interesting tombs dating from the Middle Kingdom located in the limestone cliffs on the outskirts), the town of Hermopolis where the ancient god of wisdom, Thuth, is believed to have laid the cosmic egg which gave birth to the sun god and ultimately, to all of life! The friendly, lively university town of Minya is a good base to travel to the nearby tourist sites or just relax for a day or two.

The Western Desert has become more frequently visited in recent years, since there are some very pleasant oases like Siwa, Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra and the most well-known of them, Bahariyya. Siwa is a relatively well kept tourist secret, and has a charming, unhurried atmosphere, friendly locals, some craft/souvenir shops, and numerous springs where you can bathe. To the north of Kharga is the Temple of Hibis, built by the Persian emperor Darius I. Farafra has little of interest in the town itself, but from here, one can take a day trip to the spectacular White Desert.

The Sinai and Red Sea area contain the three tourist centres of Hurghada - a former fishing village on the Red Sea, and now teeming with facilities for diving and snorkeling; the relatively less developed coastal resort of Sharm el-Shaikh, with gorgeous marine life in the surrounding water, and Mount Sinai, where it is believed that Moses received his Ten Commandments, and a very scenic area. Just a word of caution about the diving—familiarize yourself with the dangers well in advance, and never step on the coral.

Cairo was once the Byzantine city of Babylon—the same as in the song "by the rivers of Babylon…" In 969 AD, the Fatimid rulers captured the reigns of power, to be succeeded by the Mameluks, a slave dynasty. They left behind a warren of districts like Al-Muski, Darb al-Ahmar and Gamaliya. The old-world charm here is palpable, and well worth soaking in.

The most impressive structures are the Citadel, the Mosque of Sultan Hassan and one of the largest mosques in the world, the Ibn Tulun. The twin minarets of the Mosque of Mu’ayyad offer great views of the city.  

The section called Old Cairo is where Babylon once stood—its main attractions are the Coptic Hanging Church and the monastery/church of St Sergius, supposedly built on the place where the biblical Holy Family rested while escaping from King Herod. Memphis borders Cairo and is renowned for the Temple of Ptah, which has within its precincts the Alabaster Sphinx and the gargantuan statue of Rameses II.

Today, Cairo is a lively and tourist-friendly city, with an active cultural scene and a bustling nightlife. The Egyptian Museum is a must-visit, with endless rows of sarcophagi, mummies and other tomb treasures. The Museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm on all days except Friday, when it is closed for a few hours. Students get a 50% discount on entry fee, which is US$6 and an additional US$18 if you want to see the Royal Mummy Room. The Khan al-Khalili is a vast maze of shops in Cairo that offer fantastic opportunities for souvenir hunting. Bargain like crazy!

No monuments is Egypt are visited as much as the Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx—this is truly the stuff that the glossiest Egyptian tourist brochures are made of! The three pyramids are devoted to the father-son-grandson trio of Cheops, Cephren and Mycerinus. The first two are the most impressive. Entry to the pyramid grounds costs US$6.

 Egyptologists and archeologists differ over the exact significance of the Sphinx (known in Arabic as ‘Abu al-Hol’ or the ‘father of terror’) in Egyptian culture, but there is no doubting the sheer grandeur of the figure. 

The nightly sound and light performances at the Sphinx give you a vivid picture of how life in its heyday must have been. The Solar Boat Museum near the pyramids is also worth visiting.

The former Pharaonic capital of Memphis lies in ruins 24 km south of Cairo, and its main attraction is a statue of Ramses II. The site of Saqqara, a few kilometers from Memphis, contains numerous pyramids, temples and tombs, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser.