Perhaps no place on earth is as steeped in ancient history as Egypt. A visit to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo is the perfect place to start an Egyptian vacation. Words simply cannot describe the vastness of the collection which chronicles Egypt‘s rich history and culture. All types of travelers are sure to find the more than 120,000 items on display fascinating and unforgettable. After an educational experience at the museum, the Saqqara site is the best place for visitors to see the sights of these relics.
Want to take something home to friends? The Khan Al-Khalili center is the number one place for travelers looking for exotic spices, perfumes, fabric, or souvenirs. The site includes the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Pyramid of Unas, Pyramid of Sekhemket, Mastaba of Ti and the deep underground Persian Tombs. For a spookier experience, a visit to the City of the Dead includes many intriguing funeral sites such as the Complex of Sultan Ashraf Barsbey and the Mausoleum of Ibn Barquq.
In Luxor, visitors should definitely pay a visit to the Valley of the Kings which contains the burial sites for Egyptian Pharaohs such as King Tut. Visit one of Egypt’s most mysterious queens at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari. Restored to as near it’s original splendor as possible, the temple is adorned with statues, relics, and sphinxes. Once the capitol of the Egyptian empire, Alexandria offers visitors the chance to shuffle through the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, an ancient staircase leading to tombs tunneled into bedrock during the 2nd century AD. Giza also has some of the most important sights in all of Egypt’s history. Take a camel ride to the Pyramids of Giza and enjoy the only surviving ancient wonder of the world. Also at the Giza sight, carved from solid limestone, the Great Sphinx is a sight to behold. Make sure to take home real papyrus scrolls from the Papyrus shop in Giza. An Egypt vacation is like stepping through the constraints of time and reality and embarking on an exploration of the opulence of the ancient world.