Egypt Destinations

Important Towns

Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh are the six different tourist sites, in Egypt each serving a different purpose, though most of these tourist areas don’t really depend on ancient monuments to keep them going.

Alexandria Alexandria and the immediate area around the City. It is the second largest city, also known as “The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern; it’s setting and cultural heritage distances it from the rest of the country although it is actually only 225 km from Cairo. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolized by Pharos, the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Alexandria was also the center of learning in the ancient world. It is an important port of the country, situated on the mouth of the river Nile. It is a significant industrial town, known for its textile mills, cotton and oil refineries. Its prosperity however depends on its proximity to the Suez Canal and growth of the cotton trade. The area has a Mediterranean feel about it, and the attraction is the Mediterranean Sea, and to the people of Cairo, a somewhat cooler climate.

Aswan Aswan and the surrounding area. Aswan is an important town situated near the first cataract of the river Nile. The famous Aswan Dam is built here. Though, the least of the super-site tourist areas, it has great hotels, along with the huge Lake Nasser just to the south.

Cairo Cairo the Jewel of the Orient, is the administrative capital of Egypt, the cradle of immortal civilization both ancient and modern. Its situation at the convergence of the routes from the delta towns to the Suez Canal and the Nile Valley makes it an ideal centre for administrative purposes. Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa and lies at the hub of all routes leading to and from the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. Greater Cairo extends on the banks of the River Nile to the south of its delta dividing into two distributaries the Rosetta and the Damietta. The 2000 years of the Islamic, Jewish and Christian Coptic culture still thrives. The site of the Pyramids of Giza, the only wonder surviving of one of the Seven Wonders of the World lies in the ancient city of Memphis (Giza). Most people visiting Egypt first come to Cairo and the immediate athe city. Cairo is full of life, with merchants selling their wares and children playing on the streets, cars honking - the city is buzzing with life and activity. Cairo has everything from all types of monuments, great hotels, restaurants, entertainment –art galleries, music halls, several golf courses, bowling allies to choose from. Four seasons and the Cairo Marriott offer comfortable lodging and eateries. The Khan el- Khaklili souk (or Bazaar) is a prominent place for the ardent shopper, which remain mostly unchanged since the 14th century. Trendy shops have all the latest fashions. People usually buy spices, perfumes, gold, silver, carpets, brass and copperware, leatherwork, glass, ceramics and mashrabiya. If you are looking for fabrics – Egyptian cotton, then you must try out the famous street bazaar, applique-work in the Tentmakers Bazaar, musical instruments on Mohammed Ali Street. A visit to the Camel Market which has been for over a thousand years ,can be entertaining, though you won’t be buying them.

Hurghada Hurghada and the surrounding area, particularly El Gouna.  Not to far apart are El Gouna, Hurghada and Safaga, and these areas include just about everything a tourist would like to have, with the exclusion of ancient monuments.  They make up for that with every variety of water sports, several golf courses, casinos and more. The Red Sea area has less of an Egyptian feel, but not as European as the Sina

Luxor Luxor and the surrounding area. Luxor is a living museum with immense numbers of ancient Egyptian monuments. It is also extremely oriented to tourists, and might be thought of in the same regard as a theme park, where the lure just happens to be real monuments.

Sharm El Sheikh Sharm El Sheikh, and the surrounding area including Sharks Bay. This is the Sinai super-site, again with nearly everything any tourist might fancy. There are even some breathtaking Christian monuments nearby, and the water sports, as at Hurghada, are all-encompassing.

There are lots of tourist destinations, particularly on the Red Sea and in Sinai, and on Egypt's mainland interior, the oasis. However, in much of the rest of the mainland interior, travel and destinations are limited. Conversely, the tourist super-sites take in perhaps ninety-five percent of the ancient monuments and most else there is to do in Egypt.