Skip to content
Thatched sunshades and a terrace on a white-sand Red Sea beach, above a turquoise reef lagoon with boats moored offshore
Egypt by region

Egypt Destinations

Egypt's destinations fall into three regions. The Nile Valley — Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel — holds the ancient sites. The Red Sea coast, from Taba and Dahab to Marsa Alam, is reef and resort. The Mediterranean coast and the Western Desert, from Alexandria to Siwa and the White Desert, sit apart.

Most journeys combine several. Below: where each one sits, and how they fit together.

The places

Explore by Destination

Fifteen destinations in three regions, each with its own page. The numbers on the map match the list, so you can see at a glance which places sit close enough to combine.

Schematic map of Egypt with numbered pins for fifteen destinations: the Nile Valley from Cairo to Abu Simbel, the Red Sea and Sinai coasts from Taba to Marsa Alam, and the Mediterranean coast and Western Desert from Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria to Siwa and the White Desert. The list beside the map names every pin.

Nile Valley 4 destinations

  1. The Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx

    Cairo

    The capital and the Pyramids of Giza, best approached in layers.

    Nile Valley
  2. Colossal statues and papyrus columns at Luxor Temple

    Luxor

    Karnak, the East Bank temples and the West Bank tombs, in a planned sequence.

    Nile Valley
  3. Feluccas on the Nile at Aswan beneath desert hills

    Aswan

    Where the Nile slows down: Philae, the High Dam and the Nubian villages.

    Nile Valley
  4. The seated colossi of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel

    Abu Simbel

    The rock temples of Ramesses II above Lake Nasser, reached from Aswan.

    Nile Valley

Red Sea Coast 6 destinations

  1. A Red Sea beach and jetty at Hurghada in evening light

    Hurghada

    The Red Sea's most familiar stretch: reefs, the Giftun Islands and a marina.

    Red Sea Coast
  2. A white boat anchored off a Sharm El Sheikh beach

    Sharm El Sheikh

    The southern tip of Sinai: Ras Mohammed, Naama Bay and reef diving.

    Red Sea Coast
  3. Windsurfers on the shallow Red Sea water at Safaga

    Safaga

    A working port with windsurfing, black sand and a direct road to Luxor.

    Red Sea Coast
  4. Coral and anthias fish on a reef off Marsa Alam

    Marsa Alam

    The quieter south: Elphinstone Reef, Abu Dabbab and Dolphin House.

    Red Sea Coast
  5. Clear Gulf of Aqaba water below red Sinai mountains at Dahab

    Dahab

    Red mountains and clear water, the Blue Hole, and Mount Sinai within reach.

    Red Sea Coast
  6. Salah El Din Castle on Pharaoh's Island in the Gulf of Aqaba off Taba

    Taba

    Egypt's northernmost Red Sea resort, facing Pharaoh's Island.

    Red Sea Coast

Mediterranean & Desert 5 destinations

  1. Qaitbay Citadel and Alexandria's harbour on the Mediterranean

    Alexandria

    The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Qaitbay Citadel and Greco-Roman history.

    Mediterranean
  2. An aerial view of lagoons and turquoise sea on the Mediterranean coast at El Alamein

    El Alamein

    Second World War memorials and the new resort city of New Alamein.

    Mediterranean
  3. White sand and turquoise water on the coast near Marsa Matrouh

    Marsa Matrouh

    White sand and turquoise lagoons, including Cleopatra and Agiba beaches.

    Mediterranean
  4. The mud-brick ruins of the Shali fortress at Siwa Oasis at dusk

    Siwa Oasis

    A remote Western Desert oasis beside the Great Sand Sea.

    Western Desert
  5. Wind-carved white chalk formations on the White Desert plain

    White Desert

    Wind-shaped chalk formations, best experienced overnight.

    Western Desert

Taba photo: Mahmoud Elmeligy, CC BY-SA 4.0. White Desert photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0. Both via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.

Featured Destinations

View all destinations
Routes

How to Combine Destinations

Our sample journeys combine two to four of these places. Read them as patterns to adapt for your client, not fixed products.

Explore all sample journeys Luxury Nile Cruise
Nile Valley
Cairo, Luxor and Aswan form one sequence. The sample journeys run it in either direction.
Red Sea coast
Follows the Nile Valley as a closing rest, as in the 7-day and 10-day journeys.
Mediterranean & desert
Set apart from the Nile. Siwa is far more remote than the Nile Valley destinations and is planned around, not squeezed in.
Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I visit Cairo, Luxor, or Aswan first?

There is no single right order. Most journeys begin in Cairo and then run the Nile Valley in either direction: our 9-day sample journey goes Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, while the 8-day and 10-day samples fly to Aswan first and work north. Flights, the client's brief and whether a Nile cruise is included decide the direction.

How do the Nile Valley and Red Sea destinations combine in one trip?

The Nile Valley usually leads and the Red Sea coast follows as a closing rest. Our 7-day sample journey pairs Cairo with Hurghada; the 10-day sample runs Cairo, Aswan with Abu Simbel, and Luxor before ending on the Red Sea at Hurghada.

What are Egypt's main tourist destinations?

Egypt's main destinations fall into three regions. The Nile Valley holds Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel; the Red Sea coast holds Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Safaga, Marsa Alam, Dahab and Taba; and the Mediterranean and Western Desert hold Alexandria, El Alamein, Marsa Matrouh, Siwa Oasis and the White Desert.

Discuss Your Brief

Tell us who is travelling and for how long. We will shape the route.

Prefer to begin from a finished route? Adapt one of our sample journeys instead.

Discuss Your Brief Speak With Our Team