Best of Egypt: Explore Cairo, Aswan & Luxor

About the destination: Cairo, one of the biggest cities in both Africa and the Middle East, serves as the capital of Egypt. Cairo has held significant importance to numerous civilizations, cultures, and religions. From Pharaonic and Greco-Roman to Ottoman and European, and including Jewish, Christian, and Islamic, each of these identities has left a profound mark on Cairo, making it one of the most intriguing cities globally. The Giza Plateau, home to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the country's most renowned tourist attraction. The sheer size of the pyramids is truly breathtaking. Islamic Cairo, the heart of historic Cairo, is best explored on foot. Situated east of downtown, it is filled with quaint little mosques and water fountains. The key sites to visit include the Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Khan el Khalili, the main bazaar, some historic mosques and examples of medieval architecture, as well as some of Cairo's Turkish baths or Hammams. A trip to Cairo is not complete without a visit to the Egyptian Museum. With its exotic ambiance, chaotic traffic, thousands of minarets, noise, and charming people, Cairo is a captivating city. Few cities in the world can match Cairo in terms of the number of monuments or architectural styles. Cairo is not just an ordinary city, it's a world unto itself.

About the destination: Luxor is the top travel spot in Upper Egypt and the Nile Valley. As the political and religious center of Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom Egypt, Luxor offers a lot for tourists to explore: expansive temples, ancient royal graves, stunning desert and river landscapes, and a vibrant modern lifestyle. Many of Luxor's architectural landmarks are included in UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List. Luxor is made up of the City of Luxor on the east side of the Nile, the town of Karnak to the north of Luxor, and Thebes on the west side of the Nile, opposite Luxor. The Valley of Kings is a major draw for tourists visiting Luxor. It's a vast area filled with tombs of varying sizes, which were extravagantly built for influential Pharaohs, queens, and nobles. King Tutankhamen's tomb, discovered here in the 1920s, was almost untouched. Other key attractions in Luxor include: the temple complexes of Luxor and Karnak, Medinet Habu, the Tombs of the Nobles, The Ramesseum Temple, and the Valley of the Queens. Luxor, both beautiful and ancient, boasts the world's finest collection of antiquities.