While this itinerary is focused on the journey from Alexandria to Aswan, nearly all international travel to Egypt starts in Cairo, making it a likely and necessary starting point for any journey. The exception is Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, package holiday resorts along the Red Sea coast, which support regional flights from various international destinations. You can join this itinerary from one of these destinations by taking one of the numerous local or tourist bus services that operate out of these resorts.
Arriving in Egypt, and Cairo, in particular, can be an assault on the senses with the combination of heat, traffic fumes, and the flavored smoke from shisha pipes creating a thick fog as you enter the city’s center. While not famed for its aesthetic beauty, there’s enough charm to make the city of Cairo interesting and absorbing before we even touch the Pyramids. Unconventionally, we’ll start with a few other sites outside the Pyramids.
1. Coptic Cairo – The center of Egypt’s Christian population is the site of churches, monasteries, and some of the oldest areas of Cairo.
2. Zamalek – One of the up-market areas of Cairo with leafy boulevards, populated with high-end hotels and embassies, as well as numerous shops and art galleries.
3. A Cruise on the Nile – An unforgettable experience, especially as dusk starts to set in over the vast city and the Egyptian skies reveal the sparkling stars.
4. The Egyptian Museum – Soon to be replaced by a new state-of-the-art facility, the Egyptian Museum contains a treasure trove of Pharaonic history. From mummies to burial masks, the sites inside will take you back thousands of years.
5. Islamic Cairo – A maze of street vendors, markets, and mosques, this fascinating area in the East of the city contains the Citadel from which the Egyptian leaders ruled for hundreds of years.
Then, of course, we have the Pyramids, one of the great ancient wonders of the world and perhaps the most awe-inspiring. The largest and most commonly known is the Great Pyramid of Giza, estimated to have been built in the 26th century BC for the Pharaoh Khufu. It is flanked by several smaller pyramids, including the almost as impressive Pyramid of Khafre. This backdrop is spectacular, to say the least. Between the two largest pyramids is the Sphinx, a beguiling site that still attracts rumors and intrigue about its creation and purpose.
As you would expect at a site as majestic as the Pyramids, there are a vast number of tourists and, in turn, touts and hawkers. The political challenges in Egypt and restrictions on travel due to COVID-19 have limited numbers of late, but tourists will return in due course. However, it is possible to find solitude at the Pyramids by walking on foot around the main Pyramids 500 meters to 1 km out, but just be mindful of the heat. Alternatively, you can take a camel ride; don’t expect to be comfortable!
As an alternative to the Pyramids at Giza, you could visit some of the less well-known and popular pyramid sites that are to the South of Cairo at Dahshur. The best preserved of these are the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid, which make up in character for what they lack in size. You’ll also find an absence of touts and hawkers, which makes the experience more authentic and enjoyable.
There are two options for traveling overland between Cairo and Alexandria: by road or train. Both take a couple of hours and have a similar cost, but we’d recommend the train as a more scenic and immersive experience. Coming into Alexandria, the train station is located in the center of town.
Alexandria’s rich heritage isn’t represented in the modern-day city, dominated by the curved corniche that looks out over the Mediterranean. While the richness of the past isn’t immediately apparent, the city has a faded charm, and hints of the rich past aren’t far away. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the modern-day equivalent of the Great Library. Built-in 2002 rather than 500 BC, it still warrants a visit and offers a glimpse of the rich past of Egypt. Elsewhere, there are several well-presented museums, including the recommended Graeco-Roman Museum. There are also the remains of a Roman Amphitheatre and the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, considered one of the Seven Great Wonders of the Middle Ages. To put that in context, other members of that list include Stonehenge, the Colosseum, and the Great Wall of China. It’s certainly not bad company to keep.
Around 100km West of Alexandria is the small town of El Alamein. This was the site of one of the pivotal battles of WW2, as Rommel’s overstretched Africa Korps made one last attempt on Cairo, attempting to push the British out of North Africa. The ensuing battle resulted in a British victory, which helped reshape the war’s direction.
In modern El Alamein, several sites pay homage to the sacrifice and loss of life in the battle. There are both Axis (German & Italian) and Allied (Commonwealth) cemeteries and a well-presented War Museum. The unique arid climate of Egypt means that tanks, weapons, and machinery from the battle remain perfectly preserved. For anyone interested in modern history, it’s an absolute must-visit and can easily be reached via local bus services from Alexandria within 90 minutes.
There are several other sites and attractions in North Egypt, including Marsa Matruh, a large town overlooking the Mediterranean. As you continue west towards the Libyan border, security becomes a concern, so be mindful of where you venture.
Once you’ve had your fill of the North, it’s time to board an overnight train and head south to the Pharaonic heartlands around Luxor. While it is possible to take a bus to Luxor, the comfort and ease of the train make it an infinitely better option. Most trains from Alexandria to Luxor depart late afternoon or early evening and arrive in Luxor early in the morning.
Luxor is relatively compact, with most restaurants and hotels within a 1-kilometer radius of the center. Luxor is located on the east bank of the Nile, while the main attractions, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, are located on the west bank. The exceptions to the west bank sites are Luxor Temple and the Temple of Karnak, which are situated in central and north Luxor, respectively. These two temples showcase an incredible array of plinths, colonnades, and buildings from the peak of the Theban era and are an absolute must-see. Elsewhere in town are several different museums, including the Luxor Museum and Mummification Museum.
Most visitors tend to visit the west bank sites early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the oppressive heat in the middle of the day. The Valley of the Kings is the first stop for most visitors, with 62 excavated tombs to be explored, although not all are open to the public. Many automatically assume that the tomb of Tutankhamun is the most spectacular, but this isn’t the case. The treasures and splendor found in the tomb have largely been relocated to museums, and other tombs are more significant, more intact, and feature finer frescoes. The tomb of Ramases V is considered to be one of the finest.
The other principal attraction is the Valley of the Queens. While not as heralded as the Valley of the Kings, it does contain the Tomb of Nefertari, which is widely regarded as the most spectacular tomb in Egypt. There is also the tomb of Amunherkhepshep, which is a close second but significantly cheaper and more accessible. The Valley of the Queens, on the whole, is quieter, less visited, and allows you to explore tombs alone, which massively adds to the experience.
It’s a 3-hour train journey between Luxor and Aswan, and on arrival, Aswan does feel somewhat like an outpost. The city is Egypt’s southernmost and has acted as a gateway to Egypt and a crossroads. Moat visitors to Aswan either progress onwards to Sudan or come to see Abu Simbel, one of the most remarkable Egyptian sights. While there are several museums and attractions in town and the opportunity for Felucca rides along the Nile, these are a distant second best to the temples at Abu Simbel.
Abu Simbel is two substantial temples cut into the rock face outside of the town of Abu Simbel, 290 km to the south of Aswan. Built during the dynasty of Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, the temples were incredibly relocated in the 1960s during the creation of Lake Nasser, following the building of the Aswan Dam. Accessible via bus from Aswan or by Air from Aswan, Luxor, and Cairo, Abu Simbel is a fitting end to your Egyptian odyssey.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Alexandria to Aswan trip guide. Why not try some of our other guides for Egypt, Africa, or other intrepid travel destinations?
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