Shore Excursions Egypt

Cairo

Situated on the River Nile, Cairo is famous for its own history - preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city and in Old Cairo - and for the ancient, Pharaonic history. No trip to Cairo would be complete, for example, without a visit to the Giza Pyramids, to nearby Saqqara, or to the Egyptian Museum in the center of town. Though firmly attached to the past, Cairo is also home to a vibrant modern society.

Luxor

Luxor, probably the most famous and interesting destination in Egypt. Luxor has some of the biggest and best preserved temples from ancient times that can be visited. The city of Luxor has been characterised as the greatest open air museum in the world - the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor standing within the modern city. Across the Nile River also lie the tombs and temples on the West Bank Necropolis, which include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

Aswan

Aswan has many things worth exploring - Elephant island, the Philae Temple, the Aswan dam and further afield Abu Simbel, which can be see as a day trip from Aswan. Aswan and its surroundings were known as Nubia in ancient times. You will find that even today, Aswan had more of an 'African feel' to it than any other city in Egypt.

The city proper lies on the east bank of the Nile. The bazaar runs along the Corniche, which continues past the Ferial Gardens and the Nubian Museum, and continues on to the Cemetery, with its forest of cupolas surmounted tombs from the Fatimid period. Just east of the cemetery in the famous area quarries is the gigantic Unfinished Obelisk. Just to the south of this, two Graeco-Roman sarcophagi and an unfinished colossus remain half buried in the sand.