16 Best things to see & do in Ancient Egypt

The densely-crowded Egyptian city of Giza – on the West Bank of the Nile just outside of Cairo – welcomes millions of tourists every year to visit one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites.

The Giza Plateau, wedged between the city’s borders and the Western Desert, is a remarkable complex of gargantuan stone pyramids, several cemeteries, and a giant statue of a mythological sphinx – all dating back to 2,500 BC.

Until the late 19th century, travelling in Egypt meant taking a boat on the Nile, as the roads were bad and there were no hotels. A trip on the Nile is still a defining experience, revealing a tapestry of astonishing ancient monuments, beautiful papyrus-dotted river banks, and a landscape that has remained largely unchanged in 4,000 years.

Cruises usually include visits to the magnificent temples at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo. All cruises end in Aswan, with a visit to Temple of Isis at Philae and an optional excursion to the Temples of Abu Simbel (strongly recommended).

There is, of course, the luxury riverboat option. The Sanctuary MS Nile Adventurer, formerly owned by Abercrombie and Kent, is a 5-star ship with 32 luxurious cabins and excellent food on board.

You could alternatively opt for a cruise on a charismatic dahabiya (a local sailing ship with 4-10 cabins). They can moor in more places than the large cruise ships, visit smaller sights on the way and get you closer to the Nile.

For the most authentic (and cheapest) cruise, feluccas sail between Aswan and Edfu or Esna, just south of Luxor. These single-mast boats have no cabins, so passengers sleep on benches or on the shore.

The two temples of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel are among the most impressive of all the world’s surviving ancient monuments. It remains a testament to the power of the Egyptian empire at its height under Ramesses II, aka ‘Ramesses the Great’.

Cut into the rock above the Nile flood plain more than 3,000 years ago, fronted by four colossal statues of the pharaoh. His consort Nefertari and their children can be seen in smaller figures by his feet. Queen Nefertari was the first of Ramesses’ ‘Great Royal Wives’.

The temple remains an awe-inspiring sight, despite having been relocated in the 1960s above the newly created Lake Nasser. It’s angled so that each 21 February and 21 October, the sun illuminated the gods in the innermost sanctuary. This happens a day later since its relocation, following construction of the Aswan Dam.

Known to the ancients as the ‘Place of Truth’, the 62 known tombs in the remarkable Valley of the Kings belong to some of the greatest of Egypt’s pharaohs, including the famous tomb of Tutankhamun.

Pharaohs began building and decorating their tombs as soon as they came to the throne, and they were stuffed with all of their belongings after their death to accompany them into the afterlife. The treasures are long gone, stolen by tomb raiders, but the hieroglyphic-decorated ceilings and walls are no less impressive.

Tutankhamun’s tomb is actually one of the smallest. Discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, it’s the only tomb found with its treasure intact (on display in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo).

Karnak, or ancient Thebes, was Egypt’s foremost religious complex originally built in 2055 BC. Over the course of 1,500 years the site was continuously expanded by pharaohs, in tribute to the Theban gods; more than 80,000 workers toiled here during the reign of Ramesses II.

The most impressive sight in Karnak is the superbly preserved, 250,000sq m Temple of Amun, which boasts a magnificent hypostyle hall with 134 massive columns.

You need to visit Karnak twice – once in daylight, and once at night for the Sound & Light Show, and to see the temple lit up.

For thousands of years this temple has attracted pilgrims from along the Nile and around the Mediterranean. Begun by the Ptolemies in the 4th century BC, dedicated to the goddess and her husband, Osiris, it became one of the country’s most sacred sites during Roman times.

The temple was relocated to a new island following the building of the Aswan Dam, but it remains one of the most beautiful Graeco-Roman temples in the world, with the most romantic setting of all.

Look out for crosses and an altar in the inner courts of the temple: after the cult of Isis was suppressed, the temple was converted into a Christian church.

Just 20 miles south of Cairo, the lesser-visited Dahshur and Saqqara (also spelt Sakkara) are home to some of the world’s best-preserved ancient sites. With far fewer crowds.

Dahshur is home to pyramids even older than those in Giza – the first ever pyramids built by the Egyptians. The most famous is the Bent Pyramid – so named because of its irregular pyramid shape – built between 2613 and 2589 BC by King Sneferu.

It was followed by a second pyramid, The Red Pyramid, named after the red limestone used in its construction. The Red Pyramid is the 3rd largest in Egypt. The two biggest – Khufu and Khafre – were built at Giza by King Sneferu successor, his son Khufu.

Saqqara was the necropolis for the ancient city of Memphis, the first capital city of Egypt. The area is home to multiple smaller pyramids and a number of tombs of nobles and generals. The highlight here is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built in around 2700 BC for Pharoah Djoser. It’s the oldest stone building in the world. Surrounding the Step Pyramid is an interesting funerary complex.

The city of Memphis itself is estimated to have been founded in 6000 BC. There’s not a lot left – just remnant ruins in an open-air museum – though the giant statue of Ramesses II makes this worth a stop.

There’s an excellent documentary on Netflix about one such tomb discovered in Saqqara. Worth a watch before you go (or even if you’re not).

Drifting silently over the ancient monuments of the West Bank, as the sun rises over the Nile, is one of those ‘never forget’ moments. It’s a serene way to appreciate the layout of ancient Luxor, from the temples in the east to valley tombs in the west.

Peer into roofless village houses, unchanged for thousands of years, see the fertile floodplains of the Nile give way to the desert beyond, and marvel at the enormous scale of Karnak temple.

Unlike the complex at Karnak, which is connected by an avenue of sphinxes and which was built over the course of 1,500 years, the elegant Temple of Luxor was built mostly by one pharaoh, Amenhotep III.

As a result, it is much less complex than its counterpart, although the Romans made changes to the innermost part.

The temple used to be fronted by two colossal obelisks, but only one remains. Its twin was moved to the Place de la Concorde in Paris in the 1840s.

The Tomb of Queen Nefertari, located in the Valley of the Queens, is arguably one of the most beautiful tombs in all of Egypt.

Nefertari, the greatly loved wife of Pharaoh Ramses II, was a significant figure in ancient Egypt, renowned for her beauty and intellect. The exquisitely decorated tomb beautifully showcases her importance.

Its walls are adorned with detailed, vibrant frescoes depicting Nefertari’s journey to the afterlife, with numerous hieroglyphs and symbolic scenes of her interacting with various deities. The quality of the artwork is truly phenomenal, with each image and colour holding significant meaning, presenting a stunning blend of art and theology.

Despite the tomb’s discovery in a state of disarray in 1904, it has undergone extensive restoration. While the cost of entry is higher than other tombs, the quality of the art and the historical significance of Nefertari makes it an essential stop.

Queen Hatshepsut was one of the only women ever to rule Egypt and reigned during a golden period, and her impressive funerary temple is now one of the best-known monuments in Luxor.

Built on three terraces cut into the slopes of the Theban hills, it was mostly destroyed and reconstructed during the second half of the 20th century.

Some of the back walls and their decoration have survived and are of excellent quality.

While the Tombs in the Valley of the Kings are decorated with the cryptic texts of the Book of the Dead, the Tombs of the Nobles reflect on the daily life led by their ancient inhabitants in the hope that it would continue in the afterlife.

This is a real find – the tombs here are superbly decorated and, in many ways, more evocative and insightful than those of the pharaohs. It’s thankfully unspoilt compared to the Valley of the Kings, as it rarely features on tour group itineraries.

Deir el-Medina, also known as the Valley of the Artisans, was an ancient village inhabited by the skilled workers who constructed and decorated the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Queens. In their spare time they built and decorated their own tombs.

The site provides a fascinating glimpse into the everyday lives of ancient Egyptians outside the nobility. The well-preserved village layout, complete with homes, workshops, tombs and a temple, coupled with various personal items and ostraca (inscribed pottery fragments), offers insights into the artisan community’s lifestyle, religion, and work.

While less grand than the pharaohs’ temples and tombs, for those seeking a deeper understanding of the society behind the grand structures, Deir el-Medina is an enriching, must-visit site.

This colossal structure, left incomplete around 1500 BC, offers a unique insight into ancient Egyptian stoneworking techniques. Had it been completed, it would’ve been the largest obelisk ever erected.

It was commissioned by the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut (1507–1458 BC) for the purpose of complementing the Lateran Obelisk, which is now in Rome, at the entrance to the Karnak Temple in Luxor.

Obelisks were often erected in pairs at the entrances to temples and were significant monuments in Ancient Egyptian religion, believed to act as a connection between the earth and the sun god, Ra. Unfortunately, the Unfinished Obelisk developed cracks during its construction – which can still be seen – and was subsequently abandoned.

Abydos was believed to be the burial place of the head of the god Osiris, and it was used as a necropolis for mortals from 4,000 BC- AD 600. One of Egypt’s finest temples was built here by Seti I in 1279 BC and dedicated to Osiris, Isis and their son Horus.

A little-visited temple, it retains an air of grandeur and mystery. The reliefs in the second hypostyle hall are some of the best of any surviving temple.

One of the last Egyptian temples to be conceived and completed on a magnificent scale, the temple of Edfu was dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus. Edfu had been a cult centre since 3000 BC, but this temple was started in 237 BC by Ptolemy III.

Following the pharaonic style, on the walls are carvings of Greek pharaohs dressed as Egyptians, making offerings to Egyptian gods. Two huge falcons at the entrance represent Horus.