
Two weeks of Egypt activities. Day 1 - Tour of Pyramids & Sphinx.
After 140 days of scenic Europe rail travel, I’ve now moved on to a completely new area of the world: Egypt.
I had doubts about going to Egypt from the (seemingly) constant negative news about the country’s social/political instability and from fear about being hassled for travelling alone as a woman. But, it seemed crazy not to make a stop here if I was already nearby in eastern Europe because I’ve dreamed of seeing the Pyramids since I was eleven years old.
Traveller friends like Connie Hum, among others, reassured me they had a good experience travelling alone in Egypt. Checking the Canadian government’s travel advisory on Egypt, I only saw had a “exercise high degree of caution” rating, which is the warning level Canada has for most developing countries.
Still, I was scared to go to Egypt alone.
I considered joining another Gap Adventures tour (like the “Roam India” tour at the start of my round-the-world). However, I didn’t know how I’d handle an extended tour after travelling at my own pace the last ten months through Southeast Asia and Europe.
When the opportunity came up to work with GetYourGuide.com, an online tour aggregator (think Expedia.com, but for local tours worldwide), I was thrilled at the idea of having a self-paced trip with the mental comfort of knowing I’d have local guides during some portions of my time in Egypt.
As a final check about the travel situation in Egypt, I emailed two major, Gap Adventures and Intrepid Travel, to check the status of their Egypt tours. A week before my flight to Cairo, both companies confirmed their Egypt trip activities have been running normally for months. Phew!
My Egypt Travel Itinerary/Activities
Cairo (CAI)
- Fly to Cairo (CAI) from Bucharest (OTP)
- Full day to Pyramids And Egyptian Museum
- White Desert and El Bahariya Oasis Overnight Trip
Aswan
- Fly to Aswan (ASW) from Cairo
- Browsing bazaars, wandering around the city
Luxor
- Train to Luxor from Aswan
- Day tour to East and West bank in Luxor
Sharm El Sheikh
- Fly to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) from Luxor (LXR)
- Safari Trip to Coloured Canyon And Dahab
- Bedouin Dinner and Camel Ride in Sharm Desert
- Ras Mohammed National Park Day Trip by Boat
I’m also considering a stop in Dahab after Sharm el Sheikh, which I’ve heard is a great spot to snorkel/scuba dive and to relax in.
>> Any other areas of Egypt I should add to my list? What are the must-see or must-do’s while I’m in Egypt? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
A special thank you to GetYourGuide and Egypt Excursions Online for sponsoring my Egypt tours and airport transfers. I just finished my second tour with them, and I’ve been amazed by their hospitality and how their guides have treated me like family. (Updates and photos from my the Pyramids and camping in the White Desert coming soon!)
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