Egypt (Nile & Pyramids)

The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx sit at the edge of the city, not in empty desert: accept that and the visit gets better. Go at opening (8am) or in the last two hours before closing, buy the extra ticket to enter one pyramid if tight spaces don't bother you, and walk or take a camel out to the panorama point for the classic all-nine-pyramids view.

The Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza is now the main event: the full Tutankhamun collection in one place, plus the Khufu solar boat. Allow half a day and book online. In town, Islamic Cairo, Khan el-Khalili, Al-Muizz street, the Ibn Tulun mosque and the Citadel, is the part most itineraries under-serve. Coptic Cairo and a felucca hour on the Nile fill the rest.

Twenty kilometres south, Saqqara (the Step Pyramid, and superbly painted tombs) and Dahshur (the Bent and Red pyramids, nearly empty) make the best day trip in the country.

Luxor splits into the east bank - Karnak, a temple complex so large it needs two visits, and Luxor Temple, best after dark, and the west bank's Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Ramesseum. Hire a guide for the tombs; the difference between 'painted corridor' and 'the story on that wall' is entirely down to explanation. Dawn hot-air balloon flights over the west bank are the splurge people don't regret.

Aswan is slower and prettier: Nubian villages, Philae temple on its island, the granite quarries and a felucca at sunset. Abu Simbel is three hours south by road (leave early) or a short flight.

A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan takes 3–4 nights and covers Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, which are awkward to reach otherwise. Boats vary wildly: pick on reviews, not price alone. A dahabiya (small sailing boat, 8–12 guests) is quieter and moors at places the big ships can't.

The reefs off Marsa Alam and the Sharm el-Sheikh / Ras Mohammed area are among the best-value diving anywhere: warm year-round, easy shore entries, reliable visibility. Dahab on the Sinai coast is the budget, backpacker-flavoured version with the Blue Hole and freediving schools; El Gouna and Hurghada are the resort end.

Three or four nights on the coast after ten days of temples is the standard rhythm, and it works.

October to April is the season. December and January are pleasant in Upper Egypt (20–25 °C) but cool at night on a cruise boat: bring a layer. May to September in Luxor and Aswan regularly passes 40 °C and sightseeing becomes a 6am-only activity, though the Red Sea stays fine with air-conditioning.

Ramadan changes opening hours and restaurant service; check dates. Egyptian public holidays around Sham el-Nessim and Eid crowd the sites with domestic visitors.

Most visitors need a visa - the e-visa online is simpler than the airport queue. Domestic flights (Cairo–Luxor–Aswan–Hurghada) are cheap and save long drives; overnight sleeper trains are a decent alternative.

Persistent hassle at monuments is the main complaint. A firm, friendly la shukran works; agree every price (camel, taxi, 'free' photo help) before, not after; carry small notes for tips (baksheesh), which are expected and normal. Only drink bottled water and be conservative with salads and ice early in a trip.

Dress modestly away from resorts: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, a scarf for mosques. Solo female travellers report significant street attention; many prefer guided days in Cairo and Luxor.

For a comparable culture-plus-desert trip that's easier to travel independently, see the Morocco guide.