Egypt · best-of list
18 Top Things to Do in Egypt
All 18 things to do our route editors picked in Egypt, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. 10 come with an insider tip, and 1 cost nothing to visit.
Our curated picks
18 things to do in Egypt, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Luxor 7 picks
Hot-air balloon over the West Bank
Luxor · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Sunrise flights over temples, fields and the Nile.
Tip: Choose an operator with a solid safety record; pickups are around 4:30 am.
Photo: HODHOD SOLIMAN HOT Air Balloon Rides Luxor Egypt · Google
Karnak Temple
Luxor · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Vast temple complex of Amun with the 134-column Great Hypostyle Hall.
Tip: Go at 6 am opening for soft light and few groups.
Photo: René Zelaya · Google
Luxor Museum
Luxor · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Compact, well-lit museum of Theban statues and finds from Tutankhamun's tomb.
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Luxor Temple
Luxor · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Riverside temple linked to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes, lit up after dark.
Tip: Visit at night.
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Medinet Habu
Luxor · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Ramesses III's temple with deep, colorful reliefs and few crowds.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Temple of Hatshepsut
Luxor · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Terraced mortuary temple of Egypt's female pharaoh beneath the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Valley of the Kings
Luxor · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Royal tombs cut into the desert hills, with painted corridors; extra tickets for Tutankhamun and Seti I.
Tip: Standard ticket covers three tombs; no photos without a permit.
Photo: Fotograf/Photographer: Peter J. Bubenik (1995) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Aswan 6 picks
Felucca sail around Elephantine Island
Aswan · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Traditional sailboat trip past granite boulders, Kitchener's Island and the Aga Khan Mausoleum.
Tip: Agree the price and duration before boarding.
Photo: Nagh Hesen · Google
Kom Ombo Temple
Aswan · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Riverside double temple to Sobek and Horus, with a small museum of mummified crocodiles.
Tip: Most Nile cruises stop here at dusk.
Photo: Olaf Tausch · CC BY 3.0
Nubian Museum
Aswan · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Museum of Nubian history and the temples saved from Lake Nasser.
Photo: Marc Ryckaert · CC BY 3.0
Nubian Village of Gharb Soheil
Aswan · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Painted Nubian houses on the West Bank reached by boat, with home cafés and crafts.
Photo: Nubian Eco Village · Google
Philae Temple
Aswan · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Temple of Isis rebuilt on Agilkia Island, reached by motorboat.
Tip: Stay for the evening sound and light show.
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Unfinished Obelisk
Aswan · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Abandoned 42 m obelisk still lying in its granite quarry.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cairo & Giza 5 picks
Al-Muizz Street
Cairo & Giza · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Pedestrian street lined with Fatimid and Mamluk mosques, madrasas and minarets.
Photo: Ali Mohammed · Google
Cairo Citadel
Cairo & Giza · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Saladin's fortress, home to the Muhammad Ali Mosque and city-wide views.
Photo: Ahmed Al.Badawy from Cairo, Egypt · CC BY-SA 2.0
Grand Egyptian Museum
Cairo & Giza · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Huge museum by the pyramids showing Tutankhamun's full tomb collection and a colossal Ramesses II.
Tip: Book timed tickets online and allow at least half a day.
Photo: 吳勝安（Famous） · Google
Pyramids of Giza
Cairo & Giza · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, its two neighbors and the Sphinx on the plateau's edge.
Tip: Enter at 8 am opening; the panorama point is best by car or camel.
Photo: Douwe C. van der Zee · CC BY-SA 4.0
Saqqara
Cairo & Giza · On our Egypt: Pyramids & the Nile route
Necropolis with Djoser's Step Pyramid, Egypt's oldest, and painted tombs.
Tip: Combine with Dahshur's Bent and Red Pyramids.
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Egypt?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 18 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Egypt has the most things to do on this list?
Luxor has the most (7 of 18), followed by Aswan (6) and Cairo & Giza (5).
Are any of these free?
1 pick on this list is marked free in our route notes: Al-Muizz Street. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Egypt
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Luxor 7 on this list
- Aswan 6 on this list
- Cairo & Giza 5 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.