Everyone thinks they know Egypt. The Pyramids, the Valley of Kings, the Red Sea, cruising down the Nile. Jostling for space with large groups of tourists, the ‘enthusiastic’ salesmen of the bazaars, Cairo’s nightmare traffic. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Egypt is mass market, and cliched.
There’s another side to Egypt that few really know about, let alone visit. Almost all of Egypt’s population is centred around the Nile Valley and delta, but this makes up a tiny proportion of the country. Venture away from these very well trodden routes and you uncover some of the most spectacular desert landscapes that Africa can offer. And you’re almost guaranteed to have them all to yourself.
We’ll show you an Egypt you barely knew existed. In the Western Desert we follow ancient Bedouin trade routes, camping in pristine locations flanked by golden dunes and austere mountains, with no-one else in sight. We’ll look for prehistoric rock art, discover hot springs, and find fossils embedded in the sands, a reminder that this was once all sea.
We’ll discover the alien landscapes of the White Desert, where wind and sand have sculpted the rocks into all manner of striking forms, and we’ll explore caves dripping with stalactites where few have entered.
And in oases and villages, we see an Egypt as far removed from Cairo and the Nile as possible, an authentic glimpse into what the country was once like, centuries before.
Top highlights on Egypt holidays and tours
- Camp under the stars in the vast Saharan desert
- Explore the White desert and its limestone and chalk structures
- The timeless rhythms of the Dakhla Oasis
- Visit El-Qasr, a 1000-year-old mud brick village
Culture
Egypt has one of the richest and longest histories in the world, with its civilisation dating back over 5,000 years to the ancient pharaohs. From then, Egypt was ruled by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Ottomans, and later came under strong British influence, albeit not full colonisation. These different periods have left a lasting mark on the country, from the ancient pyramids and temples to Islamic mosques and Coptic churches. Egypt gained full independence from British influence during the 20th century, with the 1952 revolution marking an important turning point in its modern history.
Today, Egyptian culture is a unique mixture of its ancient heritage, Arab and Islamic traditions, and influences from its more recent history. Islam is the dominant religion, while the Coptic Christian community represents one of the world’s oldest Christian traditions. Egypt has also had a major influence across the Arab world through its music, cinema, literature and television. The Nile remains central to Egyptian life, just as it was thousands of years ago. This combination of ancient heritage and modern Arab identity gives Egypt a distinctive culture that is still strongly connected to its past.
When to go on holiday in the Indian Ocean
The best time of year to visit Egypt is between October and April as it avoids the fierce temperatures that a North African summer brings, while still being able to enjoy pleasant weather.
Start planning your Egypt holiday
Check out our small group tour to Egypt, our Egypt – Into the White Desert. Although many of our trips are small group adventures with set departures, as a bespoke operator, we can design and create trips to suit any traveller, from solos to larger groups. If you would like to find out more about tailor-made holidays to Egypt or our group tours, call us on 01473 328546 or email us via our contact page. We’d love to hear from you.
