After my tour of Egypt, I wanted to supplement my visit to the capital city with a tour of Coptic Cairo. Many of these tours are offered and they give a look at the Christian sites of Cairo (“coptic” meaning ancient Egyptian Christian), many incorporating nearby sites of Jewish and Islamic Cairo as well. Before going, I had no idea what to expect or the history of coptic Cairo but since many of the sites looked beautiful, I opted to go on a tour and find out.

Long story short, yes, I do actually recommend this tour, particularly for history … Continue reading

Formed during the Greek empire, Alexandria is one of Egypt’s most historic cities and the 2nd largest city behind Cairo. My guided tour of Egypt didn’t include a stop in Alexandria so I opted to stay an extra day to see this mediterranean city I’d heard mixed reviews about. Since I wasn’t sure what to expect, I booked “the” day trip from Cairo that covers the city’s most popular and important sites.

Here’s what I thought.

Ancient Roman Amphitheater

I’ve seen amphitheaters before but seeing the amphitheater complex of Alexandria was a real surprise and highlight of my day. A … Continue reading

A visit to the Valley of the Kings is an essential part of any trip to Egypt, and it was a huge highlight of mine. The complex has dozens of incredibly preserved tombs with vibrant artwork from the Book of the Dead along the walls and is quintessential to ancient Egyptian history. It’s a short ride away from Luxor and absolutely worth having a day or half-day carved out of your itinerary for.

What’s up with the Valley of the Kings?

In the ancient Egyptian creation story, the peak called ta dehent (al-Qurn) was said to be where the god … Continue reading

After careful planning and looking at Intrepid travel reviews, I booked the Essential Egypt Tour for my first tour with Intrepid Travel and my first time in Egypt (and Africa and the Middle East). If you follow me, you know I put too much thought into things, so I did a lot of research and comparison before making my booking. So for all of you who also put too much thought into things, I’m providing a more detailed Intrepid Travel review so you can know just what to expect.

If you want the short version, it’s yes, I would absolutely … Continue reading