South Sinai
Dahab
Dahab, Egypt is a small town on the Gulf of Aqaba, about an hour and a half north of Sharm el-Sheikh, built around diving rather than resorts.
Where to go
Egypt destinations
Eight places that make up almost every Egypt itinerary — and how long each one is worth.
Egypt destinations, and what each one is for
The Egypt destinations below sit almost entirely on one line, because the country is long and thin: Cairo at the top, the Nile running south to Aswan, and the Red Sea coast off to the east. That geography decides most itineraries.
Cairo is for the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the medieval city. Luxor holds more standing monuments than anywhere else in the country. Aswan is the calm one, and the base for Abu Simbel. The Red Sea towns are where people go when the temples are finished.
Each destination page below says what the place is actually for, how long it deserves, when to go, and what it pairs with. Where somewhere is oversold, it says that too.
Red Sea
Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam is the southernmost of Egypt's three main Red Sea resort areas, and the one divers choose when the reef matters more than the resort.
Red Sea
El Gouna
El Gouna is a privately built resort town on the Red Sea coast, about twenty minutes north of Hurghada, laid out across a network of man-made lagoons and small islands.
Western Desert
White Desert
The White Desert, Egypt, is a field of wind-carved chalk standing in open sand, a couple of hours beyond Bahariya oasis, which is itself about four hours southwest of Cairo.
Western Desert
Bahariya Oasis
Bahariya Oasis is a farming depression in Egypt's Western Desert, about four hours by road from Cairo, and the usual starting point for trips into the White and Black Deserts.
South Sinai
Taba
Taba, Egypt sits at the very top of the Gulf of Aqaba, pressed against the Israeli border, and it is two things at once: a busy land crossing and a strip of resorts.
South Sinai
Ras Mohammed
Ras Mohammed sits at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, where the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet.
South Sinai
Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh is a purpose-built resort town on the southern tip of Sinai, and its reason to exist is the water.
Mediterranean
Alexandria
Alexandria, Egypt, is the country's second city and the one that faces the sea rather than the desert.
Western Desert
Siwa Oasis
Siwa Oasis is a palm oasis in Egypt's Western Desert, close to the Libyan border and about 10 hours by road from Cairo.
Official sources
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
- Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ↗The ministry lists which tombs and temples currently open.
- UNESCO World Heritage: Egypt ↗The official listings, including the inscription reasons for each site.