Are you ready to discover the beauty of Egypt? Let me take you on a journey through ancient history. To a time where pharaohs ruled the country and the Egyptian Gods each had their very own temple. In this blog post I will show you the most magical places that showcase the true beauty of Egypt! Including some insider tips on how to get to them and when to go to avoid the crowds! All of the places will be linked to a Google Maps location!
10 Magical Places to Discover the Beauty of Egypt
1. The Great Pyramids of Giza
How to get there – I strongly advise you to book a hotel in Giza and not Caïro. This way you’ll only be a couple of minutes away and you can easily get there on foot or by Uber. I chose to stay at the Mariott Mena House in Giza which offers a view over the pyramids from certain balconies. I am not gonna lie, it’s one of the more unique angles to take a beautiful photograph of the pyramids.
When to go – The visitor center opens at 8am so make sure you are there on time. We spent around 4 hours exploring the site and this way you’ll be back for lunch and avoid the scorching sun.
Google Maps Location – Click here
Where to stay in Giza
- Marriott Mena House – A beautiful hotel located 5 minutes from the pyramids. They even have rooms offering a stunning view over them!
2. The Sfinx
How to get there – Our tour of the pyramids ended here and it’s right across the street from the by now world-famous Pizza Hut. For me personally this was one of the most beautiful places in Egypt to take photos! Especially if you play around a little with the different angles!
When to go – The sun sets behind the Sfinx but be aware that the site already closes at 5pm. So make sure you find a good spot on one of the terraces across the street to take your photos!
I didn’t have my zoom lens back then but would totally recommend trying out a 70-300mm on this location!
Google Maps Location – Click here
3. Abu Simbel
How to get there – Almost all of the tours to Abu Simbel leave from Aswan, there is no fixed price and you can choose between a private transfer or a small bus that you share with other people. The busses all leave together at 4am in the morning. From personal experience, this is too late. So if you can choose, go for the private transfer and leave around 1 am cause the site already opens at 5 am in the morning! And by the time we got there it was already terribly crowded.
When to go – Try to get here as early as possible! Good to know is that the smaller temple on the right is way less crowded. And personally I even preferred this one. To me it was one of those places that showcased the true beauty of Egypt.
Google Maps Location – Click here
4. Nubian Village
How to get there – Don’t ever be worried that you won’t find transportation in Aswan. Every 2 meters someone will ask you if you want a taxi, a horse, a boat or a felluca. The fastest way to get to one of the Nubian villages is definitely by boat and it’s around 100 EGP/ 30 minutes. These Nubian villages are a photographers dream come true. You will have to deal with a lot of hassling but if you want to take beautiful photos then you can’t miss this place.
The Nubian villages are known for their crocodile farms so don’t be surprised if you encounter a few skinned crocodiles hanging from the wall at some places.
When to go – We went in the afternoon and it wasn’t too crowded. We stayed for about 1 hour and then enjoyed the sunset on our way back to our hotel.
Google Maps Location – Click here
5. Philae Temple (Temple of Isis), ancient beauty of Egypt
How to get there – If you’re visiting Aswan you can not miss this beautiful place! This was my favourite temple in entire Egypt and I saw a lot of them :p. The Philae Temple is located on the island Philae in the middle of the Nile. From Aswan you take a taxi (you shouldn’t have to pay more than 30 EGP cause it’s a 5 minute drive) and you buy your ticket at the visitor’s center. From there you take a boat to the island (we paid 150 EGP for the guy to take us to the temple and back.
When to go – It opens at 9am so make sure you leave your hotel in Aswan around 8am if you really want to have this place all to yourself for a couple of minutes.
Google Maps Location – Click here
Where to stay in Aswan
- Budget option – The Pyramisa Isis Island Hotel is located on a separate island. Just make sure that when you confirm your booking the price is not listed as “for Egyptians only”.
- Luxury option – Sofitel Legend Old Cataract. It’s one of the most famous hotels in Egypt together with the Winter Palace in Luxor.
6. Temple of Horus, Edfu
How to get there – The temple of Horus is one of the most amazing places you’ll visit when you’re on a Nile cruise! The ship docks very close so it’s not necessary to book a tour guide. You can just go with one of the horse ride carriages and you’re there in 15 minutes.
When to go – You don’t really get to decide this when you’re on a Nile Cruise. We stayed for 2,5 hours in Edfu and this was plenty of time to visit the site.
Google Maps Location – Click here
7. Temple of Kom Ombo, Kom Ombo
How to get there – The Temple of Kom Ombo is also included in the itinerary of the Nile Cruise and is on a 5 minute walking distance from the ship. After your visit to the temple make sure to go and take a peek at the Crocodile museum next to it!
When to go – We arrived at 8am and it took us about an hour to explore the entire site.
Google Maps Location – Click here
8. Karnak Temple (Temple of Amon)
How to get there – The temple of Karnak is located at the end of the city center of Luxor. The easiest to get here is by taxi (don’t forget to agree upon a price before you get in). The Karnak temple has to be one of the most beautiful places in entire Egypt. With it’s rows and rows of columns it is the perfect location to take photos either during sunrise or sunset.
When to go – We were there for sunset and it was absolutely magical. There were a lot of other tourists but we asked one fo the guards nicely if we could stay 5 minutes longer to take photos and it was no problem at all. I do think that if you want to have the best experience that it’s better to come during sunrise.
Google Maps Location – Click here
9. Luxor Temple, beauty of Egypt at it’s best
How to get there – Luxor Temple is located right next to the Sofitel Winter Palace and a short walking distance from all of the cruise ships. So no need for any kind of transportation when visiting this amazing temple. One of the elements that really made this temple one of the most beautiful places was how well preserved all of the big statues are.
And did you know that the other column that’s supposed to be on the photo below is actually now standing on the Place de la Concorde in France?
When to go – We were there at 9 am and the site was empty. In the morning everyone tends to visit Valley of the Kings. And weirdly enough Luxor temple isn’t that famous with the main tourist crowd. Even that it’s one of the most spectacular places to see and to take photos.
Where to stay in Luxor
- Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor – The best hotel you can find in Luxor.
10. The White Desert, Western Desert
If there is one place that I absolutely recommend you to visit it’s the White Desert. It is located around 6 hours driving from Caïro and it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life.
How to get there – We booked our tour with the Western Desert Tour Company and if you’re interested in booking one yourself I do recommend booking 2 nights instead of just 1. I promise you, you will have the time of your life!
Read everything about my experience in the white desert here.
When to go – The tours start from a 2 day – 1 night principle. But you definitely want to bring your camera with you during sunrise and sunset. These hours in the desert are magical and a photographers dream come true.
Google Maps Location – Click here
You might also like
- For a full 2 week guide to Egypt click here.
- If you want to include a day trip to the White Desert click here.
A lot of people love to combine a trip to Egypt with a visit to Jordan.
- Click here for the most beautiful places in Jordan.
- The perfect 7 Day Road Trip itinerary for Jordan.
- The ultimate day trip to Petra.
austin paz says
Beautiful. Thank you for your service.
Karnak Temple looked and felt intensely powerful & beautiful.