Atlas Guru

Popular Topics

Trip Report

Egypt family tour - beyond the Pyramids

Our Family vacation to Egypt began in the absolute spectacle of Cairo and Giza, then made our way south right to the Sudanese border.

corinda
by corindaAbout Me:I'm Corinda! I make up 1/4 of the Vagrants from This Vagrant Life, documenting these adventures of ours; two ex-teachers more frightened by routine than backpacking the world with our wee ones. A mother of two and wife to one from Australi... read more

AfricaEgypt29 days / November 2019

Highs & Lows

The history blew us away!

It wasn't always straightforward.

Itinerary Overview

Our family vacation to Egypt began in the absolute chaos that is Cairo and Giza. 20 million people and vague traffic rules. It's a filthy, fantastic spectacle and one that cannot be missed. In Giza, the view of the pyramids is gasp worthy. From here we took an overnight train to Luxor where we embarked on a two night cruise along the Nile to Aswan. We then drove south to Abu Simbel right on the Sudanese border and then we headed out to the Red Sea resort area of Hurghada for some diving. Our itinerary focussed on experiencing the history of the Ancient Egyptians and we were blown away by all of it. 

  • 5 Nights: Giza
    The Pyramids!
  • 5 Nights: Luxor
    The Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple
  • 5 Nights: Kornish Al Nile
    To see the Nile
  • Day trip: Abu Simbel
    Ramses Temple
  • 14 Nights: Hurghada
    The Red Sea

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I think we would have spent less time in Cairo and Giza. It's just so big and dirty and loud and busy and there's not a lot to just hang around and do.

  • Anything go wrong during the trip?

    A few little mishaps with pre-arranged transportation that were a little frustrating. Don't pre-pay anything! There were also a couple of incidence where as a woman I felt a bit uncomfortable and so I ensured I was always with my husband- not usually our style or my character but here it made me feel more comfortable. We never felt unsafe at all, just things weren't really straightforward and so you had to be constantly aware and assertive.

  • How was the food?

    We didn't love the food in Egypt. We felt like we couldn't transcend the tourist offerings no matter how hard we tried.

  • What tips would you give a friend?

    To be really organised. Maybe even take a tour if you're not particularly confident or intrepid. It is all so so worth the effort but it's definitely an effort.

  • Packing tips?

    As a woman I felt uncomfortable at times, even completely covered up. Be sure to cover elbows and knees at all times. If you have blonde hair, to avoid being potentially ambushed by 50 screaming teenage girls, you may want to cover yourself with a scarf.

  • Transportation Tips?

    Uber is reliable and this was our choice and it worked well for us for the most part (excluding the crash with the donkey cart). We also used public buses and the overnight 'luxury' train which was definitely not luxury but an awesome experience.

  • Any surprises?

    Egypt is full of surprises. The trick is to view them as adventures and enjoy the ride. The pyramids were SO spectacular and even though we expected them to be, in real life they blew us away. And then the fact that these were not the most incredible thing our eyes saw in Egypt was a huge surprise.

  • Booking details?

    We booked most of our own accommodation but we booked our Nile Cruise through Tour Radar.

Lodging