Taking a day trip to Egypt is a great way to get an overview of the culture and history of the country. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or religion, Egypt offers a number of different attractions. Listed below are the top sites to visit on your day trip to Egypt. Start your day at 8:00 a.m. Your Egypt tour includes visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza and Cheops, the Sphinx, the Temple Valley, and the Egyptian Museum, which holds the boy-king Tutankhamun’s treasure. Afterward, you’ll return to your hotel after an afternoon tour of the capital.
Saqqara is Egypt’s oldest pyramid
During the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom periods, Memphis was the capital of Egypt, and its people built funerary complexes at other locations. But even during that time, Saqqara continued to be an important administrative and military center. During this time, several high officials built tombs here. Horemheb, a high-ranking official, is buried in a large pyramid at Saqqara, but was later reburied in the Valley of Kings in Thebes. Another example of a large tomb at Saqqara is that of Thutmose, a talented artist who later became king. Similarly, the tomb of Maia, the wet-nurse of Tutankhamun, is also located in the Saqqara area.
Cairo is the capital
While many other cities in the Middle East boast a wide range of architecture, Cairo is perhaps best known for its combination of religions. Its unique architectural style is shaped like a fan, as it is wedged between desert escarpments and the river’s delta. As the river channel receded, Cairo expanded to the west. Today, the city is a sprawling fan that is elongated to the south and west shores.
Giza is the most iconic ancient site
The pyramids at Giza are Egypt’s most iconic ancient sites, and the necropolis was built with amazing precision. But while the necropolis was laid out with incredible care and precision, the tombs were dug without regard to the original pattern or design. This created an incredible amount of archaeological material, and recent excavations have unearthed the tombs of high officials, magistrates, and supervisors of building projects. The tombs of Egyptian workers were also found.
Alexandria is the cultural center of the ancient world
The ancient city of Alexandria was an intellectual powerhouse, and was a major trading and cultural center for all of the known world. The city was home to many Greek and foreign merchants and was one of the world’s greatest intellectual centers. The Library of Alexandria is one of the most important monuments in this ancient city. Its library, or Musaeum, was home to Greek music, poetry, and the first known school of philosophy. Many scholars and intellectuals came to Alexandria to study their subjects.
Edfu Temple
One of the most complete temples in Egypt is the Edfu Temple. The pylon that surrounds it is flanked by two granite statues of the falcon god Horus. The reliefs inside tell the story of Horus’s revenge on his father, the evil king Seth, and are worth seeing even if you don’t have time to visit the temple itself. This site is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in Egypt.
Kom Ombo temple
A day trip to Kom Ombo temple in Egypt is a must for anyone visiting Aswan. This ancient temple sits on a bluff near a beautiful lake on the Nile. It is a crocodile god temple, dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, but was only completed under Roman rule. After sunset, the temple is supposed to change color. A boxed lunch is included.