Egypt Travel Review: Abydos, Giza Plateau, Traditional Villages, Temples, Step Pyramids, History & Culture, Luxury Tour

There were many enjoyable and memorable parts of my trip. It was absolutely captivating to visit the Giza Plateau and observe the Pyramids in person. It was perhaps even more thrilling to enter the Great Pyramid and visit the burial chamber of the Pharoah Khufu, at whose command the Great Pyramid was constructed c. 2500 BC. I was also fascinated by our visit to the older pyramids in Dahshur and Saqqara, where the first known pyramid, known as the Step Pyramid, was built during an earlier dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Our visit to The Valley of the Kings in Luxor was similarly enthralling.

During our land journey from Luxor to Abydos, we drove through multiple small villages of Upper Egypt. It was mesmerizing beyond words to so closely witness and observe the daily life of the Egyptian villages far away from the cities. It was a rare privilege and experience for which I am eternally grateful. Abydos itself has well-deserved its reputation as a magical and unique hamlet. The Temple of Seti I was very well-preserved, with many impressive and detailed bas reliefs. The List of Kings was of particular interest, as were the remnants of the Osireion. We enjoyed a warm and relaxing lunch at a small and friendly local restaurant near the Temple.

During my stay in Aswan, we visited the Nubian Village at West Soheil Island, where we interacted with the local residents and visited a Nubian school where I learned to write my name in Arabic. During my stay in Cairo, I enjoyed visiting both the Coptic Quarter and the Islamic Quarter, where we toured four breathtaking mosques, two of which date to the 14th century CE. Without a doubt, it was culturally enriching to learn the history and details of both the Christian and Islamic traditions of Egypt.