My urge to visit Egypt is 100% to do with the 1999 movie classic the Mummy. OK, so to be upfront, The Mummy was mostly filmed in Morocco… However, we’ll ignore this fact as we dive into Ancient Egypt and all the country has to offer.
If you haven’t seen the film, what have you been doing for the last 24 years? The film, a romantic, action / minor horror film with some excellent comedic timing, is brought to life with main characters Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evie Carnahan (Rachel Weisz). Seemingly two polar opposites, the two are cast together after Evie saves Rick from being hanged and he promises to show her the way to the lost city of Hamunaptra.
Although Hamunaptra doesn’t exist in real life (that we know of), there are plenty of real life locations to feel the magic of Ancient Egypt.
Rick O’Connell at first appears to be your classic action hero, but as the film progresses, the man melts into a puddle every time he’s near Evie. He’s respectful, courteous, doesn’t let anyone give her any shit (not that she would let them), he listens to her, and takes her instruction when it comes to her expertise. It doesn’t hurt that Brendan Fraser is literally a total cinnamon bun in real life.
The film truly brings the magical quality of Egypt through imagined images of what the temples and cities would have looked like in their heyday. So with this film as the ultimate inspiration, let’s look at two weeks in Egypt.
Day One – Cairo
The starting point of most adventures in Egypt, fly into Cairo and save a rugged, dirty, imprisoned American scoundrel from the noose with a promise of a lost city.
OK so whilst unlikely, we can all dream!
If you arrive in Cairo early enough, book onto the Pyramids lights tour. You can see the Pyramids and the Sphinx lit up whilst you hear about the incredible history.
You can find tickets to this tour here.
Day Two – Cairo
We only have two full days in Cairo – and I don’t want to miss a thing. Like Evie, I am a sponge for knowledge but unlike Evie, I will likely forget everything the second I leave.
So, to make sure we can get everything done, I found a tour that will ferry us around everywhere and includes a guide so I know what I’m looking at.
The Tour I’ve chosen is here.
It includes a guided tour of the Pyramids (includes entry) and a camel ride by the pyramids. You’ll also stop at the Sphinx.
The Third stop will be a guided tour of the Egyptian Museum. I really didn’t want to miss this museum whilst staying in Cairo, so I’m pleased this tour includes it. It houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities – Evie would be in heaven!
After this, the tour takes you to the Bazaar where you will hope and pray that a Mummy on the loose hasn’t zombified the locals into trapping you into a corner before kidnapping Evie for a sacrificial ritual to bring back his dead girlfriend. As this is incredibly unlikely, take your time and enjoy what the market has to offer.
Thinking about this bazaar gives me serious “I’ll be seeing you again” vibes.
Day Three: Adventure Day out of Cairo
OK today is a jam packed adventure day. Whereas yesterday, it was super cultural and city exploring, today you’ll be heading out of Cairo.
The day-tour I’ve found is here.
You’ll be heading to Wadi El Rayan waterfalls in the middle of the desert. From there you’ll go on to view the Mudawara Mountains.
Activities for the day include: 4×4 dune driving, sand boarding and a camel ride. Rick O’Connell would be in absolute heaven, Jonathan (totally underrated character from the Mummy), however, would be in hell.
Day Four, Five and Six – Trip to Siwa Oasis
When I started the research for Egypt, I knew I wanted to include Siwa Oasis on the itinerary. I just didn’t realise how far out of the way it was. The tour I’ve found is pretty expensive, something I would need to seriously consider before committing.
It’s not strictly in The Mummy movie… but seeing those rolling sand dunes is something else. So you may want to skip this part of the itinerary as it’s a long drive. HOWEVER, at least have a little read at what’s on offer at this incredible location.
So there is the option to drive the distance yourself, or get a bus. HOWEVER, the spreadsheet I created includes a 3 day tour to and from Cairo. A lot of this would be traveling but there are stops along the way.
I wouldn’t usually do this but given that the alternative is an unbelievably long bus journey (and I’ve only allocated two weeks vacation), this seems like a good, albeit expensive option. If you are adamant to not do a tour – I found this interesting guide on getting to and from Siwa Oasis. This may not have been updated recently, so best to do your research about flight routes etc before you arrive.
The town looks incredible – the mud brick buildings seem to blend in with the landscape while the turquoise of the salt water pools contrast completely.
Utterly stunning and you can swim in them! I love a swimming spot, so this is a great choice for me. It must be noted that it is less about swimming and more about floating. Due to the concentration of salt, it’s kind of like the dead sea – really, really hard to sink.
OK after this tour, you’ll be taken back to Cairo, or, if you’re doing this one on your own, you’ll rest up and spend another day here before traveling on to Aswan.
Day Seven, and Eight: Aswan and Abu Simbel
We’re back on to our The Mummy inspired activities. Are we allowed to dress up as Evie Carnahan and Rick O’Connell? Who knows. Do I have an undying urge to do so? Yes.
I also have the urge to copy the insta models who do their back to the camera, looking up at the temples in all their glory, holding onto their sun hats as their dresses float around them in the breeze. It’s a hard path to choose but the possibilities are endless.
BACK ON TRACK.
Arriving in Aswan on the seventh day, there are a lot of options for things to do. You could take a boat trip up the Nile, visit the Temple of Philae or visit the Nubian Village with its brightly coloured houses. Whatever suits you, it could just be a chilled day after lots of traveling.
If you do travel on a boat – be sure to be prepared to SWIM when the boat inevitably sets on fire and you are under attack from a mysterious group of terrifying fighters.
On day eight, you’ll take a day trip to Abu Simbel. This is where you’re going to get your insta shots. The temples are absolutely incredible. One of the most famous sites in Egypt, I’d be surprised if you didn’t recognise it. It’s four seated statues on the outside – and yes you can enter the temple!
The day tour I found was $94 which took you to and from Aswan as well.
Day Nine and Ten – Luxor
On day nine, you’ll travel up to Luxor which by car should take around 3 hours 30 minutes. Depending on the time of day, you could head straight to some of the Temples. The Luxor Temple is open until 10pm so you can see it all lit up at night. So dreamy.
Entrance to the temples are super cheap so it would be worth doing a day and an evening visit.
At Luxor make sure you don’t miss out on the following:
Valley of the Kings – $8
Luxor Temples – $5
Temple of Karnak – $6
Ramesseum – $4
There are a lot of temples to see so it might be worth getting a guide to explain the significance of each site. The ornate detailing on the walls and columns is incredible. It’s unbelievable to think how long they have been there and how many people have seen them.
Day Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen – Sharm El Sheik
The last few days will be beach days. You’ve been traveling around so much and being serious archeologists that you’ll need the rest.
Sharm El Sheik is a great place to relax and work on your tan. For those of you who just can’t sit still, there are still lots of activities to do. Boat trips and snorkelling are the main ones. Snorkelling in the Red Sea is one of the best sites in the world so it’s definitely worth ticking off your bucket list.
There is also a hiking/swimming trip that I would be really excited to do. The name of the place to get to is Wadi Wishwashi where you can hike up to a natural swimming hole for a dip.
Day Fourteen – Goodbye Egypt
Say goodbye to Egypt. Please hope and pray you haven’t awoken a 2000 year old mummy and released the plagues on Egypt. And if you have, at least have the right book to send him back to hell. In the immortal words of Evie in the first The Mummy movie:
“No harm ever came from reading a book.”
I hope you’ve enjoyed this itinerary. Egypt has always been a dream of mine and I hope that I’ll be able to do this itinerary once I’m back on that side of the world.
As always, click here for your Two week Egypt Itinerary.
P.S – If anyone knows Brendan Fraser, please send this to him and give that cinnamon bun my love.
Where next? Take a look at other African destinations such as Tanzania.