We spent an incredibly memorable two weeks in Hurghada. We stayed at an all-inclusive adults only hotel along the coast. As well as having plenty of time to relax, we were ready to explore Egypt. Here is our guide to the best trips to book when visiting Hurghada, Egypt.
You hear so many horror stories about Egypt from people who have visited, and not surprisingly, this can put many people off. Not us though. We couldn’t wait to visit and explore. The level of safety and security really surprised us, both at the resort and when we were away on trips.
HOTEL & RESORT
We stayed at the TUI BLUE Makadi Gardens in Makadi Bay. The hotel was clean and our room was great. We found the pool fantastic, very relaxed, with no crazy loud music. The pool was split into two sections, the bottom section had over-water loungers, which are pretty much where we spent our time. The food selection was ok too, although sometimes limited, it was still good.
The weather during our trip was also ridiculously hot, with temperatures reaching well into 113°F which is around 45°C. So make sure you go prepared with plenty of sun cream. Some days, the sky was hazy with the desert sand, but this had no bearing on the temperature, and didn’t cool it down.
We were really excited to book and plan all our excursions. We did this prior to travelling, and we booked them all through Get Your Guide.
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KARNAK TEMPLE, TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT & VALLEY OF THE KINGS
The first trip of our holiday would be to Karnak Temple, The Temple of Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings. Our first real taste of ancient Egypt. This was a coach trip. We had several guides and even an armed guard. They split our party into three smaller groups. Luxor is 175 miles away from Hurghada, a 3.5 hour trip there and the same back, so it would be a long day.
Again, and I can’t say this enough, take a backpack with sun cream, water and something to snack on. It is hot, very hot. Make sure you stay hydrated, and wear something comfy on your feet. You will be doing a lot of walking and across hot, dusty surfaces. Don’t wear what we saw some people wear, flip-flops and shoes with heels, no no no. Also, during this trip, the day started hazily, but the temperature was scorching. So hot, in fact, that I even wore a baseball cap, and I never wear baseball caps. My head was on fire!
THINGS TO LOOK FOR AT KARNAK TEMPLE
Karnak has several large temples and is full to the brim with statues, huge towering columns, and hieroglyphs. Here also starts, or ends, depending on where you begin, Sphinx Avenue, which links up with Luxor Temple, which, yes, you’ve guessed it is a long walk lined with dozens of carved Sphinx statues.
Here you will find the Precinct of Amun-Re, the largest of the temples here at Karnak, the Temple of Ramesses II, the Temple of Khonsu and the Temple of Ramesses III among others.
MAKING OUR WAY TO THE TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT
After visiting Karnak, we jumped on a small boat, crossed the Nile River, and made our way to the Temple of Hatshepsut. We stopped briefly for food at a designated restaurant, where, to be honest, the food was ok. It was a good pit-stop to top-up and refuel.
Before we made our way to Hatshepsut, however, we had a brief stop off at the Luxfour Alabaster Factory, an area with several stores and workshops that all specialised in making goods. Alabaster is a soft rock that was well used in ancient Egypt for carvings and grave goods that were present in many temples and tombs.
THE TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT
When we finally arrived, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Nestled at the bottom of the enormous cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, was the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. From the coach, we jumped onto a small golf buggy and were driven to the outskirts of the complex.
Hatshepsut was the Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II. She was one of a handful of female kings of Egypt and the third to rule, from c.1473–58 BCE.
Historians and archeologists reconstructed the temple after it was all but destroyed by Thutmose III after her death, and then further damage by an earthquake in the 9th century BC. He wanted to erase any nod to her existence for political and personal reasons that could affect his succession of power.
THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS
Arguably one of the most famous places in Egypt, second to the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings. A site that holds 63 tombs belonging to late Pharoah’s. Built on the west side of the Nile River as this symbolises death, the sun sets in the west, anything built on the east side of the river symbolises birth, the sunrise.
A place we have been itching to see for many years. During your visit here, you buy a ticket that enables you to see three opened tombs, and these can change daily. For some of the more famous tombs, you can buy a separate ticket. We did this and purchased the ticket, giving us access to tomb KV62, that of Tutankhamun.
Our guide actually tried putting us off visiting King Tut’s tomb, saying there were more prettier tombs to see, and that it was small, and there wasn’t much to look at. But isn’t this why you visit? To see the boy king himself? I think we would have kicked ourselves if we’d have taken his advice.
So, what tombs were open to explore during our visit? Read on. As we ventured down the steps into each room, we felt mesmerized, blown away, and taken aback by the beauty of all the tombs. Floor to ceiling, elaborately decorated with brightly coloured hieroglyphs, scenes, people, animals, insects, and marble sarcophaguses.
KV11 – Rameses III
KV6 – Rameses IX
KV2 – Rameses IV
KV62 – Tutankhamun
The most famous tomb of all, discovered by British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922. King Tut’s tomb is so important because it remained undiscovered for thousands of years, which prevented looting and ensured the preservation of all its grave goods. Many of which are now on display in the Museum of Cairo.
STAR GAZING DESERT ADVENTURE
For our next trip, we would venture into the desert for a BBQ dinner with a traditional Bedouin family, a beautiful sunset, and a stargazing experience.
A driver picked us up from our hotel and drove us into the desert. Our first stop, if you wanted to do it, was for a quick camel ride. We decided not to do this. After, we continued on our way, driving several miles into the wasteland. This was an experience in itself, our driver taking us on a wild ride across the sand.
Upon our arrival at the Bedouin home, they instructed us to sit on the rugs that surrounded it. The children who lived there, curious, checked us out. One young boy served us tea. A traditional minty herb tea, it was delicious.
SUNSET OVER THE DESERT
We had about 45 minutes, then the sun began to set. We climbed a small hill at the back of the home. The view out across the desert was incredible, the perfect place to watch the sunset. Day turned into night, and the sun descended behind distance mountains. The colours it projected were incredible.
When it was dark, we made our way back down to the Bedouin home. By this time, lamps and candles were lit, and this was our only source of light. Pitch black, in the middle of the desert, eating food they had prepared for us. Chicken, meat, flat bread, salad, rice, potatoes, it was good.
After lunch, we had time to sit and play with the kids, although this was a small group trip. For whatever reason, the kids gravitated towards Vicky and me. We sat for another hour, playing hand slap games and laughing with them. It was an incredible experience.
STARGAZING OVER THE DESERT
We then spent some time stargazing, our guide using a laser pointer, highlighting stars, planets and galaxies.
PRIVATE TWO-DAY TOUR OF EGYPTIAN MUSEUM, GIZA & SAKKARA
This trip was mind blowing. For so many good reasons. We were away from our hotel for two days. It was just myself and Vicky, our driver, and our guide. Our own private tour of Giza and Sakkara.
THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM, CAIRO
Cairo was a six-hour drive away from Hurghada, just over 300 miles, so this would be a long and tiring trip. We arrived in the city and made our way straight to the museum. The doors hadn’t opened yet, so with tickets in hand and a quick toilet stop, we were ready to explore. Our guide for this trip was incredible. He was very knowledgeable, and he made sure he showed us all the most important parts of the collection, while allowing us time to take photographs too.
I think he was happy that we bombarded him with questions, and showed a genuine interest in not just ancient Egypt, but the country as it is today.
We have hundreds of photos from this trip. Selecting the right ones for this post was super hard, but I hope they do it justice. An adult ticket for the museum costs EGP80, which at the time of writing this is £1.24.
VISITING THE TUTANKHAMUN EXHIBIT
After visiting the tomb of Tutankhamun, we were excited to see the things they found. There is a permanent exhibit here showcasing some of the incredible items discovered. Gold sarcophagus, numerous items used in the preparation of his ascent to the afterlife, and of course, the famous gold death mask. In a small exhibition space, where photography is prohibited, visitors can see some of these items, but others are showcased outside of this room.
If you would like more information, click here for the Egyptian Museum Cairo.
We had already had a taster of some Egyptian artifacts during a trip to Rome, a section dedicated to them in the Vatican Museum: Planning a surprise trip to Rome, with itinerary.
THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA
After the museum, our next stop was the pyramids. Driving through Cairo was an experience, the chaos, the noise, seeing a different side to the country outside of the fancy beach resorts.
When we arrived and stepped out of the car, we both turned to each other. We had tears in our eyes, not quite believing we were finally here. A sight we had both been wanting to visit for many years. Overwhelmed, we were ready to explore.
We also got to see the Sphinx up close and personal. It was a memorable day, and there was still more to come.
OVERNIGHT STAY IN GIZA
This trip included an overnight stay in a hotel. After our trip, our guide and driver took us to a place to stay. We were taken to the reception. Our guide and the hotel staff exchanged a few words, and their conversation became a little heated. We had no idea what was going on. Our guide explained to us that the electric was off, the hotel still wanted to take our booking, no doubt not wanting to lose out on any business.
Our guide exchanged a few more heated words and instructed us to walk back to the car. He refused to let us stay there. He followed, apologised, then started making some frantic phonecalls. About half an hour later, we were heading off to a new hotel.
Driving through the backstreets, we made our way to our new digs. Upon checking in, a hotel worker escorted us upstairs. Entering our room, we were told we had a view of the pyramids, incredible we thought. Our guide opened the curtains and told us to look out. We could just about make out the tip of one of them through an awkward, sidewards view. Ok, we thought, a bit of an anticlimax. He laughed and said “follow me”.
They led us up a flight of stairs onto a roof terrace. WOW! We had a view of the pyramids alright, absolutely breathtaking, all three right there in front of us.
SUNSET OVER THE PYRAMIDS
We had the most amazing view we could ever ask for from a hotel stay, and to top it off, the sun would set right behind the three colossal monuments. The perfect view. As the sun disappeared, the sky changed colour, all kinds of orange. Once dark, we also had a free view of the light show. The pyramids were lit by green, purple, red, and blue lights.
We stayed at the Pyramids Height hotel, and you can find them on booking.com.
SAKKARA, THE PYRAMID OF DJOSER
The next day, they took us to one of the oldest pyramids in Egypt, the Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid. Built during the 27th century BCE for Pharaoh Djoser by his chief architect, Imhotep. Experts recognize it as the world’s first large-scale stone construction.
The Sakkara (Saqqara) complex is located about 30 kilometers south of Cairo. It is one of Egypt’s most significant archaeological sites. It was the burial ground for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Sakkara is home to dozens of tombs, mastabas, and pyramids spanning over 3,000 years.
We had a tour of the complex and even spent time in two tombs underneath pyramids that had collapsed and suffered damage over time, the Pyramid of Unas, and the Pyramid of Teti.
This was yet another incredible experience. The entire trip was breathtaking from start to finish. We both learnt so much and took so much away with us, humbled. This is something that will stay in our minds for years to come.
THE TOMB OF KAGEMNI
Another place you will get to visit here in Sakkara is the Tomb of Kagemni, Chief Justice and Vizier during the reign of King Teti (c.2345-2323 BC). The walls of the tomb feature beautifully preserved hieroglyphs and images of the time.
GIFTUN ISLANDS, SNORKEL & LUNCH
This is a trip we were both looking forward to. Vicky became unwell for a couple of days, so we had to sacrifice our visit. However, a fatal shark attack took place only a few days before this trip. People staying at our hotel told us they had similar trips cancelled. But our trip was still scheduled to happen. I think that if it wasn’t for Vicky falling ill, we probably would have cancelled too given the situation.
We would still recommend this trip. The Giftun Islands look incredible with powder white beaches and clear blue and turquoise sea. The perfect opportunity to top up your tan, swim with tropical brightly coloured fish, and maybe even spot a turtle!
SHARK ATTACK
As mentioned above, unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the beach was closed for several days after a fatal shark attack. Helicopters circled our resort for days as they made sure the sea was clear and beaches were safe to re-open again. A Tiger Shark attacked and killed a 23-year-old Russian national. Don’t let that put you off visiting the beach areas, they are usually very safe.
OUR FINAL THOUGHTS
Let’s not end on a sad note, Egypt was an eye-opener. Right from stepping off the plane and being asked for money to use the toilet in the airport, you get this everywhere. Yes, it’s annoying, but they are there for the hustle, trying to make a few Egyptian quid.
We have never been through armed checkpoints, had our transport searched for explosives and seen so many guns before, but this all added to the experience. Talking to our guides and listening to what it was like living in Egypt was incredible. It humbled us. Some locals we engaged with were very welcoming, others not so much, especially around the tourist parts. It didn’t put us off or make us feel uncomfortable. It is what it is.
Some will moan that Egypt is dirty, and that’s enough to put them off before they travel. To be honest, we looked beyond all that. You take it with a pinch of salt and remember the reasons you are there.
Would we recommend you to visit Egypt? Absolutely, yes, in a heartbeat. Go experience it for what it is, a hot, crazy, chaotic, historical place of beauty and discovery.
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