Onto the Steps of Pharaohs - 10 days in Egypt
Have you ever dreamed of walking the slice of earth that pharaohs used to walk? Because we did. But this time around, only Marica had the fortune to explore this corner of the world, so the glimpse you will read further is just hers.
Martina and Maria Luna sign off for this, but they are already getting ready for the next adventure.
This trip was something special for me as I had dreamed of returning to Egypt for years. Marti and I traveled here when we were little, and since then my mind and heart kept coming back to the land of the pyramids.
After years of postponing the trip for university/work/covid reasons, I seized the moment and bought my flight tickets to Egypt.
However, I felt like my trip there had to be unique, unforgettable somehow. So I decided to embark on this journey with 5 total strangers coming from around the world after posting my Egypt trip on a Facebook group. The magic that was about to happen was something that I hadn’t foreseen.
I was finally back in a place that had spoken to me once already, that still had the power to fill my imagination and inebriate my senses, and I experienced all of it with 5 people that I can now call dear friends.
Endless desert, crystal-blue sea dotted with the colors of the coral reef, the long Nile, and then them, the towering pyramids. All of it was ours.
Day 1 - Hurghada
As much as it’s true that Egypt is the land of the desert, it also borders two stunning seas, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
The Red Sea has crystal-blue waters and a wonderful coral reef that colorful fishes call home. So a proper trip to Egypt can’t but include a snorkeling session.
I opted for Hurghada instead of the more popular (and busy and pricy) Sharm-el-Sheikh.
I departed from Rome with two of the five who came with me: Sebastian from Germany and Daryl from Malaysia. We arrived in Hurghada pretty late, so we checked-in in at our hotel while enjoying a traditional welcome drink, a sweet iced tea. Then we had dinner at the hotel’s terrace, although it was already late. The hotel’s kitchen was actually closed, but the gentle staff re-opened it just for us! The night swept by with lovely chats, and we retired to our rooms, ready to meet, the next day, the others from the group.
Day 2 - Hurghada
After breakfast at the hotel, we went for a little exploration of Hurghada, strolling around its streets. We weren't staying in the center of the town, where the big resorts and the harbor are. So the streets were tranquil and only crossed by locals, which gave us a more authentic experience of the place.
After a while, we headed to the beach. The area around our hotel had only one public beach, which wasn't "reserved" for hotel guests. However, we had to pay an entrance fee of 50 EGP (around 1,50€).
Beach in Hurghada, Egypt
We spent hours just hanging around and chatting while admiring the gorgeous waters.
For lunch, we stopped at a random place after walking the seaside promenade for about 10 minutes. Here's the first time I had the Egyptian tahini salad, which consists of a thick sauce made from tahini, Greek yogurt and spices, and eaten with the local version of pita bread. This "salad" was so flavorful and lush that I kept ordering it throughout the vacation!
We had to rush the lunch as our next trip mate was arriving soon. Nadege, a French girl living in Germany, arrived with her black and purple hair and we instantly connected. Long chats to get to know each other lead us to the golden hour.
View from our hotel, Hurghada
We admired our first Egyptian sunset on the hotel's terrace and waited for Shannon, number 5 of 6 of the group. Shannon flew all the way from Canada to meet with us!
A lovely outdoor dinner, spent chatting and taking selfies that we sent to Katie (the last of the pack who would arrive the next day), and we fell asleep content.
Day 3 - Hurghada
An early wake awaited us. We dressed and went down to the lobby to welcome Katie, a Chicago-born and raised girl who came straight from South Africa, where she was making another trip. The first meal we had all together was breakfast, after which we went to the beach, where we spent time sunbathing and swimming.
At 2 pm started our first real adventure: a quad ride through Hurghada’s desert. We jumped on three double quads and rode the desert for 20 km to arrive at a small Beduin village. Here we met the locals, did a short but super fun camel ride, and tasted traditional tea in the middle of the desert.
Beduin village, Hurghada Desert
When we thought the day couldn’t be better, the sun began to set on the desert, a spectacle that words can hardly describe.
Day 4 - Hurghada
Breakfast, swimsuits on, and at 9 am a van picked us up at the hotel to drive us to the harbor. We retrieved the snorkel equipment and boarded the boat that led us to the coral reef. The excursion consisted of two different snorkeling spots and lunch onboard. The weather wasn't the sunniest at the beginning and rather windy, so I was worried I'd be cold. However, the Red Sea is the warmest in the world due to its high salinity and the volcanic activity of its seabed, so I enjoyed being in the waters.
Red Sea, Egypt
The first snorkel stop was quite something as Nadege fears swimming in open waters. But she wonderfully conquered her fears - which was a sort of "theme" of the trips as we all had to face uncomfortable situations at one point or another.
We jumped in the sea, and the corals and colorful fishes left us simply speechless.
After lunch, we stopped again to snorkel, and all more relaxed, the underwater world was our place. Before heading back to land, the boat cruised the Red Sea for a while and we were lucky to spot some dolphins!
A last stop for some swimming, a professional photoshoot - yep, you read it correctly - and a banana boat ride, and then we headed back to the harbor and decided to stay in the town's center for dinner.
The day was just perfect: besides breathtaking sights and plenty of emotions, we also found the official name for our group, the Habibi (which means "my darling" in Arabic). How did we come up with it? Our snorkel guide constantly screamed to the group, "Hello Habibi, follow me pleaseee!" while we were in the waters.
Day 5 - Luxor
The morning went by with a walk around the beach and the town. After the check-out, we Ubered to the bus station to catch a bus to Luxor. The bus ride was longer than planned as we had a flat tire and had to wait hours for the problem to be fixed.
So we arrived in Luxor for dinner time and the first impact with the city was intense! A horde of local men surrounded us, and each proposed to drive us wherever we wanted. We knew they were trying to make a living, but the situation was intense as they kept “pushing” us to hire them for the job while following us. We were tired, hungry, and after we recharged our sim cards, we stopped for dinner in the city center. We enjoyed a traditional dinner while waiting for our private driver to get to the West Bank of the Nile, where we booked the hotel.
Day 6 - Luxor
Left the previous day behind us, the morning couldn't have started in a better way. The hotel we were staying at was a true gem, with a lush garden with pool and a breathtaking view over the Nile. The delicious and abundant breakfast was served in the garden, and at 10 am, the driver picked us up and drove us to the Valley of the Kings, where we met our private guide, Dr. Nagah.
The emotions we felt exploring the tombs of pharaohs Ramesses VI and Sety I are difficult to describe. The perfectly-conserved hieroglyphics and images in the tombs' walls and ceilings trace the story of the kings once buried there. The sarcophagi and mummies are now houses in museums, so the tombs are "empty" in that regard.
Tomb detail, Luxor
The last tomb we visited in the archeological site is the one I was truly looking forward to: Tutankhamun's tomb. I wasn't afraid of the supposed curse of the pharaoh that struck everyone who entered his tomb, so I proceeded excitedly. I dreamed of this moment for so long that I couldn't believe I was really walking down the stairs leading to the golden burial chamber.
It's incredible to me how this erased-from-history pharaoh finds back his place into it after his tomb's discovery by archeologist Howard Carter in 1922.
Tutankhamun's tomb, Luxor
We then made our way to the extraordinary Temple of Hatshepsut, the queen who became a pharaoh. The queen's temple was called Djeser-djeseru, which means "the Holy of Holies", and it consists of three levels with columns. Hatshepsut's mortuary temple was not solely dedicated to the queen's cult after her death but also had sections dedicated to the cults of her father, pharaoh Thutmose I, the goddess Hathor, and the funerary god Anubis.
Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor
Trust me, this temple is one of the most special things you can visit in Egypt! We spent more than an hour walking around and immersing ourselves in the magical atmosphere of the place while feeling the presence of the queen-pharaoh everywhere.
It was already 3 pm, and we were starving. Our guide led us to a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Nile, and we enjoyed a local meal with the light breeze coming from the river to break the heat.
After the late lunch, we hopped on a felucca, the traditional Egyptian boat, to cross the Nile to the other bank. Once in the east, we visited the famous Karnak Temple. Built over 2,000 years, it is the largest religious building ever constructed, and it was dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu.
Karnak Temple’s columns, Luxor
Karnak Temple is awe-inspiring and, not by chance, is one of the most photographed places in Egypt. The giant columns with hieroglyphics are unforgettable, and everything looks extra special at sunset.
Obelisk in Karnak Temple, Luxor
The day was coming to an end, but we still had a couple of spots to visit. Firstly, we went to a local jewelry shop with annexed workshop to see how traditional Egyptian jewels are made. Shannon decided to buy a custom-made necklace, and seeing her jewel come to life from nothing was pretty special! Nadege wanted to buy some rings, but one got stuck in her finger, and we had to use a lot of elbow grease to get it off.
Our last stop was Luxor Temple. Built around 1392 BC by Rameses II's will, the temple has been used as a worship place right up to the present day. Luxor Temple has an Egyptian look with all its columns and hieroglyphics, but the hypostyle hall was converted into a Christian church. Inside the temple, there is also the mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj, which is an integral part of the temple's structure and is still in use today.
Another interesting characteristic of Luxor Temple is the 3 km avenue lined with small sphinxes that connected it to Karnak Temple. The avenue has been interrupted for long now, but it is still partially walkable.
Luxor Temple at night
This day in Luxor was full of wonders. We returned to our hotel and dined there, admiring the stars and the Nile, before going to bed relatively early as the next morning we would have to get up pretty early for an incredible adventure.
Day 7 - Luxor
4:00 am is when our alarm clock rang. Tired but more excited than ever, we got on the private van and headed to Al Karamah Al Gadida City.
There, in the middle of the desert, surrounded by the night, giant and colorful hot air balloons were inflated to be ready to cruise the sky.
Armed with courage - as Nadege and I are not comfortable with heights - we hopped on the balloon’s basket and began an incredible experience.
With the sun rising from behind the Nile, we flew over The Valley of the Kings and Queens, watching the Temple of Hatshepsut getting smaller and smaller beneath us. Everything was tinged with shades of pale pink and orange, with the long Nile turning a deep green color.
And here I remained speechless, incapable of putting what I’ve seen and felt into words yet another time.
Hot Air Balloon Sunrise Flight, Luxor
The end of the hot air balloon ride was rather hectic: as soon as we touched land again, we had to rush as Nadege wasn’t feeling well at all. Unfortunately, she was sick the whole day, but she took it like a champ and did everything to not burden us with her situation.
We stopped by a local restaurant for a traditional breakfast and then returned to our hotel so she could rest. We chilled in the swimming pool, sunbathed, and watched the Nile lined with tall cotton’ plants.
For dinner, we went into town. After a long walk along the West Bank, we bargained our way to the other side and began exploring Luxor East Bank on foot. We stopped in a restaurant with excellent reviews, although it didn’t serve Egyptian cuisine.
After dinner, we did a lovely walk along the Nile, admiring the illuminated temples of Luxor and Karnak. We bargained again for a boat ride (with music this time!) to return to the West Bank.
After a walk in the dark, between the cotton plants, with dogs barking around us, we were finally back at the hotel.
Day 8 - Cairo
A last delicious breakfast in the garden, and we left for the airport. Next stop: Cairo.
The first impact with Egypt’s capital was confusing at best: the airport is huge and difficult to navigate. So we spent a good hour figuring out where to go to have a Uber pick us up. With the help of two very kind girls, who offered to speak with the Uber drivers - we never found one who spoke English - we managed to take the road.
The traffic was insane; chaos was everywhere. That’s Cairo. But when we thought the drive could no longer surprise us, here they are, peeping through the buildings: the pyramids.
With that magical appearance in our eyes, we finally arrived in Giza, where we had our accommodation. Of course, with pyramids-view.
The check-in was rough, as the rooms were at first not ready, only to discover after hours (we went eating in the meantime) that the staff overbooked us. Not happy about it, we agreed to stay in another building of their property, although poor Katie had to sleep on a couch.
After we freshened up, we went to the hotel’s terrace to take in the views of the pyramids. We stayed there until the sunset set behind them - truly unforgettable.
View of the pyramids from out hotel, Giza
With the night falling, we met with Nadege’s friend Karim, who was so kind to walk us around Cairo city. We went to the huge and colorful market Khan Al-Khalili, where we spent hours strolling around and mingling among the locals. You will find everything here: jewels, perfumes, papyri and species - and I couldn’t help but buy the last two!
Karim proposed to stop in a bar and have some take-out food, and we girls were totally on board with the plan. Seb and Daryl opted instead to go back to the hotel as the ride was a little long.
We spent hours chatting, listening to traditional live music, and having fun, before Ubering back.
Day 9 - Cairo
What's better than having breakfast while gazing at the pyramids? Well, nothing!
And seeing the pyramids up close was the mission of the day. We met with our guide Farag and arrived at the pyramids.
The first activity of the tour was breathtaking - literally, my friends: we entered the Great Pyramid. The entrance was already not spacious, but the more we ventured inside, the narrow the passage was. We kept going - although Shannon was pretty scared - and began to climb the pyramid. The air was hotter and more humid with each step, the narrow wooden "stairs" a nightmare, and the corridor we were climbing was so small that we had to proceed almost crawling! And you know what's at the top? Nothing. Yep, the chamber is empty now, but it once held the tomb and mummy of Khufu, a pharaoh from the Fourth Dynasty.
It was time to climb down through the same tiny passage. Once out, Shannon just started crying, but those were tears of joy for having conquered a big fear (she is claustrophobic): we were all so proud of her!
We met again with our guide, who shot us pretty amazing pics, and we kept exploring the archeological site.
Pyramids, Giza
We passed by the pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three main pyramids of the Giza complex, and stopped by the pyramid of Chephren. Nadege, Shannon, and Katie decided to go for a camel ride - which was an experience per se since their camels started to fight! - while Daryl, Seb, and I had a photoshoot before the pyramid.
With the girls back, the tour's last stop awaited us: the almighty Sphinx, which is, surprisingly, pretty small - or, at least, smaller than I thought. Seeing the Sphinx with my own eyes for the first time ever was incredible.
The Sphinx, Giza
It was pretty late at this point, and we were starving. So we went to a nearby restaurant for a buffet lunch before returning to our accommodation for our daily dose of magnificent sunset over the pyramids.
Then we were out again with a plan in mind: getting a tattoo to remember this incredible trip! Karim drove us to Cairo's center where we met a not-exactly-recommendable tattoo artist (although his Ig page seemed legit), so we changed our minds and decided not to get tattooed.
We stayed in the city for a delicious traditional dinner. We had Koshari, one of the many vegan dishes of Egyptian cuisine. After dinner, we met with Karim's sister and headed to a shisha bar.
Hours went by happily among lovely chats. It was the perfect conclusion for a perfect day.
Day 10 - Cairo
Breakfast - but not for Katie, who wasn't feeling super well -, and then we Ubered to the city for a must-visit: the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. I dreamed of it for ages, so to me, it was the ideal way of spending this last day in Egypt.
The museum was inaugurated in 1902, and it displays a wonderful array of objects and finds excavated over the decades by archaeologists.
We spent several hours inside, admiring all the ancient mummies, the simpler and highly decorated sarcophagi, tall statues, and Tutankhamun's famous funerary mask.
Egyptian Museum of Cairo. Credits: Memphis Tours
For lunch, we went to the only open restaurant we could find, as it was prayer time and everything was closed. We chilled there for a while and went back to the hotel for a last pyramid sunset all together.
One after another, we left Egypt, with eyes and hearts full of wonders.
This last phrase goes to my Habibis, without whom this Egyptian adventure wouldn't have meant so much to me.
