Fodor's Essential Egypt

by Fodor's Travel Publications

Overview

Whether you want to cruise the Nile, explore the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, or see the Pyramids of Giza, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Egypt are here to help! Fodor’s Essential Egypt guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos.

Fodor’s “Essential” guides were named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020.

Fodor’s Essential Egypt includes:

• AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do
• MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time
• MORE THAN 20DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently
• COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust!
• UP-TO-DATE and HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS for the best sights, restaurants, hotels, activities, side-trips, and more
• PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Best Diving and Snorkeling Sites,” “Best Beaches in Egypt,” and “Best Street food in Cairo”
• TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS on when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money
• SPECIAL FEATURE on “Know Before You Go” and “FAQs for Travel in Egypt”
• HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, cuisine, geography and more
• LOCAL WRITERS to help you navigate confidently and find the under-the-radar gems
• UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings, Sharm el-Sheikh, the Nile Valley, and more

Planning on visiting other destinations in the region? Check out Fodor’s Essential Turkey and Fodor's Essential Israel.

ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640973510
Publisher:	Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	12/27/2022
Series:	Fodor's Travel Guides Series
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	170,006
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel advice for every stage of a traveler's trip. We hire local writers who know their destinations better than anyone else, allowing us to provide the best travel recommendations for all tastes and budgets in over 7,500 worldwide destinations. Our books make it possible for every trip to be a trip of a lifetime.

Table of Contents

1 Experience Egypt 6

18 Ultimate Experiences 8

What's Where 16

What to Eat and Drink in Egypt 18

Egypt's Top Outdoor Adventures 20

Egypt's Best Historical Sights 22

What to Watch and Read 24

Egypt Today 26

Kids and Families 27

2 Travel Smart 37

Know Before You Go 38

Getting Here and Around 40

Essentials 47

Helpful Arabic Phrases 54

Contacts 56

Great Itineraries 58

3 Cairo 63

Welcome to Cairo 64

Street Food in Cairo 66

Planning 69

Islamic Cairo North 76

Islamic Cairo South 85

The Citadel 99

Old Cairo (Coptic Cairo) 106

Downtown Cairo 112

Rod ah Island and Garden City 119

Gezira Island and Zamalek 126

Giza 133

Heliopolis 149

New Cairo 153

Side Trips from Cairo 156

4 Alexandria 171

Welcome to Alexandria 172

Cafe Culture 174

Planning 177

Downtown and Raml Station 182

El Anfushi 194

Eastern Shoreline 200

5 Luxor and the Nile Valley 203

Welcome to Luxor and the Nile Valley 204

Planning 206

Luxor 209

Dendera 247

Abydos 250

Esna 252

El-Kab 254

Edfu 255

6 Aswan and Lake Nasser 257

Welcome to Aswan and Lake Nasser 258

Planning 260

Aswan 264

Kom Ombo 274

Daraw Camel Market 275

Philae 286

Lake Nasser 289

Abu Simbel 299

7 Sharm El-Sheikh and the Red Sea Coast 301

Welcome to Sharm el-Sheikh and the Red Sea Coast 302

Diving in Egypt 304

Egypt's Best Beaches 306

Planning 309

Sharm el-Sheikh 312

Ain Sukhna 322

Monasteries of St Anthony and St. Paul 322

Hurghada 325

El Gouna 329

Bur Safaga (Port Safaga) 341

El-Quseir 341

Marsa Alam 342

8 Cruising the Nile and Lake Nasser 343

Choosing a Nile Cruise 344

Nile Cruise Lines 354

Lake Nasser Cruise Lines 358

Index 359

About Our Writers 368

Maps

Islamic Cairo North 80

Islamic Cairo South 94

The Citadel 100

Old Cairo (Coptic Cairo) 107

Downtown Cairo 113

Rodah Island and Garden City 120

Gezira Island and Zamalek 128

Giza 134

Heliopolis 148

New Cairo 155

Side Trips from Cairo: Abu Sir, Memphis, Saqqara, and Dashur 158

Side Trips from Cairo: The Fayyum 167

Downtown and Raml Station 183

El Anfushi 196

Eastern Shoreline 201

Luxor 209

Karnak Temples 213

Luxor's East Bank 214

Luxor's West Bank 230

The Tombs of Nefertari and Ramose 234

North of Luxor: Dendera to Abydos 248

Temple of Seti I at Abydos 250

South of Luxor: Esna to Edfu 253

Aswan's East Bank and Nile Islands 266

Aswan's West Bank 271

Kom Ombo 275

North of Aswan 286

Philae 288

South of Aswan 294

Abu Simbel 298

Sharm El-Sheikh 314

Red Sea Coast 324

Hurghada 326

Culture Written on the Temple Walls 28

Shopping in Cairo 86

The Pyramids of Giza 136

Valley of the Kings 237

The Kingdoms of Egypt 277

The Copts: Egypt's Christians 330

The Nile: Egypt's Lifeline 345

Editorial Reviews

Fodor’s is pitched a few notches higher….aimed at a fairly discerning traveler with an appetite for background and the occasional surprise.” – New York Times

“The Fodor’s guides are notable for their ratings of sights, restaurants, shops, accommodations and attractions.” – Chicago Tribune

“In terms of comprehensiveness of coverage, the very accessible format, and the enthusiastic tone, this series remains one of the best on the market.” – Booklist

“Fodor’s super-informative guidebooks are known for accuracy and attention to detail.” – Sacramento Bee

“Fodor’s can help you plan the perfect adventure.” – Arizona Republic

From the Publisher