1. The Egyptian Museum: Everybody has heard the legend of King Tutankhamen and the curse surrounding his tomb – and a visit to the Egyptian Museum will give you the chance to see the mummy of this ancient ruler. There are plenty more Egyptian relics on show as well, from tomb treasures to less famous royal mummies.

2. Islamic Cairo: Expansion and modernisation is evident in many areas of Cairo, but in the Islamic heart things are much as they were two hundred years ago. Narrow streets are fringed by crumbing medieval forts, magnificent mosques and markets which date back 1,500 years. Visit the mosques to get the full experience – but remember to wear suitable clothing and to remove your shoes before entering.

3. The Citadel: Built in the 12^th century by Salah ah-Din and later expanded by the addition of the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, the Citadel is one of Cairo’s most popular historical attractions. A hilltop location makes it worth a visit simply for the views over surrounding Cairo – and on a good day you can see all the way to the pyramids in the desert.

4. The Pyramids: Many tourists travel to Cairo simply to see these stunning monuments to ancient ingenuity. You’ll be hard pressed to find a time of year when they aren’t packed with visitors, but the Pyramids are well worth a visit nonetheless. Come in the evening to see the ancient structures illuminated by a beautiful sound and light show.

5. The Sphinx: The ultimate Egyptian enigma, the Great Sphinx of Giza is the oldest monolith statue in the world and stands an impressive 20.22 metres high. It is thought to date back to 2555 BC, and takes the form of a reclining lion with a human head. If the Sphinx fascinates you, it’s worth visiting the Egyptian Museum to see the sculpture’s missing beard and to learn more about its history.

Bear in mind that many of Cairo’s best known historical sites are expensive to visit, so you may be able to save money by going as part of a guided or package tour. You can also bring down the cost of your Egyptian holiday by taking advantage of the cheap flights offered by budget airlines and by securing cheap holiday insurance with a provider such as Go Travel Insurance.

Camel rides: This is the truly authentic way to see Cairo’s awe-inspiring pyramids; and, if you’re brave enough, you can venture further afield into the desert. Plenty of stables around the city offer camel rides, ranging from one hour site-seeing trips to day-long excursions. Arrange your ride at sunset to enjoy the best views away from the heat of the day and to hear the mingled Call to Prayer from the city’s many mosques.

Get sailing: Forget expensive Nile cruises – you can enjoy your very own budget river experience by hiring a felucca and seeing Cairo by water. These traditional Egyptian boats can be crewed by only one man, and an hour should cost you just 60 LE.

A walk in the park: Al Azhar Park is the largest of its kind in the city; and, despite the fact that it was originally built atop a rubbish tip, is a haven of peace and relaxation. The gardens are beautifully tended and the hilltop location offers fantastic views over the city. Best of all, you’ll have a choice of four restaurants or cafes to relax in when walking becomes thirsty work.

Swing a club: Experts and beginners alike will relish a round of golf at the Mena House Operoi, which lies in a sheltered location just below the Giza Pyramids. The 18-hole course is known as one of the best in the area, and the chance to pursue their favourite activity in such a special spot is one which most golfers simply won’t be able to resist. For a little variety, head to the nearby Dreamland Golf and Tennis Resort with its superb 18-hole course and floodlit range. You could even try out your tennis skills if golf begins to pall.

Of course, there are also plenty of fantastic outdoor-themed day trips around Cairo to tempt those with a thirst for adventure. If you decide to venture outside of the city, make sure you choose a reputable tour company and don’t forget to take out travel insurance to cover any potential hitches. Remember, if you’re a regular holidaymaker then annual travel insurance with a budget provider such as Go Travel Insurance could be better value than single trip cover. Travel insurance will give you peace of mind, allowing you to relax and enjoy your holiday.

Back in the late 14th century, towards the end of it, the reigning Emir built a facility called a caravanserai, basically a place of rest, relaxation, and entertainment. Essentially a wayfarers in, for rest upon long journeys or just a place to get away from things for a while. At the time in 1382, much of the area had been destroyed by the black death, and as such when the city was being repaired by the ruler, the Khan was built and formed into use.

As given by its name and being a major district for shopping there exists an innumerable amount of personal small shops and large facilities throughout the center. Coffee is a major beverage of enjoyment so you will not lack for that when there are many varieties of coffee houses present here as well. Many of these are small and traditional, offering Turkish coffee blends and brews, as well as offering the Shisha, the famed 3 stemmed hookahs, for smoking your smoke of choice; typically a blended tobacco purchased from another vendor.

As is with many of the largest shopping districts, everything is typically accessible with as little travel as possible. You cannot only get everything you want here, but get TO everywhere you need. After recreation and other festivities, a journey over to the local Mosque, Al-Hussein. It is inside Khan itself, and there is a university and its Mosque as well very close by. As can be seen, everything is literally at your fingertips in Khan el-Khalili.

Originally erected in 1869, the original attractor and bastion of Egyptian opera and entertainment was the Khedivial opera facility. It was a celebratory erection, heralding the finish of the Suez canal and a great one it was. Opening with its first presentation of Rigoletto and later Aida. It stood as a beacon of fresh entertainment for over a hundred years until its demise due to a fire in 1971. Though it would still be nigh on two decades before a new facility was born.

Built in 1988, taking the place of the burnt down Khedivial facility, the Cairo opera house soon rose to the position of premier facility in Egypt. It is home to nearly every major and minor act who seeks to present themselves to the public. It was such an appealing structure and pleasing concert hall that London’s Philharmonic had made its decision to perform a concert there, their first ever middle eastern showing.

The facility boasts a rather impressive structure in and of itself, most likely leading many acts not only out of necessity, but desire to perform and be housed there. Main hall seating sits around 1300 persons with spacious placement of seats designed to maximize the acoustic properties of the facility. The smaller hall off to the side can take 500 people as well. There is for larger performances an open air space. This theater is also acoustically designed to utilize outdoor properties for those desiring such a performance.

All together an impressive facility in its history, as well as its construction. There may not be a large number of concert halls and opera facilities, but Cairo House exists to exhibit the best of the best, and that is something they do quite well, with the amazing architecture and diverse selection of artists performing.

Being at the center point of thousands of years of dynastic change and structures being built, Egypt has such a large wealth of archaeological discoveries and finds that continue to be discovered now and will be far into the future. The Egyptian museum of course has become the largest possessor of pharaonic pieces, larger than any other in the world. This is to be expected but what they also have in the same vein as the rest of the treasures, but a little more known, are the remnants of Tutankhamen’s tomb. It is because of such a sordid history and mystery surrounding those particular pieces, that tourists have their attention diverted to it from all corners.

The current location of the museum has been its resting spot for over 100 years now. Prior to that many of the structures relics had to be moved from its prior facility in 1878, in Boulaq, to a facility in Giza because of some unexpected flooding that destroyed much of the property. Originally situated near the Ezbekeyah Gardens, it started out small until their benefactors deemed it too small to house further exploratory finds, and went on with building a larger facility.

Divided into two floors, the antiquities are arranged in such a fashion, that one would progressively go back in time and lineage of dynasties the further down the line they went. Level 1, the first floor, has many pieces of currency from all corners of Egypt and its many areas, as well as some from around the world at the time. New kingdom artifacts and tablets are housed here as well, items which typically are much larger than the coins and many pieces of papyrus lining the walls and display areas.

Start out in the beginning and enter, travel through to the beginning of an empire. The Egyptian museum is indeed a journey back in time.

The Nile currently in Africa is one of 5 rivers that has flowed north out of Sudan since ancient times. Many an era has seen the source of the waters become obscured, or the pathway it takes totally obstructed or changed, creating a completely new river system. People throughout ancient times as well were perpetually trying to find the source of the Nile and its life giving qualities, but even the Greeks and Romans were unable to penetrate that far to discover the course of the flowing water.

It had mystique, it was a seemingly never ending flow of water that expanded beyond the horizon. It solely kept thousands of years of the Egyptian civilizations alive and strong, being considered one of the greatest empires known to man. And, still, to this day explorers are constantly desiring to find more and more about the source of the river itself. Documentaries and films by explorers and companies are periodically filmed still, all in the quest to discover every last bit of knowledge about this ancient giver of life, known as the Nile river. Maybe someday, we will know it all. But, that’s also what humanity has been saying about this rivers mysteries since the dawn of time.

Consisting of a few structures, the complex covers an ample space of land. The Great Pyramid, known by some as the pyramid of Cheops, is the central focal point of the complex when remembered by many. There exists a smaller pyramid of Khafre South West of the Great pyramid; While the Sphinx, the great massive animal and human combined. A few hundred meters beyond Khafres tomb, exists the pyramid of Menkaure. Amongst these mainstays and very visible structures exists a scattered grouping of smaller pyramids, queens pyramids, Valley types, and causeways.

Existing as the only structure showing any of its original casing of polished limestone, Menkaures Pyramid is the most intact. Khafres facility has a grouping of the stones at its Apex, still retaining some of that renowned limestone casting. The great pyramid became, in Hellenistic times, a popular location, gaining it status as one of the 7 wonders of the world.

People also think that the pyramids are off in this remote portion of desert, unable to be traveled to without extensive travel; but they would be wrong. That was something happening with their popularization during the Nineteenth century and many of the photographs that came out of that era. They didn’t show anything of the surrounding area, and only showcased the complex itself. It is actually in, and part of the largest city in Egypt, Cairo.

All of the pyramids at the Great Pyramid location, Memphis, Dashur, and a few others were declared a World Heritage Site. That means, it is a precious complex, of value to the entire world, declared so by the UN. The Giza Necropolis holds some of the most ancient civilizations secrets, and as such should be revered and protected.

Located just before the Nile delta, upon the banks of the Nile itself, Cairo spreads its urban glory. It is divided into many small Governorate ares, ruled by different political and economic classes. The famed Cairo university known world wide, resides in the Giza Governorate area while Cairo is home to the Ain Shams university. East of the river lies the oldest part of the city, and when referring to Cairo itself, many people are often speaking of Greater Cairo, the multi-sectioned set of small governments. The actual urban population if the are itself reaches up to 17 million or so.

Climate wise, the vicinity of the city and surrounding areas is a cross between a Mediterranean styled climate, and that of a desert climate. Making sense, due to its sea side influence on the water, and its submersion into the desert lands upon the northern section of the great Nile River. Wind storms are more that frequent, and clouds of dust from the surrounding Sahara desert can be seen blowing their way through the city at varying times. The effects of the Valley on the city give it its unique crossbreed of weather systems and climates.

Along with Giza, Cairo is the regions center for medical care and holds the most advanced and best facilities for treating ones health needs. Minus a few practices, its superiority is held as the top provider region wide.

Habitats of salt marshes, inter-tidal flats, coral reefs, mangrove communities and desert habitats marine and terrestrial wild life are given the best care an animal can have. Many small secrets lay hidden in Ras Mohamed, just one being the wondrous amounts of marine and coral life.

Waters rich with nutrients are swept across from the Sinai Peninsula from the deepest waters of the Gulf of Aqaba. Because of the overwhelmingly large amounts of water going through Ras Mohamed, and the amounts of nutrients the waters carry, this makes for naturally created, rich and fruitful food environment for the habitats to flourish from.

But not only are the waters exceptional for the marine and coral life, but for those who love to scuba dive. Numerous dive sites can be found in and around Ras Mohamed, many of them exceptional and almost fantastical. If one wanted to scuba dive, visiting dive sites such as Jackfish Alley and Yolanda Reef would be enough to leave divers with a feeling of excitement. Divers could marvel at the sites of over 1,000 species of fish like; tuna, barracuda, grouper and even a wide variety of shark life.

One can be left astounded by the rich environments Ras Mohamed has to offer by both land and sea. With part of the land area having once been apart of the peninsula, the southern most tip offers visitors the chance to find fossils of former marine and coral life. The most amazing part of Ras Mohamed lies in the water though and by taking a dive it’s easy to understand why. Aside from the diving, a visit to the sand dunes or a walk along the waters edge will bring you closer to nature just by watching the birds overhead and sun bathing along the coast.

The entire area has existed for quite sometime as a large scale excavation and archaeological expedition by multiple countries. The knowledge that can be gained, and the mysteries unlocked keep explores going, and governments and private contractors spending money on the digs. Multiple countries finance digs here, and some work together; yet there are those in competition as any other field to find the biggest and best discovery. That is most likely to continue with further discoveries being made on a regular basis.

The most popular and known find in the Valley was most likely King Tutankhamun, who most label as “King Tut”. Around the turn of the century, after having gone through many excavations and been declared barren, the famed expedition team led by Howard Carter, financed by Lord Carnavon, continued onward in the previously discovered tombs. Not long after the century shifted, they broke through a set of final walls, and came into the presence of the Sarcophagus and its famed and familiar gold covering. That is one of the moments sealing the Valley of the Kings into memory of the common populace.

The years ahead will most likely find more and more secrets, and tombs of lost kings and their families. Who knows, maybe we will find some long lost knowledge beneficial to our modern time? The Valley of the Kings; remaining a source of secrets for ages to come.