What to Visit In Egypt

When you visit Egypt, you'll want to see so many sites that your trip will only seem short enough! We often meet people during our tours who have been to Egypt more than 15 times, and they keep returning to see something new! They ask about this newly discovered site, or some tomb that has been recently uncovered, or even places that they have heard other people talk about! Here in Egypt, you will always find new sites to visit and enjoy. Egyptian tourist places are unique, with exciting sightseeing adventures at beautiful monuments.
The adventure that is Egypt never ends! That is why it is a shame if you come to Egypt, especially for the first time, and miss the grandiose sites, such as the Pyramids of Giza, Abu Simbel, or the west bank of Luxor, to name but a few. Many travelers fly directly to Upper Egypt to see Luxor and Aswan, hoping they will also stumble across the Pyramids. Then they realize they must travel 720 km to Cairo, where the Pyramids are, and end up paying $400 extra to travel and see one site, probably about half of what they paid for their entire trip!
So, dear traveler, plan well before you come. It's the best way to save time, money, and effort and ensure you see the sites you dream about.
Try to visit as many places as possible during your trip. Nothing is worse than going home and wishing you had seen somewhere you didn't! We both know you only get to visit Egypt sometimes!

Areas To be Avoided:  Areas Rarely Seen and Safety 

When traveling through Egypt, you should avoid certain areas, particularly sites in the Nile Valley's center! About 20 years ago, there were rising tensions at these sites; Islamic fundamentalists had targeted tourists to destroy the tourist industry and the economy. This was part of a larger plan to bring down the government, seize power themselves, and install the political ideas of their vision. This vision no more resembles the rules of the Qur'an than the Inquisition resembled the Christianity of Christ!
Some specific incidents occurred during the '80s and the '90s; a handful of events targeted the tourist industry. Without for a moment trying to deny the reality of these events, the situation has been blown out of proportion by the world's press, while the situation in other countries with flourishing tourist industries is far worse, their incidents rarely making headlines. But in Egypt, if anything happens, it becomes front-page news! In the mid-'90s, a widespread harsh government crackdown campaign was implemented to stop threats to tourism and visitors.
This can also be witnessed by late January/early February 2011 events. Following Tunisia's lead, the youth of Egypt started peacefully protesting for a radical change in the country. They were simply fed up with the government's corruption, the permanent implementation of the emergency laws, the evil manners in which the police could arrest people (often leading to disappearances and deaths), and the high unemployment rate, especially among university graduates.
These peaceful protests were invaded by paid thugs of the government, trying to suppress the protests while allowing the government to look good to the rest of the world, which the world's press took great delight in covering. Once the protests achieved their aim, with President Mubarak resigning his position on 11/02/2011, life returned to "normal" in the country, and the media stopped reporting. Nothing good was ever said to the world's people, and if too much time had passed since something newsworthy occurred, the media would show reruns of earlier events. This hurt Egypt's tourism as potential visitors were scared away all the time when, in reality, Egypt was safe to visit. Yet in Bahrain, where protests were dealt with much more severely, the talks about reinstating a Formula One Grand Prix were underway even when the country was not at peace! 
A trip to Egypt still entails far less danger than a trip to anywhere else in the world. In the realm of violence in the mid-'90s, certain areas were not suitable for tourists. These areas are located in the center of the Nile Valley, particularly Minya, Asyut, and Sohag. Unfortunately, these places happen to have some of the most beautiful monuments in Egypt, like the beautiful tombs at Beni Hassan in Minya, the marvelous monasteries of Asyut, and the Temple of Abydos in Sohag, not to forget Akhenaten's ancient city of Akhetaten at El- Amarna, near Minya. In time, all of these sites will be fully re-opened for tourists.
If you still want to visit these places as an individual traveler, you can! However, be prepared for a police escort, as the local police will only let you travel with others in these areas! The safest, cheapest, and most informative way to visit these sites is through a reputable travel agent.