Tomb of Ay

Egypt

　　Although only the burial chamber is decorated, this tomb, tucked away in the West Valley, is noted for its scenes of Ay hunting hippopotamus and fishing in the marshes (scenes usually found in the tombs of nobles not royalty), and for a wall featuring 12 baboons, representing the 12 hours...

Wadi Al Hittan

Egypt

　　This Unesco World Heritage Site is home to the earliest prehistoric whale fossils ever discovered. The more than 400 basilosaurus and dorodontus (both rather fierce water predators) skeletons found here are around 40 million years old and show the clear evolution of land-based mammals into sea-going ones, as they have...

Luxor Temple

Egypt

　　Largely built by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC) and Ramses II (1279–1213 BC), this temple is a strikingly graceful monument in the heart of the modern town. Also known as the Southern Sanctuary, its main function was during the annual Opet celebrations, when the statues of Amun,...

White Desert National Park

Egypt

　　Upon first glimpse of the 300-sq-km national park of the White Desert, you’ll feel like Alice through the looking-glass. About 20km northeast of Farafra, on the east side of the road, blinding-white chalk rock spires sprout almost supernaturally from the ground, each frost-coloured lollipop licked into a surreal landscape of...

Temple of Isis

Egypt

　　Built to honour the goddess Isis, this was the last temple built in the classical Egyptian style. Construction began around 690 BC, and it was one of the last outposts where the goddess was worshipped. The cult of Isis continued here until at least AD 550. The boat leaves you...

Great Temple of Ramses II

Egypt

　　Carved out of the mountain on the west bank of the Nile between 1274 and 1244 BC, this imposing main temple of the Abu Simbel complex was as much dedicated to the deified Ramses II himself as to Ra-Horakhty, Amun and Ptah. The four colossal statues of the pharaoh, which...

Temple of Seti I

Egypt

　　The first structure you’ll see at Abydos is the Great Temple of Seti I, which, after a certain amount of restoration work, is one of the most complete, unique and beautiful temples in Egypt. With exquisite decoration and plenty of atmosphere, it is the main attraction here, although the nearby...

Temple of Horus

Egypt

　　This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the place after the pagan cult was banned, the temple is dedicated to Horus, the avenging son of Isis and Osiris. With its roof intact, it...

St Catherine's Monastery

Egypt

　　This ancient monastery traces its founding to about AD 330, when Byzantine empress Helena had a small chapel and a fortified refuge for local hermits built beside what was believed to be the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses. Today St Catherine’s is considered one of the oldest...

Sha’ab Sharm

Red Sea Coast

　　Impressive topography and excellent marine life (hammerheads, barracuda, groper and yellowmouth moray eels) mark this large, kidney-shaped offshore reef 30km north-east of Wadi Gimal. Depth: 15m to more than 40m. Rating: advanced. ...

Sataya Reef

Red Sea Coast

　　Horseshoe-shaped Sataya, 50km north of Berenice, is the main reef of the Fury Shoals, and has steep walls leading down to a sandy slope scattered with a great variety of coral heads. Depth: 4m to 40m. Rating: intermediate. ...

Hamada

Red Sea Coast

　　Atop an inshore reef 60km north of Berenice lies the wreck of this 65m-long cargo ship. Lying on its side in just 14m of water, Hamada is a fairly easy, extremely picturesque dive site. Depth: 6m to 14m. Rating: novice. ...

Berenice

Red Sea Coast

　　Founded in 275 BC by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Berenice was one of the most important harbours and trading posts on the Red Sea coast from about the 3rd to the 5th century AD. Remnants of the ancient town, including ruins of the Temple of Serapis, are located just south of...

Rocky Island

Red Sea Coast

　　A sandy island east of Berenice, Rocky Island has a range of dive possibilities, including a 25m drop off the east side of the island. Plenty of coral and reef life, including a range of sharks. Rating: advanced. ...

Elphinstone

Red Sea Coast

　　North of Marsa Alam, Elphinstone has steep reef walls covered with soft corals and is washed by strong currents that make it ideal for spotting sharks – seven species reportedly frequent its waters. This is one of the best dives in the region. Depth: 20m to 40m. Rating: advanced. ...

Sha’ab Samadai

Red Sea Coast

　　This lagoon 18km south-east of Marsa Alam is home to three dive sites with a reef system full of interesting coral pinnacles and fish life. What makes Samadai so special, though, is the pod of spinner dolphins (numbering up to 480) that regularly visits the lagoon. As with any wildlife-watching,...

Islands

Dahab

　　This underwater Alice in Wonderland–esque site south of Dahab offers an outstanding topography of coral alleyways, amphitheatres, valleys and gulleys. Depth: 5m to 18m. Rating: novice. Access: shore. ...

Lighthouse Reef

Dahab

　　This sloping reef is home to a bounty of fish life and is Dahab’s main night-diving site. More experienced divers can descend to the sandy bottom, where there’s a profusion of coral towers. Depth: 5m to 30m. Rating: novice. Access: shore. ...

Canyon

Dahab

　　One of the area’s most popular dives, the Canyon is a long, narrow trench that runs perpendicular to the reef shelf, and is home to prolific hard and soft corals. It's on the north side of Dahab. Depth: 5m to 33m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore. ...

Eel Garden

Dahab

　　Eel Garden takes its name from the countless garden eels that carpet the sea floor. Other highlights include huge coral boulders and dense congregations of barracudas. Located off the Assalah shore. Depth: 5m to 20m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore. ...

Umm Sid

Dahab

　　An impressive entrance through a wide corridor carved into a steeply sloping reef is a highlight of this dive site 15km south of Dahab. Further down you’ll find table corals and two enormous gorgonians. Depth: 5m to 35m. Rating: intermediate to advanced. Access: shore. ...

Gabr El Bint

Dahab

　　This dive 25km south of Dahab features a dramatic seascape highlighted by a 60m wall cut by numerous chasms, faults and sandy ravines. If you access the site by land, the journey combines a 4WD trip and a Bedouin-led camel convoy. Depth: 10m to 30m. Rating: intermediate. Access: boat or...

Bells

Dahab

　　Bells is a narrow breach in the reef table that forms a pool close to shore. From here, divers can descend through a chimney, exiting onto a ledge at 27m and then swimming south along the reef wall until a saddle at 7m enters into the Blue Hole. Depth: 7m...

Blue Hole

Dahab

　　Carved into a reef, 8km north of Dahab, is Egypt’s most infamous dive site. The Blue Hole is a gaping sinkhole that drops straight down – some say as deep as 130m. Exploring the deeper depths should be left to experienced technical divers, but there's plenty to discover close to...

Stingray Station

Hurghada

　　The stingrays this dive site is named after are most commonly seen in March and April, but there are plenty of other attractions year-round at this colourful reef, including leopard sharks. ...

Siyul Kebira

Hurghada

　　The reef’s upper section is home to bannerfish, angelfish and snapper. If the current is strong, you can drift along the wall skirting the edges of huge coral outcroppings. Depth: 10m to 30m. Rating: intermediate. ...

Ashrafi Islands

Hurghada

　　The Ashrafi Islands, north of Hurghada, are less-visited than many other dive sites in the area, but have several wrecks in relatively shallow water (8m to 12m). Among the wrecks here are Siris, Tamim II, Bacchis and Star of Rawiah. ...

Shedwan Island

Hurghada

　　There is some fabulous diving off this island, which sits in the straits between Hurghada and Sharm. Pilot whales and large pods of dolphins have been seen off the north reef wall. ...

Giftun Islands

Hurghada

　　These islands, among the closest to Hurghada, form part of a marine reserve and are surrounded by a number of spectacular reefs teeming with marine life, including Hamda, Banana Reef, Sha’ab Sabrina, Erg Somaya and Sha’ab Torfa. Depth: 5m to 100m. Rating: intermediate to advanced. ...

Umm Qamar

Hurghada

　　Umm Qamar, 9km north of the Giftun Islands, is highlighted by three coral towers that are swathed in beautiful soft, purple coral and surrounded by a large range of fish as well as a wreck at 25m. The site is easily accessible by boat from Hurghada and offers plenty of...

Hurghada Marina

Hurghada

　　Hurghada's marina is a pleasant, car-free place to stroll, especially in the evening. When you get tired of staring out to sea or dreaming about owning one of the many huge yachts tied up here, drop by one of the numerous bars or restaurants. ...

Gota Abu Ramada

Hurghada

　　A mind-boggling abundance of marine life is on display here, 5km south of the Giftun Islands, making Gota Abu Ramada a popular spot for underwater photographers, snorkellers and night divers. Depth: 3m to 15m. Rating: novice. ...

Gordon Reef

Sharm El Sheikh

　　This large reef is fantastic for sealife spotting with banner fish, parrot fish, cornet fish and blue-spotted sting rays all flitting through the hard coral. Keep your eyes peeled for manta rays and white-tip sharks too, as they're often sighted. Depth: surface to 24m. Rating: advanced. Access: boat. ...

Al Sahaba Mosque

Sharm El Sheikh

　　Designed by Fouad Tawfik, Sharm El Sheikh's new mosque fuses Fatimid, Mamluk and Ottoman style elements into its architecture and interior design. Whether it all really gels or just looks like a weird mish-mash is up to the eye of the beholder but there's no denying that this mosque is...

Amphoras

Sharm El Sheikh

　　A good choice for a drift dive, this dive site gets its name from an Ottoman shipwreck found here which was carrying a cargo of amphoras. Not much remains of the wreck ruins, but scorpion fish flit between the area's coral pinnacles where nudibranchs are found in abundance. Depth: 12m...

Gardens

Sharm El Sheikh

　　At the perennially popular Gardens there are actually three sites in one. Near Garden is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles; Middle Garden features a fringing ridge that gently slopes down to a bed of sandy 'trails'; and Far Garden is home to the 'Cathedral’, a colourful overhang in...

Dunraven

Sharm El Sheikh

　　The Dunraven sank in 1876 on its way from Bombay to Newcastle. Today the wreck, found at the southeast tip of Sha’ab Mahmud, is encrusted in coral and home to various knick-knacks including china plates, metal steins, and jars of gooseberries and rhubarb, among the detritus. Depth: 15m to 28m....

Thomas Reef

Sharm El Sheikh

　　The smallest, but easily the most spectacular, of the Tiran reefs, Thomas is home to steeply plunging walls that are lined with soft coral, schooling fish and patrolling sharks. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: advanced. Access: boat. ...

Ras Um Sid

Sharm El Sheikh

　　One of the best dive sites in the area, Ras Um Sid features a spectacular gorgonian forest along a dramatic drop-off that hosts a great variety of reef fish. It's opposite Hotel Royal Paradise. Depth: 15m to 40m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore or boat. ...

Thistlegorm

Sharm El Sheikh

　　One of the top five wreck dives in the world, the Thistlegorm is a 129m-long cargo ship built in Sunderland, England, which was sunk during World War II. The ship had been on its way to Alexandria carrying supplies to restock the British army there; its cargo of armaments and...

Aswan Museum

Aswan

　　The modern annexe of the museum has reopened with a delightful collection of objects, from weapons, pottery and utensils to statues, encased mummies and sarcophagi from predynastic to late Roman times. Artefacts are organised in separate glass cases, each explaining a particular facet of life on the island in ancient...

Seheyl

Aswan

　　Situated just north of the old Aswan Dam, the island of Seheyl was sacred to the goddess Anukis. Before the dam’s construction, the Nile would rush noisily through the granite boulders that emerged from the riverbed just south of here, forming the First Cataract. On the island’s southern tip is...

Elephantine Island

Aswan

　　Elephantine Island's southern end comprises the site of ancient Abu. Its name meant both 'elephant' and 'ivory' in ancient Egyptian, a reminder of the important role the island once played in the ivory trade. The island's Nubian villages of Siou and Koti make a surprising counterpoint to the bustle of...

Tombs of the Nobles

Aswan

　　The high cliffs opposite Aswan, just north of Kitchener’s Island, are honeycombed with the tombs of the governors, the Keepers of the Gate of the South, and other dignitaries of ancient Elephantine Island. The tombs, known as the Tombs of the Nobles, are still being excavated: significant finds were made...

Unfinished Obelisk

Aswan

　　Aswan was the source of ancient Egypt’s finest granite, used to make statues and embellish temples, pyramids and obelisks. The large unfinished obelisk in the Northern Quarries has provided valuable insight into how these monuments were created, although the full construction process is still not entirely clear. Three sides of...