22 Reasons Why You Definitely Should Visit Egypt In 2022
Updated: Mar 14, 2022
The past couple of years have been... a lot, to say the least. But there's no use crying over covid-spilled milk, and things are definitely taking a turn for the better. Not only is Egypt completely open again, but we've been making headlines as one of THE countries to visit in 2022. Headlines where? Oh here are just a few:
Recently TripAdvisor not only named Cairo as their #2 Trending Destination in the World for 2022, but Hurghada in their Top 10 Most Popular Destinations in the World for 2022! And that's besides Egypt having secured 13 spots, yes 13, in Scuba Travel’s World’s Top 100 Dive Sites in 2022. Oh and let's not forget Egypt being on the list for Lonely Planet's Top 10 Countries in 2022.
So as you can see, it's been pretty much agreed across the board that Egypt is the place to see in 2022, for myriad reasons. And let us locals add 22 of our own personal reasons to the list!
1. It’s very affordable for tourists.
If you're coming from abroad, you might notice right away that certain things are WAY cheaper in Egypt than back home. For example, an Uber from the airport to Downtown Cairo will cost you around $10 - for an hour long ride! And a stay in a five star hotel in Egypt is going to run you *considerably* less than what a stay in a five star hotel in Europe for example will run you. Hot air balloon in Luxor? That'll set you back less than $50. You get the idea!
Read: Cairo on a Budget: 10 Cheap Ways to Enjoy the City
Read: Cairo Sightseeing For Free: 10 Awesome Sites That Don't Cost Anything To Visit
2. Year-round sunny beaches.
Home to both the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, Egypt has beaches that can easily compete with some of the best in the world. Even in winter months, it’s never too cold to sit on the Red Sea’s white sand beaches and soak up the sun.
Read: 9 World-Class Beaches in Egypt
Read: 7 Tropical Islands You Won't Believe Are In Egypt
3. Our world-famous museums.
The Grand Egyptian Museum will be hopefully be opening its doors in late 2022; when opened, it'll be the biggest archaeological museum in the world. It’ll also be home to the full Tutankhamun collection, with pieces on public display for the first time ever.
But don't let the delay get you down -- you can check out our other world-famous museums, like Cairo Museum in Midan Tahrir -- the museum’s collections exceed over 120,000 pieces, from the pre-historic era to the Roman-Greco period. Or the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, with its Royal Mummy Gallery. There's also Karnak Temple in Luxor, which is considered the biggest open-air museum in the world.
Read: 9 Museums In Cairo You Need To Visit At Least Once
Read: 7 Important Egyptian Museums To Truly Understand Egypt's History
4. Natural treatments and climatic physiotherapy.
The secret is out: Egypt is one of the best destinations in the world when it comes to therapeutic tourism -- those seeking natural treatment for various ailments, or seeking physical and spiritual cleansing.
Egypt is home to more than 1,300 natural springs, and their clay and minerals help treat bone, skin and digestive diseases. The 365 days of sunshine and dry climate in places like Aswan help respiratory and rheumatoid diseases. The sea and treatments like ‘sand baths’ are proven to help with skin diseases like psoriasis.
Read: Natural Therapy in Egypt - 7 Types of Natural Healing and Climatic Therapy You Can't Find Elsewhere
5. The last standing Ancient Wonder of the World.
The Great Pyramid of Giza (known as either Khufu or Cheops) is literally the last existing Ancient Wonder of the World. At around 4500 years old, it’s kind of crazy that you can get so up and close to it, but indeed you can. Its surrounding pyramids and Sphinx are no less impressive, and it’s truly worth being on every single human’s bucket list.
Read: Visiting the Pyramids of Giza - A Local's Guide to Everything You Need to Know
6. A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan.
When was the last time you went on a cruise? Or better yet, when was the last time you went on a cruise that had regular stops to dock and see thousands-of-years-old monuments, tombs and artifacts? These five star, luxury cruises range from 3 to 5 nights, and are both affordable and an awesome option for all ages and families with young kids. You’ll sail down the river in Ancient Upper Egypt and see sights like the Luxor Temple (the world’s largest outdoor museum), Karnak Temple and Philae Temple (the last place where the Ancient Egyptian religion was practiced).
7. Camping in the Sahara Desert.
Egypt’s Western desert is a pristine, stark wilderness where you can camp, do Jeep safaris, sandboard, immerse yourself in natural hot springs and see the Milky Way and an infinite amount of stars at night. White chalk formations like in the White Desert area of the Egyptian Sahara are some of the coolest natural wonders (and very “gram-able”).
Read: Camping in Egypt: 7 Beautiful and Remote Places To Camp
8. Disconnecting from the world at an Egyptian ecolodge.
If peace of mind is your end goal, then Egypt’s ecolodges are what you should be looking into for 2022. Whether you choose an ecolodge at a desert oasis, or next to the Red Sea, or at the very edge of the Great Sand Sea, you’re guaranteed to disconnect from your super plugged-in world; many of these places don’t even have electricity. Perfect for those who want to disconnect, eat fresh, get back in tune with nature and leave as small a carbon footprint as possible.
9. Scuba diving in some of the world’s very best dive spots.
Egypt's Red Sea scored a total of 13 spots in Scuba Travel’s World’s Top 100 Dive Sites in 2022 - what more can we say?
Notable Egyptian dive sites mentioned: Shark Reef, Daedalus Reef, Little Brother, Thistlegorm and Blue Hole.
Read: 7 Best Diving Destinations in Egypt’s Red Sea for Divers of All Levels
10. Religious significance for the three Abrahamic religions -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
While the Ancient Egyptian religion is what usually takes center stage when people think of Egypt, the country is of extreme significance to the Abrahamic religions as well. In Egypt you can climb to the summit of Mount Sinai, where it’s believed that Moses encountered the Burning Bush and received the 10 Commandments. You can also follow the journey of the Holy Family (Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Joseph) from the Sinai peninsula into mainland Egypt and back again.
If you’re interested in more modern historical religious sites, Islamic and