Hostels in Egypt

Who has not been dreaming of visiting the pyramids and the Sphinx? You can find them in Egypt, a fascinating country in the north of Africa. Here you can find magnificent ancient sites, but you could as well enjoy a beach holiday and go diving in the Red Sea.

All the big cities, and pretty much all places worth visiting in Egypt, concentrate around the Nile river, so it is easy to plan your trip around the country. Long distance buses run frequently between the city, and since travellers normally travel the same route, it is likely that you will meet the same travellers several times.

You can find a bunch of hostels in each of the big cities on the Nile river. Travelling in Egypt is cheap compared to travelling in Europe, North America, and sub-Saharan Africa. Egypt is one of the cheapest countries to travel in the world. Hostels in Egypt are also cheap, and for only a few dollars, you can book a dorm bed in a nice hostel. Due to the increasing unrest in surrounding countries, the popularity of Egypt as a travel destination has decreased, so hostels may not be as crowded as they once were. However, the travellers that you meet are typically more adventurous, have travelled all over the world, and have many great stories to tell.

Apart from the cities on the Nile river, the Sinai region is worth visiting. Most of the region is deserted, but you can find many resorts on the south coast in cities such as Sharm El-Sheikh and Dahab. The region is a hotspot for diving. Unfortunately, the Sinai region is suffering from a lot from terrorist attacks for a few years and travelling to this region is currently discouraged. However, travelling the route along the Nile is pretty safe, although incidents can of course always happen. If you want to spend time on the beach, then travelling to Hurghada is a better option.

Most travellers arrive to Egypt through Cairo Airport. Cairo is not just the Egyptian capital, it is also a vibrant metropole with beautiful Islamic architecture, many coffee shops where you can smoke shisha, and street food stalls where you can get a shawarma or falafel. However, Cairo’s main attraction are the world famous Giza Pyramids.

Luxor should also be included in each visit to Egypt. Luxor translates into ‘palaces,' which already gives away why Luxor is worth visiting. Ancient temples, royal tombs, and beautiful scenery makes stopping in Luxor for a few days a must. Do not just stay in the city, but go out and explore the desert too!

Aswan is another ancient city worth visiting, but quieter than Cairo and Luxor. You can travel by road between Aswan and Luxor, but a more exciting way is to take a two-day cruise on the Nile river. During these two days, you will be treated with beautiful scenery from the boat.

In the opposite direction from Cairo, you can find the city of Alexandria. It is a nice city on the Mediterranean Sea and the second largest city in Egypt. A few centuries ago, Alexandria was a glorious cosmopolitan. Although Alexandria does not have the same status now as back then, it is still a pleasant city to spend a few days, with quite a few sites to see from the Roman Empire.

Despite the increasing terrorism threat in the Middle East, the Nile route is quite safe, and here you can find one of the best ancient sites in the world. Do not hesitate, you will enjoy travelling around Egypt.

Handwritten by local expert for Egypt hostels Martin Straatman