Catching quick glimpses of the pyramids at night was one thing, but seeing them up close the next day was one of those experiences that I will carry with me for a lifetime. Our local guide, Andrew, was extremely knowledgeable about Egyptian history, and despite the group’s collective urge to go rushing up right away, he gathered us together near the base of the pyramids to explain how they were constructed and why. Internally, I was chomping at the bit to get up close, excited to get some photos and actually touch this wonder of the ancient world. I’m glad Andrew did take the time, though, as his descriptions helped to provide all-important context to what we were seeing. This became a routine at all the other sites that we visited across the country and added so much more depth to the experience.

One absolute highlight for me was being able to go inside and crawl around three different pyramids: First, the great pyramid of Cheops, and then two much older pyramids at the nearby Dashur necropolis. I must say, if you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re starring in an Indiana Jones film, this is the place. I could practically hear John Williams’ epic Raiders of The Lost Ark score playing in the background as I ventured further and further into these massive structures. Crawling on hands and knees at times, the narrow entryways eventually opened into much larger chambers, and it’s overwhelming to think that every single stone was carved and placed by hand thousands of years ago, without the benefit of modern tools and machinery. A word of warning: if you are at all claustrophobic, you might want to rethink going inside.

Our 13-day adventure covered the entire north-south extent of Egypt, from Giza up to the Mediterranean coast of Alexandria, back to Cairo, then aboard an overnight train south to Aswan, roughly following the course of the Nile River. If you’ve ever seen a photo of Egypt taken at night from space, you’d very clearly see a bright ribbon of light that follows the twists and turns of the Nile. The river is the lifeblood of Egypt, and about 95 per cent of the country’s 102 million people live along the banks of the Nile and in the Nile River Delta.

In Aswan, we experienced a bit of Nubian culture (and food!), as well as visiting the stunning temple of Philae with its sprawling main courtyard and temples. which has been an active site from the ancient Egyptians through the Roman times and throughout early Christianity. From Aswan, we took an early-morning road trip to Abu Simbel, where the Temples of Ramses the Great and Nefertari are located. When the Egyptian government needed to build a huge hydroelectric dam on the Nile River, the resulting reservoir, Lake Nasser, would have completely submerged the temples of Abu Simbel. To prevent this, a huge engineering project was undertaken in the 1960s. The entire UNESCO World Heritage Site was painstakingly disassembled, moved, and reassembled in a new location 65 metres higher and 200 metres back from the water to keep it from disappearing beneath the waves. This fact blew my mind. I looked and looked but couldn’t see where the gigantic jigsaw puzzle pieces were taken apart and put back together again.

From Aswan, we took a Nile River cruise downstream (the Nile flows from south to north), stopping at even more amazing historical sites along the way. Our ship, complete with a bar/lounge, pool and amazing food, was our home for three nights and added a well-deserved chance to relax a bit as we glided past the dunes of the Sahara.

No trip to Egypt would be complete without a visit to the Valley of the Kings. Here is where you’ll find a remarkably high concentration of pharaohs’ tombs, all of them quite spectacular. Unfortunately, they’ve all been looted by grave-robbers at one point or another over the millennia — all but one, that is: the tomb of the famous King Tutankhamun. In the grand scheme of history, Tut was a minor king, just a boy, really. However, his burial tomb, tucked away not far from the others, is the only one that has lasted until modern times without being completely sacked by treasure seekers. It’s a small tomb, but the paintings and hieroglyphics that line the walls are outstanding, and while Tut’s gold and other treasures that were buried with him are not inside anymore (they’re on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and they are spectacular, by the way), his actual mummified body still lies in the tomb, contained in a clear, climate-controlled coffin for all to see. Getting a close look at his well-preserved facial features was equal parts fascinating and chilling and definitely a highlight of the trip for me.