Looking for Secret Places to Visit in Egypt? Don’t Leave Home Without a Travel eSIM

Everyone thinks they know Egypt, don’t they? You see the pictures of the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the treasures of Tutankhamun. And don’t get me wrong, those places are famous for a reason. They will absolutely blow your mind. Standing in front of the Great Pyramid at Giza is one of those moments that makes you feel properly small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

But what about the other Egypt? The one that’s just around the corner from the tour bus route, the one that isn’t on all the postcards. The secret Egypt.

I’ve always been a traveller who loves to get a little bit lost. I remember a trip to Morocco once where I deliberately ditched the map and just wandered into the maze of the Marrakech medina. It was brilliant. I found tiny workshops, drank mint tea with a shopkeeper, and saw a side of the city I never would have otherwise. But the secret to that kind of confident exploring? Knowing that I had a phone with a working data connection in my pocket. It was my safety net, my digital compass that meant I could find my way back when I was done being adventurous.

That’s the key. To find the real magic of a country, sometimes you need a little bit of modern tech in your back pocket. So, if you’re looking for secret places to visit in Egypt, let me share a few of my favourites, and the one bit of kit that makes finding them a whole lot easier.

Beyond the Postcards: Egypt’s Hidden Gems

You’ve seen the Pyramids. You’ve done the Nile cruise. Now you want to see something special. Here are a few spots that are properly worth the effort.

1. The Siwa Oasis Way out west, close to the Libyan border, is a place that feels like a desert dream. The Siwa Oasis is a world away from the hustle of Cairo. It’s an island of lush green date palms and olive groves surrounded by the Great Sand Sea. You’ll find ancient mud-brick fortresses, the ruins of the famous Oracle of Amun (who once gave advice to Alexander the Great), and incredible salt lakes that are so buoyant you can’t help but float.

• Why you’ll need data: Siwa is remote. You’ll want your phone for navigating the desert tracks to find the best salt pools, looking up the history of the Oracle, and maybe even booking a night in a unique eco-lodge on the fly.

2. The White Desert (Sahara el Beyda) This place is otherworldly. Imagine a vast desert landscape filled with giant, surreal chalk-white rock formations that have been carved by the wind into shapes that look like giant mushrooms, chickens, and ice cream cones. Camping out here overnight and watching the stars in the total silence is an experience that will stay with you forever.

• Why you’ll need data: You can’t just drive out here yourself; you’ll need to co-ordinate with a 4×4 tour driver. A reliable connection is essential for this. Plus, downloading a star-gazing app to identify the constellations in that perfectly clear night sky is a brilliant touch.

3. Abydos & Dendera Temples Everyone flocks to the temples at Luxor, and they are incredible. But they are also incredibly crowded. For a more peaceful and, in my opinion, more impressive experience, take a day trip out to the temples of Abydos and Dendera. The Temple of Hathor at Dendera is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt, and its ceiling is covered in stunning, vibrant colours that still look like they were painted yesterday.

• Why you’ll need data: You can use your phone to look up the meaning of the incredibly detailed hieroglyphs you’re seeing on the walls. It’s like having a historian in your pocket.

4. The Nubian Villages near Aswan South of Aswan, along the banks of the Nile, you’ll find the beautiful Nubian villages. These are communities with their own unique culture and language. The houses are painted in a riot of bright, joyful colours, and the people are famously warm and welcoming. It’s a complete change of pace from the rest of Egypt.

• Why you’ll need data: You can arrange a trip on a traditional felucca boat with a local, and messaging them on WhatsApp is the easiest way. It’s also great for finding authentic Nubian restaurants away from the main tourist spots. A quick search for near by attractions here can lead you to local markets or smaller, beautiful parts of the Nile.

5. The Coptic Quarter in Cairo Tucked away within the walls of Old Cairo is a fascinating pocket of ancient Christian history. The Coptic Quarter is a maze of quiet, narrow alleyways where you’ll find some of the oldest churches in Egypt, including the incredible Hanging Church, which is built on top of the towers of a Roman fortress. It’s a peaceful and historically rich area that many tourists miss.

• Why you’ll need data: This area is perfect for a self-guided walking tour. Having a map on your phone is essential for finding the different churches and the Coptic Museum.

Your Digital Compass: The Travel eSIM

So, how do you actually find these places with confidence? A lot of them aren’t on the standard tour bus routes. Your best friend is going to be your phone. But using your UK data is out of the question unless you fancy remortgaging your house. And the faff of queuing for a local SIM at Cairo airport is a real holiday buzzkill.

The modern solution is the travel esim. It’s a digital SIM that’s already in your phone. You just download a data plan to it before you leave the UK. It means you land, you switch it on, and you’re instantly connected. It’s the key that unlocks this kind of adventurous, independent travel.

How to Get Yourself Sorted

Alright, so you’re up for the adventure. Where do you get this digital compass? There are a few options out there, but I’ll just tell you what I use to keep things simple.

I use a company called Commbitz. Their website is dead simple, you pay in pounds, and they email you a QR code. You scan it before you leave the UK, and the whole thing is sorted. It means you can step off the plane in Cairo and hit the ground running, ready to explore. You can be in your Uber heading to your hotel while everyone else is still trying to figure out which SIM card queue to join.

The peace of mind is brilliant. It means you have a reliable travel esim ready to go, and you can focus on the adventure ahead.

Ready to Find the Real Egypt?

The famous sights in Egypt are famous for a reason, and they are absolutely incredible. You have to see them. But the real magic, in my experience, often lies just around the corner, down a street that isn’t in the guidebook.

And having a reliable travel esim in your pocket is what gives you the confidence to go and find it. It turns your phone from a potential source of stress into your most powerful tool for discovery. So go on, plan that incredible trip, but dare to look beyond the postcards.