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Europe and Egypt 2026
  • Ella Balagula
  • Ella Balagula

Europe and Egypt 2026

An open-ended adventure by Ella Read more
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  • Trip start
    February 24, 2026
    Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    1Beautiful Mirabel Gardens
    This was a Marina Abramovich installation. The instruction said to sit on a chair, and meditate.1Love locks bridge

    Salzburg

    February 19 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    We flew to Munich and took a train to Salzburg. In the morning we did a VoiceMap tour and then visited Mozart house where he was born and lived his early life. It was very interesting, even if the weather was a bit cold, it was still walkable and pleasant. I can imagine Salzburg is probably much more green and lush in the summer though. We tried delicious Mozart marzipan candies and an ok apple strudel.Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    1

    Salzburg encuentro

    February 20 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    We took a one hour bus to Mondsee where the encuentro was held in a castle hotel. Unfortunately it was a mix of rain and snow, and bad weather coupled with heavy jet lag and intense dance schedule kept us indoors. But I stole some beautiful photos of the outside posted by some fellow dancers. Inside, we were being kept warm by beautiful music, great dances and delicious food.Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    1Sadly, lots of stray dogs everywhere.
    1Beautiful mosqueInside, the mosque resembles Blue Mosque1The walls and columns are made from local translucent alabasterView of Cairo with pyramids in the distanceThis is where Jesus family stayedEntrance to the synagogueThis is where baby Moses was foundBusy street lifeMedieval hammam

    Cairo tour

    February 24 in Egypt ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we have a guide that took us on a tour of old Cairo. Cairo sights have nothing to do with ancient Egypt - it was founded in Middle Ages, and there are layers of Islam and Christianity. First, we went to the Citadel and the beautiful mosque that was built to rival the blue mosque in Istanbul. Then we have to see a number of Christian sites which are called Coptic Christianity. Coptic’s actually just means Egyptian. There are a number of beautiful churches and in one of tnem there is a cavern where it is believed that Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus stayed on their way form Israel. There is also one main synagogue from the 14th century. Its not allowed to take pictures there, but in ten courtyard there is a small well area where it’s believed that Moses was as found in the basket flowing down the creek. After the tour we had late lunch in a beautiful rooftop terrace restaurant with the view to many mosques and madrasas. Then we saw some more mosques and a 15th century hammam. Overall, Cairo is hectic, dusty, overcrowded and with crazy traffic, but also very interesting!Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    1The guard of the pyramids1The Guardian of the Pyramids

    Giza Pyramids

    February 25 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Today, we left the hotel at 7:30 am with the guide to see the great pyramids of a Giza. We saw them before, when we stopped by on the way to Ethiopia in 2011.
    I remember that it was quite empty, because no one travelled to Egypt because of the revolution. Now, it was completely different - crowded, chaotic, busy. And yet, their sheer scale and mystique were still magical and awe inducing. We walked around the pyramids, didn’t go inside this time. Last time when we visited, the sphinx was under the restoration and covered in scaffolding. This time he was all glorious and handsome.
    After the tour, we went to the airport and took a flight to our next stop, Aswan in the south on the Nile.    Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    The unfinished obelisk - you can see the big crack
    Lake Nasser on the High Dam1Philae temple has been moved to an island1The temple is dedicated to Isis and OsirisFalcon godYou can see the scratches made by the ChristiansThis carving spells Cleopatra in hieroglyphsThe cross with the circle on top that the Goddess is giving to the king is the Key of Life.The surface of the carving is scratched by the Christians1lake Nasser has the best fishSunset on the Nile1

    Aswan

    February 26 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today, we had a guide taking us to the most important sights in Aswan. Aswan is the southern most major Egyptian city on the Nile, bordering with the Nubian kingdom - which are distinct people with their own language, dating back to the time of the Pharaohs. First, we visited unfinished obelisk that lies in a major granite quarry dating back to 2000 bc. The obelisks usually would be carved in a single piece from the granite and then loaded on the barges to be transported. This one cracked and that’s why it was left unfinished. We then saw the High Dam - in 1964 it was built to control yearly floods of the Nile, thus creating the biggest man made lake in the world. The lake displaced 100,000 Nubians and flooded some beautiful ancient temples. Astonishingly, some temples have been relocated to higher ground - took 10-20 years and multiple countries led by UNESCO. We visited the Philae temple that was moved. That temple was built by the Ptolemaic kings in 300 BC, before the time of Cleopatra. It was later converted to the church by the Byzantine and many carvings were scratched out, to remove signs of idolatry. Incredible temple with lots of gorgeous carvings. We then quickly visited the Nubian museum, had early dinner at the delicious fish restaurant and spent an evening relaxing in our hotel on the Nile.Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    Old Cataract hotel in Aswan where Agatha Christi lived for a year
    Our magical cabin with floor to ceiling windowsThe Palm tree lined shores of the Nile is exactly how I imagined itFriendly water buffaloBeautiful sunset

    Dahabiya cruise begins

    February 27 in Egypt ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today, we had a slow morning, catching up on sleep and relaxing, before we were picked up to get to our boat. We departed on a 3-night cruise on the traditional wooden boat, called Dahabiya. We were pleased to see how beautiful our boat was. We had 14 passengers and 14 staff members, so the service is exceptional. Dahabiya is much better than large cruise ship, because of more intimate experience and ability to dock in smaller places for visits. We met our guide Sheima the Egyptologist and listened to some interesting stories. Today, there were no tour stops, we just sailed down the Nile, towards Luxor. We stopped so some people could kayak or swim and took a walk down the shore, meeting some friendly water buffalos. We had delicious lunch and dinner and watched beautiful sunset from the deck. Magical.Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    Stunning sunrise from our room
    The camels with one leg tied so that they don't run awayWe used the kind of trucks that are used by the publicBeautiful fruits and veggies and very interesting white eggplantsCrocodile faced God Sobek on the leftCrocodile mummies were buried together with the royalsOur crew made crocodile out of towels because today was all about the crocodilesWe bought two kinds of guava at the local marketEnormous sandstone quarry used for all the templesDinner with live Egyptian music

    Dahabiya Day 2 - Kom Ombo

    February 27 in Egypt ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Today we started the day with the most gorgeous sunrise that we saw straight from our room. We then went to the town that is famous for its camel market. On the weekend this is the place where camels are being sold. They come from Sudan and sometimes there are as many as 2000 camels. We were there on a slower day but there were still a lot of camels and a lot of trading activity. It was a bit sad to see them with one leg tied, so that they are easier to control and keep in place. Camels are used for meat, milk and as transportation or carrying workforce. Then we went to the local fruits and vegetables market and bought some delicious guavas. Our next stop on the river was Kom Ombo temple dedicated to the crocodile headed god, Sobek. There were beautiful carvings telling stories of the myths about various gods. The temples in this region are primarily from the Ptolemy period or around 300 BC. Next to the temple we stopped by at the crocodile museum and saw some mummies of crocodiles. We then had lunch on the boat and after lunch we visited an ancient sandstone quarry which was the major stone source for all the temples on the Nile. In the evening, we had dinner on the beach on a small uninhabited island where we docked for the night. And then there was live Egyptian music for us. Long and amazing day!Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    Basically a sourdough - delicious!
    This one was a flaky oily type of breadTraditional Egyptian breakfast of eggs, falafel, cheese and breadWalking around the villageFishing trip1The fishermen caught small tilapiaFalcon headed god HorusThe innermost room of the temple where offerings of food to the gods were madeThe name of the king is written in a cartouche or inside an ovalLazy afternoons on the dahabiyaStuffing vegetables with rice and herbs

    Dahabiya Day 3 - Edfu

    March 1 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    This morning we went to one of the largest islands on the Nile. It used to be flooded during the annual Nile floods, but after the High Dam, the floods stopped and now since 1970s there are 350 people living here, interestingly all of them related, so one big family. We watched how the name traditional bread and then the family served us a delicious breakfast. We then walked around the village, saw their farming fields and irrigation canals. Then we went with them on small rowboats to watch how they do traditional net fishing. After the visit to the village, we sailed to the Edfu temple - the temple dedicated to the Falcon shaped god Horus. It had very beautiful carvings. Back on the boat, we had a quick cooking class where the crew showed us how to stuff peppers and small thin white eggplants. We then had delicious dinner - it was a very long and full day!Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    Esna temple
    The columns retained a lot of colorScenes on the walls and the ceilingMy favorite crocodile with black baboon on his backColumns covered by the colored writingScarab beetle gives birth to new sun - naked man with finger in his mouth representing a babyJackal is the god of mummificationAvenue of the sphinxes in LuxorThere are 134 of these columnsDelicious waffle with fruitsFull moon between the columns

    Luxor - Karnak and Luxor temples

    March 2 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We woke up on our last morning at the dahabiya and went to Esna temple - beautiful new kingdom temple with very well preserved colors. It makes such a difference to see the carvings in brilliant colors and hard to imagine how dazzling they must have been originally. There were amazing details all over the ceiling and my neck was hurting from marveling at them. One of my favorites was a crocodile headed god Sobek with the baboon hanging on his back - a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. Every scene was bursting with the symbolism. It was my favorite temple so far. After the temple, we left the dahabiya and drove for an hour north to Luxor. In Luxor we decided to spend an afternoon visiting the East Bank temples. We first went to Karnak temple. It’s absolutely enormous, all the pharaohs were basically building and adding stuff to it over the course of 1000 years. We found an audio guide online and it was helpful. The most impressive was a vestibule with 134 massive columns. Each richly decorated with symbols and hieroglyphs. After Karnak we needed a break and stopped by a small coffee shop and had a delicious waffle with fruits. With renewed energy, we went to the Luxor temple, which is open late into the evening and is illuminated by the lights. The Luxor temple was more compact and manageable and incredibly magical being lit up in the darkness.Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    First, there is a long corridor leading down
    Amazing hieroglyphic carvings describe the journey to afterlifeMany cobras as symbol of protectionThe ship that takes the pharaoh to the underground worldScarab with the sun discTomb of Tutankhamen - actually very smallBaboons as symbols of wisdom and knowledge accompanying the kingTomb of TutankhamenTutankhamen with his wifeMummy of TutankhamenThree headed dragonThe hills where all the tombs were found

    Luxor - Valley of the Kings

    March 3 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This morning we departed for the full day tour with a great guide to the West Bank of the Nile - the Valley of the Dead. Egyptians believed that the West Bank, where the sun died every day and went to its night journey of 12 hours, was the place for the dead. After the age of the pyramids in the old kingdom, they moved to more discreet burials to protect against tomb robbers. They built deep burial chambers in the mountains where the mummies were placed, together with all the necessities for afterlife. Now, there are about 600 tombs found, between kings, queens, nobles and workers. We first went to Valley of the Kings and visited tombs of 5 pharaohs. A couple of Rameses, Tutankhamun and Seti, whose tomb was the most gorgeous. All the tombs have brilliant colors and rich decorations. The tomb of Tutankhamen is very interesting - it was sealed and covered by mud for millennia and therefore was never robbed. It was found in 1920, full of incredible treasures. What’s astonishing is how small the tomb is and how it fit all the stuff that we later saw in Cairo in the Grand Egyptian Museum. All the objects have been moved there, while the mummy of the 19-year old boy king is there.Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    Many richly carved roomsThe goddess supports the dead pharaoh in his journey to the underworld. Always holding by the elbowThe whole room has just sketched drawings 1 they didn't have time to finishCeiling displaying astronomical knowledgeHorus encourages the pharaoh on his journeySeti tomb is the largest and most most advanced in the art detailsTemple of HuchitsopTemple built into the mountainHarpist and other musiciansRitual of opening of the mouth - the priest opens dead pharaohs mouth to ensure he talks in afterlifGod of mummification at workCompletely intact gorgeous tomb of an artisan who built pharaohs tombsIncredible level of detail, surviving intact 3,500 yearsRuins of the settlement where tomb builder artisans livedTemple of Hadith with amazing carvingsColossus of MemnosAfter such a busy day, deserves massive BBQ

    Luxor - Seti and tombs of the workers

    March 3 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We went to Seti tomb, where the entrance is a separate ticket of $45 per person. Because of that, barely any people go there and we had it all to ourselves. Seti ruled for many years and lived until 90 years old so they had plenty of time to prepare his tomb, as opposed to Tutankhamen who died young and they had to scramble to get his tomb ready. Seti tomb is large, with many rooms, and the decorations are not just frescoed, but carved, creating texture in the details. There is a whole room with plain sketches, not carved or colored, because they probably ran out of time. We then went to visit a temple of queen Huchipso that is built into the mountain. After that, we went to valley of the workers to visit some tombs of the artisans who worked on the pharaohs’ tombs. They were not as lavish as the one for the kings but they displayed daily lives of the real people and retained incredible details and colors. At the end of the day, we went to one more temple that had amazing colors and details, but at that point we were pretty templed out and were happy to have amazing grilled meat in a small restaurant near our hotel. We then took a late flight to Cairo.Read more

  • Ella BalagulaEurope and Egypt 2026Traveler
    Beautiful museum building - hard to capture the entire thing
    A beautiful translucent alabaster lamp from Tut collectionA predecessor to chess setMassive collection of shabti dolls - they symbolize helpers to the King in afterlifeTwo of four shrines that were inside each other, and held 3 sarcophagiOne of the box shrinesOne of the sarcofagiThe closest sarcophagus to the mummy was made of solid goldGod of mummification accompanying TutThis shrine had inside 4 vessels containing Tut's internal organs4 vessels containing lungs, kidneys, stomach intestines of Tut. The heads are lidsA warrior standing guard inside the burial chamberIncredible Tut's funeral maskThe throne for Tut in afterlifeIncredible decorations of enamel and precious stonesEnormous funerary boat of Pharaoh Khufu

    Grand Egyptian Museum

    March 4 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    In the morning, bright and early, we went to the GEM - Grand Egyptian Museum that was a huge endeavor decades in the making, just opened in November 2025. It was an incredible architectural masterpiece, and also famous for displaying for the first time the entire collection of the Tutankhamen tomb findings. Even though we had a full day to explore, until closing at 4 pm, we decided to start with the Tut’s collection, while we were still fresh. It’s very hard to describe the enormity, expansiveness and the amazing state of preservation of all the objects, and pictures certainly don’t do it justice. I think it’s truly the best treasure of antiquity. There is everything Tut may need in the afterlife - from massive chariots, beds and chairs to canes, perfume bottles, jewelry and medicine. The most astonishing is the burial chamber - Tut’s mummy was like a matryoshka 🪆- the mummy was in 3 sarcophagi and those were in 4 massive boxes. All incredibly decorated and tightly fitting around one another. It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that all this treasure somehow fit into the small tomb that we just visited. After the Tut’s collection, we were explored the rest of the museum a bit, which was quite overwhelming and one would need a few days to truly visit all the galleries. We then had lunch in one of the many restaurants in the museum and stopped by again back at the Tut to see his stunning funeral mask again. Finally, we went to a separate building in the museum that hosts a funeral boat of Pharaoh Khufu from the old kingdom. This wooden boat was found buried in the pit near Khufu pyramid, disassembled into pieces with assembly instructions of papyrus. Basically a giant Lego kit - it was supposed to be used in afterlife. Being 4500 years old, it’s the oldest surviving organic object. The condition of the boat, its size and craftsman was just incredible. With that, it was a truly explosive and spectacular wrap of our Egypt trip.Read more

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