Middle East & Africa attractions

Vast and beautifully preserved, complete with its original roof, the Temple of Horus (Edfu Temple still dominates the little Nile-side town of Edfu. Completed by Cleopatra’s father in the first century BC, it’s dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus and is one of Egypt’s largest ancient temples.

The massive, white Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the central place of worship for citizens of the United Arab Emirates. It’s the country’s largest mosque and can accommodate up to 40,000 worshippers at once. The main prayer hall alone holds 7,000 people. The mosque’s interior highlights include white marble columns with mother-of-pearl engravings and embedded semi-precious stones. It also boasts expansive Iranian carpets and intricate crystal chandeliers.

Capped with snow throughout the winter months and cloaked with wildflowers through the summer, the rocky plateaus and lush valleys of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains provide a striking backdrop for hiking and mountain biking treks, as well as cultural visits to Morocco’s remaining Berber tribes. Sprawling along the frontier of the Sahara, the range runs from the Atlantic coast to the northern Rif Mountains.

With pristine white sands and calm turquoise waters hemmed in by gigantic granite boulders, Boulders Beach is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most magnificent beaches. Located just outside Simon’s Town, the beach is protected as part of the Table Mountain National Park and renowned for its African penguin colony.

Kom Ombo Temple, comprising a pair of mirror-image sanctuaries dedicated to the gods Sobek and Horus, dominates a gorgeous site at the edge of the Nile River. Inside the temple itself, a pair of hypostyle halls are decked in long lines of hieroglyphics, leading to more antechambers, ritual spaces, and even a secret passageway used by ancient priests.

The instantly recognizable Burj Al Arab is Dubai’s poster child: a world-famous symbol of its wealth and architectural flamboyance. Rising 1,053 feet (321 meters) from a private islet, this sail-shaped icon offers luxurious all-suite accommodation, a sea-deck pool terrace, shops, and fine-dining restaurants. Uniting them like a gift bow is its lavish, gold-draped decor, crowned by a towering atrium of gilded pillars, marble, and crystals.

With its bold blue color scheme, towering palms, and gigantic cacti, set around pools of water lilies and gardens filled with exotic plants, the Majorelle Garden (Jardin Majorelle) is one of the most idyllic spots in Marrakech. Owned by designer Yves Saint Laurent, it’s also one of the city’s most visited attractions.

The ancient city of Petra was carved into Jordan’s red sandstone cliffs more than 2,000 years ago, and is today one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and among the most iconic archaeological destinations globally. Renowned for its astonishing rock-cut monuments, the lost city is an undisputed highlight of the Middle East.

Chapman's Peak is a mountain on the Cape Peninsula with a 5.5-mile (8.8 kilometers) road, said to be one of the world’s most scenic drives. The road winds from Hout Bay to Noordhoek, clinging to the side of the steep mountain almost the whole way. Traveling this road’s 114 turns is a must-do in Cape Town.

Set about 18 miles (30 kilometers) south of Cairo, Saqqara (Sakkara) was the burial place for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, now in ruins. The site features a small sphinx and several pyramids—the most famous of which is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, which represented a major advance in building techniques.

Jutting into the Persian Gulf from southern Dubai, the Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree and ringed by a crescent-shaped breakwater. The world’s biggest artificial island, it draws visitors to its palatial hotels, theme parks, and shopping malls.

With its huge sea cliffs, bays, and valleys, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve—situated at the very tip of the Cape Peninsula—is one of the most scenic spots in South Africa. A trip to Cape Point and the reserve, part of Table Mountain National Park, is an easy must-do when visiting Cape Town and highlights include animal sightings, scenic drives, and deserted beaches.

Panoramic ocean views, towering cliffs, and 100-year-old lighthouses define Cape Point, located at the tip of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. Set within the Cape Floral Region (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Table Mountain National Park, the reserve is a haven for hiking, wildlife viewing, and photography.

Running along the northwest side of the city, the Corniche (also known as Corniche Road) is a stretch of land on the waterfront perfect for a stroll or bike ride. The 5-mile (8-kilometer) promenade has dedicated cycling and pedestrian areas as well as family-friendly beaches, children’s play areas, cafes, restaurants, and shopping.

During Egypt’s Old Kingdom period, Memphis, located near Cairo, was home to the pharaohs who built the pyramids. But domestic architecture didn’t last like the pyramids did, so most all that remains of Memphis today is the Mit Rahina open-air sculpture museum.

An outdoor market by day and packed to bursting with diners, shoppers, storytellers, and singers by night, Jemaa el-Fna (also written Djemaa el-Fna or Jemaa el-Fnaa) is the epicenter of Marrakech life, where locals and tourists come night after night to see the clash of colors, sounds, smells, and sights that make up this memorable location.

Set on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, the race car–themed Ferrari World features 20 rides and attractions—everything from the toddler-friendly carousel of Ferrari prototype cars to cutting-edge racing simulators that will please older kids and teens. The largest indoor theme park in the world is also home to the world’s fastest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa, a hydraulic-powered thrill ride that sees visitors strapped into a Ferrari Formula One-like coaster car and launched at speeds of up to 150 miles (240 kilometers) per hour.

Arguably the most popular nature park in Kenya, the Masai Mara National Reserve (Maasai Mara National Park) centers on the Mara River, which sustains life on the sometimes brutal plains of the Serengeti, supporting a range of mammals such as wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, lions, cheetahs, and elephants. During the dry season’s epic Great Migration, impressive numbers of animals flock here.

Measuring a mighty 4,132 miles (6,650 kilometers) from end to end, the Nile is the longest river in the world. It's also the lifeblood of Egypt, flowing through the heart of the Sahara desert and passing through cities including Aswan, Luxor, and Cairo, before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea at the vast Nile Delta. A Nile River cruise is a quintessential Egypt experience.

The brilliantly colored sands and stark rock formations of Wadi Rum make this desert wilderness a must-visit for most travelers to Jordan. Signature sights include the Burdah Rock Bridge, a natural arch; the Khazali Siq, a narrow canyon; Jabal Umm Ad Dami, the highest mountain in Jordan; and the scarlet Al Hasany Dunes.

Sometimes known as the second pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre (Pyramid of Chephren) towers 446 feet (136 meters) above the desert, its tip still encased in the white limestone that once decorated all three Giza Pyramids. It looks taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza, built by Khafre’s father Khufu, because it stands on higher ground.

With a history dating back to the 14th century, the Khan El-Khalili bazaar is Cairo’s signature shopping destination. It’s an intoxicating warren of streets, houses, and merchants selling everything from gold and spices to shisha pipes and toy camels, not to mention the inevitable scarabs, pyramids, and belly-dancer costumes.

The last surviving wonder of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid of Giza is also known as the Khufu Pyramid or Pyramid of Cheops, in honor of the pharaoh who built it around 2570 BC. The oldest, largest, and tallest of the three Giza pyramids, it is full of narrow tunnels and eerie chambers that are open to visitors.

Dubai’s internationally famous Gold Souk has its roots in the 1940s, when Indian and Iranian traders began setting up stalls in the area. Today, it’s one of the world’s busiest jewelry markets, with hundreds of shops and stalls selling just about everything that glitters—namely, gold. An estimated 20 percent of the world’s gold passes through the souk, with a whopping 10 tons (9,072 kilograms) for sale in the market at any given moment.

Opened in 2005, the 5-star Emirates Palace hotel is one of Abu Dhabi’s top attractions for its sheer scale and grandeur. The multi-domed luxury hotel, part of Kempinski Hotels, sits on the beachfront in palm-sprinkled gardens and makes a lavish retreat for guests and a must-see for Abu Dhabi visitors.

The name of the Bahia Palace (Palais Bahia) nods to its greatness: "Bahia” translates as “Brilliance.” Part of Marrakech’s UNESCO-listed medina and located on the northern edge of the Mellah (the Jewish quarter), the palace was the 19th-century residence of Si Ahmed ben Musa (or Ba Ahmed), the Grand Vizier of Marrakech.

The UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou (Ksar of Ait Benhaddou) is one of Morocco’s most impressive historic landmarks and a popular film location for Hollywood movies. Sculpted from traditional mud bricks and fortified by walls of dark red pisé, this kasbah lies on the old trans-Saharan trade route, at the border of the High Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert.

With its regal cliff-top perch overlooking the ocean and a soaring 210-meter high minaret (the world’s highest) that shines a beam toward Mecca during the evening hours, everything about the Hassan II Mosque is grandiose. The magnificent mosque is among the largest in the world, with space for up to 100,000 worshippers.

Blissfully serene compared to the Giza Pyramids chaos, Dahshur’s desert sands were once home to an impressive 11 large pyramids. Today, two survive, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, both built by Pharaoh Snefru around 4,500 years ago. Unusually, travelers can explore inside both of them, as well as a smaller side pyramid.

The N9 road from Marrakech to Ouarzazate crosses the central High Atlas at the Tizi n’Tichka pass (Col du Tichka. Both that airy mountain crossing and the winding stretch of road around it are regulars on lists of the world’s best road trips. At 7,415 feet (2,260 meters above sea level, the high mountain views are spectacular.