fun things to do with kids in egypt  - family travel    
  Travel for Kids
   
     
    Egypt
Felucca on the Nile
Imagine being ten years old, exploring inside the pyramids, seeing real mummies or floating down the Nile! Traveling around Luxor, here's what one of my kids said, " Karnak was a jumble of things, reliefs, pictures, statues and columns. It is hard to say which is my favorite, but I think it's the giant pink granite scarab beetle by the sacred lake." Egypt is fascinating for children and perfect for those school reports about ancient Egypt.
Tip: Don't miss our top picks for children's books on Egypt, recommended by the staff of Travel for Kids, see below.
  Cairo
    Giza, Saqqara, Dashur – Pyramids
    Luxor – Valley of the Kings
   

Shopping

     

You can return from Egypt with your bags loaded with stone goodies – alabaster eggs, small pyramids, carved stone cats, miniature canopic jars and obelisks, scarabs galore. Gold and silver jewelry for kids is fun too. Buy T-shirts with your child’s name embroidered in hieroglyphics.

family tours egypt

For our kids, Egypt was one big adventure, exploring the pyramids and tombs, riding donkeys above the Valley of the King, boating on the Nile, and a good guide is a "must-have" for families.

Here's our editors' choice for Egypt family tours, with itineraries that offers travel with other families, and a kid-friendly balance of organized activities and freedom to explore. Whether it's visiting the pyramids, home-cooked lunch with an Egyptian family, or a camel safari and donkey rides, these tour companies will arrange an unforgettable trip to Egypt:

    Thomson Family Adventures
    Gap Adventures
kids books egypt
     
Egyptology - kids books Egypt  
Egyptology
Emily Sands

Join Emily Sands' expedition to find the lost tomb of Osiris. A jeweled amulet glows on the cover, inside the book, there are fold-out maps, postcards, drawings and photographs, ticket stubs, mummy cloth, a scrap of papyrus. "The pyramids reminded me of all I came to Egypt to discover – the dusty tombs, the ornate temples, the golden treasures." (Activity book)

And, don't miss the the hieroglyphs writing kit from the desk of Emily Sands: Egyptology Code-Writing Kit.

 

     
Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs
Marcia Williams

Nine stories of adventure and mystery, myths of Ra, the first pharaoh of Egypt, Isis and the cobra, Horus the Avenger, Thutmose and the sphinx, Hatshepsut, Tutankamen, and more. Delightful illustrations, this is a gem! (Picture book)

 

 
Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs
     
Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Boy King - kids books Egypt  

Journey back to the time of Tutankhamun with Egyptian archeologist Zahi Hawass – thrilling discovery of Tut's tomb by Howard Carter, the boy king's life reconstructed (how old he was, how tall, what clothes he wore, what games he played) and most recent studies of Tut's mummy. Gorgeous photographs. (Picture book)

 

     
The Egyptology Handbook
Emily Sands, Ian Andrew, Nick Harris, Helen Ward

The companion book to Egyptology, this is our favorite introduction to the wonders of ancient Egypt - history and dynasties, the great pyramids and tombs, food, dress, work and play, palace life and warfare, hieroglyphs, gods and religion, tales and myths, plus activities to do in each section and stickers. Beautifully illustrated with drawings and historical photographs. (Activity book)

 

 
The Egyptology Handbook
     
 

There were more than 1000 ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses. Some looked liked animals. Some looked like people. Kids can read for themselves about gods, festivals and the underworld. (Easy reader)

 

     

Take a step back in time and find out how kids lived in ancient Egypt – eating with your fingers, shaved heads, family fishing trips, popular pets, board games, going to school to become a scribe, and more. (Picture book)

 

 
     
Lift the Lid on Mummies - kids books Egypt  
Lift the Lid on Mummies
Jacqueline Dineen

High-quality mummy figure to wrap up in gauze, plus mummy mask and four god-headed canopic jars with organs to put inside, a fun facts booklet, tomb and amulet stickers and cat mummy model. (Activity pack)

 

     
Fun with Hieroglyphs
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Catharine Roehrig

Find out what hieroglyphs mean and how to say them, then write like an Egyptian with 24 different rubber stamps, plus counting, hieroglyphic word puzzles, and secret messages. (Activity pack and book)

 

 
Fun with Hieroglyphs
     
The Ridde of the Rosetta Stone - kids books Egypt  

Find out why this black stone is the key to ancient Egypt – where the stone was found, what's inscribed, and how Champollion (having decided at age 11 that he'd read the hieroglyphics) solved the puzzle. (Chapter book)

Also, Seeker of Knowledge, a picture book.

 

     
Voyage to the Pharos
Sarah Gauch, Roger Roth

For two thousand years, the great Pharos lighthouse guided ships into the harbor at Alexandria. Take a voyage on the stormy Mediterranean, where the Pharos, one of the wonders of the ancient world, lit up the sky. Stunning illustrations. (Picture book)

 

 
     
 
Cleopatra Rules!
Vicky Alvear Shecter

A fresh look at the life of the original teen queen and last pharoah of Eygpt – Cleopatra. She was educated and spoke multiple languages, knew how to throw a power party, plan a war, and make a dramatic exit. (Illustrated chapter book)

 

     
Cleopatra
Diane Stanley, Peter Vennema

Fascinating biography of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, her fight for the throne, romance with Julius Caesar, building an empire, life in Alexandria with Mark Antony, and death by poison. Richly illustrated. (Picture book)

 

 
Cleopatra - kids books Egypt
     
The Hour of the Cobra  
The Hour of the Cobra
Maiya Williams

Four children time travel to 58 BC to retrieve documents from the library in Alexandria, but when Princess Cleopatra asks Xanthe for her help, she can’t resist a chance to change history, just a little bit. Exciting adventures that criss-cross Cleopatra’s life and times, bringing ancient Egypt alive. (Chapter book)

 

     

Join Justin and Adam on an adventure to search for the secret tomb of the Scarab King. Will they save a missing archeologist and find the tomb, before the evil director of antiquities steals the priceless treasure and unleashes an ancient curse? Action-filled, fun read. (Chapter book)

 

 
     
Tut Tut (Time Warp Trio) - kids books Egypt
 
Tut Tut (Time Warp Trio)
Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith

Fred, Sam and Joe, whirled back to ancient Egypt, teach young Thutmose III to shoot baskets, try to avoid the scheming priest Hatsnat (Hot Snot), as they search for Joe's sister Anna. (Easy reader)

 

     
Egypt (A to Z)
Jeff Reynolds

Fun facts about the people and places of Egypt today, clothing, people, religion, sports (soccer is the most popular) and yearly festivals. (Picture book)

 

 
Egypt (A to Z) - kids books Egypt
     
We're Sailing Down the Nile - kids books Egypt  
We're Sailing Down the Nile
Laurie Krebs and Anne Wilson

Climb aboard the river boat! A delightful introduction to Egypt today – shop at a souk in Aswan, picnic on an island in the Nile, visit an oasis, explore the museums in Cario, hike to the pyramids, plus life in ancient Egypt. Beautiful two page, colorful illustrations, and perfect for younger kids.
(Picture book)

 

(More children's books on other Egypt pages)