In the 19th century, the first organized tours of many popular destinations were offered to the general public. Thousands of Americans took advantage of the lower prices, safety, and security of traveling with a group of their compatriots led by professional guides.
For the majority of tourists, Europe remained the most popular destination, offering first-hand experience and inspiration from great architecture and works of art in France, Italy, and Greece. Others had particular interest in visiting the Biblical places, following the trails of kings and prophets through Israel and Egypt, and seeing the holy places and ancient wonders with their own eyes.
With Instagram and Facebook hadn't been created yet, the advances in photography allowed travelers to bring back not only the tales of their adventures but also to show and share with their families, friends, and other people the visual records of places that they went to and the wonders that they saw.
In a photograph that could have served as an illustration of Mark Twain's “The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims' Progress” a group of American tourists on a trip to see the wonders of ancient Egypt are proudly sitting atop camels, with the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid seen in the background.