Visiting Egypt, going on a tour etc.

Hi all,

Im going to Egypt in September and looking at doing a tour for about 14 days. Just wondering if anyone out there has an recomendations of tour companies, or ones to avoid. Has anyone been to Egypt NOT on a tour?

Thanks.

I didn't do a tour, I did one of the package weeks (with Neckerman I think), and stayed in Hurgahda, from there we did a day trip with the hotel to Luxor, and from the sport center organized a day of diving and snorkeling.

Hi Bevolino,

I wouldn't bother with joining a tour for your visit to Egypt. You'll see more and get more out of your trip if you do it independently. There is so much to see and you can play it by ear as to what you enjoy most and what you would rather skim through.

As to which tour companies to avoid, well there could be many... Egypt is far from an organised country and what you are offered is not always what you will get. There are no end of people setting up their own companies and it's all to easy to make a fancy website which is impressive, but the company doesn't deliver the goods. While you are in Egypt it's easy to arrange with hotels for someone to show you around on an adhoc basis to odd sites here and there. For some places you will benefit from a guide, and from others you just need your transportation, your camera and a basic guide book.

You'll find many people able to speak English and they will be more than happy to help you get around... although it would be a good idea to roughly plan where you will go and how you will get from A to B. Be sure that as friendly and warm as the Egyptian people are, money talks and it's very easy to get ripped off.

Of course in some ways a tour company will "protect" you somewhat from some of the hassles you might receive, but this is never a guarantee as some tour guides may be working on commission with some of the shops/bazaars/diving companies and other tours and pressure you to buy things that you don't want at an inflated price than is normal.

I lived in Egypt for 4 years so if you need any advice on places to see, transportation, approximate costs etc. let me know and I will help you to build your itinerary based on your interests.

Good luck and my only advice is DON'T FALL IN LOVE !

A 22-year-old female (at least that's what her profile says) travelling around Egypt on her own? Do you really think it's advisable?

Yeah why not? I was 24 year old female travelling alone on my first trip. I actually felt safer in all my time in Egypt than I do here in Germany.

Really, where did you go?

I spent a while in Alexandria with around 200 other lads and tbh most of us agreed on one thing, “I would sooner stay in and not go out for two weeks than walk round in that shit hole�?

Most of us did just that.

You missed out! Alex is a lovely city. Where did you stay?

For my first trip I was in Luxor and Aswan for 1 week. Then I returned (alone again) and spent 6 months in Cairo and Hurghada (most of that was in Hurghada - Red Sea) before I found a job in Cairo and spent the next 3 1/2 years there. During all of my time in Egypt I travelled around visiting other towns including Alex and never felt threatened at any time at all! In fact because I was a female alone, people were much more protective of me!

Well we were staying on a Sleek Grey Messenger of Death




Well I don’t know when you were there I was there in 94 so I guess they may have had a bit of clean up since then. I’m not sure if it was the homeless children walking around the streets naked or the rabid dogs that concerned me the most.

I honestly and truly have to say this, Alexandria is in my top 3 places of biggest crap holes I have ever been to and if it were a choice of a weekend there or having my teeth pulled out with pliers, I would be eating bananas for the rest of my life.

I would probably hate Alex if I was staying on that thing too

I was living in Egypt more recently, I left there in Sept 06, so for sure things have probably changed a lot since you were there. The main Corniche road (along the Med sea) has been spruced up for one thing and makes a huge difference.

Hehe the naked children probably don't look more scary than the naked foreigners walking around ... you should go to the red sea and see the wobbly bits on parade out there Rabid dogs... well if you see a dog and you want it to go away, you just have to crouch down as if you will pick up a stick or stone and it would run away - their not rabid at all!

Egypt is a 3rd world country so that has to be taken into account when viewing it as a holiday destination. If you're willing to put up with those things in exchange for the amazing history, culture and hospitality then you'll be a winner!

@bevolino: if you want to get on a cruise down the Nile (and it's well worth it ), for that bit at least a tour is a good way to go. Do you speak German? I went with Helios, who are excellent (although not cheap) - but I don't think they do tours in English.

For the rest of the country, I wouldn't do a tour either - and I'm female too. Countries like Egypt take a little getting used to, but once you do I think it's eay to travel around by yourself.

I went to Egypt for about 2 weeks NOT on a tour. Its a very interesting place, but it can be a tough country to travel in. You constantly get harrassed by everybody wanting the "help" you for a bit of money in return. It was also extremely hot.

I remember thinking at the time that it would be a great place to go if you were on a tour and you could stay in a nice air conditioned hotel, travel in a nice air con bus and just step outside when you get to the sites.

I went to Cairo, Luxor, Hurgada, Suez and Alexandria. I reccommond Alexandria. The city has a nice feel about it.

Thanks pineapple for advice, the reason im doing a tour of egypt is because last year i backpacked around india and cant not be bothered dealing with the shit of tourist touts ect etc etc. India was by the far the hardest country i have ever travelled and i just want to see the highlights of egypt, in the security of a tour, Probably being a lazy tourist, but India put me off the whole ´´do it by yourself thing´´. And yes...being a 22 yr old single white female in india, i was a target for ´´she must be an ATM rip her off´´. I get the feeling it would be the same in Egypt. But thanks all for your advice and opionions.

We went to Egypt last November with a British "adventure" tour operator called Explore (www.explore.co.uk) and had a great time. We did a 10 day tour, that took in all the major sites from Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and included a 3 day cruise on the nile. We got shown round all the major sites, did camel and donkey trekking, felucca sailing etc etc. The hotels were all great and the guide was excellent.

As has been said already on this topic, Egypt can be hard work to travel around (constant pestering etc) and if you are there for only a short time, this can definitely get in the way of seeing everything (and there is a lot to see). From our point of view we wanted a holiday and didn't want the hassle. This is not an issue of feeling safe, more an issue of comfort.

The only downside I can see is that the quality of your holiday does then become very dependent on the quality of the group you are with. Our group was great, but imagine getting stuck on a Nile cruise boat for 3 days with a bunch of people you can't stand!! I suggest paying the extra for the single suppliment and getting your own room/cabin - then at least you can get away if you need to.

This Explore company do loads of different tours around Egypt so there should be something there that suits you. It was also the cheapest of the "adventure" tour companies we found. Definitely recommended.

I also did a tour a few years back with a UK tour operator, Thomas Cook. It was probably the best holiday I've ever been on.

It went for 12 days, flew from London to Cairo, stayed for 4 days in a hotel right by the Pyramids (the Mena House), then flew to Luxor for 3 days. There we stayed in the Le Meridien right on the Nile. Then flew to Sharm El Sheikh for the remaining 5 days, and staying in the Four Seasons. The trip included the flights, transfers to the hotels and the aforementioned 5 star hotels and only cost around 700 pounds (~1000 euros) It was amazing value.

Thomas Cook also offered tours, but they were rip offs. You could organise the same tours in the hotel for a fraction of the cost. Its great having people waiting for you as you come off the plane to take you to your hotel though, cause it is pretty frantic most of the time in these airports with people hassling you to carry your bags/get in their taxi etc.

Egypt is excellent. Definitely get yourself there and give it a go. Here are some pics:

[img]http://www.hutcho.org/60Cairo/DSC01916.jpg[/img]
Picture from the hotel in Cairo.

[img]http://www.hutcho.org/61Luxor/DSC01970.jpg[/img]
View over the Nile in Luxor.

[img]http://www.hutcho.org/62Sharm/DSC02121.jpg[/img]
Reefs in Sharm El Sheikh

The hubby and I are going to Egypt for 10 days in mid November. We are staying in Hurghada at the Dana Beach Resort. Good Reviews and all that. Now, if anyone has traveled there, advice on the best sightseeing tours and all that would be great. We've found some but I am just curious if anyone had an awesome experience with a specific one. Also, about the "dress code" are tanktops okay or should I just be prepared to sweat to death during the day in a tshirt??? Once again, any info is greatly appreciated.

Topics merged by admin