Tour of Cairo and Alexandria

[foxeysandy]

We used Ramses Tours for a full day tour from Alexandria to Cairo and back with another couple. They were just wonderful to work with--very responsive by email. Their driver and guide were waiting for us when we disembarked from the ship. The guide spoke excellent English and was very professional but also friendly and extremely knowledgeable about all our sites. She found out that all three ships in Cairo that day were headed to the pyramids and Sphinx first, so she took us to the museum in Cairo in the morning, then the pyramids later in the day. It was great to avoid the crowds. Our guide provided great, detailed explanations of the most important things to see in the museums. She arranged in advance for us to get a table quickly for lunch, for great views of the pyramids and for our camel rides. Next time we'll book the overnight with Ramses.

[lucille&mike]

For anyone thinking of booking with Ramses Tours @ www.ramesetours.com please be aware that they are NOT a tour company. They are a clearing house for independent contractors, tour guides, busses, etc. This will mean that your experience may vary greatly from a differnt group. We just returned from a Ramses overnight tour in November. Unfortunately, we got the lemon :mad: while others had an excellent experience. Being promised upon our return that the guide (Mr. Khalifa) would no longer be employed by Ramses will not help us to get past what was a trying experience at best. Its not like we'll be going back. That having been said, the pyramids are AWSOME! Be sure to look past the filth that is Alexandria & Cairo.... all of Egypt? and enjoy the view of the Pyramids and the Sphynx. Keep your eyes closed however when it comes to the Egyptians and their 'traffic laws'. There are none. Thank God we arrived back to the ship in one piece. Our tour bus ended up with a scrape that was 4 feet :eek: up the side of the bus from where he hit a curb and the thing started to go over. I guess it wa a blessing that there was an overpass with a guardrail!

[tiyana4]

This thread was very helpful in the planning phase for our trip to Egypt. I wanted to report back after a wonderful trip with Ramses. I will say that the initial booking was quick and painless, but we did encounter a hiccup just two weeks before sailing.

 

During this time we reached out to Memphis Tours who were very responsive. I wouldn't dismiss Memphis as an alternative but I will say their prices were higher and they had different choices in hotels (probably because of the late notice). They also required 25% of the tour cost upfront. As the tour organizer, I did not feel comfortable fronting money for 12 people so I went back to Ramses. Everything worked out. In fact it went better than expected. I hope everyone else has as great a trip as we did!

 

Here is our review.

[Boo's Mom]

This thread was very helpful in the planning phase for our trip to Egypt. I wanted to report back after a wonderful trip with Ramses. I will say that the initial booking was quick and painless, but we did encounter a hiccup just two weeks before sailing.

 

During this time we reached out to Memphis Tours who were very responsive. I wouldn't dismiss Memphis as an alternative but I will say their prices were higher and they had different choices in hotels (probably because of the late notice). They also required 25% of the tour cost upfront. As the tour organizer, I did not feel comfortable fronting money for 12 people so I went back to Ramses. Everything worked out. In fact it went better than expected. I hope everyone else has as great a trip as we did!

 

Here is our review.

 

I enjoyed reading your well written review!

Thank you.

[kennetro]

Adam,

We're booked on a Tauck Nile River excursion in November, & yes, we are still hoping it will happen. ...however yesterday they cancelled their excursions through June. ...so all we can do right now is keep our fingers crossed! We REALLY want to go.

[kennetro]

Which cruise line?

 

Tauck is a tour company. Not a cruise line. We fly into Cairo, and after about 5 days of touring & sightseeing, we fly on to Luxor where we then board the "Nile Adventurer" for the river cruise. I believe the "Adventurer" is owned by Abercrombie & Kent (?). The Nile cruise is about 5 days, then we fly back to Alexandria, do some more sightseeing, then return to Cairo for one more night before our flight out. So far, Tauck is still saying that all tours after June are still scheduled to depart. I sure hope that "holds"!

[Seabreeze8]

For the people who booked Ramses Tours, what is the cost for the 2-day tour to Cairo & Alexandria? I realized that cost can vary due to the number of people but it will give me an idea of how much to save for. Also what hotel did you stayed in overnight? Thank you!

[dabear]

For the people who booked Ramses Tours, what is the cost for the 2-day tour to Cairo & Alexandria? I realized that cost can vary due to the number of people but it will give me an idea of how much to save for. Also what hotel did you stayed in overnight? Thank you!

 

we were going to pay $220pp for a group of 10 pax including an overnight stay at a 5* by the pyrmaids in late January before it was cancelled 1 day before we were suppose to arrive.

[Seabreeze8]

we were going to pay $220pp for a group of 10 pax including an overnight stay at a 5* by the pyrmaids in late January before it was cancelled 1 day before we were suppose to arrive.

 

Thank you, dabear! This helps me to know what to budget for and plan for the number of people in the group. Which hotel did you stay in? Thanks again!

[Seabreeze8]

One more question, did you have police escort the whole time during the tour? Thank you!

[Misnco]

Our Ramses Tour (for October/November 2011) cost is $360 pp. We are staying at the Mena House (Pyramid view room), and other extras.

 

Hope this helps you in your budgeting.

 

Carol

[havcamwiltravel]

Tauck is a tour company. Not a cruise line. We fly into Cairo, and after about 5 days of touring & sightseeing, we fly on to Luxor where we then board the "Nile Adventurer" for the river cruise. I believe the "Adventurer" is owned by Abercrombie & Kent (?). The Nile cruise is about 5 days, then we fly back to Alexandria, do some more sightseeing, then return to Cairo for one more night before our flight out. So far, Tauck is still saying that all tours after June are still scheduled to depart. I sure hope that "holds"!

I went to an adventure tour company's presentation this week for a presentation on their offered tours to Morocco and Egypt. The young (30-something) tour guide had just returned that week from a month long tour of Morocco, Egypt, Israel and Jordan. She was beaming from her experiences.

 

She was in Egypt not long after the revolution, and was in Israel when the most recent deadly explosion occurred in Jerusalem. It was interesting to hear her perception of the tourism situation in the Middle-East.

 

Her description of just how much the Egyptian people are bending over backward for the tourists there now, and the outright joy and jubilation of Egypt's young people over the outcome of the demonstrations was quite uplifting. She said there's some palpable fear in the older generation but that is well tempered by the enthusiasm of Egypt's younger generation and the real desire of all Egyptians to move forward with the reforms.

 

While touring Israel, she learnt of the bus station explosion from her mother here in Canada before she heard anything about it in the news. She pointed out that being away from the 24-hour news cycle when that happened makes the event real and frightening but not personal and terrifying. She took great pains to explain she did not want to appear to downplay the events but certainly said that she "felt safe" everywhere she went.

 

She also pointed out that when she visited the Pyramids in Giza, she could easily count the number of tourists at the site; she and her partner spent an hour in the burial chamber of a Pyramid completely alone. She toured Saqqara and Dahshur with no other tourists there.

 

She didn't have to point out the obvious: if you are adventurous enough to go to Egypt now, you will have a travel experience unlike many have had in recent decades, with the opportunity to visit the sites without the madding crowds.

[Seabreeze8]

Our Ramses Tour (for October/November 2011) cost is $360 pp. We are staying at the Mena House (Pyramid view room), and other extras.

 

Hope this helps you in your budgeting.

 

Carol

 

Hi Carol:

Is yours a private tour for 2 persons? I noticed that it's quite a bit more than $220 for 10 persons. Could you tell me about your itinerary and the extras? This would help me in my planning and budgeting.

 

Thanks very much,

Suzie

[kennetro]

HAVCAM...,

 

Thanks so much for the heads up. I, too, am so excited. Yes, I have been working with a private tour guide for a full 2-day "custom" tour of Cairo BEFORE I meet the Tauck people to begin the tour with them. Our guide, "Moustafa", almost brings tears to my eyes every time he writes. He is obviously SO grateful that we're coming and is SO PROUD of what has transpired in his country. He never refers to "Egypt". It's always "my new FREE Egypt". .....& That never fails to put a lump in my throat!

 

On a humorous note, because I specified that I wanted to see sights that most tourists do not even see, he has officially named our custom tour "Ken's-Stuff-Most-Tourists-Will-Never-Get-To-See,-But-Locals-LOVE!" I can't wait. :-) (We'll get to see all the usual stuff - pyramids, sphynx, camel rides, museum, yadda, yadda, yadda, with our Tauck guide.)

 

Thanks again,

 

Ken

[havcamwiltravel]

HAVCAM...,

 

Thanks so much for the heads up. I, too, am so excited. Yes, I have been working with a private tour guide for a full 2-day "custom" tour of Cairo BEFORE I meet the Tauck people to begin the tour with them. Our guide, "Moustafa", almost brings tears to my eyes every time he writes. He is obviously SO grateful that we're coming and is SO PROUD of what has transpired in his country. He never refers to "Egypt". It's always "my new FREE Egypt". .....& That never fails to put a lump in my throat!

 

On a humorous note, because I specified that I wanted to see sights that most tourists do not even see, he has officially named our custom tour "Ken's-Stuff-Most-Tourists-Will-Never-Get-To-See,-But-Locals-LOVE!" I can't wait. :-) (We'll get to see all the usual stuff - pyramids, sphynx, camel rides, museum, yadda, yadda, yadda, with our Tauck guide.)

 

Thanks again,

 

Ken

I had exactly the same experience when communicating with the tour companies about booking an overland tour in June. They were continuously sending me videos and news articles to show me how Egypt has become the "New Egypt". Their enthusiasm was completely infectious.

 

Since then, I have booked an overland 5-day tour with Memphis Tours in Egypt for June and I am completely stoked about getting there; I can hardly wait.

 

As a result, it seems that it's not just going to be an amazing trip to Egypt because it is, after all, Egypt ... it's going to be an amazing trip because I will get to visit Egypt, in all of its ancient splendour, at the time when the New Egypt is just emerging.

[aussie cruzer]

Hi Carol:

Is yours a private tour for 2 persons? I noticed that it's quite a bit more than $220 for 10 persons. Could you tell me about your itinerary and the extras? This would help me in my planning and budgeting.

 

Thanks very much,

Suzie

 

RAMSES EXTRAS

 

 

ALL PRICES APROX

 

 

Mena House $30 + $80 for a pyramid view room p/p

Sound + light show $25 p/p

Solar boat $10 p/p

Enter great pyramid $20 p/p

Nile dinner & cruise $50

Enter mummy room $20

Camel ride $15

 

 

Hope this gives you a rough idea on extras.

[havcamwiltravel]

RAMSES EXTRAS

 

 

ALL PRICES APROX

 

 

Mena House $30 + $80 for a pyramid view room p/p

 

You should be aware that the Palace section of the Mena House Oberoi Hotel is closed for renovations beginning in June. the garden section (with pyramid view rooms) remains open

Edited April 5, 2011 by havcamwiltravel
Correction

[canpass]

For anyone thinking of booking with Ramses Tours @ www.ramesetours.com please be aware that they are NOT a tour company. They are a clearing house for independent contractors, tour guides, busses, etc. This will mean that your experience may vary greatly from a differnt group. We just returned from a Ramses overnight tour in November. Unfortunately, we got the lemon :mad: while others had an excellent experience. Being promised upon our return that the guide (Mr. Khalifa) would no longer be employed by Ramses will not help us to get past what was a trying experience at best. Its not like we'll be going back. That having been said, the pyramids are AWSOME! Be sure to look past the filth that is Alexandria & Cairo.... all of Egypt? and enjoy the view of the Pyramids and the Sphynx. Keep your eyes closed however when it comes to the Egyptians and their 'traffic laws'. There are none. Thank God we arrived back to the ship in one piece. Our tour bus ended up with a scrape that was 4 feet :eek: up the side of the bus from where he hit a curb and the thing started to go over. I guess it wa a blessing that there was an overpass with a guardrail!

 

We were on the ship with Lucille and Mike and can attest to the story that they outlined. Some people had a great time and some like Lucille and Mike had a story to tell. Some told stories of great hotels and some of not so great hotels. Egypt is an experience, there are no rules on the roads.

[Seabreeze8]

RAMSES EXTRAS

 

 

ALL PRICES APROX

 

 

Mena House $30 + $80 for a pyramid view room p/p

Sound + light show $25 p/p

Solar boat $10 p/p

Enter great pyramid $20 p/p

Nile dinner & cruise $50

Enter mummy room $20

Camel ride $15

 

 

Hope this gives you a rough idea on extras.

 

Thanks very much, Aussie cruzer! This definitely helps me in my budgeting. Love to do all the extras as you did so I got to start saving now! :D

[Seabreeze8]

You should be aware that the Palace section of the Mena House Oberoi Hotel is closed for renovations beginning in June. the garden section (with pyramid view rooms) remains open

 

Thanks, havcamwiltravel. Hopefully they will be done by the end of the year.

[aussie cruzer]

We are going to Egypt in Oct on Ncl Jade (hopefully) ,My advice is to do some research on Cruise critic & Tripadviser as to reviews on guides.

 

Some of the people who have had a bad tour blame there guide,There is enough good reviews on certain guides,ie Ramses/Nileblue etc,why not request the guides who get the best reviews.

This is what i have done on our 2 day trip of Cairo.Ramses have a section on there web site to pick your guide & we have requested our's .

I'm sure other travel company's would be happy to do so as well.

 

Another mistake is filling your private tour group up with to many people,

How can you expect 12 - 15 people who don't know each other to all want to do the same thing's.I've seen prices p/p for 2 people only on a private tour not much dearer than the price p/p for 10 people on a tour.

[Seabreeze8]

Thanks for the tips, Aussie Cruzer. Definitely will keep it in mind when we start planning. Hope you have a great and safe trip to Egypt in October. :)

[aussie cruzer]

I'm staying at the mena house on our cairo overnight trip ,we are going to the sound & light show.

 

You are not going to get a good view from the Mena House of the show,you will see the Pyramids lit up & that's all.

 

The sound & light show is set in front of the Sphinx & the show is about the Sphinx.

The seating for the show is in front of the Sphinx & light show is best viewed from there .

 

I found the show to be most enjoyable & a must see.

[lurvecruise]

do ramses tour go to luxor?

[havcamwiltravel]

do ramses tour go to luxor?

Yes, Ramses offers two excursions from Alexandria to Luxor, with overnight in Luxor, and flight to either Aswan OR Cairo in the morning, and finally, return to Alexandria that day.

 

In order for that excursion to run, though, they require that a minimum of 40 people sign up.