Fascinating 3 days at crazy price and best tour guide!
Before going to Egypt I had no idea what to expect. Here is how it went for us!
We just finished up our 3 days tour with Let’s Explore Egypt. I was coming to Egypt for the first time with another female and had heard it could be iffy. So we hired a tour guide. I am ever so thankful that we did! We were blessed to be assigned a wonderful guide - Mohamed Mahmoud and a very good driver, Hossam. They took all of the fear and unknowns and difficulty out of our trip. But they went way above and beyond. Mohamed was not just a tour guide, he became a personal protector and helper. More on that later!
Our first day Mohamed greeted us promptly at our hotel. We were in a section of town by the pyramids that was not a super good choice for two very blonde females. We drew a lot of attention, which made us feel uncomfortable. So when Mohamed showed up at our door with his super friendly smile and easygoing way, we were so thankful. He whisked us away and from there on out our trip was so fun and easy!
Day 1 - We started at the oldest pyramids, away from the normal tourist spots. From there we worked our way around, going to different pyramids from different ages. Mohamed knows more than I could ever remember so he gave us tons of details and facts about who, when, where and why. We got to go into a pyramid and take the stairs way down into its belly. Okay, I may have chickened out halfway through as it was long and narrow - but it was pretty cool! We walked around, Mohamed always making sure we had the best angles for pictures, making sure we didn’t slip, making sure no one bothered us, getting our tickets, etc. It was lovely! When we finished something, we would turn around and our driver would be there waiting for us.
The agenda called for us to go to a rug factory but we were exhausted and really didn’t want to go. So no problem. Later we were taken to a papyrus making shop. It was interesting to see how paper was made. When we didn’t want to buy anything, there was no pressure, which we greatly appreciated.
They took us to a delicious lunch. I had expected maybe a cold sandwich when it said lunch was included. Instead, every day we were given meat, rice, bread, vegetables, in a lovely setting. Mohamed made sure we had water bottles, restrooms, whatever we needed.
We went by a perfumery. They had really beautiful perfume vases and we had the opportunity to mix up our own perfume if we wanted. We were still tired and just wanted to go to bed, so we again begged off and they were very gracious. No hard sell, which I appreciated. I had read online how high pressure those things can be. We didn’t get any of that. Just a gracious response to our no thank you.
We then saw the great Sphinx, climbed on the Giza pyramids and walked all over the ruins. It was amazing! That area is truly spectacular. So much there to see! At the end of the day, we rode camels around the pyramid and got the most amazing pictures. The camel ride consisted of a young boy walking us way out by the Giza pyramids with one camel leading the other. Getting on and off the camels was pretty funny but they gave us good tips on how to do it without falling off! The day then ended with them taking us back to our hotel.
Side note - our hotel was not so great and Mohamed recommended a much better hotel for us for almost the same price. He knows everyone around and was constantly look for ways to make our trip better, to provide, to get us a better deal, make us more comfortable.
Day 2 - We were greeted at 8am promptly by Mohamed who had candy bars for us. We visited downtown Cairo. We saw the Coptic section (where Joseph, Mary and Jesus lived), went to the Egyptian museum and saw King Tuts treasures, lots of sarcophagus and items that are thousands of years old! It is all just laying around and you can touch a lot of it! Pretty amazing.
I didn’t have any Egyptian pounds yet so at my request, Mohamed took me by an ATM and helped me get cash out. We visited the old market there that goes on forever!! It has all kinds of interesting tourist things as well as an ability to buy just about anything you need. Mohamed actually bought souvenirs for us! He listened to what we were liking and then went and found them as gifts for us. It blew us away. So so kind. We sat at a charming stand and had yummy hot tea. We then went for a Felucca (sailboat) ride on the Nile. I should mention that our tour guide was constantly readjusting to weather, our needs, etc. The day had been cold and fogged in. The minute the skies cleared, Mohamed took us for our Felucca ride and it was so memorable! On the way home, Mohamed stopped at a small cafe and had us try some Turkish coffee. It was good! It was also fun to just sit on the side of a road and try it!
When Mohamed heard that I was paying $10/day for internet, he told me it was too much and he had a solution. So he took us by a very legit cell phone store and got me a new SIM card for my phone! Took about 30 minutes and of course he was very involved every step of the way, making sure it was done just right: the result? For $20 I have tons of gigs to use for the next week I am in Egypt. I can text and Facebooks and make calls, etc. When I am done, i just pop in my old sim chip. Pretty amazing! I am even able to hotspot my traveling partner so we both now have full internet access! Happy!!!
They then took us to our new hotel, which was SO much better than our old one. So thankful!
Day 3 - Alexandria! We drove about 2 hours to Alexandria. Sounds like a ways but it wasn’t so bad. We started promptly at 7am and then took a short break halfway there.
We went to the Catacombs in Alexandria. They are not as extensive as ones in Rome or Malta but it was interesting to go down round steps into the ground and it was different from others we had seen. We then saw Pompeys tower? If that’s not right, I’m in trouble, because Mohamed spent some much time talking about dates and history. But my head is full of more information than it can contain! 😊
We then went to the citadel, which is huge and beautiful and impressive. It also sits right on the Mediterranean Sea. After the mass amounts of people and the dirt of Cairo, this was a welcome site! We walked the city walls and climbed inside the castle and it was very fun! What a setting!!
After that, Mohamed could tell that we were LOVING the sunshine, beach and blue skies of Alexandria. So what did he do? He pulled over to a beachside stand, talked someone there into letting us sit down, grabbed some chairs and put them at the waters edge, and instructed us to take our shoes off and sit down! So we did! We sat there for some time watching the world go by on the Mediterranean Sea, enjoying the charming boats bobbing at sea and then he brought us hot tea! It was a perfect moment and so thoughtful!
After that, we went to lunch at another beautiful restaurant right on the waters edge. They brought us appetizers and then delicious chicken and beef. The plan had been fish but they adapted for me. Btw-drinks aren’t included at restaurants, so be prepared with cash for that!
We then went to the Alexandria Museum, which is very modern and very large! It’s quite an architectural achievement. And with that they drove us back to town.
As you can probably tell, we are beyond thankful for this tour as well as for Mohamed. He could not have been more kind, considerate, helpful, knowledgeable, trustworthy. He knows a ridiculous amount about Egyptian history, architecture, archeology, etc. We arrived in Egypt apprehensive of the food, people, culture, everything. We leave feeling that Egyptians are the most hospitable, kind, giving people. I absolutely would not want to do Cairo without a tour guide. I have traveled all over the world without a guide but Cairo is different. It is so big and you can’t read signs and numbers. There are people who charge too much and look to make an extra dollar as they can. To be taken in hand by someone who was simply looking out for us was a game changer. I will look fondly on this visit because of him.
Also a shout out to our driver. The drivers in Egypt are quite something! Similar to Mexico. Hossam was able to navigate it all but he didn’t drive crazy and scare us like our taxi driver did the first day we arrived. He was pleasant; always around the corner waiting for us and even got us a farewell gift! Above and beyond.
Again, I rarely use tour guides because I am so independent and travel a lot. But these two were quite a team and I feel blessed beyond measure that they were the guides we got. They changed our trip for us and left us with the best of memories! Cairo is a very foreign place, so different from all my other travels.
I will say - do not expect a lot of communication from the tour company. When you book with Viator, it is done. Let’s Explore Europe has you on their books. I reached out several times and didn’t hear back. I contacted them finally via WhatsApp. (This is a most valuable app for overseas communication when traveling!) They finally answered me that way. Communication was still off and on and that made me pretty nervous. Also, we got a killer price so I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out it is a reliable company with many tour guides. They did everything they said they would and so very much more!
I hope this helps you with your decisions about this company! It is a budget price, they use normal taxi-type cars (nothing fancy), but the service and care we received was absolutely top notch! Feel free to message me any questions - I know I had a ton before we came!! Best money we spent this trip!!
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Cairo
Mobile Ticket
Offered in: العربية
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