Doing the 'Egypt thing'. Any advice?

[ozchick]

Am organising tour of Egypt early March for 9 days , 10 nights. Not easy from Germany. Companies here only do the tours in German. Am running out of time after UK companies respond with stuff like 1. " Don't deal with customers outside the UK (Thomson Holidays), or 2. Sorry yeah that tour IS on our site but it's full now (even though site says otherwise) etc, etc.

Anyway, in desperation I'm now trying to hook up with tour operators in Egypt itself. I fly there and they meet, greet and do the rest. Should have done this in the first place (lots of wasted time ). So one local operator there (Real Egypt .net)wants to tailor-make a tour and put me with with like-minded others. I have to choose options... and well...I can't do this. Thing is I just don't know which of the many options below are worth seeing. PLEASE if you've been to any of these below and wouldn't mind letting me know, maybe copy paste with your highlighted MUST-DO's ? Or highlighted 'don't go there' etc
I have 'bolded' already those that have been recommended by others but there seems to be lots I'm missing. Have I bolded enough to do in 9 days?
Very grateful for your help and advice all! (Not worried about 'unrest there' so thanks anyway for advice re risk).
...........................................................................................................
Tours Chart
(please click on any Item to go to tour description)

I - CAIRO Tours: . .
Yes, I would like to take ALL Cairo tours .
No I don't want to take any Cairo tours.
Here are the tours I would like to take in Cairo

.
Giza Pyramids & Sphinx
Solar Boat Museum .
Egyptian Museum
Khan el Khalili Bazaar .
Memphis . . . . . . .
Sakkarra . . . . .
Dahshur . .
Old Cairo “Coptic Cairo”

[JR8]

I've lost count of the number of times I have visited Egypt, about 12 I think. That said I have not visited a single place on your list! I have a friend who worked in Egypt for 10 years who has never seen the pyramids! lol

Are you eligible for the visa on arrival or do you have to get one beforehand from the embassy.

p.s. I was interested in your experience of talking to German travel agents. Funnily enough I was pondering precisely this this week! Sorry I couldn't have been of more help.

[nakatago]

try sending frostingz here in the forums a message; she did egypt just very recently.

[ozchick]

I've lost count of the number of times I have visited Egypt, about 12 I think. That said I have not visited a single place on your list! I have a friend who worked in Egypt for 10 years who has never seen the pyramids! lol

Are you eligible for the visa on arrival or do you have to get one beforehand from the embassy.

p.s. I was interested in your experience of talking to German travel agents. Funnily enough I was pondering precisely this this week! Sorry I couldn't have been of more help.

No worries. It's all been an interesting learning experience- still in motion!Nah, gotta get a visa. Can get it here in Bonn or can get it at the airport in Cairo. So were your visits for work? How come you didn't see ANY of the main sights? What DID you see prey tell?! That's funny about your firend there who's never seen the pyramids! On a lesser scale (no pun intended), lived all my life in Oz un 'til the last few years and I've never been to Ayer's Rock (Uluru).

[ozchick]

try sending frostingz here in the forums a message; she did egypt just very recently.

Will do N and thanks!

[JR8]

I've lost count of the number of times I have visited Egypt, about 12 I think. That said I have not visited a single place on your list! I have a friend who worked in Egypt for 10 years who has never seen the pyramids! lol

Are you eligible for the visa on arrival or do you have to get one beforehand from the embassy.

p.s. I was interested in your experience of talking to German travel agents. Funnily enough I was pondering precisely this this week! Sorry I couldn't have been of more help.

No worries. It's all been an interesting learning experience- still in motion!Nah, gotta get a visa. Can get it here in Bonn or can get it at the airport in Cairo. So were your visits for work? How come you didn't see ANY of the main sights? What DID you see prey tell?! That's funny about your firend there who's never seen the pyramids! On a lesser scale (no pun intended), lived all my life in Oz un 'til the last few years and I've never been to Ayer's Rock (Uluru).

The visa on arrival is a half page adhesive sticker on which they stamp you in and out, it costs US$15 (the price is marked on it). previously the visa on arrival was little postage type stamps but since the price was so out of date (LE 32.20, about US$5) you would pay £10 or US$15, but the uncertainly and manic scrum on arrival to buy them meant that a heck of a lot of scamming and over charging went on.

Hopefully the new stamps have changed that, as it was never the best way to start a trip having to deal with it. I don't know what they charge in euro (but if for example it is e12, and you pay with a e20 note, they give you a stack of 100 dirty and illegible local baknotes in change, and with a scrum of 300 people around you in the Q, you're hardly going to have a chance of checking your change (this was precisely one of the problems with the old stamps!)), so if you have an embassy near you it could be worth getting one prior...

I was going to Egypt diving for several years, in the Sinai or down by the Sudanese border. Each trip was a total focus on time in the water with no time for distractions like the pyramids and stuff The friend was a dive instructor also in the Sinai.

Edit to add p.s.
I agree re: Uluru. I visited it in the early 90's and subsequently I don't think I have met a single Aussie who has been there!

[frostingz]

Alrightie...here goes!

Giza Pyramids & Sphinx - must see, although nothing spectacular really... There is no need to pay extra to go into the pyramid, but if you REALLY want to (just coz you're there) why not...haha...I was warned, but I went in anyway... :p

Solar Boat Museum - Pretty interesting. Walking distance from the pyramids, so can do if you have time
.
Egyptian Museum - Must see... you have to pay extra to see the mummies. Mummified animals are free though! :p

Khan el Khalili Bazaar - Must go just to experience shopping in Egypt. You don't have tp stay long if you're not a shopper :p

Memphis . . . . . . .
Sakkarra- Must see! Step pyramid & oldest graffiti in Egypt!
Dahshur . .
Old Cairo “Coptic Cairo”

[ozchick]

Alrightie...here goes!

Thank you frostingz! That's exactly what I need! MUCH appreciated!

And JR8, haven't heard this before but can imagine the scenario you describe! Thanks SO much for this, gonna get the VISA before I go!

[frostingz]

For visa upon entry, just get ready US$15 exact and you're safe. I got it there too... no queues.... just pay, get it and go!

[JR8]

Agreed if you happen to have US$15 in the right change you are going to short-circuit a lot of hassle*, I accept my thinking/experience is that on most charters from Europe visitors do not.


* Though the queues at Sharm/Marsa would still be potentially hundreds long...

[JR8]

If you're transferring from International to domestic flights, for heavens sake don't go to the domestic terminal at Cairo until you have to. For a start there is nil chance of a beer (or anything much) there, just you, a vast new building, and a few other people and a stray dog perhaps...

[ozchick]

Thanks JR8 and frostingz, much appreciated. Still haven't booked anything but have all the info at hand now. So many discrepancies between companies and options etc, trying not to get burnt here!

[Mary Hatch Bailey]

My kids still talk about our trip inside the pyramid, 10 years later. Don't miss the opportunity if can help it. Also, we took a day trip to Alexandria. Fascinating. Well worth it.

[ozchick]

My kids still talk about our trip inside the pyramid, 10 years later. Don't miss the opportunity if can help it. Also, we took a day trip to Alexandria. Fascinating. Well worth it.

Gotcha MHB and thanks!

[Barnsley]

It looks quite lively in Egypt at the minute, with a potential Tunisia style change of Government.

Maybe keep an eye whats going on in the next couple of weeks before booking a holiday.