We saw a lot but much of the time it seemed we were being rushed through it all. We’d get a whistle-stop tour and explanation then be told we had half an hour or so to take any photos etc. This was particularly true in the old part of Cairo, which was effectively a 15 minute trot towards the bazaar with me being told to get a move on every time I stopped to take a picture. Even the paid for optional extra trips seemed rushed. I expected to see more of the Citadel than just the mosque, for example. I’ve done a lot of full-on trips recently, and never felt so short of time on them.
In terms of the itinerary I would say that Alexandria is worthy of more than just a morning. The timing of the boat trips in Aswan didn’t work well. We arrived at the island for our ‘evening barbecue’ before 4pm, much too soon after lunch, and were gone again within an hour and back at the hotel just after 5. Edfu temple was incredibly crowded. For some reason every boat disgorges all its passengers for the same 6-7 am timeslot, then rushes on to Esna to sit in a queue for the lock for over an hour ….
All the accommodation (with the exception of the overnight train) was very good, with excellent staff and food.
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