Reviews

Egypt - a 7000 year journey to the past

My first trip to Africa was a revelation! The history and archeological monuments of Egypt greatly exceeded my expectations. The culture is very different from North America and took a bit to get use to. Fortunately our Guide, Andrew N. , did a superb job of bridging the gap between our reality and theirs. Andrew was so much more than a guide , he is academic Egyptologist. We learned so much. Thank you Andrew. We visited over twenty major attractions in the 14 days, each one special and unique. We felt safe every step of the way and I have no problem recommending this trip to those who revel in ancient Egyptian and are not afraid to experience African culture .

Magical and busy

The trip was varied, and stimulated all the senses. It introduced us to many sides of Egyptian life, modern and ancient. The variety of transport allowed us to experience a variety of views from the bustling markets in the side streets and traffic jams of cities, to the beautiful coastal front of Alexandria and its nearby crystal blue sea, the green farmland near the Nile, the epic pyramids and temples, whether it be by bumpy ride on a camel, a rickety ride on the overnight train or a slowly-bobbing felucca.

Magical and busy

The trip was varied, and stimulated all the senses. It introduced us to many sides of Egyptian life, modern and ancient. The variety of transport allowed us to experience a variety of views from the bustling markets in the side streets and traffic jams of cities, to the beautiful costal front of Alexandria and its nearby crystal blue sea, the green farmland near the Nile, the epic pyramids and temples, whether it be by bumpy ride on a camel, a rickety ride on the overnight train or a slowly-bobbing felucca.

Good fun and a bit tiring

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. We had a great variety from ancient Egypt to modern (such as the library at Alexandria). Our guide was terrific, always attentive and prepared. The Nile cruise was a highlight.

There were more early starts than I might have liked, but that was dictated by distances we needed to cover. The hotels were rather bland (except for the wonderful one in Alexandria), but no doubt chosen for their cleanliness and safety.

The overnight train was a real adventure, although most of our group found it hard to get any sleep.

We had an armed guard with us for most of the trip, which was both reassuring and a bit alarming!

Didn’t want the trip to end!

This is our 11th trip with Exodus and this is the first time there were no significant criticism. We felt all fellow travellers gel very well as a group with lots of laughs. We made new friends which is always a bonus.
The itinerary is jammed packed with a few early starts but we went with the flow. Perhaps an extra day would help. We saw lots, exceeding our expectations. From the ancient pyramids, temples, monasteries, Nubian culture & hospitality, bazaars, crazy Cairo traffic, visit to war cemetery, sailing on the Nile, hint of a glamorous era in Alexandria, funeral treasures in the Cairo museum, lunch on a felucca experience, camel rides to Egyptian cuisine – we enjoyed it all.

Ancient Egypt is great......modern Egypt is broken......

We wanted to see the wonders of Egypt and got them mostly, although expect to pay extra to see them. I would say that having 8+ optional trips that you have to pay lots extra for means the basic trip is not as good as you think. For instance you WILL NOT see the Sphinx (and other pyramids) as part of the trip despite being in Cairo 4 days unless you EACH pay an extra £50. So do not fall for the false advertising pictures of the Sphinx as part of the trip.
As for the modern Egypt, Greta Thunberg should start there. Rubbish everywhere, literally everywhere and you can watch them add to it as you travel. Cairo traffic is horrendous and the pollution dreadful, expect to be in a coach though this cannot be avoided to see the sites or get to hotels.

Most Inspirational Moment

Karnak, Sphinx, Abu Simbel and Pyramids. Awesome. Inspiring and as they rightly are, a Wonder of the World. Almost too much to comprehend with the sheer amount of temples and tombs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tefa was good, though Exodus need to allow the guides more flexibility to change things. For instance a late flight and getting to bed at nearly 01:00 and getting up the next day at 06:30 is not great when the very next day you get a late start at 09:00, why not swap them? Or have the tour designer change it properly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When approached every 5 seconds as you approach the sites through carefully crafted 'run the gauntlet souvenir alleys' say 'No, Thank You' as they are generally polite and usually then stop, if they hassle you further then reduce to 'No' but still politely. This is NOT a relaxing trip, I run marathons and found it exhausting, apart from two of the days. Early starts are required to get around some of the sites, but all operators are doing the same so don't expect it to be to avoid crowds.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Christopher for his review, although we regret that he was disappointed with aspects of the trip. Our local team have assured us that the Sphinx is visible for all groups as they travel around the Giza complex without further payment, we’re working with our local team to ensure this is clearly explained to future groups. We have  amended the activity level for this trip based on feedback from Christopher and others, and hope that this will ensure clients on future departures are prepared for the busy itinerary, which includes so many of Egypt’s highlights. Many of the key attractions close relatively early in the day which does mean some early starts cannot be avoided, that said, we are looking into adjustments to the order of activities to potentially allow a slightly later start on Day 2. Our tour leaders keep records of all tipping kittys, should our customers ever wish to see them, although we are sorry that Christopher did not feel that this was transparent.

 

Exodus is aware of the unfortunate practice regarding animal welfare in some parts of Egypt, and we endeavour to make it clear in the trip notes for this tour that it is something we do not support on any level, while stressing with our local guides that all group members should be briefed to avoid encouraging this. The Nubian village visit is currently being reviewed, as we wish to maintain ways of supporting their traditional culture, which is at risk of disappearing, while also ensuring that our responsible travel ethos is not compromised.

 

We are sorry that Christopher’s experience was not as positive as we would have hoped, but we feel it is worth mentioning that we generally receive very positive feedback from customers who join this tour, as shown by the large number of five-star reviews submitted by other clients. I am, nonetheless, grateful to Christopher for taking the time to share his comments with us, and we are taking actions on a number of them.

 

Thomas Manchester – Product Manager

one of the best tour I had so far

I and my wife visited Egypt in this tour with Exodus during Christmas holiday 2021. We have been travelling quite a lot with Exodus and other tour companies. All I have to say, Egypt: Alexandria to Aswan is one of the best tour we had so far. Egypt is a fascinating country which you have to see and to learn. The tour we had worth every penny we paid for. Our guide, Andrew was absolutely helpful and knowledgeable. Very effective and efficient. I have learned a lot from him about ancient Egyptian culture. He opened my eye. Thanks Andrew. The only thing not satisfactory may be the overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan. Our cabin was so cold and the heater was not working. They, the train staff certainly can do it better but they seems just don’t care. Overall the tour is good and again very knowledgeable for everyone who has a passion to learn. If you travel in winter and use the overnight train, my advice is to take some warm covering with you.

Don't expect a lie in!

This trip has lots of early starts, in fact most days and long days on the road. Reasonable quality hotels are used throughout, excluding the overnight train which was basic first class. It was disappointing that the best hotels had the shortest stays. Trip content was good but often intense, sometimes it felt like too much was being crammed in, but I would argue that the time devoted to the Cairo food tour was excessive, in fact I used it to get a better look at Misra St. Maybe there is room for some rescheduling here, particularly given that the day leads up to the overnight train journey.
After the train journey, although the long days continued the intensity relaxed a bit enabling the highlights of the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel to be enjoyed. Although the Nile cruise was relaxing, I was not prepared for the convoy of cruise boats, although I understand that this is to enable better security for this stretch of the Nile, it does detract from ‘cruise’ element.

Fabulous sights from the Ancient World and a chance to glimpse modern Egypt

Brilliant glimpses into the ancient world with access to many fantastic sights. As with most Exodus trips it is often full on with some early starts, but these do pay dividends. The tour party, at 20. was probably too big as you travel as fast as the slowest person on the trip. Accommodation was mostly good with a couple of more modest places, but locations were always excellent.
I personally could have done without the trip to Alexandria which didn’t compare to having had more time in the amazing Cairo museum.

Wonders of Egypt

This trip offered a wide variety of experiences along the length of the River Nile.The trip was very well organised and Andrew our guide was extremely knowledgable and helpful.
The trip was full on with many early morning starts. Take extra money for the add on activities as without them the holiday would not have been so exiting.Be aware of extra charges at some of the sites such as a camera tax.
In my opinion the group size was too large and made it difficult to hear the guide at some sites that were always crowded.However the chemistry of the group was excellent and I very much enjoyed everyones company.
Accommodation throughout the trip was satisfactory to excellent.The Nile cruise experience was something I’ll never forget, but the highlights of the trip were the astounding places we visited.My favourite was the Valley of the Kings that simply ‘blew my mind away’.
I left this holiday with a feel good factor and my only regret is that we didn’t have more free time especially in the Cairo Museum.