Tour to Giza Pyramids and Sphinx
Overview
Duration
About 4 Hours
Countries
1 Country
Type
Private Tour
Run:
Everyday
Discover Pyramid Tour In Egypt visiting Giza Pyramids! Your guide will take you to the 5000-year old Great Pyramids. Stand at the Pyramids, of Cheops, Chefren, Mykerinus and guarded by the Great Sphinx.
Included
- Pick up services from your hotel & return
- All transfers by a private air-conditioned vehicle
- Private English-speaking Egyptologist guide
- Entrance fees to all the mentioned sites
- Bottled water during your trip.
- All taxes & service charge
Excluded
- Any extras not mentioned in the itinerary
- Tipping
NB: Incase of pick up from either Heliopolis or 06th of October Areas, there is supplement 10$ per person.
Itinerary
Your tour manager from Memphis Tours will pick you up from your hotel in Cairo, starting your Pyramid Tours visiting the Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus. Then proceed to visit the Great Sphinx, the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body, dates from the time of Chephren. The tour also includes a visit to the Valley Temple which belongs to the Pyramids of Chephren. This temple served definitely two functions: First, it was used for the purification of the mummy of the king before its burial. Second, it was used for making the Mummification process of the king.
Prices
Prices
Single
Per Person
$
107
2 Persons
Per Person
$
69
3 Persons
Per Person
$
55
4 Persons
Per Person
$
47
5 Persons
Per Person
$
45
6 Persons
Per Person
$
37
Reviews
5
24 Reviews
5 Stars
24
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Star
0
“Wonderful Egypt”
, 10/1/13
In May-June 2013 I had booked a number of day trips with Memphis Tours and I just wanted to share my fabulous Egyptian experiences with everyone.
My favourite day tours were to Giza, taking in the Great Pyramids, and the Cairo Museum with our private tour guide Ahmad Abd El Hakim. Also, we had the most amazing tour of the Valley of the Kings with our Egyptologist tour guide, Sayed Selim. Both guides were entertaining, informative and made us feel comfortable and safe. We had the best time ever. Thank you Memphis Tours. Certainly I will use you again when visiting Egypt.
My favourite day tours were to Giza, taking in the Great Pyramids, and the Cairo Museum with our private tour guide Ahmad Abd El Hakim. Also, we had the most amazing tour of the Valley of the Kings with our Egyptologist tour guide, Sayed Selim. Both guides were entertaining, informative and made us feel comfortable and safe. We had the best time ever. Thank you Memphis Tours. Certainly I will use you again when visiting Egypt.
“Tour of the Pyramids”
Jimmy
, 8/8/13
Excellent people to deal with. Very courteous and extremely knowledgeable. Strongly recommend their services. Very prompt mail responses.
Amazing customer service and overall experience
Brittany C
, 8/1/13
I would highly recommend booking a tour with Memphis Tours Egypt. I had an amazing experience. I booked the airport layover tour- Half Day at the Giza Pyramids.
We were picked up from the hotel in a nice private, air conditioned car by an extremely friendly driver and were driven to the Giza Pyramids were we met our very knowledgable, friendly and fun tour guide. Our guide took us around the pyramids and was extremely enthusiastic about helping us get the perfect photo's. During the tour we were picked up in the car to be taken to the other side of the pyramids and were given ice cold water (extremely needed, from the very hot heat). Afterwards we visited, a few market stores, perfume parlour and had a massive lunch (all included in the initial price).
I was there during the current rebellion, and would have never known. Its contained to a small area in Cairo, and we did not go anywhere near this during our tour. Had I not been following the situation on the news, I would have never known there was anything happening in Cairo at the time. Its extremely unfortunate that so many tourists are shying away from this destination, but a massive bonus for those who decide to go. I was 1 of 2 tourist groups at the pyramids, and therefore have amazing photo's with no one in the background- a very rare opportunity.
Again highly recommend this company, great staff and great service!
“Treasures of the Nile”
924Helen
, 6/5/13
What a fabulous place Egypt is. We spent 11 days there which we organised through Memphis Tours. They provided an efficient, personalised and friendly service. I was amazed at the knowledge of the tour guides. They are well studied in The Classics, Egyptology Or Archaeology and are fluent in a number of languages. Very informative and humorous.
We did a number of day tours in and around Cairo. It is extremely busy there and has a population of 20 million. Also they are crazy drivers. Thank goodness for our tour guide Ahmad Abd El Hakim and our driver. Just close your eyes.
We did a tour of some of the many Mosques which made we think of the similarities between religions. An eye opener. We saw the usual tourist things of course which I loved. In Particular the Cairo Museum is fabulous and you need lots of time to take it all in; especially the treasures of Tutankhamun. Alexandria is also worth a visit, although a 3 hour drive from Cairo, to see the various Roman ruins, Citadel and catacombs.
The highlight of the trip was the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. The banks of the Nile are green and lush framing the harsh dry desert behind. A welcome change from the bustle of Cairo. Only 5% of Egypt is populated because of the water limitations; which is likely to intensify in the next few years. All this information and much more we learnt from Sayed Selim; our Memphis guide and new friend on the cruise. Loved it all and Sayed Of course. So much fun and laughs as well as getting a good insight into Egyptian History.
Visited the Temple of Luxor and Avenue of Sphinxes, The Valley Of Kings - extraordinary. Then on to Edfu and the Temple of Horus; to Kom Ombo & the Temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris. As for Aswan. Magnificent. We took a boat to Agilkra Island and the Philae Temple saved with help of UNESCO in the 60's with the building of the High dam.
Thank you Sayed for a memorable trip which was fun with many laughs. Sharron and I loved it. With fond regards Helen (from Melbourne, Australia)
We did a number of day tours in and around Cairo. It is extremely busy there and has a population of 20 million. Also they are crazy drivers. Thank goodness for our tour guide Ahmad Abd El Hakim and our driver. Just close your eyes.
We did a tour of some of the many Mosques which made we think of the similarities between religions. An eye opener. We saw the usual tourist things of course which I loved. In Particular the Cairo Museum is fabulous and you need lots of time to take it all in; especially the treasures of Tutankhamun. Alexandria is also worth a visit, although a 3 hour drive from Cairo, to see the various Roman ruins, Citadel and catacombs.
The highlight of the trip was the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. The banks of the Nile are green and lush framing the harsh dry desert behind. A welcome change from the bustle of Cairo. Only 5% of Egypt is populated because of the water limitations; which is likely to intensify in the next few years. All this information and much more we learnt from Sayed Selim; our Memphis guide and new friend on the cruise. Loved it all and Sayed Of course. So much fun and laughs as well as getting a good insight into Egyptian History.
Visited the Temple of Luxor and Avenue of Sphinxes, The Valley Of Kings - extraordinary. Then on to Edfu and the Temple of Horus; to Kom Ombo & the Temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris. As for Aswan. Magnificent. We took a boat to Agilkra Island and the Philae Temple saved with help of UNESCO in the 60's with the building of the High dam.
Thank you Sayed for a memorable trip which was fun with many laughs. Sharron and I loved it. With fond regards Helen (from Melbourne, Australia)
“Treasures of the Nile”
924Helen
, 6/5/13
What a fabulous place Egypt is. We spent 11 days there which we organised through Memphis Tours. They provided an efficient, personalised and friendly service. I was amazed at the knowledge of the tour guides. They are well studied in The Classics, Egyptology Or Archaeology and are fluent in a number of languages. Very informative and humorous.
We did a number of day tours in and around Cairo. It is extremely busy there and has a population of 20 million. Also they are crazy drivers. Thank goodness for our tour guide Ahmad Abd El Hakim and our driver. Just close your eyes.
We did a tour of some of the many Mosques which made we think of the similarities between religions. An eye opener. We saw the usual tourist things of course which I loved. In Particular the Cairo Museum is fabulous and you need lots of time to take it all in; especially the treasures of Tutankhamun. Alexandria is also worth a visit, although a 3 hour drive from Cairo, to see the various Roman ruins, Citadel and catacombs.
The highlight of the trip was the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. The banks of the Nile are green and lush framing the harsh dry desert behind. A welcome change from the bustle of Cairo. Only 5% of Egypt is populated because of the water limitations; which is likely to intensify in the next few years. All this information and much more we learnt from Sayed Selim; our Memphis guide and new friend on the cruise. Loved it all and Sayed Of course. So much fun and laughs as well as getting a good insight into Egyptian History.
Visited the Temple of Luxor and Avenue of Sphinxes, The Valley Of Kings - extraordinary. Then on to Edfu and the Temple of Horus; to Kom Ombo & the Temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris. As for Aswan. Magnificent. We took a boat to Agilkra Island and the Philae Temple saved with help of UNESCO in the 60's with the building of the High dam.
Thank you Sayed for a memorable trip which was fun with many laughs. Sharron and I loved it. With fond regards Helen (from Melbourne, Australia)
We did a number of day tours in and around Cairo. It is extremely busy there and has a population of 20 million. Also they are crazy drivers. Thank goodness for our tour guide Ahmad Abd El Hakim and our driver. Just close your eyes.
We did a tour of some of the many Mosques which made we think of the similarities between religions. An eye opener. We saw the usual tourist things of course which I loved. In Particular the Cairo Museum is fabulous and you need lots of time to take it all in; especially the treasures of Tutankhamun. Alexandria is also worth a visit, although a 3 hour drive from Cairo, to see the various Roman ruins, Citadel and catacombs.
The highlight of the trip was the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. The banks of the Nile are green and lush framing the harsh dry desert behind. A welcome change from the bustle of Cairo. Only 5% of Egypt is populated because of the water limitations; which is likely to intensify in the next few years. All this information and much more we learnt from Sayed Selim; our Memphis guide and new friend on the cruise. Loved it all and Sayed Of course. So much fun and laughs as well as getting a good insight into Egyptian History.
Visited the Temple of Luxor and Avenue of Sphinxes, The Valley Of Kings - extraordinary. Then on to Edfu and the Temple of Horus; to Kom Ombo & the Temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris. As for Aswan. Magnificent. We took a boat to Agilkra Island and the Philae Temple saved with help of UNESCO in the 60's with the building of the High dam.
Thank you Sayed for a memorable trip which was fun with many laughs. Sharron and I loved it. With fond regards Helen (from Melbourne, Australia)
Cairo December 2012
Ted L
, 1/10/13
I booked 2 individual tours with Memphis Tours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2012.
The first tour was to the Giza Plateau, including some time inside the Great Pyramid. Everything Memphis Tours had arranged was first class, especially my guide Mahmoud. His wealth of knowledge combined with his politeness and friendly approach was all anyone could ask for. He advised me to pay a visit to the Solar Boat museum which was a definite plus and something I would have missed out on if he had not mentioned it. The second tour was farther afield as we headed south to Tell El Amarna and the ruined city of Akhetaten. Again all of Mahmoud's qualities made a special day into an even better one. I would recommend Memphis Tours to anyone if you are serious about Egypt.
“kanam... the best guides name”
Valia S
, 12/10/12
very nice holidays but the best the best was the guide we have to pyramids sfigs and miusium of cairo. was karam from memphis tour and was incradible good! thank you karam for everything! cristos and valia from GREECE !
Visited November 2012
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
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Visited November 2012
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
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“Memphis Tours - Guide Rehab Sameer”
Track Smith
, 10/22/12
Rehab Sameer was my Memphis Tour Guide during my stay in Giza. I was very pleased with her expertise when I went to see the Giza Pyramids and on another day visiting several mosques in the Islamic quarter of Cairo and on another day seeing the Ben Ezra Synagogue.and the Hanging Church in the Coptic area of Cairo. I was impressed with the way she explained the background to these monuments and why they were important. Also, the reason why we would go to a certain location before another. I would highly recommend her for any Memphis Tour traveler.
Very Helpful when booking
EGL3
, 3/4/12
I've only completed the arrangements so far for a couple tours out of Egypt and one out of Aswan. I'm actually going next month. They are very prompt with answers to questions and helpful with their replies to questions I've had. I've been dealing with Mr. Mohamed Sakr. I'm sooo looking forward to the tours and will report back afterwards.
Egypt - enjoyed every moment, thanks to Memphis Tours
Tamara D
, 2/11/12
Memphis Tour Company was recommended to me by a friend who recently travelled to Egypt. I found their staff members to be very gracious and their service throughout my trip excellent. All I had to do was enjoy the customized excursions they planned for me based on what I wanted to do. The most enjoyable part for me was being shown the Wonders of Egypt by Egyptians who are very proud of their country!
Excellent one day tour in Cairo
gadget129
, 2/9/12
Just returned from holiday in Egypt which included a one night stay in Cairo. As we were there for such a short time we per booked a tour with Memphis tours via the Internet. An excellent a day it'inary was put together by Eman Rashad who dealt very efficiently with the entire booking process.
Our tour took place on the 26th January and when our guide arrived in the morning for pick up we were informed the museum in Cairo was closed. We were obviously disappointed but our guide had a number of suggested places for us to visit instead. We chose to see the step pyramids at Sakkara. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and informative and made our day very enjoyable. We also saw the pyramids at Giza and at his recommendation saw the solar boat. It was amazing.
I will certainly use Memphis tours again as the whole process from booking to the end of the tour was very professional.
Our tour took place on the 26th January and when our guide arrived in the morning for pick up we were informed the museum in Cairo was closed. We were obviously disappointed but our guide had a number of suggested places for us to visit instead. We chose to see the step pyramids at Sakkara. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and informative and made our day very enjoyable. We also saw the pyramids at Giza and at his recommendation saw the solar boat. It was amazing.
I will certainly use Memphis tours again as the whole process from booking to the end of the tour was very professional.
Fabuious Holidays
51David
, 2/5/12
My wife & I have beeen on two previous tours with Memphis Tours Egypt.and are now in the process of planning another in August 2012.We were fortunate that we had Fattoush Saad as our travel consultant,she was so helpful.professional & honest in all her dealings with us,nothing was to much trouble for her.We have no hesitation in recommending Memphis Tours to anyone.
Memphis Tours are Fabulous
juditheileen
, 2/4/12
This company could not have been nicer nor more accommodating and flexible. Our plans changed many times, adding to itinerary, adding another person, canceling a person, and after all that, needing to change the itinerary again once we were in Egypt. They were gracious, knowledgeable, and we felt very safe and well cared for. Accommodations and tours were all as advertised. A great experience!
Fabulous trip with wonderful guides/travel consultants !
KathyZWarsaw_Poland
, 1/31/12
Our travel consultant ( Fattoush Saad) planned all our travels within Egypt and she did it in a very organized and concise manner. We were booking a Christmas holiday late and she make us her top priority . She was a great help to us and answered all questions to the best of her ability ! She even got us bumped up to a luxury hotel while in Cairo !
We had two tour guides that were courteous, punctual and knowledgeable and made our visit to Egypt memorable. Their names were Shaimaa Baheeg in Luxor /Valley of the Kings and Ahmad El Sayed in Cairo for the pyramids/city tour/ saquarra.
We had two tour guides that were courteous, punctual and knowledgeable and made our visit to Egypt memorable. Their names were Shaimaa Baheeg in Luxor /Valley of the Kings and Ahmad El Sayed in Cairo for the pyramids/city tour/ saquarra.
Memphis Tours -- Stunning value for money, from pickup to send off”
William N
, 1/24/12
Coordinator: Osama Mostafa
Tour Guide: Ahmed Abdulhameed
My wife and I were in Cairo, Egypt just recently. I am still stunned by how good the service was, especially as the price was very fair. We were there for five days, and we were taken care off throughout. If you're booking with Memphis, I'd say go ahead and get the airport pickup and drop off. Our trip coordinator (Osama) met us *before* we got to customs, and he was able to check us in, and he was with a driver and they transported us to our hotel. The trip coordinator made the trip nice for us because we didn't have to worry about some of the little things--like checking in and out of the hotel, or knowing a good place to get food.
For some of the sites, we were assigned a tour guide (Ahmed) who was very knowledgeable and gave a lot of context to the places we were visiting. I mean yes, the statue of Ramses is cool, but do you know he had two crowns? Yes, Memphis is the ancient capital of Egypt--but how about seeing how every day Egyptians live at a carpet school? Such attention to detail made things more memorable than they already were (I mean Pyramids!!!).
Both the tour guide and the coordinator had lunch with us on the days that we were assigned. We were sad to leave them behind as we'd become quite fond of them in the short time we shared!
If you're visiting Egypt, please be sure to consider Memphis.
Tour Guide: Ahmed Abdulhameed
My wife and I were in Cairo, Egypt just recently. I am still stunned by how good the service was, especially as the price was very fair. We were there for five days, and we were taken care off throughout. If you're booking with Memphis, I'd say go ahead and get the airport pickup and drop off. Our trip coordinator (Osama) met us *before* we got to customs, and he was able to check us in, and he was with a driver and they transported us to our hotel. The trip coordinator made the trip nice for us because we didn't have to worry about some of the little things--like checking in and out of the hotel, or knowing a good place to get food.
For some of the sites, we were assigned a tour guide (Ahmed) who was very knowledgeable and gave a lot of context to the places we were visiting. I mean yes, the statue of Ramses is cool, but do you know he had two crowns? Yes, Memphis is the ancient capital of Egypt--but how about seeing how every day Egyptians live at a carpet school? Such attention to detail made things more memorable than they already were (I mean Pyramids!!!).
Both the tour guide and the coordinator had lunch with us on the days that we were assigned. We were sad to leave them behind as we'd become quite fond of them in the short time we shared!
If you're visiting Egypt, please be sure to consider Memphis.
Excellent tour - great value
Robert C
, 1/21/12
We arranged our tour over the internet prior to arriving in Cairo. Memphis tours exceeded our expectations and provided a great tour to the Pyramids at a great price. I would recommend Memphis tours and our contact Mohamed to others planning on visiting Cairo. Our tour guide Sameh was very knowledgeable and provided much insight into the history of the region.
Highly recommend. Responsive, great tour guide and fantastic price
karenstrunks
, 7/6/11
Myself and my travel companion were looking to visit the pyramids and the spinx on a tour. We found Memphis Tours online and read all the reviews on trip advisor.
What we liked about Memphis Tours:
They were using all the social networking chanels
Good reviews on Trip Advisor
They had a Live Chat option on their website so we connected with someone straight away
Transaction was easy online.
We were picked up on time by our tour guide, Tarek Tito, and the driver from our hotel.
Tarek made the most excellent guide! Friendly, informative, relaxed pace. I would recommend him!
The car was of a high standard and comfortable with air conditioning.
The tour was excellent value for money, and the price of entry to the pyramids/spinx is included.
Give it a try! You won't be disapointed.
What we liked about Memphis Tours:
They were using all the social networking chanels
Good reviews on Trip Advisor
They had a Live Chat option on their website so we connected with someone straight away
Transaction was easy online.
We were picked up on time by our tour guide, Tarek Tito, and the driver from our hotel.
Tarek made the most excellent guide! Friendly, informative, relaxed pace. I would recommend him!
The car was of a high standard and comfortable with air conditioning.
The tour was excellent value for money, and the price of entry to the pyramids/spinx is included.
Give it a try! You won't be disapointed.
Good experience with Memphis Tours
csfk
, 4/28/11
At rather short notice we decided to use a tour operator to visit the pyramids of Gizeh. We are very glad to have booked our day's tour with Memphis Tours. We were picked up punctually from our hotel.Both the guide and the driver, who coincidentally are both named Achmed, were excellent. Achmed guided us competently through Gizeh, Memphis and the obligatory visit to a shop. Driver Achmed drove carefully. We can highly recommend Memphis Tours as competent and reliable.
Visited March 2011
Memphis Tours and Ahmed were extremely helfpul and very accomodating to our requests
MMoore74
, 4/3/11
I booked an independent tour through Memphis Tours as i had some friends that booked a week long trip through them and they thoroughly enjoyed it. I gave Ahmed a list of all the things we wanted to see in the 2 days we had in Cairo and although it would be alot, he was very accomodating and telling us how long we would be able to spend at each place and suggested a lunch on the go so we could fit everything in. We paid the 25% deposit and with the unrest that has happened, unfortunately the cruise cancelled the port. I was afraid that we would not be able to get our money back, but that concern was not necessary. Within 10 minutes i had a confirmation that our tour would be cancelled and the money returned to the account. They have been extremely wonderful to work with and very helpful. I do plan on going back to Egypt and would not hesitate to book again with Memphis Tours and Ahmed.
Great, informative tour for the money
LovetoTravel_1981
, 3/14/11
My brother and I traveled to Cairo and booked tours of the Egyptian museum, pyramids, sphix, Khan El-Khalili bazaar as well as a tour of Luxor the next day (we booked a flight to Luxor separately). In Luxor, we saw the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut temple, Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. The tour company and guides were very informative. They picked us up on time, the private air-conditioned car and guide were amazing to have and very worth it. We even finished the tour in Luxor and they let us got to a hotel and wait for our flight and did not charge us extra! They do take you to a few stores between stops that appear to be somewhat promotional to the local vendor however, I thought seeing papyrus being made and seeing the alabaster vases being made was informative and interesting. You do not have to buy anything and can make the stop as long or short as you want. I’m not entirely sure if they’d have a problem if you did not wish to stop in general, but it did not seem like it would be. I did a lot of research and most of the tours do the same thing. I would certainly recommend booking with Memphis Tours. If you have a custom tour in mind give them a call and they work with you on the details and price. I really do not think you'll save on money or time booking through a hotel or trying to wing it with a cab once you arrive.
Responsive and helpful - excellent communications
newfoundman
, 2/17/11
From an e-mail to the immediately returned call from Fatima to the emailed transcript and the tour itself - everything was done exactly as agreed. All staff were polite and on-time. Memphis were able to adapt the Pyramids tour to our schedule and flight times... very happy with the service.
Great Value
Kenttx74
, 2/10/11
Memphis is the best deal going.
We took 3 tours with them. They were always on-time and did a great job explaining things to us and making sure our trip was going great.
Our guide Ahmed was fantastic. He knew everything there was to know about the sights and the city.
I am still amazed at how affordable it was. I highly recommend.
Our tour was everything that we had hoped it would be
Thornhill01
, 2/10/11
My family and I recently arranged a tour of the Pryamids through Memphis Tours.
- our tour guide, Yosri Abd Allah, was excellent, very helpful and informative
- our driver and coach were also very good
- our tour included lunch which was at a interesting location and the food was good
We would highly recommend your tour company and our guide
Thanks again and keep safe
Excellent in every way!
ocaggie
, 2/9/11
Booked two days of touring with Memphis Tours (MTs) days prior to the unrest (Giza & Museum, Old Cairo Tour and Felucca Ride). Booking process was all done via email and allowed me to select where we wanted to dine for lunch on each day (flexibility!). Our guide was knowledgeable, interactive and very fun to work with. Upon visiting Khan Khalili market, our guide assisted us in navigating the chaos of purchasing gifts, etc. by taking us quality dealers to work with.
For anyone traveling to Cairo in the near future and in need of reputable tour company, I highly recommend MT's.
“One day in Egypt - a quick visit to the pyramids”
ktraveler
, 1/10/11
We were on a Mediterranean cruise during the holidays and one of the stops was Alexandria. The cruise ship offered several tours to the sites around Cairo, but we decided we would prefer a private car and a bit of flexibility. (the price was actually cheaper than to use the cruiseline)
Because of the many positive reviews we found here, we chose to book a tour with Memphis. Other than some confusing/conflicting information regarding visas, the booking process was very straightforward. (our cruiseline told us they would only issue a visa to those who had booked a tour with them -- our Memphis rep told us not to worry, we could get a 'quick-trip' stamp at passport control -- and he was correct. it is however, a little scary to have this unknown bit of info hanging over your head until the 11th hour!)
Our guide was Rania Y. and she was awesome -- very knowledgeable and easy to work with. She maximized our visit to the pyramid sites at both Giza and Sakkarra, because she knew just what we would want to know and what we would want to see at each site. Memphis had also arranged a lunch for us at a nearby cafe and the food was delicious!
We chose not to visit a papyrus institute, which is an option on just about EVERY tour we saw -- and from what we heard from others, we didn't miss much. It was our goal to visit the pyramids and sphinx, so we were happy to head back to our ship once this was accomplished. This was just one of the benefits to taking a private tour rather than one from the cruise line.
Our ONLY negative comment is in regards to the drive from Alexandria to Cairo. It is a 3 hour trip each way and frankly, was a harrowing experience. Our driver was certainly competent and we felt as safe with him as we could ... but ... Egyptian highways are frightening for those of us used to US and European driving. The day after we were there, a tour bus accident took the lives of 10 Americans - and we could only say 'there but by the grace of God'! This is no reflection on Memphis - I would not have felt any safer being on a tour bus or in any other type of vehicle, but i did think it was worth mentioning.
The people from our cruise who went with the cruiseline tours complained bitterly about the way they were accosted by vendors at the various attractions -- and they were disappointed in the short time they had to see the pyramids. We were NOT targeted by vendors to nearly the degree the larger tour groups were -- not because we didn't look like tourists, but simply because we were not hopping of a bus with 50 other people. I also believe that Rania was a familiar face to many of the vendors and they knew not to bother her 'charges.' We were also able to spend as much time as we wanted at the things that were important to us and did not feel that frantic rush that we needed to get 'back on the bus.'
All in all, we had a great visit to Egypt, mostly because of Rania and the professionalism we experienced on our Memphis tour.
Because of the many positive reviews we found here, we chose to book a tour with Memphis. Other than some confusing/conflicting information regarding visas, the booking process was very straightforward. (our cruiseline told us they would only issue a visa to those who had booked a tour with them -- our Memphis rep told us not to worry, we could get a 'quick-trip' stamp at passport control -- and he was correct. it is however, a little scary to have this unknown bit of info hanging over your head until the 11th hour!)
Our guide was Rania Y. and she was awesome -- very knowledgeable and easy to work with. She maximized our visit to the pyramid sites at both Giza and Sakkarra, because she knew just what we would want to know and what we would want to see at each site. Memphis had also arranged a lunch for us at a nearby cafe and the food was delicious!
We chose not to visit a papyrus institute, which is an option on just about EVERY tour we saw -- and from what we heard from others, we didn't miss much. It was our goal to visit the pyramids and sphinx, so we were happy to head back to our ship once this was accomplished. This was just one of the benefits to taking a private tour rather than one from the cruise line.
Our ONLY negative comment is in regards to the drive from Alexandria to Cairo. It is a 3 hour trip each way and frankly, was a harrowing experience. Our driver was certainly competent and we felt as safe with him as we could ... but ... Egyptian highways are frightening for those of us used to US and European driving. The day after we were there, a tour bus accident took the lives of 10 Americans - and we could only say 'there but by the grace of God'! This is no reflection on Memphis - I would not have felt any safer being on a tour bus or in any other type of vehicle, but i did think it was worth mentioning.
The people from our cruise who went with the cruiseline tours complained bitterly about the way they were accosted by vendors at the various attractions -- and they were disappointed in the short time they had to see the pyramids. We were NOT targeted by vendors to nearly the degree the larger tour groups were -- not because we didn't look like tourists, but simply because we were not hopping of a bus with 50 other people. I also believe that Rania was a familiar face to many of the vendors and they knew not to bother her 'charges.' We were also able to spend as much time as we wanted at the things that were important to us and did not feel that frantic rush that we needed to get 'back on the bus.'
All in all, we had a great visit to Egypt, mostly because of Rania and the professionalism we experienced on our Memphis tour.
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