Nile Valley Tours & Trips

We did the tour of the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis in English with guide Naser Abd al-Salam, very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive to our needs. For example, we were suffering a lot from the heat, under the scorching sun of the pyramids, and he provided us with 2 small bottles of cold water. He explained the history of the pyramids very well and was ready to answer our questions. He gave us useful tips, such as not listening to people in uniform who were asking for money to enter a small pyramid (the entrance was free), or to stay close to him during some movements without paying attention to people who were asking us for money. During lunch, he guided the waiters from a distance to make sure we had received all the food. Between one stop and the next, he paused to offer us a mango smoothie — super delicious! The tour is complete, well-organized and comfortable, including transfers, entrance tickets and lunch. I highly recommend it!

My husband and I traveled to Egypt during Easter, and it was an unforgettable experience. A friend recommended Vacations to Go Travel, and we’re so glad we chose to book our holiday through them. Even though the agency is based in Egypt and we didn’t meet the representatives in person, they were always easily reachable via WhatsApp or through their official page. Before our trip, we received a detailed itinerary, which made everything smooth and stress-free. Our transfer guides, John and Michael, were consistently punctual and very helpful. During our tours, we were also accompanied by knowledgeable guides with excellent English. Mansour, Bibu and Michelle, who guided us in Cairo and on our Nile cruise, were outstanding, very professional, polite, and incredibly informative at every site we visited. We truly loved every moment of our trip and would highly recommend booking with Vacations to Go Travel.

The tour was on the whole well organised but there are a few comments. I suggest you do the tour )In the Footsteps of the Pharaohs) that starts at Saqarra and Dashour, next day to Giza and GEM, them to Luxor, boat trip, Aswan and Abu Simbel. There is a loose chronology to this schedule and helps with understanding the sequence of pyramid building and then the change to buried tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Some comments: For example the flight from Cairo to Luxor was advertised in the itinerary as an early flight. In fact it was in the afternoon and on arrival there was transport to the boat, check in and then the visit to two important temples in the afternoon. Justice cannot and was not done because of time constraints. I suggest you tell the tour operator before booking, that this is an absolutely no go. Another example is the Jalaba party on the boat. It is on the night before wake up at 03.30 to go to Abu Simbel. This could be better planned. The day trip to Alexandria is simply too far to go there and back and see the relevant sites as a one day tour, without rushing. This should be an overnight excursion. The itinerary said High Dam Aswan. We never went there. Be aware of the “tip kitty’ which is made pretty compulsory only to find out they expect and TELL you to tip the guides separately. For many of us on the tour the money extraction pressure, all over, was too much for people, some of whom vowed never to return. Everywhere and I mean everywhere there is pressure on you to part with your money. For example if you did not sign up for the extra side tours the tour agent who meets you to give you the schedule and collect the “entrance fees”, which are stipulated as separate, tries to encourage you, “ to try and make your trip as much fun as possible” to take these trips. The horse carriage ride around Luxor is ok, nothing special and is definitely not worth $25 per person for an hour. They ask for two people per carriage so it is $50. You do not need a guide or transport to find a carriage and can get it from the near vicinity of the boat MUCH cheaper. The Nubian village tour is fun and worthwhile but NOT. at $50 a person. 9 of us went on it. That is $450. That is insane. The cost of the Abu Simbel tour was $106. Abu Simbel is definitely worth the visit. The drive in an air conditioned mini van with driver and tour guide with 9 people is $954. Is this really realistic and fair? The sunrise hot air balloon tour is a 03.30 wake up. The day we went it was cancelled after sunrise and we heard the same happened the day before. In fact they were cancelled for two months because of “bad” weather. The real reason for the cancellation "bad weather" was never really explained but in any event we got a prompt refund. So be aware it is rather a “possible” balloon tour. In any event there are weather forecasts and a meteorological office at the airport. I do not know why this could not have been predicted the night before to avoid a 03.30 wake up for nothing. The tour will annoyingly take you to a carpet factory, an alabaster factory, a papyrus one and an essential oils one. The presentation is short and then the attempt to get you to buy is on. I suggest speak to your group and if everyone agrees tell the guide you all want to opt out of these visits. At the essential oils shop we were warmly met and sat down and offered a drink. A paper with a list of essential oils etc and a pencil was handed to you as Jasmin went through various smells, oils, their use etc. suggesting you mark which ones interested you and what benefits they had. It appears innocent but is a first step to getting you to begin the commitment process. In all places they say there is NO obligation to buy but what follows borders on compulsion. One lady with us was really late in getting back to the vehicle at the essential oils place. She came back clearly very distressed. She said they had told us the prices were government controlled but at the end “could make deals” by encouraging you to buy increasing amounts to reach the deal. Her credit card would not work and despite the offer by Jasmin to charge it at the boat the lady decided not to buy. She said Jasmin physically restrained her until she found a way to pay. This is unacceptable but unfortunately is pretty standard to pressure people into buying. In the market place the pattern is similar and you have to barter for everything. Just know that they start at ridiculous prices. The visit to Saqqara , Dashour, the GEM and Giza were excellent. The guide Abdoul, an archaeologist in winter and guide in summer was outstanding. His depth of knowledge and understanding was like listening to a professor deliver a paper. The boat on the Nile Cruise was very good. I would say 3.5-4 stars, not 5 stars. The staff were excellent. The cabin and air conditioning were good but there is room for maintenance and repairs. The staff on the boat were outstanding. Food was really good save beef and chicken, which were often over cooked. The dinner on the upper deck the one night was really good and another dinner on deck would not go amiss. The sites you see need little mention as they are rightly world famous and UNESCO sites. The guide we had was also good but as I said the first day in Luxor he was time limited by the afternoon flight. I would really suggest not to miss Abu Simbel. Early rise, long drive but really really worth it. I would recommend you to take the Old Cairo Tour, but check an online price to see how it matches up with the Tour Agent price. Do not miss the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where mummies of many of the great pharaohs are to be seen. My advice is be prepared not to be pressurised by people, from the travel agency or outside of it, who come across quite smug, authoritative snd pressure you. Just say no because it will make you pay for things or services that are not worth it. The Gewan hotel is very good but we should find out how the Travel Agency charges it out. I stayed an extra night and on Booking.com it was significantly cheaper than the offer by the tour company.