For many people,
traveling to Egypt is a
once in a lifetime dream.
Our board members have all
traveled to Egypt, and we
have some tips for you to
consider when planning
your own travel. Our
advice will focus on
antiquities-based travel;
if your main interest is a
beach or water sports
vacation on the Red Sea,
we can"t be much help.
Many people who travel to
Europe and Asia
independently may ask if
they can do the same in
Egypt. Of course, but you
might prefer the
advantages that a tour
operator can give you.
 Be
aware that specific sites
may open or close without
advance warning, due to
capacity management
issues, damage at sites,
need for refurbishment, or
even spontaneous holidays,
local or national.
Some sites, like the Great
Pyramid or the Tomb of
Nefertari, sell limited
tickets at specific hours.
Fluent English and
European languages are not
routinely spoken at
ticketing locations. If
there are specific sites
you want to visit, your
chance of seeing them is
better with local
assistance.
There are general tour
operators who take you to
a standard list of
highlights, often at peak
hours, so you are person
number 500 in line to see
a stele. There are
specialty tour companies
whose expertise in
antiquities and
connections with the
Egyptians and foreigners
working to preserve the
heritage are
unsurpassed. Both
types of companies offer
tours in all price ranges.
Do you have your heart set
on a site you saw on a TV
program? Most sites under
current excavation are
totally off limits to
tourists, but an
archaeological-based tour
might get you in. Such
sites require special
permissions negotiated and
paid for by specialized
tour firms from the
Ministry of Antiquities.
A few other things to
evaluate:
Is it safe?
The Egyptian
Revolution began in 2011
and continues. The main
focal point of
demonstration activity and
TV filming of unrest has
been Cairo. If we had a
crystal ball, we could
tell you if this activity
will continue. Savvy tour
operators are staging tour
groups outside of downtown
and bringing folks in by
bus to see key magnets
like the Cairo Museum.
Luxor has experienced
little unrest during the
revolution. The general
drop in tourism means
shorter lines at key
"attractions". You
may register with your
government's Department of
State/Foreign Office for
travel advisories, which
they will email you.
Travel insurance is worth
your consideration for all
destinations outside of
North America and Europe.
 Nile
cruises form
part of many itineraries
to Egypt, and most of them
operate between Luxor and
Aswan. The government has
just re-opened the long
cruise from Cairo to
Aswan, after years of not
allowing this journey.
Companies are
experimenting with
offering these beginning
in 2013, and time will
tell if that market is
successful. There are may
be a hundred Nile cruise
boats of varying degrees
of luxury and maintenance,
varying in age from
brand-new to fifty years
old. If a tour you are
considering includes a
cruise, do some
independent research on
the web about the boat.
Determine what kind of
ambience and amenities
matter to you.
What does it mean
to have an Egyptologist
as your guide? It
means different things.
Egyptian universities
provide degrees in
Egyptian history and
tourism, and those
graduates call themselves
Egyptologists. These
courses do not include
field work, and these
guides may not be up to
date on current
discoveries or may never
have set foot on an
operating excavation site.
Certainly, they have not
personally used a trowel
in the field.
 Guided
tours are significantly
different when touring
with a famous Egyptologist
who has excavated at
important sites or whose
interviews you have seen
on TV. Many big-name
excavators and expedition
leaders sign on with
museums, National
Geographic Society, tour
companies specializing in
archaeological travel,
and/or universities to
guide one or two tours a
year. Most museums with
Egyptian collections and
universities with Near
East degree programs offer
these periodically, and
you could scout for them.
The specialty tour
companies specializing in
archaeology around the
world, some with an
emphasis on Egypt, also
have contacts with the
expedition leaders all
around the country and may
plan visits to meet with
them and hear lectures by
them on site. In a
normal year, they may
offer a dozen departure
dates with varying
emphases and sites. Over
the years, our board
members have traveled with
the following specialty
companies, listed in
alphabetical order, and we
know their owners. There
may be other companies out
there, but if we
personally have not
traveled with them, we are
not listing them, because
we have not experienced
their level of service.
Specialty
Archeological Tour
Companies:
Ancient
World Tours
Archaeological
Tours
Museum
Tours
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