17 Nov 2024
Must do sightseeing experience when in Egypt.
The day starts early in the morning with the Van coming to pick you up from the hotel. We were told picked up from 4.30,but there was a slight delay. Road to Luxor is about 4 and a half hours,mostly trough desert.
Our guide,Monty joined us from Luxor,where we started the experience with Karnak Temple. You spend about 1 hour there, although the itinerary says more. Then you are taken to a cruise Nile( extra pay) or you may choose to stay in the Van. After you get taken to a local restaurant, this one was called Crocodile ???? restauran(2.4 if you search it on Google) where you get a below average food and you pay for your drinks. Then you get to Colossus of Memnon,where you get 5 minutes instead of 20 ,then to the temples and tombs with a short description from our guide Monty,and again rushed between tombs(we had extra payed for King Tut tomb) . We saw other guides coming all the way to the entrance of the tombs and explaining to their groups ,ours made a quick description and rushed us to finish between tombs. You also get a trip to an alabaster "factory" nearby, where they show you how they manufacture and asked if you want to buy something. It is pointless trip ,especially when you didn't give enough time to see and experience all that rich history and the amazing places.
Dear Mr Monty ,the entire experience felt rushed ,with little explanations on your part,even though I showed you the itinerary.
You said the Van arrived late.
Van arrived around 11,so therefore plenty of time for you to organise based on that.
You said we as a group spend more than 20 minutes to the toilet. Now,in every tour guided grup ,YOU take that into account! And it was at best 10-15 minutes.
People who go on tours they go to see the History of that place first and then take pictures of the experience and MAYBE buy your overpriced alabaster. You said we spend 20 minutes at that factory. OK 20 minutes, plus another 20 to go there and back,could have been spend more at the Valley of the Kings for example. You allow us 5 minutes per tomb man,rushed experience, not getting the chance to marvel at all that beautiful history.
You said the tour was supposed to be finished at 4 and you kept us until 5 to make up for the delay. It was not our delay ,it was poor organisational skills on your part. Besides,there were other people entering the tombs whyle we finished with the last tomb and me showing you that the itinerary hours was not respected!
This reflected in your tip,you should ask Mr Ahmed,from Cairo trip what tip he got from us because he actually knows how to be a great guide.
We understand there are alot of activities into a small amount of time,but we feel that it could have been better planned from your part.
●good communication with the company via WhatsApp,before and after the trip.
●prices on viator are different than you actually going to spend. They don't include taxes and admission fees.
●security all over Egypt,bonus point .
Overall,recommended the experience but maybe with a different guide,or the same guide but more involved and better at planning.