Anyone Recently Used Ramses Tours?

We are arriving in Safaga by ship and have 2 days there. I have contacted Ramses who have provided details of their day trip to Luxor which looks great. Would appreciate any comment or advice from anyone who has been on this trip. Also what is there to see in Safaga.

Brian and Toni

I used Ramses Tours back in Jan of 2010 for an overnight to Cairo. I can tell you they were terrific! The Egyptian authorities held up our ship and we were not allowed to disembark until 12 even though we docked before 7. Our guide, (who was waiting for us from 6 am) worked very hard to make sure we could see everything on our itinerary. The only thing we missed was the Khan Al-Khalili bazaar, and although I really wish I could have shopped there, it was not as important as the other wonderful sites in the region.

I will be on another cruise in October. I have already booked Ramses for a tour of Alexandria and am also considering getting transportation to Cairo for a one day shopping trip to the Khan Al-Khalili bazaar.

The great thing about Ramses is that you can tailor your tour to anything you want and they will deliver wonderfully.

We used Ramses Tours for an overnight trip to Cairo in January, 2010. Our guide and driver were fantastic. Hani took such good care of us, and our driver succeeded getting us in and out of horrific traffic jams! We are booking Ramses again for a Celebrity stop this November. They are great in tailoring your trip for you.

I have wanted to stay at the Mena House for years and this time got my chance. It is wonderful to be in a hotel that has its own history when in Egypt, It was 50$ extra but it worth the extra.

Our reservation was for bed and breakfast, and the breakfast each day was fabulous! The service at breakfast was wonderful, with each of the servers being so hospitable, kind, and welcoming!

And for how much extra?

Either $30.00 or $35.00 more per night verses a non-pyramid view room. But again, I think it depends on what you are already doing with them when they give you the quote. In our case we have 3 days of tours booked. Rates also change depending on the time of year.

And for how much extra?

Extra verses a non-pyramid view. or extra verses another hotel? They all have differant rates.

We paid 50$ extra

Extra verses a non-pyramid view. or extra verses another hotel? They all have differant rates.

We paid 50$ extra

You mention paying $50.00 extra for a pyramid View room at the Mena House. Was that per person or per room? And do you mean $50.00 more at the Mena House for a non pyramid room verses a pyramid room, or extra from some other hotel you did not mention.

What time of year one is traveling could also make a difference.

We were going to stay at the Fairmont Towers for part of our trip, but are switching to the Mena House because even a pyramids view room is over $100.00 less per night (two people with breakfast).

We have just book 3 tours with Ramses Tours in Egypt and Esalm ant Ramses has been great to deal with,, We wil lbe arriving not until april2013, bu since we are a group of 6 people, we felt it better to have it booked ahead,, He answered any questions I had in a prompt manner and I look forward to the tours with them...

Has anyone received a hotel confirmation that they could verify directly with the hotel?

We booked 4 nights through Ramses for next April. We are also arriving at 1:30AM in the morning (by plane and later going on a Nile cruise), and want to be sure we have a hotel room waiting.

The luxuriuos mena house at 50$ extra for pyramid view room, I would advice you also to stay in the old part of that hotel.

The luxuriuos mena house at 50$ extra for pyramid view room, I would advice you also to stay in the old part of that hotel.

Not familiar with the hotel. Would you mind explaining why we should ask about the old part of the hotel? Thanks.

We enjoyed our recent full-day tour of Alexandria with a guide from Ramses Tours very much.

The guide, Niven, was excellent, knowledgeable (she can read hieroglyphics), and spoke almost flawless English.

An added visit to the Alexandria Museum was the highlight of our day. I could have stayed even longer because we enjoyed it so much.

Our driver was a real professional -- we marveled at his ability to drive us safely through Alexandria traffic.

Our included lunch at a restaurant along the waterfront was delicious. We enjoyed the tour and have recommended Ramses Tours to our friends.

We did one day tour to Giza Pyramids and Cairo museum with Ramses tours in last October. We were very satisfied and impressed about the tour! The tour guide was excellent! He was very knowlageable and well experienced. Also, his English was good. He took care of us very well. We were about 15 people, but Ramses tours arranged a big bus for us. This made our long trip less stressful. Driver was also very good. He made our trip very safe and smooth, even in the heavy traffice in Cairo. We thanked Ramses tour for that enjoyable day.

We are going to Egypt again this October. So, we have already booked Alexandria city tour with Ramses tours.

We highly recommend Ramses tours to everyone.

Machiko & Sam

I have a question on "tips." We are booked with Ramses in October and want to know how tips were paid. Was this tallied up at the end of the day and paid to the tour guide? Or are we expected to tip directly throughout the day? Please let me know your experiences.

I have a question on "tips." We are booked with Ramses in October and want to know how tips were paid. Was this tallied up at the end of the day and paid to the tour guide? Or are we expected to tip directly throughout the day? Please let me know your experiences.

I also have a question about that and one more please...if we do tip independently must it be in the Egyptian currency or will they accept US?

I have a question on "tips." We are booked with Ramses in October and want to know how tips were paid. Was this tallied up at the end of the day and paid to the tour guide? Or are we expected to tip directly throughout the day? Please let me know your experiences.

I also have a question about that and one more please...if we do tip independently must it be in the Egyptian currency or will they accept US?

We just did a great one day tour with Ramses from port said to Cairo...did museum, added on felucca ride on Nile , decided to eat a boxed lunch in the van between places to save time...then did the pyramids and sphinx ....back to the port inplenty of time...we tipped our driver and guide (more to guide than driver) and we tipped in US dollars....we had asked at previous ports, and this summer ...dollars were appreciated more than euros and local currency :).

We just did a great one day tour with Ramses from port said to Cairo...did museum, added on felucca ride on Nile , decided to eat a boxed lunch in the van between places to save time...then did the pyramids and sphinx ....back to the port inplenty of time...we tipped our driver and guide (more to guide than driver) and we tipped in US dollars....we had asked at previous ports, and this summer ...dollars were appreciated more than euros and local currency :).

Where does the felucca ride fit in and what is it near? Ramses said they were adding this in for free next year (we have 4 hotel nights booked with them), but not sure if we are interested or have the time.

Where does the felucca ride fit in and what is it near? Ramses said they were adding this in for free next year (we have 4 hotel nights booked with them), but not sure if we are interested or have the time.

Not sure how they will do it on a 4 night tour...but on our one day Cairo visit, we visited the museum...did the felucca ride on the Nile, right near the museum, then ate lunch in van on way to pyramids....we really enjoyed the boat ride..nice large, well shaded craft...no motor...just a boatman who looked like he walked out of the old testament!! It broke up the day, gave us a breezy, shady ride and was something different :)

Is it better option to take a dinner in the Oberoi Mena house restaurant (with pyramid view) and which one, or just to go to the pyramids and watch there the show?

You will not be able to see most of the light show from the restaurants at the Mena House and you certainly can't hear the narrative that accompanies it.

If you are only spending one evening in Cairo, you will have to choose between attending the S&L show or spending some quality time enjoying the very ample amenities and fine dining at the Mena House. Many would say that your short time would be best spent in the presence of the Sphinx, even if the show is a bit 'cheesy'. We chose instead to enjoy a fantastic meal in the Moghul Room and wander through the Mena House and its sumptuous gardens in the moonlight.

Different strokes ... we had dinner at Mena House before the Ramses van picked us up for the drive to the Sphinx. Enjoyed both, but in retrospect the kitschy sound and light show stands out as unique and memorable. Mena House Oberoi is a truly grand hotel, but it is finally just another hotel.

Different strokes ... we had dinner at Mena House before the Ramses van picked us up for the drive to the Sphinx. Enjoyed both, but in retrospect the kitschy sound and light show stands out as unique and memorable. Mena House Oberoi is a truly grand hotel, but it is finally just another hotel.

... as you say, Mikewrit, different strokes ...

I respectfully disagree about the Mena House. It is a former palace of the Khedive Ismail and is one of only 8 famed Oberoi hotels; renowned for their beauty and high level of service.

I found it unique in every aspect and it boasts (and lives up to) the high level of service of Oberoi hotels. It is situated on 40 acres of gardens unlike any you will find in Cairo or Giza, filled with ornate reflecting pools, flowering hibiscus trees and alabaster fountains. Even though we were in Egypt to see its treasures of antiquity, we consider our stay at Mena House to be a highlight.

There's no doubt that I would not exchange my only visit to the Pyramids for a stay at Mena House but if you can do both, it is my fervent opinion that it is well worth it.

Not sure how they will do it on a 4 night tour...but on our one day Cairo visit, we visited the museum...did the felucca ride on the Nile, right near the museum, then ate lunch in van on way to pyramids....we really enjoyed the boat ride..nice large, well shaded craft...no motor...just a boatman who looked like he walked out of the old testament!! It broke up the day, gave us a breezy, shady ride and was something different :)

How long is the felucca ride they are including?

We used Ramses last November for an overnight excursion to Cairo from the Alexandria port. We highly recommend both Ramses and the Mena House. Our guide was excellent and the Mena House was excellent, although I did not care for their breakfast buffet. Pesonally, the pyramid view was not worth the upcharge, but I do not regret our choice to book it. We did the Nile diner cruise, which was OK , but the low point of a wonderful trip. We never felt unsafe during our entire trip.

How long is the felucca ride they are including?

Depends on a whole lot of factors including traffic. We had two terrific hours including lunch. Heard from others that they barely got out of the marina.