Egypt Safety on Excursions

[denby]

We will be docked in Alexandria on October 6th and 7th. Because of the political unrest, we have booked a ships excursion to the pyramids. However, we prefer private tours and are having second thoughts about our choice. Has anyone used private excursions recently in Egypt? How did you feel about your security?

[Fisherwoman]

We were in Egypt two years ago and used Ramses Tours. They were AWESOME. We had a group of 10 and they gave us a bus for 20. It was air conditioned, comfortable and our tour guide Rania was awesome. At no time did we have fear. We changed the tour to meet our needs. Rania was so accomodating and the driver was great. They put us in a hotel in Cairo that overlooked the pyramids! I wouldn't hesitate to use this tour company. BTW, I found them from others who used them on Cruise Critic.

[Tiffany's mom]

We have visited Cario last year on a over night tour. We took the same cruise this year (Pacific Princess). We did not go to Cairo this year but we had a stop in Alexandria and did a full day there.

 

We used Alex City Tours. Our guide was the owner Hany. Last year for the Cairo tour there was only 4 of us. We had a driver, Guide- Hany and a security guard. We felt totally safe. There was some unrest in Alexandria the day we returned there but Hany was on his phone tracking what was happening and kept us away from any problems. He will custom the tour for you. He is very educated in Egypt history and the best guide we have had. He will go out of his way to give you the best experience in Egypt.

 

You read his reviews on Travel advisor. We would use him again if we ever go to Egypt again.

 

Pam

[Xport]

We used Alex City Tours. Our guide was the owner Hany.

 

In early October 2009' date=' I did an overnight tour to Cairo [a Celebrity offering'] when Equinox ported at Alexandria... And I was one of the privileged few assigned to the tour group--there were nine buses; each with about 25 guests--guided by Hany... At the time he had not, to the best of my knowledge, founded Alex City Tours... But having looked at Trip Advisor and his website, I know--as I suspected upon reading your post--that we're talking about the same guy...

 

I'll always remember him--for all the right reasons--and have often thought of him since... He is exceptional--an encyclopedia of Egyptian history, antiquity, and culture--with extraordinary insight into his country [past and present] and a very unique ability to make it all come alive in a very memorable/entertaining way... If I recall correctly, he was hand-picked to conduct tours for those members of the White House and Air Force One staffs who accompanied President Obama to Egypt when he spoke at Cairo University in early 2009... He's that good!

 

Like you, I think he's the best guide I've encountered anywhere... And like you, I'd eagerly choose to experience Egypt through his eyes again...

 

Many thanks for helping me to reconnect with him... I am thrilled to know that he is thriving and the he has gotten to fulfill his dream of starting his own business... He richly deserves success!

[pamstravel]

My husband, parents and I docked in Alexandria not too long after 9-11. We were of course apprehensive but determined to visit Cairo. I felt that we would be much safer on a private tour in an unmarked vehicle (just the four of us) than on a large tour bus. I did much research and found Emad Hadeda mentioned and recommended over and over, especially on trip advisor. Emad and a driver met our ship in Alexandria, drove us to Cairo in a relatively new Mercedes van , planned our tour (with our input), took us to the Grand Hyatt to over night, picked us up early the next morning for more touring and then delivered us safely back to our ship. Emad knew the personnel at the museum and top tourist sites. He even got us in the museum before it opened for a private tour. He is a wonderful person and we have continued to communicate with him all these many years. We felt so very safe with him, he is a large, imposing man who exudes confidence. He loves his country and its history and is a wonderful, knowledgeable guide. If you have any questions I would be happy to try to answer them for you. Emad's email address is emadhadeda@hotmail.com.

[pamstravel]

As a follow up: out of curiousity, I just went to trip advisor and did a search for" Emad Hadeda Cairo tour guide". There are a number of posts as recently as July 2012 with glowing reviews of Emad.

[Bugeye]

We will be docked in Alexandria on October 6th and 7th. Because of the political unrest, we have booked a ships excursion to the pyramids. However, we prefer private tours and are having second thoughts about our choice. Has anyone used private excursions recently in Egypt? How did you feel about your security?

 

We did an overnight Celebrity tour and flew on a chartered 737 to Luxor. In addition to our wonderful guide, we had a bodyguard equipped with what looked like a machine gun.

Felt safe until the drive back to ship from Cairo. There are no traffic r emulations in Egypt and cars with people hanging out of the doors and on the roofs were traveling over 80 miles an hour. Cars were also without lights and broken down on the major highway.

 

I certainly felt more safe in a larger vehicle with the bodyguard and that was before the revolution and kidnappings. Definitely check the State Department and CIA sites before you

Book anything. It's serious business in Egypt and precautions are necessary.

 

Kare and Jim