Memorable trip with such amazing service

Gat Tours arranged an exceptionally tour for us throughout Egypt.

We spent 4 day in Cairo, flew to Luxor, where we toured the East and West banks. We even went into the tomb of Queen Nefertiti, which has been closed to the public since 2003, although special arrangements have been made in the past, through Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, for a nominal fee of LE 25,000.

Thanks to Mr. Omar, we were able to secure our spot, have the tomb opened and we paid $100 US Dollars.

We then cruised the waters of the river Nile from Luxor to Aswan via the Sonesta St. George. We enjoyed all the temples that were included with the cruise, along with a few others that were added to our itinerary, of course Abu Simbel being one of them. Last, we enjoyed an over day trip to Alexandria.

Right from the start, Gat tours had our best interest in mind. Mr. Omar met us at Cairo International, himself and helped us through customs.

The guides he paired us with were phenomenal. Sayed was our Egyptologist in Cairo and Alexandria, while Hassan was our guide from Luxor to Aswan. We had the same guides and drivers so we came to know them as family over the twelve days we spent in Egypt. I would highly recommend Gat Tours. Mr. Omar made my childhood dream of traveling to Egypt come true.

Now for the nitty gritty:

1) Expect very long days, lots of walking, unless you’re only doing a cruise. Last be ready to listen. There is over 5000 years worth of history in Egypt. You will learn all about it over the course of your trip. Your mind must be ready to absorb it all within days. Having knowledge of what you are about to see only allows for you to enjoy the experience even better.

2) Expect early morning wake-ups. In order to see everything Egypt has to offer, you must wake early. Cairo is very busy with loads of people. Traffic is horrible. Therefore, in order to get where you need to be, you must arise very early. Most of our days started anywhere from 4AM-6AM.

Note: It’s still pretty hot in Oct-Nov so drink plenty water. LOL!

3) Private Tour! Did I say private? From Cairo, Aswan to Alexandria, our tour was completely private. Even when you book a cruise, the cruise offers guides as you will dock and tour temples along the way. This is pretty typical of most cruises. Sometimes, I saw groups of 10 to 20 people with one Egyptologist. However, our tour was completely private which made our experience more personable.

4) Beware, Egypt has a census of 92 Million people. Many of the locals are poor. You will see many people begging or trying to sale you items. Therefore, just know that you will be asked to buy something wherever you go. Tipping is the way of life in Egypt. Just to be advised. The people aren’t too pushy. Just say no thank you or La Shukrun and the people will let you be. The guides never leave your side. They are with you 100 of the way. They are very helpful and want to assist you in every way. From suggestions on where to eat to suggestions on where to purchase a cartouche. They are there to assist you every step of the way.

Furthermore, they ensure that the beggars don’t badger you, which can be overwhelming for some. Overall, Egypt is extremely safe, unlike what’s portrayed in the news. The people are so nice and friendly. I cannot wait to return.

5) We booked 5 star hotel accommodations which lived up to every star of my American standard. One small issue which has nothing to do with Gat tours. There is a lot of smoking in Egypt. Smoking seems to be allowed everywhere. I never encountered such smoking is all of my life. Just note, smoking is also allowed at many of the hotel facilities. DO NOTE, ALL of our rooms were clean and smoke free. We loved all of our accommodations. FANCY SMANCY!

Thank you to Mr. Ahmed Omar & GAT Tours for organizing such a memorable trip with SUCH AMAZING SERVICE. We look forward to seeing you next year!

I have included pictures of our memorable journey!