Egypt Sightseeing by City

Egypt Maps & Destination

Transportation in Egypt

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Private Tours:

We have frequently discussed package tours and independent tours, but there are some other options, some of which are more popular than many might believe. One obvious example is the private, packaged tour. Normally when we refer to a packaged tour, we are referring more to group tours, but even though they tend to be considerably more expensive, private packaged tours are an option for many, and not as expensive as many people might imagine.

Private tours are also usually custom tours, where the tourist specifies what they wish to do. Sometimes, this might be little more than the same tour taken by groups, while at other times tourists who have researched Egypt or been there before will be very specific about what they wish to do and see.

In reality, private tours are much like independent travel, but with a little additional help. One can do most anything, but at the same time, arrangements have been made prior to arrival in Egypt and this allows one on a private tour to see as much as anyone in a packaged group tour, and perhaps even more. At the same time, there is much considerable freedom to do as one wishes.

Cost wise, the real difference between a group tour and a private tour is, of course, the cost of the guide, the cost of setting up the tour and the cost of transportation. These are what make a private tour more expensive, but one alternative is to take along some friends. Its fun to tour Egypt with people one knows, and including a few friends or family will also spread out the cost of a private tour.

Transport Only:

More than a few requests we receive are for people wanting transportation only. This is a good option, because the main problem with completely independent travel in Egypt is getting to the various places one wishes to go. These arrangements can always be made, but in country they take time to arrange and distract from the time allotted to actually touring. However, many of he tour companies will make transfer and transport arrangements only (in advance of arrival). This allows people to visit the ancient sites independently without the worry of getting around.

Of course, hotels can be booked in a similar manner, though most of the larger ones have on-line reservation systems where one may book them directly, as opposed to using a tour operator. Otherwise, many of the smaller hotels, or at least those that are not a part of a chain and do not have significant on-line presence, must be booked by a tour operator.

Of course, private tours can be arranged in the same way. One could set up a private, custom tour to almost any location in Egypt through a travel company, and then head off to a specific location for some independent time after that tour. Also, the possibility also exists to arrange a normal packaged tour and then to combine it with perhaps a custom private tour, or even another, perhaps shorter, packaged group tour. This might typically be done if, for example, one wished to take a very standard classical tour and add to it a visit to the Siwa Oasis in the Western Desert.

In the end, one must remember that there are literally thousands of tour operators in Egypt, and therefore they tend to be both competitive and aggressive. One must be very careful about which companies they deal with, but even the very reputable companies, such as those listed in our ETD are forced to compete by offering a variety of different services and options. Hence, the ways in which one may arrange a tour to Egypt are almost endless, with few boundaries other than one's own imagination.