Alexandria/Cairo Day Tour Advice

[Snackdaddy]

Greetings,

We are thinking about booking Royal Caribbean’s Medieval Cairo tour for $159.00pp. We have never been to Egypt and wanted to ask those of you who have what you think about this tour for first-timers. We will be on the Brilliance of the Seas and will be docked in Alexandria from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Thanks in advance.

Medieval Cairo

Step back in time and experience the ambience of Cairo from six centuries ago. Your first stop will be at the exotic and colourful Khan El Khalili Bazaar. A shopper's paradise and a photographer's dream come true where bargaining is an art and expected when you are negotiating a purchase. Gold, silver and gems, bronze and copper, the smell of exotic spices, leather goods, the aroma of brewed coffee sifting through elaborately carved wooden doors and coffee shops, the captivating sound of music and a plethora of an unbelievable display of merchandise together with a multitude of colourfully dressed crowds bring to life scenes from "A Thousand and one Arabian nights." Continue to the Gayer Anderson Museum, two houses built in the 16th and 17th centuries reflecting the early Ottoman style of architecture. Fully restored and refurnished by Gayer Anderson, a British army officer who made his home in Egypt, the museum includes his mementos as well. Your next stop will be at Ibn Touloun mosque. Completed in 878AD by the founder of the Toulounid dynasty Al Amir Ahmed Ibn Touloun, it is one of the largest mosques built in Islamic Cairo. Its open central courtyard measures 92x91 meters and is surrounded by an open corridor. The mosque is known for its rich collection of gypsum ornaments and engravings. The outside staircase of its minaret winding its way from the ground to the top of the minaret makes it unique in Egypt. At the banks of the Nile, transfer to a traditional sailing vessel, the felucca, for a unique experience. Gliding gently on the longest river in the world admire Cairo's landmarks while a buffet lunch is served. After lunch, drive to the Plateau of Giza where the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, The Great Pyramids of Giza is found. A panoramic view from the Western Plateau will give you an opportunity for photographs before your coach stops at the base of Chephren's Pyramid and time will be allocated to explore the site on your own. Continue down the valley to visit the Sphinx, guardian of this mortuary complex then visit a Papyrus Institute where a demonstration will introduce you to the art of paper making from reeds, first discovered by the Ancient Egyptians. There will be some free time for souvenir shopping in the adjacent gift shop before the approximate 2.5-hour return drive to Alexandria.

Note: Guests must be able to walk a total of approximately 2 miles (roughly 3.5 hours) over uneven, gravel, cobblestone and sandy surfaces at the pyramids and sphinx with flat asphalt road and narrow cobblestone alleyways in medieval Cairo. There are approximately 20 marble steps required to climb down in order to reach sailing vessel where lunch is served. Comfortable walking shoes, hat and sunscreen are recommended. Conservative attire (no tank tops or shorts) that covers both the shoulders and knees is suggested for this tour. Due to the nature of this tour, it is not recommended for guests with walkers or wheelchairs. There are no fees for camera and video. All regulations are subject to change without prior notice. Time permitting; guests will have approximately 45 minutes of shopping and browsing throughout the tour. The drive to/from Cairo is approximately 2.5 hours each way, dependent upon traffic and local conditions. Coaches are required to travel in a police-escorted convoy and sometimes will be subjected to certain security requirements and possible delays. Tour order may vary between groups but all mentioned sites will be covered.

[cruisemom42]

This sounds like a very well thought-out tour. Khan el-Khalili bazaar is wonderfully atmospheric. And Ibn Tulun mosque is one of my favorites -- much nicer than the Mohamed Ali alabaster mosque that is usually offered on ship excursions. And the felucca sail is (again IMHO) better than a Nile cruiser.

 

The one thing that I might quibble with for a first-time visit is seeing the Gayer Anderson museum rather than the Egyptian Museum. I suppose it depends on where your interests lie. If you are truly more interested in the Ottoman/Medieval era of Cairo the G-A museum is a beautiful place. But if you have any interest in ancient Egypt, it's a shame not to see the Egyptian museum. You do get to see the pyramids and Sphinx, of course. What you'll miss are all the treasures of Tutankhamun (and all the thousands of other statues, coffins, jewelry, papyrus, etc)

[NCCruzQueen]

I agree, CM42, missing the Egyptian Museum would be awful. In Oct., I am going on a cruise with one port being Alexandria. We are opting for an overnight in Cairo so we will get an evening opening of the EM. Also, the next morning we get to Giza early, hopefully before the big crowds. The all day excursion offered from the ship (Regent Seven Seas Navigator) goes to the Solar Museum, not the EM.

 

Sometimes, you have to take what the ship is offering, unless you want to get a private guide.

[MercedMike]

There are sooooooo many things to do in Egypt, and so little time on a shore excursion.

 

It is about three hours from Alexadria to Cairo, so your time is very limited. You have to pick and choose from among all the possible offerings. Most folks will make the pyramids at Giza Number One on their list. Basically there is really only time for one or two other major attractions.

 

Reading between the lines on your particular tour (we are pretty good at that after 34 cruises ...) you are going to have very limited time at the pyramids, not much more than a photo op, in order to make room for the other things.

 

Medieval Cairo is very interesting. The mosques are spectacular. Khan el Khallili is an amazing place. I am not sure they would be my first choices, but maybe for you they are. You simply need to check over all the available things to see, and pick out the top two or three that you will be able to do.

 

You can check out our 2 day private shore excursion at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/holyland2.html

 

And highlights of our land tour of Egypt covering several of the things you are considering at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egypt3.html

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egypt4.html

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egypt9.html

 

Good luck on making difficult choices!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[micked10@earthlink.net]

Thanks Merced Mike for the excellent presentation of your tour with Globus. We are just in the planning stages of a trip to Egypt and your commentary and pictures were very helpful! It will certainely help us with our planning!

micked10

[JordanF]

Since you only have one day, the tour you are considering sounds pretty good. You get the pyramids, the sphinx and the bazaar, which from my time there are the top three. Since you can't do everything in one day, the other places sound like pretty good choices. (I checked the options on the RCCL website--your tour is the only one that stops at the bazaar, and it is definately the one I would choose). Have a great time!

[JordanF]

Also... Another poster recommended private tours. I'm sure they are great tours, but you have a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time, and if it were me, I would end up worrying about getting back to the ship on time. As a result, I would stick to the ship's tour--they always wait for you.

[MercedMike]

Also... Another poster recommended private tours. I'm sure they are great tours, but you have a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time, and if it were me, I would end up worrying about getting back to the ship on time. As a result, I would stick to the ship's tour--they always wait for you.

 

This is always a question. It is a very valid consideration.

 

However, many many people on this board have taken private tours in Egypt with no problems. The local guides are VERY aware of the need to be back at the ship at the appropriate time. Our guide and driver from Egyptian Express http://www.egyptianexpress.com/home.html did a great job and got us to the ship in plenty of time to be comfortable.

 

You have to weigh the benefits of a private tour at your own pace against the security of the ship's excursions. Different strokes for different folks.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Snackdaddy]

Thank you all for your very informative comments. We'll let you know what we decide a little closer to our sailing date.

 

Be well.