Egypt: Alexandria to Aswan

This was our thirteenth Exodus trip and this Egyptian odyssey certainly didn’t fall short of the high standards that keep bringing us back to Exodus as a travel company. Alexandria to Aswan is jam packed with breathtaking sights, extraordinary monuments and mind-boggling history, as well as moments of serenity and beauty, especially when drifting along the Nile either on the cruise ship or on a Felucca. My one reservation is that because so much is packed into what is effectively just twelve days it does feel a little rushed at times. It would have been good to spend perhaps an extra night in Alexandria and also Aswan. For me the the best Exodus trips do have a bit of time to breathe. Yes, it would make it a bit more expensive but this really ought to be a full two weeks. However, this shouldn’t put anyone off. It’s full of thrilling awe inspiring moments but you will need a good deal of energy to enjoy it all. Although thankfully there’s nowhere near as much driving as in some Exodus trips.

Excellent, well conducted trip

This was overall very good, with so many wonderful historic sites to explore and gaze in awe at the immense pyramids/temples and intricately decorated tombs. For me, the Cairo part of the trip should be redesigned, and the number of optional trips greatly reduced (there are too many half/not full -even if described as such- days, with optional extras) with more incorporated into the trip.

A great introduction to Egypt, with a fantastic guide who really brought it to life. Always on the move, and two or three really early morning starts. Perhaps a day to long in Cairo and the food tour in Cairo was a bit disorganised/rushed. Stops on the way to Alexandria were underwhelming.

Alexandria to Abuu Simbel.: Egypt from top to bottom! This trip packed so much into 11 days, yet it never felt rushed. The archaeological sites are awe-inspiring, in terms of their size, antiquity and elaborate carvings and wall paintings. No amount of looking at photos will prepare you for what you see in person.

A very well planned and operated trip, one of the best I've been on with Exodus. We were a capacity group of 20 and were provided with a superb 40 plus seater luxury coach throughout which greatly enhanced the long often slow travel journeys, particularly in Cairo where our elevated viewing position above the traffic mayhem was a delight. The hotels used and the cruise ship were all of a very high standard throughout the tour. I found the staff welcoming and helpful, particularly on our cruise ship MS Style. The cuisine on the cruise ship was exceptional, and breakfast buffets in the hotels were all very good. My one criticism is that where packed breakfasts were provided these were singularly unimaginative, being heavily bread based, with excessive non recyclable plastic packaging. The Hotel Metropole in Alexandria is an Art Nuveaux time capsule and a real experience to stay in. The Luxor Iberotel Hotel is superbly sited with beautiful gardens and a swimming pool overlooking the Nile; great for winding down at the end of your holiday.

Unfortunately, I became quite ill on the fifth day of the trip requiring thAT I return to the United States. That portion of the trip in which I was able to participate was very good. The Exodus trip leader, Andrew, was excellent.

Amazing.

We had a most excellent guide in Andrew who was very knowledgeable and experienced. This trip offers many of the highlights along the Nile.

The trip is really interesting and we definitely learnt a great deal about Egypt's history. Starting in Cairo my disappoint came from the choice of hotel. We stayed right on the outskirts opposite the new museum (not open yet) with a great view of a Pyramid opposite. The hotel was of an acceptable standard, but overall, the lowest of our trip, but so far from the city it was difficult to venture out for sightseeing or dinner. The group all agreed that our trip to the museum was too short and as we arrived back at our hotel quite early, we could have stayed longer as there is so much to see. We travelled to Alexandria from Cairo via El Alamein and visited the war museum which is not particularly good. The old colonial hotel in Alexandria is a great spot with a superb rooftop terrace & restaurant. The local fish restaurant was poor quality although it had a great view, so a different venue would have been better. The following morning, we visited the castle which was good, but then on the road again to Cairo for our sleeper train. The round trip took over 9 hours by bus for a one-night stay and although I wanted to visit Alexandria 2 nights would have made the round trip more worthwhile. The sleeper train to Aswan went without hitch and better than I expected for a developing country. Aswan was great and the activities were good with one small issue in that we had a really great meal on our Felucca trip and in the evening a Barbeque on a Nile Island which was much too soon after. The cruise to Luxor was very good quality and my only comment would be lack of language training of the waiters which I think may be due to Covid disruption, although our guide ate with us and was always there to help. The temples were incredible and certainly lived up to or were better than their reputation. The engineering fete of moving 22 ancient monuments is almost as incredible as the original build and Abu Simbel really shows this. A word to would be travellers, this trip is full on and with many early starts to beat the crowds or comply with the Tourist polices schedules. The tourist police are very apparent throughout the trip and in fact on our trip to Alexandria with had an armed guard on the bus who was I have to say was pleasant guy. All in All, the trip was well organised and ran smoothly.