•2 min read•from travel
10 days in Egypt - chaotic, messy, beautiful
Our take
Embarking on a 10-day adventure in Egypt, we discovered a chaotic yet beautiful tapestry of experiences that defy negativity. While recent travel reports may not have painted the rosiest picture, our journey in February aboard a dahabiya was nothing short of magical. The serene Nile offered breathtaking views, especially near Aswan, and we were captivated by the grandeur of sites like Luxor, Karnak, and Edfu. Don’t let the hustle and bustle deter you—Egypt is a treasure trove of history and flavor waiting to be explored!
| | I’ve noticed there have been quite a few travel reports from Egypt here lately. Some of them weren’t very positive; people didn’t have good experiences. Don’t want to judge or question that; I just want to briefly share our experiences here. We were there in February and took a cruise on a dahabiya instead of a bus. And I wouldn’t have expected it myself beforehand, but we had a wonderful time. The stretch near Aswan is especially breathtaking. I highly recommend the boat trip on the Nile; you mostly have peace and quiet and stunning views of the landscape. I don’t think I need to describe every temple again - almost everything is already well-known. But there really are some beautiful sites that give you a sense of just how immense and magnificent these structures must have been back then. We liked Luxor, Karnak, and Edfu the best. Yes, some vendors really can’t control themselves and can get a bit annoying. But you shouldn’t let that bother you. Yes, it’s crowded and sometimes a little chaotic. But don’t let negative reports deter you from visiting the country. If you’re in the mood for great history or good food, don’t let anything scare you off. Go for it! [link] [comments] |
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- Egypt for the 1st and last time: Trip reportWe have been wanting to see Egypt for quite a while but the stream of negative reviews, and occasional regional conflicts, kept us away. We are independent travelers who avoid organized tours but concluded that it was the best way to travel Egypt. So we booked a high-end, small group fully guided tour that we lucked out on as we were the only participants. A private tour for 2! The Good: We appreciated being guided through arrival and departure at chaotic Cairo airport, driven around in air conditioned vans everywhere without any need to be concerned with how to get anywhere, booking tickets for sights/museums, or being ripped off by restaurants, taxis, etc as everything was included. Last February’s weather was pretty ideal with cool mornings, sunny days and zero sandstorms. The Great: Most of the famous sights are magnificent, notably Abu Simbel, Luxor, the Pyramids and Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum. The 3 day Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor was an infinitely more relaxing and scenic way to get around the country. The Bad: Unreliable domestic flights: our 10pm flight was rescheduled after checking in to 3am. Eating lunch in otherwise empty restaurants during Ramadan. The famous sights were often packed, for example we arrived at Edfu Temple at 4:50am only to join a queue of several hundred tourists. Hotels were not so good. Our “upgraded” room at a Hilton in Cairo must have been built around the time that they started building the Sphinx! The Ugly: Egypt gets well deserved flak for many reasons. Chaotic, honking traffic on dusty roads and driving at dangerously high speed. Animal cruelty. Litter. Questionable hygiene. Filthy toilets that you must pay to use but locals use for free. Cairo airport was always packed and locals cut lines whenever they can get away with it. Both my wife and I got sick for a day or two of fever and diarrhea. We were infuriated by religious intolerance on display at most of the ancient monuments we saw. So many carvings have been defaced by opposing theists. But all of that would have been nothing if we left a week later and got stuck in the Iranian war like so many others did as we had tickets to return home on Qatar Airlines via Doha. We were simply lucky. We are glad we went, especially since we made it home in time, but we certainly won’t be going back. While we met some lovely locals the overall vibes of the country are not positive or welcoming. It’s one and done for us. submitted by /u/BobWM3 [link] [comments]
- Egypt: Reddit’s travel Nemesis - My 8-day experience in February 2026.Were people pushy? Absolutely. Is it as bad as people here make it out to be? Not really. The bakshish is deeply engrained in the local culture, but at the end of the day, we’re talking about literal cents. It happens constantly throughout the day, but it's just cents. If you’re a bit street smart, it’s really not that bad. No, that random guy on the street who somehow happens to be “the chef from your hotel” (even though you’re staying in an Airbnb) doesn’t want to show you his little "magic spice shop" (only open today - how lucky!) out of genuineness. Arrival: It was very smooth. I got the VOA in advance, and at first, I didn't even believe my passport "stamp" was real - it was just a tiny thing scribbled in pencil and lost on a random page. Getting a SIM card was easy, and I might have gotten lucky, but the taxi-driver hassle was surprisingly low-key. Cairo: I stayed downtown in a non-touristy area. Locals were quite friendly overall and Uber worked perfectly (minus the late afternoon traffic). It was really cheap: less than €5 for a 30+ minute ride. Gizah: I booked a “free” walking tour where I ended up being the only one. It was great; the guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and even took some nice portraits. I didn’t encounter any hassle from charlatans on-site, which came a bit as a (good) surprise. The pyramids are definitely impressive and something to behold. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend paying the €30+ fee to go inside the Great Pyramid. I didn’t feel it was worth that price (and if you’re at all claustrophobic, just forget about it). Going inside the other one for less than 1/3 of the price might be good enough. GEM: The Grand Egyptian Museum was really big and exhaustive. Definitely worth it, but try to go early (unlike me) because it gets very crowded, which can cloud the experience. Transport: I took the Blue Bus night bus to Luxor (VIP seats for around €12). It was quite comfortable and we departed/arrived right on time. Luxor: I stayed on the West Bank, which I’d recommend for a more local and peaceful vibe. I booked an Airnbn which turned out to be a 2-bedroom Airbnb with a nice view for only €14/night. There were enough eating options around even though Ramadan had just started. The East Bank is a 30-minute taxi or 10-minute ride+a ferry away, but since most sights are on the West Bank, I feel like it was a great choice. Actually, the East Bank temples were what I liked the least - obivously impressive architecture, but very busy, chaotic, and the constant hassle there can get tiring. On the other hand, I absolutely loved Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum, and the Deir el-Medina tombs (the artisan ones). I actually even prefered those to the Valley of the Kings and Queens. Overall, it was an enjoyable trip. There were some expected annoyances, but I definitely not experienced the Hell that is sometimes brought up here. I’d even gladly return to visit the south or other spots. Pictures 1-3 : Gizah Pyramids 4-10 : Grand Egyptian Museum 11-20 : Luxor submitted by /u/Ozusandesukedo [link] [comments]
- Egypt trip report- loved itI visited Cairo with my family. There were 8 of us all together. We were there for 7 days and we live in the USA and are Americans. I was worried about the Iran conflict affecting our trip but it was fine. The trip was amazing and we all loved it. Had young adults with us and 10yr old girl and 14yr old boy. We visited pyramids twice, rode camels and horses in desert, Nile dinner boat cruise, khan el khalili, mosques, great Egyptian museum, old Cairo museum, street food tour, felluca rides on Nile at sunset, Coptic Cairo, Islamic cairo, Gayer-Anderson museum, and even went to a Christian church on Friday for sabbath observance. A few tips for those going: 1.) Uber is awesome there and cheap. Most rides were $2-4. We had to get two Ubers every time since our group was large. Don’t hire a driver- just uber. Beware of the scam where the drivers want to go off app and have you pay in cash. In those scenarios we just got out of the uber and grabbed another one. 2.) don’t get guides for everything. The guide business is shady in Egypt with overtipping, over paying, and kickbacks galore. Get a few guided trips but just do everything else on your own. It’s a little scary but Egyptians are friendly. All of the vendors at the khan and pyramids are absolute sharks, but just take it patience. Egyptians won’t steal from you but they will hustle you like crazy. We rode camels at the pyramids and I had to haggle with 7 different guys to get the price I wanted and then even after the rides, he wanted more. It was fine and the Egyptian way. We got a guide for the museum and she was worthless, but we did a walking food tour that was amazing and that guide rocked. I almost hired him for the next day to take us to the pyramids but my family said no guide. Glad we didn’t use a guide there. The buses are free and entrance fees are pretty inexpensive- we didn’t understand the history of everything we were seeing but we don’t have the patience for all that 3.) pyramids- beware of the gauntlet and racket that is the pyramid scene. It’s like the mafia. My advice: deep breaths, patience, hold your ground, and observe. If you communicate firmly with the vendors and guides that you don’t want to be bothered (don’t be rude- just say “Shukran”), they will back off. If you appear unsure, they’ll think they have a chance and will be unrelenting. Also, don’t trust any of them. Just be firm and then watch for 5-10minutes. You’ll understand the game, rules of engagement, what’s allowed, etc…. 4.) Egyptians are awesome- so fun and wanting to help you. We were in back alleys in old Cairo and they’re all so friendly. Didn’t feel unsafe at all. We had 5 women/girls in our group (all modestly dressed) and none harassed. It was probably because of the men in our group, but thats fine. 5.) animals- lots of stray dogs and cats. Most of them are cute but you don’t want to pet them due to diseases and you can’t save them. So just enjoy seeing them and move on with your life. The horses and camels at the pyramids are what they are. Many people say they’re abused so you shouldn’t ride them…all I have to say is that many Egyptians live in extreme poverty and these animals have better lives than many of the poorest Egyptians. So I gladly paid to employ Egyptians to let me ride their animals in the desert and it was a great time. We ubered from pyramids to a local stable and rode horses and camels out in the desert. Amazing and unforgettable. 6.) dirty, crowded, crazy- Egypt is not Europe or America. Just roll with it. They are lots of poor people which sucks but you spending money there helps the overall economy. Don’t give out swaths of money or trinkets to the beggars- it just makes them flock to you and doesn’t really help them. Made that mistake on day one and told everyone in our group not to do that anymore. Once we stopped doing that, the swarms of beggars stopped coming. Get a nice hotel so that can be a refuge for you at night after long days in Egypt. submitted by /u/SureBaker4357 [link] [comments]