Full-Day Private Tour of the Abydos and Dendera Temples

Beautiful temples

The Temples in Abydos and Dendera were beautiful. Definitely worth seeing. Tour was well organized. We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel by our guide Sam. Sam gave us a very detail explanation of the temples. Bring food for the ride as there is no lunch pre-arranged for the tour. We were aware of this before starting the tour and it is listed in the details of the tour.

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GREAT tour guide, poor service overall

I feel a bit torn about writing this review as I found that our tour guide for this trip was extremely knowledgeable and kind. He also really took the time to make the tour appropriate for our level of understanding (at the time of this tour we had already seen a number of temples), and began pointing out minute details that we hadn't heard on previous tours. He was one of our favorites from the trip, and I would recommend this tour for him alone (well, and for the temples, which were amazing--especially Dendera). Now, for us, this was not a private tour. When the tour company informed me of this I was already pretty stuck because I had planned out the whole rest of the trip and I was really looking forward to the Abydos and Dendera Temples. However, I found this customer service experience to be a little abrasive, not because it really mattered for our temple experiences, but because I feel like the title clearly stated that this was a private tour. I feel like it would have been easy to just advertise it for what it was and I wouldn't have minded. Another thing that bothered me was that we we were only allotted 1 water bottle per person (for an 8+ hour day)? There was no break for lunch until nearly the very end of the day, and even this was just a rushed stop at a convenience store around 4pm (though, we were provided with 2 small bags of Doritos). Lastly, I found the tour manager of Imperial Egypt (not the tour guide) to be pretty rude, though I only communicated with him via What's App and never in person. For starters, if your hotel is located on the West Bank, then you must take a water taxi or a ferry to get to the East Bank. This isn't as much of a pain as it sounds, and we found it extremely easy to do. However, the tour manager told us to meet a what ended up being a pretty vague location ("the ferry"). When we arrived well over an hour early, we were harassed by vendors until we decided to grab breakfast at a nearby hotel for shelter. When I texted the tour manager about the change he did not understand and appeared to get frustrated with us for not being in the previously specified location (even though we were 2 mins down the street). A big deal was made out of us holding up the other couple on the trip (even though, again, this was originally billed as private tour).

Response from the operator: Thank you Emilie for your review First it is mention that the tour is group tour not private and we informed you that the tour is with other two person total you was 4 on 14 seats van Your Hotel was in the west bank of Luxor not in the East which is so fare away from the city that is why we request from you to use the local ferry not Motor boat or Taxi boat and you decide to take motor boat not the local ferry . The Motor boat takes you to away long from the ferry station when we was waiting you there . When we contacted you you told can we pick you up from the other side and we don`t know where you are exactly . Then you text us that you are on the way and we thought you are on the local ferry as we agreed. Then you contact us asking where our guide and our guide was waiting the local ferry . finally our guide took taxi and found you beside Luxor temple . You did not follow our instructions Emilie

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My wife and I really enjoyed the...

<p>My wife and I really enjoyed the tour and temples were fascinating. Although the drive to the temples were about 3 hours, it was worth the time to see the small towns and villages along the way. We stopped at a forced vendor stop outside of the Abydos temple, I say forced because we were not told and had to wait for about 1/2 hour before we can leave and while waiting being bombarded by the shop keeper and any other vendor that walked up. Maybe it was overdone because of the low tourism, but it was a headache. Lastly although we never felt unsafe, but when leaving the temples, we were escorted to a certain point by the Egyptian police. Not sure why and never got a clear answer. As a side note and this applies to anything you do: take plenty of money for tipping, does not have to be a lot, but tips definitely help the people who work in tourism.</p>

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We have been perfectly satisfied...

<p>We have been perfectly satisfied with the guide proposed by the agency. Hussein a very discreet, perfectly French-speaking young man, very qualified Egyptologist, and very reassuring young man. <br/> It was important for us to have somebody qualified and especially who is capable of respecting our rhythm and the need for silence and for meditation which allows to penetrate into the historic sites of Egypt. Ex-archéologue and real lover of places, we never had to explain nothing to him, everything was very naturally made from a warm and very respectful listening from him.</p> <p>A detail which says a lot about his kindness towards us, many times he took care directly of the street hawkers, ruling out them of us, selecting those who were worth it, negotiating the prices of really interesting articles, never for more than 100 5 directly from his money .... I returned with a CD of 3000 photos bought 2 by himself!!!<br/> I know that it is commonplace to make the special offer of his guide, but frankly Hussein is a pearl!<br/> About the agency, Imperial Egypt, the quality is there it is certain .... Go to Abydos when we have never put the feet in Egypt is an adventure, and Imperial Egypt does not laugh at you. Impeccable vehicle, all the route is reassured with the police, we felt at ease always very, in any event.<br/> Small criticism, I think that the price is exaggerated. Approximately 50 more expensive than if you looked on the spot by yourself what I did not want to make, especially to go to Abydos who is at 3 hours driving from Luxor!. What really saddens me is not the spent money, but the fact that the guide will not affect half of the wanted price list. If Impérial Egypt had been cheaper, I shall have continued with them for the Valley of the Kings instead of negotiating with the taxis of the hotel.</p> <p>This said I repeat, the quality is, in any point of view there, and it is more important for me than 100 of savings</p>

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