BootsnAll Travel Community

I apologize in advance, as I know there's a gazillion "1st time in Egypt" and "Help me with my Egypt trip" threads, but...please help me with my Egypt trip, it's my first time there

Alright. After a lot of thought and way too much research (no joke, my eyes are burning from looking at this damn screen!), I booked my flight to Cairo. I will be going Vegas-Cairo-SLC from Nov. 24th-Dec. 10th. I feel that I read so many posts and advice that my brain may have stopped processing it all a while ago. I opted not to go to Dahab because it seems the weather just wouldn't be very conducive to diving or not freezing my ass off on a mountain, which I can do here in SLC. I am afraid a desert safari for one is going to be prohibitively expensive, too...

I don't think the route below will need too much tweaking, but I am open to suggestions from those that have been there before. All in all, I'm nervous and excited and just need to polish it up so I can consider this monster done and I can actually get some work done without distractions before I leave. Please ring in with comments, concerns, or suggestions!

Day 1- Depart Vegas

Day 2- Arrive Amsterdam at 7:35 a.m.; 13 hr. layover. Get Pancakes in Rembrandtplein, go to Anne Frank House, go to Ajax game, go to RLD, go back to airport. Depart 9 pm.

Day 3- Arrive in Cairo at 2 a.m. Sleep in __________ hostel; Walk around somewhere; dinner, shisha somewhere; SLEEP.

Day 4- Sleep in a little, Egyptian museum; walk around Islamic Cairo; Dinner and drinks at _____________.

Day 5- Pyramids at Saqqara; walk around coptic Cairo; Dinner at Abu El Sid; find an ahwah and chill.

Day 6- Pyramids at Giza; walk around Islamic Cairo; night train to Aswan.

Day 7- Hang out in Aswan, check out Philae, unfinished obelisk, etc.

FALUCCA QUESTION: I am traveling solo and need to find a felucca with an open spot. I'd like to do the standard Kom ombo/edfu/luxor (3 days/2 nights) trip, starting on day 9. What's the best way to go about this? Am I going to freeze my ass off since I don't have a sleeping bag?

Day 8- Abu Simbel; check out nubian village?; hopefully find aforementioned felucca

Day 9- Leave Aswan at some point; Felucca trip begins

Day 10- Felucca time

Day 11- Felucca end

Day 12- Luxor

Day 13- Luxor

Day 14- Luxor: morning balloon ride.

Day 15- Luxor OR Alexandria--QUESTION: do I do a fourth day in Luxor or head to Alexandria for a day? Please chime in. Spend night in Cairo.

Day 16- Cairo--shop for souveneirs at Khan Al-Khalili; see anything I want to go back to; sunset felucca; dinner somewhere nice, suggestions?

Day 17- Flight departs at 4 a.m. (what time should I head to airport?)

Ok, I need help with the Luxor part of things for sure, as I'm not sure how to best use my time and there seems to be a bunch to see between Karnak and the Valleys... Suggestions?

Also, I have a tradition of trying to go to a Mexican restaurant in every new country I visit...any Mexican food in Egypt?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Here's a few tidbits, I stayed at the Let Me Inn Hostel and was pretty happy there, though they don't have air conditioning. You can book other parts of your trip through them, which had some benefits, and some negatives.

I did a hot air balloon ride over the Nile and really thought it was very boring and not worth doing, though I know everyone writes that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

3 days in luxor is ample unless you're a real tomb/temple freak. they honestly really look all the same after a couple of days and then there is mucho burnout.

I did NOT do a felucca ride and am VERY GLAD I did not. The conditions are pretty crappy on them. I would do an hour felucca ride somewhere and that's it. I did a very cheap cruise and it was, IMO, much better bang for the buck.

Personally, I would also skip the pyramids at saqqara and dashur, but if you do them, do not try and do them in the same day as Giza, you'll be exhausted. Do Giza first thing in the morning. I did Giza as the third stop, it was mid afternoon, hot as hell, and I was in no shape to truly appreciate them.

Do alexandria rather than a 4th day in Luxor, there really isn't ALL that much to do in Luxor.

You've also got around 2-3 days books in Aswan, but I'd say Aswan is a 1-day kinda place. DO go to the museum on the hill if you can (not the museum on the island). Abu Simbel is VERY worth the trip, but you have to do it early early or the heat is unbearable.

Go to my blog and you can read more details of my trip, also feel free to email me thru the blog.

-Snarky

Thanks for the very helpful tips...still debating the felucca ride, especially because I wear contacts and have no idea how that's gonna go with no place to wash hands. Maybe I'll squeeze in Dahab. Damn, so many things to do, so little time!

Hiya,

I am just going to go through your list and add a few comments where I feel I can be helpful.

Day 1- Depart Vegas

Day 2- Arrive Amsterdam at 7:35 a.m.; 13 hr. layover. Get Pancakes in Rembrandtplein, go to Anne Frank House, go to Ajax game, go to RLD, go back to airport. Depart 9 pm.

Yes, this is possible. Be careful a block or two off of the train station from muggers.

Day 3- Arrive in Cairo at 2 a.m. Sleep in __________ hostel; Walk around somewhere; dinner, shisha somewhere; SLEEP.

What kind of budget are you looking for? Obviously minimal but what is your max? Also, any idea of what area of Cairo you want to be in? You can walk around near where you are staying. There are loads of coffee shops with shisha everywhere.


For sleeping in, you will be either hyped up with adrenaline so you won't suffer the time change much, or you will be totally off kilter. Doing google, it looks like Las Vegas is 10 hours behind Cairo time. Therefore, midnight cairo time will only be 2:00 in the afternoon from what you are used to. I don't know if this is possible for you, but if you can start switching your sleep schedule around a bit a few days before you leave it helps. I am never able to do this though so adrenaline carries me through the first day or so. At least you are making your first day pretty easy.

Day 4- Sleep in a little, Egyptian museum; walk around Islamic Cairo; Dinner and drinks at _____________.

Just eat in Islamic Cairo. Don't eat street food! I guess I can give you the Naquib Mahfouz restaurant. Naquib Mahfouz is an Egyptian who won a noble prize for literature. Good food, way overpriced by Egyptian standards, reasonable by American (dinner maybe 80 Egyptian pounds). It is located in Khan Al Khalili which is part of/adjacent to Islamic Cairo. I don't know if it has drinks as I don't drink alcohol. It probably has something. It is not really a place to meet other travelers if eating dinner but it has a coffee shop/shisha place added on. There are always the coffee shops set outside by the Hussein Mosque at the 'top' of Khan Khalili but I don't really go to them because it is too touristy for me. To really do Islamic Cairo justice, it needs a day (or a month) on it's own. It just depends on your level of interest in architecture, mosques and the like. Definitely check out the Babs (gates to the city) on the edges of Islamic Cairo. Just wander around and get lost, it is SO much fun. To get back out just ask people Husseiny Masjid? And they will point you on your way.


Dinner and drinks -
Day 5- Pyramids at Saqqara; walk around coptic Cairo; Dinner at Abu El Sid; find an ahwah and chill.

Day 6- Pyramids at Giza; walk around Islamic Cairo; night train to Aswan.

I would change these two around and do the Pyramids at Giza first, and the sphinx. Then explore the boat museum beside it, and then that evening return for the sound and light show. There are various shows by language. It is very cool. Sit on the top of the coffee shop roof - there are tables where you can order rather than the floor seating. Please note, double check when the pyramids of Giza open and how many they allow to actually climb into the big one. I always forget this detail but it is online somewhere. I think they only allow a certain number per day to enter the pyramid, although you can climb on the first level outside and wander around. I am not going to even get into how to deal with the touts and the camel ride guys, unless you ask for it specifically.

Then do Saqqara, etc. the next day. Not sure if you can fit in Abu El Sid here before your train or if you should put it off to when you pass back through on your return. Not sure if it is a must for you, have never been there.

Day 7- Hang out in Aswan, check out Philae, unfinished obelisk, etc.

FALUCCA QUESTION: I am traveling solo and need to find a felucca with an open spot. I'd like to do the standard Kom ombo/edfu/luxor (3 days/2 nights) trip, starting on day 9. What's the best way to go about this? Am I going to freeze my ass off since I don't have a sleeping bag?

I am not able to help with this because I haven't done it. Do you mean a felucca sailboat or do you mean one of the Nile river cruise ships (boats)? Luxor is warmer than Cairo but no clue how it will feel on the water. By the way, I recall you saying you are skipping Dahab because you think the water will be cold. I went snorkeling in Hurghada in December and January before without a wetsuit. Water was great!

Day 8- Abu Simbel; check out nubian village?; hopefully find aforementioned felucca

No idea, but I do know that in these areas you don't have to find them, they will find you.

Day 9- Leave Aswan at some point; Felucca trip begins

Day 10- Felucca time

Day 11- Felucca end

Day 12- Luxor

Day 13- Luxor

Day 14- Luxor: morning balloon ride.

I think you are spending too much time in Luxor unless you have a particular interest in pharonic stuff. I would cut it down and spend time either in the Red Sea or Cairo.

Day 15- Luxor OR Alexandria--QUESTION: do I do a fourth day in Luxor or head to Alexandria for a day? Please chime in. Spend night in Cairo.

Err... ALexandria for a day? Alexandria is 2 hours north of Cairo on the other side of Luxor. How would you get to Alexandria so quickly? Fly?

Day 16- Cairo--shop for souveneirs at Khan Al-Khalili; see anything I want to go back to; sunset felucca; dinner somewhere nice, suggestions?

Yes, get your souvenirs on the last day, good thinking. In fact, try not to buy any the first time you are there (when you go to Islamic Cairo) but instead try to get the prices. Learn some Egyptian numbers and listen into the prices they are telling Egyptians buying. Read tips on how to bargain. Don't try to buy a suitcase to hold your souvenirs in in Cairo. I have done that and the last time it ripped before I got on the plane to leave. I suggest taking a big (empty) canvas duffle with a lock and just sticking it in your suitcase while you travel. You can just pull it out for an extra bag then.

Day 17- Flight departs at 4 a.m. (what time should I head to airport?)

Leave for the airport at Midnight. That way if it takes an hour to get there depending on whatever, you have enough leeway time. The lines can be very long to stand in when departing. You have to go through a lot of gates/security. Look on the net before you go to find out which terminal you are leaving from. I couldn't remember so the cab driver had to drive around to find out. Know that there is a fee for the cab driver to enter the airport - I think just a pound or two. It is polite to pay this fee although he will probably be overcharging you so much that it won't matter. Ask around for cab fares or get an Egyptian to negotiate it for you before you leave. Don't ask the touts and shopkeepers. Just ask a (male) on the street unless you happen to be female, then you can ask either female or male.

Ok, I need help with the Luxor part of things for sure, as I'm not sure how to best use my time and there seems to be a bunch to see between Karnak and the Valleys... Suggestions? You can do Karnak and the Valleys in one day. Just get a cheap day tour. I usually go independent but I did and enjoyed it very much. Bargain!

Also, I have a tradition of trying to go to a Mexican restaurant in every new country I visit...any Mexican food in Egypt?

Yes, there is. I forgot the names but do a google, it will come up.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Thanks, Megypt! The fact that you went diving in Dec/January is making me think twice about leaving Dahab out of this trip. May just have to eat the cost on some flights I booked and shuffle my schedule around.

You can do Luxor in one day, but 2 sounds good to me.

At the very least, you will definitely want to see:

Karnak Temple
Luxor Temple
Valley of the Kings

I agree that Aswan is a 1 day kind of place. Abu Simbel was great but it took a lot of time and effort to get there. (I guess the bus I was on just kind of ruined my day. Other people have told me it was their favorite thing they did/saw.)

Personally, I would leave out Aswan & Abu Simbel (just bc of the work it takes to get there), and Alexandria and go to Petra in Jordan - especially if you'll already be in the Sinai. (But I have been pushing Petra to anyone who'll listen!!) Just my opinion.. I'm sure others would disagree.

If you do go to Dahab, there is a flight that goes from Luxor-Sharm (I think once a week?). You may want to check that out as it could save you some time. Weatherunderground says the average high in Sharm in December is 74 F.

Have a great time!

I think I may have just donated Egypt Air about $60 as I keep reconfiguring my plans...hopefully the hotels will let me cut some nights out of my stay. Dahab may be back in the picture and Jordan is inching ever closer to the itinerary.

Did you just do one day in Petra or two?

Yea, I would totally cut down on Luxor and hop over to Dahab or at least Hurghadah which isn't that long of a bus trip from Luxor. I liked Luxor but I was not overly educated in pharonic stuff so the valley of the kings and queens did end up looking all the same. It would be totally different if I had had an idea of what I was looking at.

Hurghada I had a fabulous time snorkeling, and yes, I went in 2 years both during december and january and the water was great without a wetsuit.

What flights did you get that you might have to eat. Post them and maybe we can work up something with them.

I would skip alexandria just because you won't really be close to it unless you just HAVE to see the library or something.

A lot of people have enjoyed Aswan/Abu Simbal but I haven't gone so can't give an opinion. It might be like tickles said, a hassle. Most people I have heard do it for a day.

I personally want to see Siwa Oasis next time I go.

Also, Petra. It isn't hard to get to Petra if one is in the Sinai so that is something to think about.

quote:

Originally posted by Rebel:
Did you just do one day in Petra or two?

Hi Rebel. I spent two full days at Petra and I think it was perfect. The first day I spent taking loads of photos and exploring the grounds. The second day I went much deeper and climbed around and went to the Monastery. They were two very tiring but awesome days!! I loved it.

We took a cab from Dahab to Nuweiba (take the bus if you can - the cab was expensive) and then the ferry from Nuweiba to Aqaba (NOT recommended), then another cab to Petra (2 hours).
(If interested, you can read my travel blog here.)

To avoid the ferry, you could bus/cab from Dahab to Taba, then cross into Israel then Jordan. I did not do this route, so I cannot vouch for whether it's easy or not.

Or, maybe you could also fly to Amman and bus/cab to Petra; only a few hours away.

To be fair, I have heard that people really enjoy a day in Aswan and the cruise (not felucca) between Aswan and Luxor.

I think most people do the Nuweiba route not the Taba. I am not sure but I think there can be long delays at the Taba crossing (but don't quote me on that!). I can try to check for you.

I thought there was just a bus one could get on that goes with the ferry up and then straight to Petra?

quote:

Originally posted by Megypt:

I thought there was just a bus one could get on that goes with the ferry up and then straight to Petra?

Perhaps, I don't know. Our 1-hour ferry trip took EIGHT hours total! So even if there was a bus, it probably gave up and went home.

Also, the ferry is really expensive - The price had gone up to $70 US!

I just got back from a trip including a couple of weeks in Egypt. I would agree with everyone that it is worthwhile to head over to Dahab. It was very chilled out and the snorkeling was wonderful. We did the overnight bus there from Luxor and it was very long. Still, it was quite inexpensive and we were on a very limited budget.

I loved the temple of Philae. We went there is the heat of the day and pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. Abu Simbel was amazing and huge, but also so crowded and it takes something like forever to get there.

We only spent two nights in Luxor. It seemed like plenty. We rented bikes to go to Karnak which was kind of nuts with the traffic, but was also a good way to get around. I loved our hostel in Luxor, the Sherief. It was a very budget backpacker type place, but the people there were so nice and genuinely helpful and it was very inexpensive.

Thanks to all for your help on this trip. It's getting down to crunch time and I'm leaving in 9 days, so I'm excited. It's going to be more expensive than I thought, but oh well...I'm all in at this point. Here is the final version of the itinerary. The only TBD is whether I keep the guide or not in Cairo, cus those admission fees are going to add up.

Day 1-Arrive Cairo at 2:00 a.m.; transfer to King Tut Hostel; sleep in; Coptic Cairo.

Day 2-Giza Pyramids and Egyptian Museum w/guide;

Day 3-Saqqara, Dahshur, Memphis w/guide; Zamalek FC soccer game in Cairo Stadium; climb Khufu or die trying late night.

Day 4-Islamic Cairo solo, afternoon felucca ; flight to Aswan at 10 pm

Day 5-Philae and Elephantine Island; swim in the Nile.

Day 6-Abu Simbel

Day 7-Kom Obmo, Edfu, Esna...get to Luxor late night

Day 8-Luxor East Bank

Day 9-Luxor West Bank

Day 10- Balloon ride and whatever i may have missed; fly to Dahab

Day 11- Scuba lesson?; snorkel

Day 12- scuba, freedive or snorkel...depends on how much money I have left at this point; hit Mt. Sinai late night and freeze my ass off.

Day 13-come back and sleep a bit; snorkel or whatever one more time; head to airport for late night flight.

Day 14-arrive 1 am. sleep a little; hit whatever might need a second viewing; Khan al Khalili for a bunch of souvenirs; felucca for a bit; nice last-dinner in Zamalek somewhere. Hit the airport at midnight...Depart at 4 am

So overnight felucca is out and I ran out of time for Petra. Should I keep my tour guide or can I forgo it for those two days in Egypt? Those entrance fees are going to add for the guide...

Also, is a budget of $20 a day for transport (taxis) and $20 for food too much/too little? I'm down with street food, but will certainly have a decent sit down a handful of times on my trip.

Heya,

You really don't need a guide in Cairo (how much are they asking?). Maybe to Saqara you should have one- haven't been there so don't know. To Giza you don't need a guide but people will try to latch onto you and show you around in exchange for tips (and whatever u give them won't be enough according to them!). In fact, they will follow you around and/or the camel/horse guys will to waiting for you to take their services. Negotiate HARD if you want to take a camel. I forget what the prices should be (sorry!). And do not be SHY about it. This is a way of life for them and they will NOT be offended over it (even if they try to act like it). So if you have a guide for giza it can help keep these guys away. Do some research on appropriate prices before you go because guides make deals with the camel guys for kickbacks.

In the Egyptian museum, also people will latch onto you and take you around and expect a tip. This can be ok if they are knowledgeable and can tell you the stories of various pieces, however you don't really NEED a guide. Try to think in Egyptian Pounds as equivalent to dollars. Do NOT think of it as 'only 5 dollars etc. Would you tip someone 20.00 dollars for a service? If not, then don't do that in pounds. That is how to save money in Egypt.

Your itenary:

You forgot the sound and light show at Giza for day 2.

Do you have tickets for this game?

I do not advise trying to climb Khufu in the desert at night. It is dangerous to go there first off ... people have been known to be robbed. Secondly, there are army guards there and you can bribe them (or the guide can) but your guide might also take you and rob you. Thirdly, I do not think the army guys will let people climb the pyramid even with the bribe. Fourthly - you realize that the blocks of the pyramids are individually taller than a human? In pictures it is hard to tell but they are like 10 feet tall or something so it is doubtful you can climb it anyway. Lastly, err...it is an ancient wonder of the world and climbing above can cause more damage and erosion. I went on a night horse trip in the desert at the pyramids and it was beautiful. However, I was with Egyptians who knew the horse guys and also was a big shot so it ensured safety. I really don't advise trying this ok? It will be enough to go inside the great pyramid during the day. Read my lips - the desert is dangerous unless you are with people YOU know and not just some random 'guide' ok? If you want a night horse trip, arrange it with your hotel and not a random guide from the street.

Ok, you are joking about swimming in the nile right? You do realize that bug is there and it is strongly advised to NOT swim in the nile? Ok, I am starting to think you don't have a lick of common sense lol. Read this Article please

You can do luxor east and west bank in one day I think (double check with the others).

You are still putting too much time for Luxor I think but if you have a flight it is ok.

Personally, if you can't make petra, I would have shaved off a day in Luxor and tacked it on in Cairo at the end. That is just personal preference though.

You will only need about 10.00s a day for food max if you don't have too go to fancy restaurants all the time. DONT eat street food - settle for Egyptian or American fast food if you need to. Do you want to get a case of king tut's revenge and spend your vacation touring the restrooms? Don't drink the water, don't eat raw veggies. I am not sure we are allowed to do this but check my tips on egypt travel on virtual tourist (name TheWanderingCamel). I need to add a bunch of stuff but there are some helpful tips I think that I don't feel like rewriting here. If we are not allowed to say that, then hopefully bootsnall will forgive me.

If you have a student ISIC card then the fees are often cut in half for entrances. If you have an old student id, take it with you and you can buy an ISIC card pretty easily in egypt (if you are not able to get it here in the usa). Also, it might work for trains but I recall someone saying that they no longer discount those for the card.

Hi!

I'm glad I ran across this thread I'll be in Egypt for 10 days between March 15-25 I've been reading around about details, but I'd be happy to hear your inputs on this sort of itinerary:

March
15 - (I get in at 11am from a loooong flight) wander around Cairo; light/sound shows?
16 - Cairo: Giza + Sphinx + Egyptian Museum
17 - Cairo: Saqqara + Islamic Cairo + Citadel (mainly for the whirling dervish show)
18 - Luxor
19 - Luxor
20 - Abu Simbel
21 - Dahab
22 - Dahab
23 - Dahab/Sinai
24 - Cairo/Alexandria
25 - Cairo: Khan al Khalili (for shopping) + Mathaf Al-Masri
Flight leaves at 7pm

I'm spending time in Dahab for diving, but I was hoping to spend an overnight trip in Sinai for a desert/camel experience. But I can cut down on Cairo if need be for that, unless I do the desert/camel experience in Cairo. Also, I was hoping to have a felucca ride. Either just a sunset ride in Cairo, or if I can do it enroute Luxor/Aswan/Abu Simbel, I'm not really sure.

Would appreciate information on the bus rides between cities, too! Hoping to hear from you guys! Thanks in advance!


Leslie

Yikes! You might want to read up on transport options. They're surprisingly limited in Egypt. Or rather, the times independent travelers are allowed to travel are limited.

You don't spend enough time in Luxor, especially given travel times. Luxor to Abu Simbel to Dahab in two days doesn't sound possible. Flights to Abu Simbel are hard to get unless you are part of a package, and tours from Luxor overnight in Aswan then return to Luxor after a long second day. Sinai to Cairo is a full day trip.

With that, my biased opinions:
- Three days in Cairo is fine. It is one of the few cities anywhere that I simply disliked, and I usually love loud messy cities. I really liked spending a day in Coptic Cairo, otherwise you're plans look good.
- Spend more time in Luxor!!! 2 1/2 days minimum. The West Bank Villages make a wonderful base, as you can walk to almost all the sites. Explore in the morning, return to the hotel for lunch, explore in the afternoon. Spend a day in Luxor itself. Make sure you visit Medinet Habu, which was by far my favorite temple in Egypt - and the one most buses skip.
- Make sure you arrange for your hotel in Dahab to pick you up at the airport. Otherwise you will be screwed. Do not count on public transportation.
- Air Egypt is reliable, so you can fly Sharm to Cairo and out on the last day.
- The Sinai was beautiful. Most groups go for the sunrise on Mt. Musa. Try it in the other direction: we did the sunset, and missed out on the tourist hordes that others have described.
- Shopping in Dahab is a thousand times more relaxed than shopping in the Khan el Khalili. I'm not sure how prices compare, but .. to me it would be worth it to pay extra just to avoid the hassle of Khalili.
- Theoretically you can go Cairo to Alexandria, fly to Abu, then fly to Luxor. It's just tricky getting tickets on Air Egypt to Abu Simbel, as tour groups buy them in bulk. I would have done this if I could have managed it.

Eya, Michael!

Thanks for your reply! Yup, been reading up on the transport options, but I was hoping on getting current first-hand info as well.

So is it okay to skip Abu Simbel for more time in Luxor? Originally I wasn't even gonna hit Luxor, but then I thought about Abu Simbel and a colleague said not hitting Luxor would be a crime. :S Then again, Abu Simbel is something else.

I'm more an experience-and-photograph sort of traveller. Not that big on museums, so I can always skip them for more time elsewhere. I can also pass on Alexandria. The Red Sea is a non-negotiable as I'm really looking forward to diving.


Keep 'em tips coming, guys!

Hints:

1. when you get to Cairo, see about a good restaurant or any restaurant. The street food tends to be sketchy looking Falafel, or fried something or other. I had it once, always try things once. That was it. After that, in cairo, I ate at the B and W rootbeer hamburger place, plus, I do like root beer. From now on I will always associate root beer with Cairo.

Perhaps I should have splurged and had a good egyptian meal. Next time.

2. Take a taxi from your hotel to the national museum. Walking there cam be a Pharaonic pain unless your hotel is really close. The traffic on many streets can give you a pollution headache, if they don't run you over.

3. Be very careful about any tours of Giza. I paid for one, it was cheap, it included a camel ride. but they never issued us tickets to th actual pyramids. Never fear we saw enough of them anyways. Just get up early, take a cab to the pyramids, buy your tickets and GO.

Camel rideds are ovverrated. They're camels, and they're very uncomfortable. There is a reason that rich arabs always used horses and the camels served as pack animals. But, you can get them there, or in Aswan, I suppose.

4. You can rent a bike and see all the temples on the west bank. Be sure to return the bike to the place you got it from. I suspsect if you give it to the boy running besides you saying "Over here, over here", you'd be paying over your deposit for new bike. I never fell to the temptation, I brought it back to the hotel that rented it to me.

5. YOu need a tour of the Valley of the Kings and other side of the bank. The tombs are far apart and I can¡t see walking or biking in the baking sun to see them all. Then you have the problem of tickets, which apparently are limited unless your tour group has them.

6. Good luck on Aswan. I wanted to go there but never did. I actually wouldn't mind a 3 day desert tour, even it it was on a camel moving slowly. Next time I'll do that. I sat on a camel and gazed across the great sandy sea of the Sahara, looking vainly for signs of Libya, which was somewhere on the other side. That was enough for the moment.

Feluccas´didn't have enough time. I woujld have made more time IF I'd known I could have had a 4 week layover in egypt instead of two.