Hi - Has anyone on the boards taken a tour of Cairo using United Vacations?

We always try to fly United/Star Alliance and I was looking into the tour that they offer.

Thanks in advance!

I can't recall anyone using a package offered by a particular airline or their partners.

What does the tour consist of? # of days where, hotels, sightseeing. Visiting Cairo only, or Luxor or Aswan or Abu Simbel? A Nile cruise? Is it private for you only? Who is the ground operator in Egypt? Cost?

Would help in our commenting.

Hi Sandi -

Thanks for the reply. Here's what is listed in the brochure.

United Airlines/Cairo Sampler
-Day 1: Fly Usa to Cairo (via europe)
-Day 2: Arrive Cairo
accomodation choices:
2) Swiss Inn Gold Pyramids
3) Mena House Oberoi

-Day 3 Pyramids and Sphinx Tour
-Day 4 Old Cairo, Churches and Bazaars tour
-Day 5-6 At Leisure, Cairo
-Day 7 Fly to Cairo to USA

That is the tour.

I have looked online and couldn't find any reviews on this trip.

I also am at a loss for which hotel to choose. I have to figure out what is more accessible to the city.

Thanks in advance!

This is new to me too. Since United doesn't fly into Cairo - I guess you would be on a partner airline (Austrian, Lufthansa??).

As for the hotels, the Mena House is by the pyramids and - by the sound of it - so is the Swiss Inn. So neither one are "in" the city. You would be a good 15 minute (or more) cab ride into the city, depending on traffic.

And I'm not sure what you would do on days 5 and 6. I mean - there is stuff to do - but you would have hit all the major sites already. And it seems like you would be on your own to arrange other activities/tours.

Also - seems a shame to go all that way and not see Luxor.

It's not that you couldn't find things to do/see in/around Cairo for Days 5 & 6, but I too would suggest you get down to Luxor. The Valley of Kings/Queens and temples at Luxor and Karnak are a must-see.

I agree with the other two posters. It would be shame to miss Luxor, it (and the Valley of the Kings) was a highlight of my tour, which covered Alexandria, Cairo, Aswan and a Nile cruise. Luxor is a city that I would return to.

The pyramids are interesting, of course, and the churches and bazaars are interesting as well, and I hope would include the fabulous Egyption Musem, but it seems like a long way to fly just for that if you're flying from the U.S. Does United have an option for a longer tour?

I stayed at the Mena House Oberoi in a renovated room and it was wonderful. If you decide on the Mena House make sure that you get one of the updated rooms. I don't know anything about the Swiss Inn.