personal tour guide in cairo
Sep 6th, 2003, 03:05 PM
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personal tour guide in cairo
My husband and I are taking a cruise that will dock in Alexandria for one day (12 hours). Has anyone hired a personal tour guide to escort you through Cairo, the market, and the pyramids at Giza? Need to find a reputable source.
Sep 7th, 2003, 09:10 AM
#2
The concierge at the Nile Hilton arranged for a tour guide for me. A car, driver, and the guide picked me up at the hotel. I think the price we agreed to was 45 Egyptian pounds. Went to Sakkarra, pyramids, sphynx. A stop at a papyrus "institute" or something for some tourist junk. I had them make a stop at the fancy hotel near the pyramids.
At the end of the trip, the guide wanted $60 US! We argued, I paid $45, far more than the original quote. It was worth it, anyway. Later, I learned that the guide was considered to be a well known, "wealthy" man, which I believe is because he rakes in money from overcharging the tourists and commissions from the papyrus store (minus the payoff to the concierge).
Anyway, after you find your guide and negotiate the price, I suggest getting it in writing. Just a note listing the services to be provided and the price and get him to sign it. If you don't negotiate, you will be overcharged.
Sep 7th, 2003, 11:45 AM
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mrwunrfl -
The quote of 45 Egyptian Pounds would be about $10 (barely enought to cover the use of vehicle/gas). So $10 would be real cheap for two people with a guide, car and driver.
From what I've seen in Egypt tour brochures and websites, a tour such as you indicate would be about $20-$25/person.
I believe the concierge at the Hilton made the mistake.
But you should always reconfirm the prices and the currency.
The quote of 45 Egyptian Pounds would be about $10 (barely enought to cover the use of vehicle/gas). So $10 would be real cheap for two people with a guide, car and driver.
From what I've seen in Egypt tour brochures and websites, a tour such as you indicate would be about $20-$25/person.
I believe the concierge at the Hilton made the mistake.
But you should always reconfirm the prices and the currency.
Sep 14th, 2003, 03:48 PM
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Actually, it probably was not your mistake. We were in Egypt on our own (our usual mode of travel), and in Egypt we found that even if we confirmed the price with the driver when we got in the cab, he would want something else at the end of the ride. A couple of times the price jumped up after we got several blocks from the hotel.
We had heard from a Syrian friend that this is not unusual, no matter how clear it is at the start. (We even had it in writing once to "show" him."
What we had never experienced in any other place that we have been to (between the two of us over 45 countries) was how nasty the drivers would get when we refused to go for the price increase. Several literally followed us down the street shouting at us.
As I say, not your fault.
We had heard from a Syrian friend that this is not unusual, no matter how clear it is at the start. (We even had it in writing once to "show" him."
What we had never experienced in any other place that we have been to (between the two of us over 45 countries) was how nasty the drivers would get when we refused to go for the price increase. Several literally followed us down the street shouting at us.
As I say, not your fault.
