I need some advice about Egypt please. Unfortunately, after a lifetime of independently planned trips with my husband, I am now solo and need to look at small group tours. So, I am now in the situation where I have to buy into the entire package rather than being able to custom design trips like I used to be able to.

The first thing I want thoughts on is whether or not to do a tour with a cruise at all. I had kind of decided that the more typical, large cruise boat isn’t what I would want at all because they have a lot of people, seem to really emphasize the “cruise experience”, and all tie up together in a row at night. But, maybe I should consider one since these cruises are typically only 3 nights long whereas the few tours I found that have cruises on a dahabeya are 5 nights on the boat. But, I also don’t even know if any cruise is for me since I don’t consider myself a cruise person. And, I won’t have a partner on a boat to sit around and chat and kill time with during all those hours of relaxation.

My husband and I did a couple night cruise on a smallish boat (more similar to a dahabeya) on a river in Laos and Thailand. Despite the stops to sightsee, it got pretty old and boring pretty fast. And, as a solo I recently did a bike/barge trip in the Netherlands. After a day’s cycling, an hour or so of reading and watching the scenery go by the boat was plenty for me so I appreciated being able to get off the boat in the evenings and walk in the local area. And, I am not the type of person who would want to sit around the bar or pool area or watch some schlocky, tourist-aimed evening entertainment on a larger boat.

From what I have read about the dahabeya experience, there seems to be plenty of down time. The tours that involve dahabeya cruises emphasize that they stop at the major sights and also small villages to see how people live. Then the rest of the time is for relaxation. The big boat cruises as I understand bypass the smaller temple spots because the boats are too large. Other than the one or two hour “biggie” stops that all the big boats stop at each day, what else does one do all day on these boats? Relax?

I did find a few tours that are entirely ground-based.

However, is arrival by boat really the way to approach some of these temples since they were originally designed to be approached from the water? Is this a better way to arrive and sightsee rather than arriving in a minibus? Or, no matter what, are there parking lots and admission offices and long walks to the antiquities that make the approach by boat or road a moot point?

Another big concern I have is that I will get templed out. It’s happened before. I really don’t want a trip where I am thinking to myself, yup one more temple that is similar to those I saw yesterday and the day before. Maybe I should just concentrate on the typical highlights of Egypt rather than trying to find a tour that includes a lot. Yet, sometimes the lesser-known sights, rather than the usual sights every tourist seems to think must be on the itinerary, are what I find most appealing. In Cambodia we ended up extending our stay to 10 nights in Siem Reap so we could visit most of the lesser-known ruins which we much preferred to Ankor Wat. Plus, I have spent a total of 4 months in India and never saw the Taj Mahal.

Frankly, Cairo and the pyramids really don’t seem to call to me all that much. I found one tour that starts in Luxor and goes to Abu Simbel (which people seem to love) and ends in Aswan, so I could just skip Cairo.

To top it all off, I am wondering if I should combine Jordan with Egypt and do a tour that combines the highlights or an overview of each country rather than an in-depth approach. I am dying to see Petra (probably more so than the Egyptian antiquities), and I am old enough that with each trip I am realizing it could be my last. I don’t want to put things off.

So, I am looking for guidance and thoughts from those of you who have visited Egypt (and Jordan would be a plus).

Thanks.

With my condolences for your loss, I must admit that I don't understand. Many of us travel solo -- and love it! I, for one, am a woman who hopes to continue traveling solo as long as I can physically manage to do so. I haven't been to Egypt, but I had a month-long trip planned, one that I would have taken if not for COVID.

If you haven't already seen it, note that there's an entire sub-forum devoted to solo travel (it's in the Travel Tips & Trip Ideas" Forum, tagged "Solo Travel"). And there's a thread there where many of us have linked our trip reports; you might look for ones involving Egypt. (And you've reminded me to link in a few I'd forgotten.) Goin' solo...nothing like it! (A trip report collection)

Read this wonderful trip report from progol. They went to Egypt and Jordan and hired tour operators on their own.

Egypt and Jordan: it was truly amaazing!

Thanks for your responses.

kja I will take a look at the solos section you referenced. I'm glad for you that you are happy traveling on your own; I'm not. I will add 3 days by myself on to either end of a tour, but I wouldn't set out for several weeks by myself unless it would be to a super easy place to travel (like Europe) and for a trip that is just typical sightseeing and doesn't involve any specialized thematic activities like cycling or hiking. If you do decide to travel to Egypt, I have read many, many comments that this is a particularly difficult country for a solo female, even an old(er), well-traveled one like you and me.

schmerl Yes, I read that very in-depth trip report, and it is one of the reasons I am once again considering Egypt.

I can only repeat what kja has said & urge you to consider an independent solo trip to Egypt as I did several years ago in my 70s. After many years of traveling on my own, as well as with friends occasionally, I want to emphasize how gratifying an experience it can be. Egypt was among, if not the best.

Have a look at the reports I did for another website & if you decide you might like to try the trip on your own, do come back to ask any questions, general or specific. One of the joys of travel solo is never having to compromise, with a travel companion or maybe more, with the dictates of a tour itinerary.

http://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/portmoresby-in-egypt

I am another fan of solo travel. However, I did not do Egypt solo, but that was back in 2000 before I really started traveling. I enjoyed Cairo, but it was before the Arab Spring and I think the situation for women has worsened. I'm afraid I wasn't wowed by the pyramids, but I did enjoy the temples. I traveled with four other people on a tour run by Gate1. It was fine, with a good tour leader, although I haven't used them since. It included Abu Simbel, and a river cruise on a medium sized boat.

I highly recommend Jordan. I chose to use a tour for part of the time, because going solo in Wadi Rum was becoming expensive, but can't recommend that company. I can recommend Intrepid Travel, probably at the Comfort level these days, although Original might be more fun. They typically have good itineraries and small groups - twelve to fourteen people.

Just before the pandemic outbreak we took a trip with Road Scholar to the Middle East, Jordan and Egypt. We had a great time and enjoyed our fellow travelers who were a mix of singles and couples.

The company has an educational focus, which we enjoyed but might not appeal to those who prefer more of a shopping trip. Their itineraries have changed but here is one that combines Egypt and Jordan: https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-...f-Egypt-Jordan.

I have a 20+ year history on this site and, even though we have never met in person, I have come to feel as though I know some of you and your interests, likes and dislikes. That’s why I posed this question here. Answers have been immensely helpful (in particular links to Mme Perdu’s blog). You are people I have at least some familiarity with, rather than just total strangers in cyber space whose backgrounds I know nothing about.

Many of you are recommending that I go it alone. Yes, I am contemplating it for something easy like London and England, but a strong “no” from me for Egypt. I know all about hiring private guides and drivers (we used many in our travels to more difficult countries), but I also am looking for some other companionship on this trip. Over on Reddit there are tons of recent warnings about traveling alone in Egypt (particularly for females). A number of people there also say that things in Egypt, as far as solo travelers, have definitely gotten worse in the past couple years. Many people on Reddit who have visited Egypt recently recommend just joining a group tour. This is one of the milder ones: “In hindsight, as much as I dislike tours, I may have been better as a solo female to join a group tour.”

Interestingly enough, I have already used the tour companies recommended by some of you. On my very first tour and solo trip I went with Intrepid to Morocco. And, I took a northern Italy cycling trip with Road Scholar (the company KTtravel recommends). I am totally not a shopper, so the lack of shopping was more than fine with me.

I know (Thursdays) Karen and I have similar feelings about many places and experiences. I remember planning a SE Asia trip and her saying that Bangkok definitely wasn’t her favorite. I feel the same way about Bangkok, so that’s why it’s interesting to also hear that she didn’t particularly like Cairo.

Kja—I remember getting advice from you when I planned a 3-week trip through Sicily for my husband and me.

Other similarities are also intriguing.

Mme Perdue—your blog has been immensely helpful and has helped fill in the blanks for me about some logistical issues I had wondered about, and I think we may have similar interests and ways of operating—combining budgeting and splurging depending on what is appropriate to the situation, and having some firm plans but also winging it at times depending on how you feel once you arrive in a place. When I read your blog about Cairo, I thought to myself that the only things that truly interested me there were the old houses you visited and the museums. I really don’t think I’d have any problems skipping Cairo completely, especially since the Luxor museum is supposed to be good. And, I am laughing at how you arranged your river cruise last minute on the cheap when you could get a good discount. That’s exactly the way we arranged the couple day cruise we took out of Luang Prabang. We went to the small offices of the agencies to see who could offer a last-minute discount. After listening to you, it sounds like if I decide to do a cruise at all it should be on the dahabaya.

I hope my advice was helpful. Good luck with your planning for Egypt!

Julies, I’m glad you found the blogs interesting & helpful. Sometimes I think my ways of doing things are pretty idiosyncratic, but also hope they’re useful to some. I’m sure you’ll find a way that suits you & learning how to do things better next time can be a satisfying outcome, too.