Egypt with 9 year old

[Somebodyelsestrain]

In a moment of madness I told my then seven year old that when he was 9 I would take him to Egypt. He's now 8 1/2 and I need to get planning (and saving).

We want an "explore the ancient sites" holiday rather than an "all inclusive beach resort" holiday.

I like the idea of doing a small group holiday with a company like Explore or Exodus - other kids for him, other adults for me, and a sense of safety etc.

But I know I could do it much cheaper if I booked independently.

So I guess my questions are (1) should I go independent or book a tour; and (2) are the tour companies all pretty similar or are some better than others - very grateful for recommendations.

We'd want to see pyramids, do overnight felucca trip, Karnak, Abu Simbel, Aswan, etc and ideally a couple of days red sea snorkeling.

Ideally we'd go in February half term next year, max 10 days away.

Thanks!

Booking independently would not be worth it for me. I took teen DD and we did Luxor snd a Nile Cruise. Took 1 week. If you want Cairo you need a few more days. I guess you could book your own trains and cruise boats but, believe me, some are a bit ? I’d look at family and standard itineraries. The Exodus one is ok but the Red Sea stay utterly takes away from the Nile.

Helpful, thank you.

Can you tell me who you went with?

I am very attracted to the organised tours, usually I'm up for booking independently but can definitely see the attraction of having it all organised.

I liked the idea of a couple of days on the red sea - would you not recommend that?

Thanks!

@Somebodyelsestrain
For us it was about Egyptian history. There’s a lot to see. To be honest we did beaches separately on holidays and we weren’t keen on having a few days on the beach because we relaxed on the boat! I think it was Kuoni. I would suggest you go with a reputable tour operator and one with decent guides. A decent boat is a must.

Is it not a bit too dodgy just now?

You said you’d take him. Take him in a couple of years if it’s safer?

A good few years ago now but we went with Explore when ours were 9 and 12. Our boys appreciated having others their age around. There were 3 families in our group.

We are waiting for the Egyptian Museum to reopen before we book.

I do a lot of solo travel but last year did an organised trip to Egypt, seeing all the sites you’ve mentioned. Definitely worth it, not having to worry about booking accommodation, transportation, where to eat, buying entrance tickets etc.

I would definitely take an organised tour. Independent travel in Egypt is harder than in other countries, not in terms of actually getting on a train or bus, but the constant approaches/offering to be a guide/selling stuff gets very tiring very quickly. Having transfers to and from the sites would be a real benefit.

I'd definitely book something organised with all of that on your itinerary. Everything in Egypt is really spread out, public transport is as you'd expect in North Africa, and with a youngish child in tow I think you'd have a much more enjoyable experience without the stress of doing everything yourself.
Fantastic place to visit. We've pretty much done the whole country over several trips.

Organised tour definitely. We go to Egypt a lot as we own an apartment in Hurghada. I’ve never felt unsafe and I often go out by myself. Yes you’ll get people constantly trying to sell you stuff but just keep your head down and ignore them. I’d rather wander down Hurghada on an evening than central Leeds.
If you book with a reputable independent travel agent (ie not Inteletravel) they can easily package up the Red Sea element with an organised tour, if the tour doesn’t include this part (I am one and I’ve done this a couple of times for clients.) You’ll also then be covered by the package travel regulations which you won’t be if you book everything separately.

DH was in Aswan a few weeks ago and stayed in a Nubian house, it was basic but clean and he said the hospitality was fabulous.

And this may be stating the obvious but avoid June - September - the coast is just about bearable if you like it hot but it’s insanely hot inland.

@DaleTremont The op already said February.

It’s also a one week (8 day) holiday at that time for children. The cruise and Cairo takes time. Red Sea adds more time. So OP will have to decide priorities.

Is it particularly dodgy at the moment? I'll check the FCDO travel advice before booking/travelling. At the moment there are no warnings against travelling in the main tourist areas I'd be going to.

Very useful, thanks.

February half term would be my preference.

Thanks for the advice everyone - it looks like an organised trip is the way to go.

Good to know, thanks. I like the look of the Explore one as it has the combination of things we want, but they haven't released their 2024 dates yet and I want to get something in the diary.

We did a family trip to Egypt with explore just before the pandemic in October half term, it was excellent.

Also, the government is not warning against travel to Egypt in the tourist areas.

Sorry, tried to attach something and it posted too soon. My daughter was nearly ten and loved it. My nearly eight year old was a bit young really, and didn't have the same interest as hadn't done Egyptians at school.

Looks like 2024 dates are on sale

I missed the February bit! Perfect time to go.

Explore, G-Adventures and Intrepid are all great tour operators.

I went to Egypt last month with Titan Travel. Visited all those sites and the weather was perfect.
Mind you, I was the youngest of our group (about 25 people) at 57. Although it might be different during the school holidays.
It was a fantastic trip, enjoyed every minute. (Even the 4 am start to visit Abu Simbel)

Amazing!I keep checking and they've not been on there.