点评:We are a well-traveled U.S. family (kids: 16 and 21) that was a bit skeptical of "VIP" Giza trips offered by many tour companies online. We knew we would be limited on time with a 1-day window for our tour. We were worried about problems (scam, cancellation, no-show, add-on cost, extra fee) common at many tourist sites and were discouraged by the exorbitant price quoted for "private" access by another company. As well, we have always avoided bus tours as a matter of principle.
Taking all of our concerns into account from the first email contact, Tour Egypt Club provided the private half-day tour of a lifetime for us on August 14 as promised and on budget. We highly recommend Salma to arrange your family experience too (sales@touregyptclub.com).
Our individualized agenda focused on a private "Between the Paws" Sphinx tour that started at the Marriott Mena House at 0630. Expecting a single guide, we instead had a driver, senior and junior guides, and a tourist police agent. Thus, four staff was assigned for a family of four! After a little bureaucratic haggling at the main Giza gate (as expected in Egypt), we proceeded to the Sphinx. Our guide bought site tickets as we excitedly waited in the van's air conditioning.
Another official joined us, and we then had the entire Giza plateau to ourselves for almost one hour. Now, just imagine that for a few moments. No one else. No one. Alright, so there were a few stray dogs. Otherwise, completely empty. This was a priceless hour that made a lifetime dream come true for us. Thus, our family recommends that this tour be the FIRST thing to book if making the trip to Cairo.
We continued up the hill to better explore the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure via the air-conditioned van (cold bottled waters provided as well). It took almost another half hour (0830) for any other tourists to arrive from the security checkpoint, so we took pictures with no one else around the pyramid bases. Again, priceless. As a bonus, the guides and security agent expertly suggested photo spots and ideas which upped the kids' Instagram game. The staff knew all the right optical tricks and angles for framing the photos.
Next, we drove out to the panoramic camel viewpoint. We did not want a long ride in the summer heat, so instead the kids merely did a small loop for photos. No haggling here, as our senior guide had known the main camel ride operator for many years.
Finally, we drove to one of the typical papyrus tourist shops for a souvenir purchase. This was totally optional, but was interesting because the owner did a brief presentation on papyrus production and painting. This normally would not be a stop we would make on our own (again, avoiding tour bus activities), but it worked out well as an endpoint near the hotel.
Overall, we would HIGHLY recommend a request for a "Between the Paws" Sphinx tour. The initial price may seem high for an entire family, but what should be the per-person price for having the entire place to yourselves? The price for a family of four with Tour Egypt Club was multiples less than other quotes and the quality was exceptional. Opportunities like this are few and far between in a modern world of "excess" tourism, so do not pass up this itinerary. Do it before Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities limits access further, as other governments have done recently at some of the world's great cultural sites.
翻译:我们是一个经常旅行的美国家庭(孩子:16 岁和 21 岁),对许多在线旅游公司提供的“VIP”吉萨旅行有点怀疑。我们知道我们的旅行时间有限,只有 1 天的时间。我们担心许多旅游景点常见的问题(诈骗、取消、缺席、附加费用、额外费用),并且对另一家公司的“私人”访问报价过高感到沮丧。同样,原则上我们一直避免乘坐巴士旅行。
考虑到我们从第一次电子邮件联系以来的所有担忧,埃及旅游俱乐部按照承诺并在预算范围内于 8 月 14 日为我们提供了一生难忘的私人半日游。我们强烈建议 Salma 也安排您的家庭体验 (sales@touregyptclub.com)。
我们的个性化议程集中在私人“爪子之间”狮身人面像之旅,该之旅于 0630 点在米纳豪斯万豪酒店开始。原本以为只有一名导游,但我们却有一名司机、高级和初级导游以及一名旅游警察。这样,一家四口就分配了四名工作人员!在吉萨主门进行了一些官僚讨价还价之后(正如埃及所期望的那样),我们前往狮身人面像。当我们兴奋地在货车的空调里等待时,我们的导游购买了现场门票。
另一位官员加入了我们,然后我们就独享了整个吉萨高原近一个小时。现在,想象一下。没有别人了。没有人。好吧,原来还有几只流浪狗。否则就彻底空了。这是无价的时刻,让我们一生的梦想成真。因此,我们的家人建议如果前往开罗旅行,首先要预订这次旅行。
我们继续上山,乘坐空调面包车(还提供冷瓶装水)更好地探索胡夫金字塔、哈夫拉金字塔和门卡拉金字塔。又过了近半个小时(0830),其他游客才从安检处到达,所以我们在金字塔底座周围空无一人的情况下拍照。再说一次,无价的。作为奖励,导游和保安人员还专业地建议了拍照地点和创意,提高了孩子们在 Instagram 上的游戏水平。工作人员知道所有正确的光学技巧和构图角度。
接下来,我们驱车前往全景骆驼观景台。我们不想在炎热的夏天长途骑行,所以孩子们只是绕了一小圈拍照。这里没有讨价还价,因为我们的高级导游已经认识主要的骆驼骑乘经营者很多年了。
最后,我们驱车前往一家典型的纸莎草旅游商店购买纪念品。这完全是可选的,但很有趣,因为业主对纸莎草生产和绘画进行了简短的介绍。这通常不会是我们自己做的一站(同样,避免旅游巴士活动),但它作为酒店附近的终点站效果很好。
总的来说,我们强烈建议您参加“爪子之间”狮身人面像之旅。对于整个家庭来说,最初的价格可能看起来很高,但是如果您独享整个房源,每人的价格应该是多少呢?环埃及俱乐部四口之家的价格比其他报价低好几倍,而且质量非常好。在“过度”旅游的现代世界中,这样的机会很少见,所以不要错过这个行程。正如其他国家政府最近在世界上一些伟大的文化遗址所做的那样,请在埃及旅游和文物部进一步限制进入之前采取行动。