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So you’re finally ready to take that bucketlist trip to Egypt? When planning a trip to Egypt you may already have in mind the places you want to go, activities you want to do and maybe even the foods you want to try! However, something many people don’t think about before visiting Egypt is hiring a guide. Let me clear this up. Hiring a guide in Egypt is a must!
I get it, you aren’t sure if hiring a guide is right for you. You may want to explore on your own, or are worried about the costs that come along with a guide. But I can tell your from first hand experience, that my trip to Egypt wouldn’t have been half as incredible as it was without hiring a guide.
Still unsure? Let me explain all the reasons why I think hiring a guide in Egypt is so important.
Table of Contents
HIRING A GUIDE MEANS YOUR SCHEDULE CAN BE CUSTOMIZED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS
Hands down, the best part of hiring a guide in Egypt is getting to determine your schedule. Want to see the pyramids but don’t feel strongly about going to the museum? No problem, you can have them customize your itinerary to see and do the things you want. This is YOUR trip after all!
Many guides will customize tours to meet your needs. This way you can see and do everything you want to and maximize your time in Egypt!
WITH A GUIDE, YOU WON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TRANSPORTATION
If you haven’t heard before, the driving in Cairo and Egypt is absolute madness. We were told the lines on the roads are merely “suggestions.”
Not having to worry about driving or finding and haggling with taxis will be the best decision you’ve ever made. Typically most guides come with a driver, and it will save you lots of stress, time, and money.
Guides will pick you up right from your hotel and bring you back at the end of the day! They will even help you check into your accommodation to be sure everything goes smoothly.
YOU WILL LEARN SO MUCH MORE ABOUT EGYPT’S HISTORY WITH A GUIDE
Most guides in Egypt are licensed Egyptologist, meaning they have gone through education in all aspects of ancient Egyptian history. Because of this, your guide will help you get the most out of your visit to every historical site.
Instead of just walking around and seeing ruins of an ancient temple, you’ll learn the back-story of events that happened there, what the hieroglyphics mean, and how they constructed the temple. I truly mean it when I say that you learn so much more with a guide than without one. And you’ll be even more in awe at what you are looking at knowing the significance behind it!
YOU’LL FEEL LIKE LESS OF A TARGET WITH A GUIDE
Having an Egyptian with you will often make you stand out a lot less. Don’t get me wrong, I never felt unsafe during my time in Egypt. But I think having a guide can help tourists get harassed a lot less. I’ve also heard from many other travelers (especially women) that they felt much more comfortable having a local with them.
HIRING A GUIDE IS WAY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN YOU WOULD THINK
When traveling in most countries, you know hiring a guide will cost a lot of money. But for some reason, this is not the case in Egypt! In fact, really knowledgable Egyptian guides are surprisingly cheap.
Plus, you’ll get transportation, ticket costs, and their expertise all included in the cost. My guide never even let me carry my own suitcase! Some day trips in Egypt even include lunch or dinner and bottled water.
EGYPTIAN GUIDES WILL KNOW ALL THE BEST SPOTS TO GO
Guides take people to major historical sites every single day. For this reason, they know the ins and outs of the best places to get photos, or where you’ll find less crowds! They’ll have insights you would never know exploring on your own, which is truly something I will never take for granted after my experience in Egypt.
Having a guide in Egypt will keep you on track while allowing you to still have an authentic Egyptian experience. You’ll still be able to explore or stop to take photos, but having someone who knows the schedule and the ins and outs of the places they are taking you, will make sure you experience everything you hoped. After all, you are hiring them to show you these bucketlist destinations. They will make sure you see them!
GUIDES BECOME BUILT IN TRANSLATORS
If you don’t speak Arabic, you probably know it’s not an easy language to pick up! Egyptians tend to speak very fast, so during my time in Egypt, I was so grateful to have a local with me. My guide could easily bargain prices for me, read menus, or tell people to back off when they are trying to sell me something.
YOU’LL MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME SIGHTSEEING
During your travels have you ever lost precious sightseeing time after taking a wrong turn or spending too much time trying to find a good place to eat? I typically enjoy wandering down random streets in new cities. However, if I’m on a tight schedule and have many things I want to see in a short amount of time, it can be extremely upsetting to lose time by getting lost!
Unsure what you’ll need for your trip? Check out my packing guide for traveling to Egypt!
GUIDES MAY BECOME YOUR FRIENDS
Many of our guides we had in Egypt have actually become friends of ours! It was great to be able to get to know each other. We got to talk a lot more about growing up in Egypt, our jobs, families, etc. Not only did we learn even more about life in Egypt, but we also taught them about life in the US. It was really eye opening and exciting to get to have that experience. Even today, we stay connected with our guides through social media!
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE TRUSTWORTHY TO TAKE YOUR PHOTO
If you’ve heard any horror stories of people stealing phones from tourists, it can be a little nerve-wracking to ask a random stranger to take your photo. And in Egypt, asking someone to take your photo, may result in them asking for payment in return.
With a guide, you’ll never have to worry about getting the perfect photo. Guides know how important it is to capture your travels. Trust me, if your guide is anything like ours, you won’t even have to ask for a picture. They will recommend areas, set you up for the perfect shot, and have you do about 100 different poses.
I’ll admit, I felt pretty silly with some of these cheesy poses my guide wanted me to do, but I have a ton of pictures I laugh looking back at.
BY HIRING A GUIDE, YOU’LL KNOW UP FRONT HOW MUCH EVERYTHING WILL COST FOR THE DAY
When traveling, there’s something to be said for knowing exactly how much money you’ll be spending each day. Besides the occasional personal spending for things like souvenirs, add on excursions, or tipping, you will know the cost up front for your days with a guide. No need to worry about budgeting for food or haggling with taxi drivers, all of that and more will be included with a guide. Not having to worry about sticking to a budget will allow you to enjoy your time in Egypt even more!
Where do I hire a guide in Egypt?
Now that you understand the benefits of hiring a guide in Egypt, it’s time to find great one! My recommendations for finding the best guides are through Memphis Tours or Get Your Guide. Be sure to book your guides well in advance. All the best guides book out further in advance, so if you are waiting until hours before, make sure you don’t have high expectations.
Be sure to do your research before booking a guide. Read reviews and see what other travelers said about their experience. I truly believe a guide can make your break your trip, so make sure to do your do diligence!
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As you can see, booking a guide for your trip to Egypt has so many benefits. There is no doubt in my mind you will be grateful you decided on hiring a guide. Now, start packing for Egypt! You are about to experience one of the most magical and historical places in the world.
BEST EGYPT TRAVEL RESOURCES
1. BOOK FLIGHTS WITH SKYSCANNER
2. BOOK ACCOMMODATION WITH BOOKING.COM or HOTELS.COM
3. BOOK ACTIVITIES AND TOURS WITH GET YOUR GUIDE
4. BOOK TRAVEL INSURANCE WITH WORLD NOMADS.
Need help planning your travels? Go to my travel resources page for my favorite travel companies to save you money, time, and headaches!
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This post does a great job explaining the benefits and importance of having a guide in Egypt. Definitely something g to consider when booking this big trip.
Also, I’m not a big fan of poses photos like those but the one of your husband putting shades on the Sphinx is pretty amazing! Lol
Thank you Paul! A lot of the time when I travel I like doing it on my own, but I think for Egypt it makes so much sense to have a guide to help you get around and teach you the incredible history.
I agree with you, we HATED taking those photos and look at them now and crack up at how corny they are. Our guide insisted we take them though. Not a typical photo we share. (haha!)