Excursions on Nile Cruise

Q: My wife and I will be in Alexandria on a cruise ship in December and would like you to recommend an excursion using a reputable local tour guide. As the cruise company's rates for excursions are exorbitant, we would like you to recommend two easy day trips near Alexandria or Cairo. - Stephan Rau

A: You should do a city tour of Alexandria taking in the Montazah Summer Palace, Qaitbay Fort, Bombay's Pillar and the Catacombs of Komel-Shokafa. There are plenty of companies offering these day tours and it is easy to book when you are there. The price should be 40-80 US dollars per person. If you would like to book in advance, you can try the www.egypttourexpert.com website. For a more specialised tour, one of the most popular is the day trip to El Alamein, approximately 110 Km away from Alexandria. The battle at El Alamein Battle was one of the most significant confrontations of the World War II. You will also get to see cemetries and other key sites from the battle. The nine-hour tour costs around 150 US dollars per person, which is likely to be substantially lower than you would pay if booking through the cruise liner. For further details, check out the www.city-discovery.com/alexandria/ website. For interesting day trips around Cairo, you can try the www.min-travel.com website. Tour highlights include the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, the Mohammed Ali Mosque and the Khan El Khalili Bazaars. You will also find it easy to book these tours with an English-speaking guide when you are in Egypt. (7/11/10)