Top10 travel agencies in Egypt
The practice of traveling to Egypt to visit its ancient monuments and sites dates back to antiquity. The earliest recorded evidence of people visiting Egypt as tourists can be traced back to the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans with Herodotus or Gaius Valerius Catullus being among the first tourists. Today Egyptian travel agencies offer a wide range of products and services tailored to the unique attractions and experiences that the country offers. Here are some typical offerings:
Historical and Cultural Tours: These are probably the most common product offered by Egyptian travel agencies. These tours typically include visits to Egypt's most famous historical sites, such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the temples at Luxor and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, and the temples of Abu Simbel.
Nile River Cruises: Many travel agencies offer cruises on the Nile River, which often include stops at various historical sites along the river. These cruises can range from luxury ships to traditional felucca sailing boats.
Beach and Red Sea Tours: Egypt's Red Sea coast is famous for its beautiful beaches, clear waters, and vibrant coral reefs. Many travel agencies offer tours to resorts in areas like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, often including options for scuba diving, snorkeling, and other water sports.
Desert Safaris: Egypt's vast deserts offer opportunities for unique experiences like camel trekking, quad biking, and overnight camping under the stars. Many travel agencies offer tours that include these experiences.
City Tours: These tours typically include visits to the major attractions in Egypt's cities, such as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Islamic Cairo district, the Coptic Cairo area, and the bustling markets like Khan el-Khalili.
Custom Tours: Many agencies provide the option for travelers to customize their own tour, allowing them to choose the destinations they want to visit and the activities they want to do.
Travel Services: In addition to organizing tours, travel agencies also typically offer services like hotel booking, flight booking, airport transfers, and travel insurance.
Guides and Interpreters: Given the historical and cultural depth of many Egyptian sites, many tours include the services of a knowledgeable local guide. Some agencies may also offer interpreter services for a variety of languages.
These offerings can vary significantly from one agency to another, as each agency may have its own areas of specialization and unique tour offerings.
Tourists today are very demanding
Unlike the ancient Greeks and Romans, tourists today are very demanding. Here are some of the things tourists expect today.
Accommodations: Some tourists have experienced dissatisfaction with the quality of their accommodations. This is often related to the old hotel ranking system in Egypt, which could be misleading as it did not accurately reflect the quality of the hotel's services and amenities. However, Egypt has recently introduced a new hotel ranking system aligned with international standards, which should help resolve this issue.
Transport: Some tourists have raised concerns about transportation, particularly about vehicles not having air conditioning. Delays in transportation and tour guides arriving late have also been reported. However, these are considered minor issues that can sometimes occur with any tour operator.
Missed Itinerary Stops: Some tours end up missing planned stops, often because tourists request more time at one location, which subsequently affects the rest of the itinerary.
Shopping Stops: Tourists have complained about excessive shopping stops during the tours. It is common practice for tour guides to receive commissions from store owners when tourists make purchases, which may lead to many such stops.
Historical and Cultural Tours: These are probably the most common product offered by Egyptian travel agencies. These tours typically include visits to Egypt's most famous historical sites, such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the temples at Luxor and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, and the temples of Abu Simbel.
Nile River Cruises: Many travel agencies offer cruises on the Nile River, which often include stops at various historical sites along the river. These cruises can range from luxury ships to traditional felucca sailing boats.
Beach and Red Sea Tours: Egypt's Red Sea coast is famous for its beautiful beaches, clear waters, and vibrant coral reefs. Many travel agencies offer tours to resorts in areas like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, often including options for scuba diving, snorkeling, and other water sports.
Desert Safaris: Egypt's vast deserts offer opportunities for unique experiences like camel trekking, quad biking, and overnight camping under the stars. Many travel agencies offer tours that include these experiences.
City Tours: These tours typically include visits to the major attractions in Egypt's cities, such as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Islamic Cairo district, the Coptic Cairo area, and the bustling markets like Khan el-Khalili.
Custom Tours: Many agencies provide the option for travelers to customize their own tour, allowing them to choose the destinations they want to visit and the activities they want to do.
Travel Services: In addition to organizing tours, travel agencies also typically offer services like hotel booking, flight booking, airport transfers, and travel insurance.
Guides and Interpreters: Given the historical and cultural depth of many Egyptian sites, many tours include the services of a knowledgeable local guide. Some agencies may also offer interpreter services for a variety of languages.
These offerings can vary significantly from one agency to another, as each agency may have its own areas of specialization and unique tour offerings.
Tourists today are very demanding
Unlike the ancient Greeks and Romans, tourists today are very demanding. Here are some of the things tourists expect today.
Accommodations: Some tourists have experienced dissatisfaction with the quality of their accommodations. This is often related to the old hotel ranking system in Egypt, which could be misleading as it did not accurately reflect the quality of the hotel's services and amenities. However, Egypt has recently introduced a new hotel ranking system aligned with international standards, which should help resolve this issue.
Transport: Some tourists have raised concerns about transportation, particularly about vehicles not having air conditioning. Delays in transportation and tour guides arriving late have also been reported. However, these are considered minor issues that can sometimes occur with any tour operator.
Missed Itinerary Stops: Some tours end up missing planned stops, often because tourists request more time at one location, which subsequently affects the rest of the itinerary.
Shopping Stops: Tourists have complained about excessive shopping stops during the tours. It is common practice for tour guides to receive commissions from store owners when tourists make purchases, which may lead to many such stops.
| Company | Founded | Company description |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Excel Travel Services is the result of long years of experience within the travel industry. | |
| 1234 | Offer Personalized Travel Services with high flexibility. | |
| 1985 | Flash Tour is one of the leading DMC's in the country with branch offices all over the country. | |
| 2003 | Explor Egypt company is specializing in organizing professional trips in Egypt. | |
| 1841 | Travel Choice Egypt aims to help our customers control, plan and administer their travel and travel related expenses. | |
| 1971 | Full service travel company which is divided into: incoming, outgoing, airlines tickets, Nile cruises and transport divisions. | |
| 2003 | Masters is the Ground Operator of top of the line travel agents in Europe. | |
| 1984 | After 30 years of steady growth, Gezira Travel is now one of the leading Destination Management Companies with deep rooted knowledgeable staff. | |
| 1988 | Planet Tours is a DMC in Cairo operating for over 20 years, with 2000 customers arriving each week of over 70 nationalities | |
| 2004 | Lady Egypt Tours is specialist in a variety of tours in Egypt & Jordan. These Include group tours , individual tours , special events & conference. |
Travel agencies and tour operators
Travel agencies, tour operators, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) all play crucial roles in the travel and tourism industry, albeit in different ways. Here's a brief description of each:
Travel Agencies: A travel agency is a business that acts as an intermediary between travelers and various travel suppliers (such as airlines, hotels, car rentals, cruise lines, etc.). They assist customers in making travel arrangements and provide advice on destinations, itineraries, travel insurance, and other travel-related matters.
Tour Operators: Tour operators create, package, and sell travel experiences. This usually involves combining various elements like flights, accommodation, transfers, and activities into a single product known as a package tour. They negotiate contracts with suppliers, create brochures to promote their tours, and sell them either directly to the public or through travel agents.
Destination Management Companies (DMCs): A DMC is a professional services company with local knowledge and expertise that is hired by a travel agent or tour operator to design and implement services like program logistics, activities, excursions, conference venues, themed events, gala dinners, and more. They act as an extension of the tour operator, providing ground services based on local knowledge of their given destinations.
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs): A DMO, also known as a tourism board or tourism authority, is responsible for promoting a town, city, region, or country in order to increase the number of visitors. They do this by developing marketing campaigns, organizing press trips, participating in travel trade shows, and working with travel agents and tour operators. They also often manage tourism services at their destination, such as providing information to tourists, coordinating with local businesses and attractions, and sometimes managing public tourism infrastructure.
In summary, while travel agencies and tour operators are typically involved in arranging and selling travel, DMCs and DMOs are more focused on managing and promoting destinations.
How to become a tour guide
Employers in Egyptian travel agencies looking for tour guides typically seek individuals with the following skills and attributes:
Good communication skills: Tour guides need to be able to clearly and effectively communicate information to the tourists they're guiding.
Customer service: As a tour guide, providing high-quality service to customers is essential. This involves being friendly, approachable, and ready to help tourists with any issues they may encounter.
Knowledge of Egypt's history and culture: This is crucial for a tour guide, as tourists often have many questions about the sites they are visiting.
Language proficiency: Proficiency in multiple languages, particularly English, is often a requirement for tour guides in Egypt. This is because tourists come from all over the world, and English is commonly spoken by many tourists.
Ability to handle emergencies: Tour guides should be able to handle unexpected situations or emergencies that may arise during a tour.
Physical fitness: Tour guides often need to be on their feet for extended periods of time and may need to walk or even hike significant distances as part of their job.
In addition, it's important to note that in order to work as a tour guide in Egypt, individuals must typically complete a training course and receive a license from the Ministry of Tourism. This course covers a variety of topics, including archaeology, history, and first aid.
Disclaimer
This compilation of the companies has been made to the best of our knowledge and belief. We have made every effort to obtain the information from reliable and up-to-date sources and to reproduce it as accurately as possible. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of the information. We are grateful for additions and corrections, which you are welcome to send to sales@egypt-business.com. The selection of companies is based on the number of employees, the revenue, and the number of online visitors.
Travel agencies, tour operators, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) all play crucial roles in the travel and tourism industry, albeit in different ways. Here's a brief description of each:
Travel Agencies: A travel agency is a business that acts as an intermediary between travelers and various travel suppliers (such as airlines, hotels, car rentals, cruise lines, etc.). They assist customers in making travel arrangements and provide advice on destinations, itineraries, travel insurance, and other travel-related matters.
Tour Operators: Tour operators create, package, and sell travel experiences. This usually involves combining various elements like flights, accommodation, transfers, and activities into a single product known as a package tour. They negotiate contracts with suppliers, create brochures to promote their tours, and sell them either directly to the public or through travel agents.
Destination Management Companies (DMCs): A DMC is a professional services company with local knowledge and expertise that is hired by a travel agent or tour operator to design and implement services like program logistics, activities, excursions, conference venues, themed events, gala dinners, and more. They act as an extension of the tour operator, providing ground services based on local knowledge of their given destinations.
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs): A DMO, also known as a tourism board or tourism authority, is responsible for promoting a town, city, region, or country in order to increase the number of visitors. They do this by developing marketing campaigns, organizing press trips, participating in travel trade shows, and working with travel agents and tour operators. They also often manage tourism services at their destination, such as providing information to tourists, coordinating with local businesses and attractions, and sometimes managing public tourism infrastructure.
In summary, while travel agencies and tour operators are typically involved in arranging and selling travel, DMCs and DMOs are more focused on managing and promoting destinations.
How to become a tour guide
Employers in Egyptian travel agencies looking for tour guides typically seek individuals with the following skills and attributes:
Good communication skills: Tour guides need to be able to clearly and effectively communicate information to the tourists they're guiding.
Customer service: As a tour guide, providing high-quality service to customers is essential. This involves being friendly, approachable, and ready to help tourists with any issues they may encounter.
Knowledge of Egypt's history and culture: This is crucial for a tour guide, as tourists often have many questions about the sites they are visiting.
Language proficiency: Proficiency in multiple languages, particularly English, is often a requirement for tour guides in Egypt. This is because tourists come from all over the world, and English is commonly spoken by many tourists.
Ability to handle emergencies: Tour guides should be able to handle unexpected situations or emergencies that may arise during a tour.
Physical fitness: Tour guides often need to be on their feet for extended periods of time and may need to walk or even hike significant distances as part of their job.
In addition, it's important to note that in order to work as a tour guide in Egypt, individuals must typically complete a training course and receive a license from the Ministry of Tourism. This course covers a variety of topics, including archaeology, history, and first aid.
Disclaimer
This compilation of the companies has been made to the best of our knowledge and belief. We have made every effort to obtain the information from reliable and up-to-date sources and to reproduce it as accurately as possible. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of the information. We are grateful for additions and corrections, which you are welcome to send to sales@egypt-business.com. The selection of companies is based on the number of employees, the revenue, and the number of online visitors.