I went mid March, and Ramadum had just started, so avoid that if you can and it just started to get hot, so I would go before March

I went at the end of June, it was approx 38-45 degress celcius every day which seems crazy hot (for a Canadian especially) but it’s a dry heat and you get used to it. (Sunscreen and bottles of water- take them EVERYWHERE). I didn’t see a lot of toursits when I was there, other than at the main touristy sites like the pyramids. Even when we visited Abul Simbel, it was wonderful, barely anyone there so nothing was overcrowded.

Ramadan was Oct 16-Nov 13, 2004 and will be Oct 4-Nov 4, 2005. Based on the Hijra calendar it moves ‘forward’ 11 days a year.

We took a Nile Cruise and it was great. I am not big on cruises (missed a couple of suppers because they refused to serve before 8pm and then drug-it out for 2 hours). After a full day of walking I just wanted to eat and hit the sack. Other than that the food was good, the guides knowledgable, and just fantastics sites. We also spent a couple of days in Cairo and went to the Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids. The best time to go (humble opinion) is January or February – temperature not too hot but still takes lots of sunscreen.

Bargain like crazy on anything you buy from vendors. One vendor tried to sell us parchment pictures for 10 pounds. I said OK and then he said 10 British pounds. I said forget it and walked away then suddenly it was 10 Egyptian pound (1British pound = 12 Egyptian pounds). Anything you buy from street vendors is vastly overpriced, so do not hesitate to offer 20% of what they are asking – then you dicker over the price.

Hey Scruffy .. did you go on an organized tour???

We had 2 tours is the best way to say it. The first tour included air fare and hotel for 2 nights in Cairo at the Ramses Hilton (5-star). The second tour was the Nile Cruise. It was not an all-in-one package.

We took day tours (arranged right at the hotel) from the hotel to the pyramids and Egyptian Museum, though we went back on our own to the museum to spend more time. There is like a $20 charge for videocameras. Since these were private tours we were the only people, other than the driver and the guide. They were very reasonably priced (I’m thrifty and I had no problem with them). We prefer these type of tours because you have the guide’s full attention.

The Nile Cruise was all inclusive, room, meals, and guided tours of the sites. Unfortunately this was a few years ago and I don’t have the tour name but there are many Nile Cruise from posh to the plain (we were on a plain one). For the tours the people on the boat were broken into 2 groups – 1 French speaking and 1 English speaking. Each group was around 20 people and the guides were very knowledgable.

As I said, it has been a while since we have been but you can surf the Web for packages and prices. Our air-hotel package included being met at the airport and taken back to the airport so we did not have to mess around with taxis or shuttle busses. A great convenience.

you should go during spring or fall when it’s not too hot and not too cold, and it’s quite safty you don’t need to worry about that

I went in December, when the weather is perfect – 60F (15C) and sunny during the day but not cold at night (but you’ll need a jacket). The problem is December is the high season.