Ancient Egypt / Nile Have I left it too late?

Some really good tips and advice on here but I am surprised that only one person has made what is surely the most important point that the Middle East should not even be considered as a holiday destination now.
Yes Egypt is one of the safer countries at the moment but that could easily change if the war spreads.

Perhaps a river cruise? All worked out in advance.

Labadi0747

Hello. I’m here now. We live in Cairo. So nice to see some positives about Nile cruises . I’d say it’s all fine if you book a good co. I think they are used to dealing with all sorts. You don’t have to go on all the tours from the boat & you can pace yourself
Yes the heat is dire right now. Never known it so bad so better to come at a cooler time of year . What a shame not to try something you’ve always wanted to do . Honestly you can stay in the comfort of the boat & enjoy the Nile vistas if it all gets too much
Good luck 👍

Still researching! but 1 Nile cruise I have looked at for a reasonable price and seems a slower pace and cooler time (February) doesn't go to Cairo, it's a round trip from Luxor. Is it worth missing out the Cairo experience?

We never know what is round the corner. If Egypt is special to you then I would make the greatest effort to go while you can, but spend time checking out as much as possible about where ou are going and any up to date info from people who have been on that trip. I have lived abroad, travelled a great deal and that was long before mobile phones or Lonely Planet books. I prefer to do my own research. Some people have mentioned Saga which my father used to be a bridge tutor on, and I know they are quite good but also quite pricey. I have very recently travelled on Fred Ohlsen ships and give them 100% for good food, excellent staff who know when to offer help and when to stand back. They are well geared up to suit all sorts of people, so I have just been up to the Arctic circle with them leaving from Newcastle. The range of passengers was wide. People with no mobility problems, people in wheelchairs and quite a lot of people with the smaller mobility scooters that could be used on the boat. Excellent talks ,by well qualified people covering where you were going and many other things. We had a group of whale watchers on board who gave lots of information etc. They also had a genuine library with a good choice of books, a great card room with good tables , which offered lessons from beginner bridge to more advanced levels etc. These cruises are particularly popular when you have a person with their carer. It enables the carer to have a breather and do something they want to do, and to go back to being part of the relationship they had before caring rather takes over. I saw a lady who has some type of dementia with 2 daughters so they were able to take turns being with her, all enjoy time together etc. They have a small swimming pool etc etc. I think they are excellent and give very good service . I used to be in charge of a large amount of staff , and have done quite a bit of trouble shooting at various times and can definitely say they were the best I have seen. Again being smaller ships they go to places that the huge cruisers cannot reach and the amount of passengers aboard does not overwhelm the places you visit. I hasten to add I have no connection with them other than as a very satisfied passenger, and believe in speaking as I find. also as I live in the north of england am pleased to be able to begin a cruise at Newcastle or Liverpool or Rosyth instead of traipsing down to southampton. Well whatever you think is special go for it . I urge you as there are places i could no longer manage to visit and am just so pleased that I went when I could. Enjoy yourself and best of luck

Hello. I’m here now. We live in Cairo. So nice to see some positives about Nile cruises . I’d say it’s all fine if you book a good co. I think they are used to dealing with all sorts. You don’t have to go on all the tours from the boat & you can pace yourself
Yes the heat is dire right now. Never known it so bad so better to come at a cooler time of year . What a shame not to try something you’ve always wanted to do . Honestly you can stay in the comfort of the boat & enjoy the Nile vistas if it all gets too much
Good luck 👍

I took meds in case of upset tum - I was absolutely fine. Food on board excellent, same in the restaurants our tour guides took us to

I went with my ex husband back in January 1987. I used to struggle with the heat so went in January for that reason - then Egypt experienced a heatwave! The Valley of the Kings was about 40 degrees. We spent a few days in Cairo where we visited the pyramids, sphinx and some museums then we flew to Luxor, cruised to Aswan and flew back to Cairo. Obviously much younger then so mobility not an issue. Climbing up inside the great pyramid could be an issue as could entering some of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings where there are lots of steps. We also went out in a small boat (Felucca) at Aswan which was tricky to get on and off - I embarrassed myself by splitting my dungarees right across the top of one leg making this manouevre!
There was an optional trip to Abu Simbel which we didn't do due to the extra cost, though I wish we had been able to afford it.
The biggest problem we had was that the whole tour group got sickness and diarrhea during the cruise so be very careful of the food and drink! Hopefully standards have improved on that front! Make sure bottled water is sealed as we suspected the boat owners may have refilled the bottles they supplied the water in!
I'm sure it should be possible with a tour which makes provision for people with mobility issues as long as you have the right support and don't try to do absolutely everything. Do the research and g
o when it is cooler if possible.

Don't go in our summer months, it's boiling hot. Friends of ours went in August and needed to get up at 3.00a.m. to see the sights, we went March, still warm but not too hot. Crusing along the Nile is wonderful, do go.

I went to Egypt when I was much younger and my hair much brighter and sorry to say I hated it. The number of people who thought it was ok to come a stroke my hair was unbelievable I wasn’t the first or the last ginger hair person to visit, but I was suffered the most invasion of privacy of anyone else in our party. My friends used form a circle around me to stop people touching my hair and face.

Brilliant idea keepingquiet!

Best holiday I ever had! But the Guide we had made it so ... about 22 years ago. I am certain that some companies will do cruises for the less abled if you look around. Maybe Saga

I went in February, the temperature was about right as I cannot cope with heat.

Crossing boats will be fine, but may have steps down to the cabins.

If you get the right company that adjusts the itinerary a bit I'm sure you'd be fine, have a lovely time!

Mrsba - I did a 12 day Nile cruise in January this year. The climate was perfect, I’m not good in heat these days but it was perfect.
Book a smaller ship, we upgraded to a boat with 30 cabins rather than one of the huge ones. The war in Gaza is putting tourists off so it was half full - perfect for us. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful or friendly. We had tour guides in Cairo who helped us to the flight to Luxor where our cruise started and ended. A tour guide on the boat who escorted us to the visits to eg valley of kings. There’s some walking on the big sites but at a slow pace with lots of rest opportunities.
Tour guide escorted through various airports - everything ran so smoothly
I loved every minute of the tour. Highly recommend

Hi mrsba Most of the points raised by posters can be overcome if you do your research and choose a company that specifically caters for travellers with mobility issues. I would also suggest travelling when the heat is more bearable - we went on a Nile cruise mid February - some locals were wearing heavy coats - we were melting in the 30°+ heat. There was quite a lot of standing around/queueing at the sites so at least take a uv-umbrella which may give you enough shade. If it’s a possible I’d say do it as it’s a unique destination.

Hi Op I used to work in Egypt for a holiday company. I have no experience of the boats I’m afraid but re the tourist sites.
Valley of the Kings - where the coaches park there is a short uphill walk to the main area, to access the tombs there are a lot of steps down to some of them but they do have handrails and once inside the floor is fine.
Temple of Hatshepsut - it’s a large area with steps up at the main entrance but once up is easy enough to walk around.
Karnak Temple is fine to get into and walk around without any real problem
Luxor Temple is a bit more tough and ready if I remember correctly.
The heat can be horrendous in Luxor but unless you go in December/January it’s hard to avoid really. I was based in Sharm but spent a month working in Luxor and loved it there much more than Sharm. It just felt more like ‘proper’ Egypt, an older more laid back way of life. I used to see people washing clothes in the river occasionally . And the tombs and temples are breathtaking.

We went for three weeks in our 50s and I think others have covered all the points. We went to Abu Simbel, across Lake Nasser and up/down the Nile with temple visits, Valley of the Kings, Pyramids, Cairo, etc. It was hot and there was a good deal of walking, stairs and accessing boats. I don't think we could do it now 20+ years later.

Do go to Egypt if you can - its magical visiting the pyramids and temples for real, and cruising down the Nile. I can't remember how long ago I went, but travelled with a firm called Bales - I hope they still exist, because we had wonderful tour guides and were very well looked after. Do look them up - good luck! Keep us posted.

We went to Egypt (and Jordan) earlier this year. The cruise was with Viking. I have two replacement knees plus shoulder and a mild heart condition. Yes the surfaces in cities, villages and archaeological sites can be very challenging but you decide what you can do. Just being there and seeing these structures is awesome and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I didn’t do the balloon flight but my husband did. I knew I would struggle to get in/out of the basket as I’ve been in a balloon before I was far less physically able.

Maybe it's just me but I would not feel comfortable traveling anywhere in or near the Middle East.

My daughter and I visited Egypt at the Luxor resort on the Nile about 20 years ago....the heat in May was unbearable as someone also mentioned upthread...but, the memory of visiting here was tainted as, once off the resort and onto the complimentary bus into the town, as soon as we got off the bus we were surrounded by men who were trying to separate us and grab us...it go so bad we had to run to the nearest hotel entrance.and request the resort bus to come and pick us backup ...it was very frightening...if we had a male with us, the hotel rep said this probably wouldn't have happened.- I don't know if things have changed now, but I wouldn't go back...the resort itself was beautiful and accommodation in bungalows excellent as was the infinity pool and children's play area with pool...we left a lot of clothes and toiletries at the hotel as we noticed a poster in reception saying that a local children's home/hospital were short on supplies...
And I personally didn't like the camels and their spit😮 (resort had small private zoo) but daughter thought they were amazing...

Might be worth considering something like this - Saga seem to cater well for less mobile people, though I would avoid going at the height of their hot season. We went some years ago - not with Saga - can't remember the name of the company, but it was so interesting and, if you are interested in Egyptian history it's definitely worth pursuing. The Saga holidays usually have excellent and well-informed guides.
holiday.saga.co.uk/holidays/africa/egypt/the-nile

Thank you so much for all your info, there is hope for me yet! i'll be visiting a travel agent and doing more online research.

Lovely post drainedme - makes me think about Egypt after all.

Hi there, I do have mobility issues that make walking and climbing difficult at times. We just had a recent trip on Egypt
with my wife and decided to try a Nile cruise to experience the major sites along the river. I'm so glad we did!

Our cruise was a wonderful and accessible way to see many amazing places without having to do a lot of walking. We sailed between Luxor and Aswan on a 5-day itinerary, stopping at major stops like Kom Ombo, Edfu and more: www.egypttoursportal.com/egypt-nile-cruises/ . The ship had handicap-accessible rooms and facilities, and tenders/portable wheelchairs were available to get on and off at each port. Our guide was also very accommodating of my needs.

While a cruise still involves some movement, it allowed me to fully experience Egypt in a way that minimized physical challenges. I'd highly recommend looking into cruise options if mobility is a concern. You could also consider a guided tour for additional assistance: gowithguide.com/egypt we booked here. Egypt was absolutely worth visiting despite my limitations. The history, sites and culture are truly awe-inspiring. I hope you're able to find a way to experience it too!

Ive been to Egypt several times but I was younger and more mobile then. First time I booked a cruise and later travelled independently booking my own hotels. I loved the country and the ancient sites. The heat was a bit of a problem. It was only May and in the 40s. I enjoyed the Valley of the Kings but the tour began at 6am! Yes there are a lot of rickety entrances and shaky ramps. But this was in the 1990s.

I kind of feel this way about the Galapagos islands which I would love to visit but fear that it is not the place for those with mobility issues.

We went on a Nile cruise when Dh was in his late 60’s. Apart from what seemed to be a large family group and a man in his 40’s with a son of about ten, we were the youngest there!

Some people were really quite afflicted with various bodily problems, although no one was in a wheelchair but they still made the best of the trip. Walking across the boats wasn’t an issue, they’re moored pretty closely and it’s not as though it’s at sea with big waves or anything.

Some sites are more rugged than others and it might be harder to ‘access all areas’ but there are still things to be seen at all of them. Other sites are easier to access and you’d be able to see everything.

Guides and other staff at the sites were helpful and attentive to people who needed a hand, chaperoning them around and trying to showcase as much as they could, even if not everything was accessible.

Temperatures are a personal thing, really. It’s never too hot for my Dh or dd but I melt into a greasy puddle very easily! I found it bearable in October although I didn’t go on the long trip to Abu Simnel because I knew the v early start and exceedingly high temps at the site would make it a misery for me.

It was a stand out trip and far exceeded our expectations.