Hi Jack, I am glad you found my videos helpful! I am sorry you experienced a lot of negative interactions like that. It can be difficult to travel Egypt independently without a tour guide or knowledge of Arabic/experience living in Egypt, but I am glad you went anyway and were more prepared. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Best to wear headphones and avoid all outside Noise ...just show "sign language" not interested // You have a Road Map to see the Pyramids and just focus on that /// Cut the Noise and other Human elements /// it works !!!
Hi.. im a tour guide and that's a good video to advice the other tourists, by the way there are 2 entrances to the pyramid plateau, the main one you used next to Mina House hotel and the other one is in front of sphinx so when a scammer lie and says the main entrance is closed, they take you to the other entrance by a cart to get money.. the best way to avoid those scammers is to not reply them at all, once you reply you will get involved and they will follow you. Enjoy your time & welcome to Egypt 🌹
Excellent advice! And yes, you're right, there is the other entrance too, at the Sphinx. Thank you for watching and commenting! Please send me an email, Amira--I would like to meet you in Egypt and talk about collaborating!
@@gemsofegypt-amiratourguide Hi just a question. Last time I was there in 2022, we wanted to enter at 7 am at the Sphinx entrance but they said it opens an hour later and we should go to the "Mena House" entrance if we wanted to go in early. Is that true or were we scammed to pay for transport to the other gate?
Hello I am American living in Egypt and I love going to the Pyramids but always encounter these scammers every time. Last time I went the police (they said they were the police anyway) stopped our car and demanded half the commission from our tour guide/driver before we could go through. Luckily our driver knew how to get out of this and we were able to go through after about 15 minutes of arguing. The time before that we had a scammer approach us with a badge saying he needed to see our tickets before we could go into the Sphinx and started following us around. Once we figured out what he was doing and we told him we did not need his help he turned extremely nasty calling us bad names and demanded money for his time. I absolutely love the Pyramid but you just need to be aware of what you are up against before you go. The locals are very sad that tourists have to put up with this kind of behavior. Thank you for your videos, you do an awesome job of helping people when they come here.
We were in Egypt in November and the first day when we were near the Egyptian museum a "professor" approached us and said he could show us how to get the Egyptian Museum. However, he took us to his families shop offered us tea and cookies and proceeded to dupe us into buying papyrus with our children's names on them. It was a terrible first experience in Egypt. The hotel the next day told us to go back and return the items and if the shopkeeper was unwilling to call the police. We did return with the items and we got half of our money back and kept the items (thought we really didn't want them). Lesson learned. Luckily it was not that much money. Unfortunately after that we didn't trust any vendor in Egypt unless our tour leader vouched for them.
Thanks for sharing that experience, Pat! It’s why I always recommend first time travelers to Egypt without knowledge of Arabic or the country try to use a local guide (or me!) when they can to help them navigate these situations.
What do you mean for “proceeded to dupe us into buying papyrus”, you couldn’t say things like: NO, thanks, I’m not interested, I don’t want to buy it, I don’t need it or I don’t like it and simply get away from that place?!
When at the Pyramids area, yes, if someone is telling you something and it doesn’t sound right, chances are it’s probably a scam. One of the reasons why having a trusted local guide at the Pyramids is a great idea 👍🏼.
Here in Cairo the most common "scam" I've faced is while walking, some guy will suddenly approach - always very friendly!! - asking where I'm going and then insist that it's really "that way" and that he'll show you the "best way"....before you know it you're in their shop and they're showing you papyrus paintings, or lotus flower oils, or whatnot. I knew where I was going most of the time so I just politely turned them down, but once I let my guard down and ended up buying a medium-sized papyrus painting and a smaller one for a total of 200EGP [about $12]. They're actually quite nice as gifts and $12 is nothing, so I don't regret getting "scammed." lol But in general, the best advice is to stick to your track and don't follow anyone extremely chatty and **insisting** they'll show you the "best way." Side note: Of course there are kind/polite Egyptians who will gently help you if you seem lost, but you can tell they're genuine b/c they're not insisting or trying to "chat you up."
Thank you so much for posting this - I’m a big fan of your channel - i keep going back and forth about going on my first trip soon with my child - I feel depressed after watching this and I know that was not your intent but I do - the fact that even you felt uncomfortable dealing with the authorities and didn’t feel confident about continuing your video at the site makes me worry - my fear is if a misunderstanding with the authorities turns sour then who could I trust in that scenario or ask for help?
You definitely don’t need to worry about that! I was just being questioned because I was specifically making a UA-cam video. The whole time, the authorities were apologetic, they just were concerned that I was taking videos of specific police/military officers and equipment. Egypt definitely isn’t the easiest place in the world to travel, but it is so rewarding to experience such a wonderful country. I’d be happy to chat about Egypt anytime, and to help plan your trip!
It's definitely not for everyone! That's one of the biggest things my guests who come on my tours love...I take care of any potential scams, and I do all the haggling for them, so they don't have to! Some people like to bargain though, and think it's fun! To each their own, but you're right, if you don't like it, it can really put a damper on enjoying your vacation.
Sounds like Egypt is not the place to visit, frightening stuff. But my best advice is if you arrive late at the airport (Especially from Greece that arrives at 1am) make sure you have your taxi nailed down without question beforehand. Just ordered up and Uber did not work at the airport. Getting stranded at the airport at night is really Frightening stuff. My wife and I are very experienced travelers and it was a nail-biter all the way across Cirao, but we make it just fine.
In my opinion, Egypt is still *definitely* the place to visit, but it's always a good idea to be prepared when traveling. The only reason I attracted so much attention is because I was taking a video in an area that has a heavy police/military presence; they were making sure that I wasn't specifically trying to record police and military personnel/equipment. To offer a counter-perspective, I almost never have my taxi nailed down beforehand, but prefer to just bargain when I get to the airport. I always get a taxi for 300 Egyptian pounds, including the tip, to downtown Cairo (about $20). Of course, some folks like setting up their taxi ahead of time, like you said, which is a totally fine option. I just prefer to not worry about meeting up with a driver, and usually use someone who is ready and waiting. The taxis at the airport are heavily regulated, and I always feel safe. If I were a solo female traveler, though, I would opt for using a pre-booked taxi service. I'm sorry that you had a nail-biter and frightening experience moving from the Cairo airport to your hotel! I love taking care of travelers in Egypt, so I can help ensure they have a safe and easy transition to wherever they need to go.
My daughters and I watched dozens of personal Egyptian pyramid tour videos because I want them to go with me but now they're not too enthused about going. I myself was harassed ugly in a Mexican market place, surrounded by vendors all wanting to sell me their goods. After saying politely No, my words were not respected, so I loudly said BASTA (in English means Enough!) in Spanish and they were embarrassed and backed off a bit. Geeezus!!! I was sweating so ugly with their horde like behavior that I was left just staring at them in disbelief! I left slowly and they dared not bother me further.
I’m sorry that happened-I hope you all make it to Egypt and have a better experience there-the best strategy is to hire a vetted and trusted local guide to take you to the pyramids.
Great video! Thanks for the info!.. it's a shame there's so many scams and scammers at the pyramids. It ruins the experience for tourists and discourages people from coming back.. I've talked to people who canceled their trip to Egypt after watching all the scam videos.
It’s why I always recommend first time travelers use at least a local guide to help avoid some of those pitfalls. Egypt is a wonderful place, and if travelers know what they are doing or are in the hands of someone who knows, then they’ll have a great experience! Thanks for watching.
Great question! Here is the parking lot area where the visitor center is. They do not have the actual visitor center/ticket office on Google Maps. goo.gl/maps/ZYaLpiRHDdSVkJXv7
The other scam are the "trinket" salesman at the base of the Pyramids. The scam goes, "Where are you from? I like - insert country -. Here my friend take this souvenir for free - but please I have 5 children at home - how about 5 dollars." We caught one guy saying he had 5 children, then in the next sentence he said he had 4. LOL
On our first trip to Egypt, we went without a guide to Giza to see the Pyramids and Sphinx. We made the HUGE mistake of letting our daughter (7 years old at the time) go for a camel ride. We settled on a price and were told I would be a very short out-and-back ride. The next thing we know, the guy giving her a ride is off like a shot and almost out of sight while his other guy immediatley starts telling us we needed to give him triple what we had agreed upon if we wanted our daughter back. Meanwhile, the guy with our daughter was also telling her that we needed to give him more money or he wasn't going to bring her back to us. In shear panic, my wife started screaming bloody murder which immediatley attracted the attention of nearby police officers. They rushed over and, after several tense minutes of heated conversation between all parties, got our daughter back from the scammer on the camel. Overall, it set a tone for the rest of our trip and we kept an iron grip on our daughter at all times. All of this said, we weren't dissuaded enough to not come back. We have another trip coming up in March with a private tour company where we will be doing Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. We want to replace out somewhat negative first experience with a new, better experience. If we ever take a third trip to Egypt, we will be sure to reach out and use your services! You videos have been a great way to prep for this upcoming trip! Thanks!
I am so glad you all are going back to Egypt despite that scary experience! Yikes! The camel area has changed a lot over the years, and I luckily hear of those experiences happening less and less, but still, that is not a good first impression of a place. I hope you have a much better time in Egypt this trip, and yes, I would love to take you all to Egypt on one of my future trips! Thanks for watching.
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel thanks! We love to travel internationally and we try to never let an isolated experience ge the gauge we weigh the overall experience by. We will definitely be in touch when we are planning our next Egypt adventure. Cheers!
My husband often (ALWAYS) has a small pocketknife in his pants pocket (think letter opener, or various uses, but small). Is that going to be a problem at the tourist sites in Egypt?
I would recommend against traveling throughout Egypt with this. For example, at the Intercontinental Hotel, they scanned my clients’ luggage and found a pocketknife and wouldn’t even let him have it at the hotel - they confiscated it for the entire stay. At other times security isn’t even checking the scanners or metal detectors, so it just depends, but you may run into issues.
This video is SPOT ON when dealing with travels in Egypt...pretty much anywhere! I have been to Egypt twice and had encountered many scam attempts on me. One thing you must also make sure of when crossing the country is to ensure it is in an convoy, escorted by military. Any tourist travels for long distances should normally be like this. I make hiking videos in Germany and would really appreciate other travelers like you. Please come by and check it out.
Thanks for commenting! Just to offer a counter perspective, I have traveled throughout Egypt in convoys and without convoys, and felt just as safe each time. It just depends on the current political climate and what the police/military determine.
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel you are correct on this. I think I was personally more at ease with the convoys. Nice job dealing with the police pressure while shooting your video.
Another one that I have seen is someone will approach you with a Egyptian scarf/headwear etc and they ask you to try it on for a picture in front of the pyramids and then you do, then they try and make you buy it for trying it on.
I think people talking about egypt often mix up "scam" and "hustle". A scam means you were directly deceived out of your money, usually by actual theft of sorts. Some guy asking you to come into his shop is just a hustle. He may have lied about the way in to the pyramids, but that in itself isnt a scam.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a scam is “a dishonest scheme; a fraud”. I would call lying to someone about where to go to enter the pyramids, in order to dishonestly lead them to your store, scheming to make money from someone who is not wanting nor intending to buy something, a scam. But whatever you call it, whether it’s a scam of hustle, I hope to help travelers avoid it, so they can focus on all the amazing things Egypt has to offer 😎.
Took the camel ride at the pyramids and made sure to ask the price beforehand but once done they asked for double. I literally agreed to pay $200 & then they demanded $400 USD! Just nuts! Oh and the "tour guides" show official looking badges that they say make them "official government tour guides" who, when I tell them I don't need them, say it's illegal to go alone and refuse to leave you alone, all while in front of the police who do nothing.
Oh no Matthew, I’m sorry you had this experience! I always recommend first time travelers to Egypt have a vetted and trusted local guide (or me 🙃) with them at the Giza Plateau to help avoid these hassles. I’m so sorry this happened, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Egypt.
You don’t need to do an all inclusive trip, but the best way to avoid scams is to work with a vetted and trusted local company or guide. Shoot me an email if you want to talk about working together on your trip!
I was in Egypt in 2021 for 18 days and it was amazing (the sites are one of a kind), but I couldn’t stand the amount of people trying to sell me stuff. I hated the endless hounding to get on camels, the constant whistle blowing, horse carriages following me for miles. I’ve been all over the world and Egypt is by far the worst when it comes to being hassled. If you go to Egypt then you will experience all of these scams (and more) over and over everyday. The best advice I can give is to never take your wallet out of your pocket. They can’t take your money if you don’t give it to them. Also, be prepared to be the aggressor because they back down more quickly when you match their crazy. I loved the sites in Egypt, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. If you are looking for something similar with less hassle than visit Jordan.
Hi Vince, I’m sorry to hear you had this experience. Just curious, did you have a local guide with you, or did you work with a company to help with your trip?
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel I traveled with a family member without a tour company. I had watched several UA-cam videos and was prepared for the various hassles, but was completely surprised by the fact they were constant, all day-everyday. Luxor was the worst. The sights were absolutely incredible, however, the locals were horrible. We couldn’t walk out of our hotel without being hassled and followed for miles. Some days we had to decide whether to stay at the hotel where we were treated great or going out where we were endlessly hassled. I’ve traveled all over the world and never experienced this level of hassle.
@@colevt yikes, that does not sound like an enjoyable experience at all! This perfectly illustrates the challenges travelers going without a company or guide might face. I wish you all would have been with me on one of my tours so you would not have had to deal with that! Thank you for sharing your experience though-hopefully it will help future travelers decide if they want to visit Egypt and if they do go, if they decide to invest in working with a guide or company who is vetted and trusted to avoid these potential pitfalls.
Yes! I will be volunteering in Jerusalem during November and really hope to visit Cairo and Luxor. I was planning a 3-4 days itinerary on a very tiny budget😊 your videos help me a lot specially in terms of mobility . Thank you
I posted 3 scam videos myself. Two scams you didn’t mention were some guy offering you a gift then asking for some money afterwards. Another are those fake Egyptologists walking around with those yellow cards. As far as the picture scam goes, I had some scammer come out of nowhere while I was taking pictures, as I was taking photos, he demanded I tip him. Then he started grabbing me, I almost fought him. I talk about it in my video
Prices can often change anyway due to constant rising costs in Egypt (everything there has gotten consistently more expensive year by year), but I will try to do this in a future video-thank you ☺️
Hi Conor, Egypt is not horrific at all! I just want tourists to be prepared with what to expect. Egypt is a wonderful place full of amazing people, food, and places-check out my Instagram and other UA-cam videos for some examples ☺️. I make customized itineraries, hook travelers up with local guides, lead private tours, and more! Reach out via email or DM if you’d like help with your trip!
Good job brother all people are not aware of this, Because all going for explore the Great Pharos living style and places. Unfortunately bad people ruined there experience and stole there all money they keep with for trip. Note: English is not good but i share my view
You're welcome! Are you traveling to Egypt? I make customized itineraries, recommend local guides, book cruises, and more! Let me know how I can help :).
Hey Missa, thanks for the feedback! I shoot most of my videos like this in "selfie mode", so I am holding my phone out in front of me. Not reading anything, just making sure I am getting everything in the video I need, avoiding obstacles (Egypt is full of obstacles!), and trying not to get too many people in the frame. Apologies that this doesn't give the best viewer experience! One day I would love to get big enough where I can hire someone to hold the camera ;).
اهلاً و سهلاً ليك حضرتك الchannel بتاعي الفيديو ده فيديو واحد بس عن الموضوع ده. انا عندي اكتر من ١٢٠ فيديو عن مصر، كل دول عن حاجة مختلفة و مش من نفس الموضوع الفيديو ده. ممكن حضرتك هتفرج عن فيديوز مني اكتر و هتشىف حضرتك باحب مصر ازاي عشان دي بلد جميلة جداً و باحبها اوي. شكراً ليك حضرتك.
I just got back from Egypt and your videos were very helpful. I must say that I was very tired of all the scammers and thieves.
Hi Jack, I am glad you found my videos helpful! I am sorry you experienced a lot of negative interactions like that. It can be difficult to travel Egypt independently without a tour guide or knowledge of Arabic/experience living in Egypt, but I am glad you went anyway and were more prepared. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Best to wear headphones and avoid all outside Noise ...just show "sign language" not interested // You have a Road Map to see the Pyramids and just focus on that /// Cut the Noise and other Human elements /// it works !!!
These are all great tips!
Hi.. im a tour guide and that's a good video to advice the other tourists, by the way there are 2 entrances to the pyramid plateau, the main one you used next to Mina House hotel and the other one is in front of sphinx so when a scammer lie and says the main entrance is closed, they take you to the other entrance by a cart to get money.. the best way to avoid those scammers is to not reply them at all, once you reply you will get involved and they will follow you.
Enjoy your time & welcome to Egypt 🌹
Excellent advice! And yes, you're right, there is the other entrance too, at the Sphinx. Thank you for watching and commenting! Please send me an email, Amira--I would like to meet you in Egypt and talk about collaborating!
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel
I sent you an email, check your mail :)
@@gemsofegypt-amiratourguide Hi just a question. Last time I was there in 2022, we wanted to enter at 7 am at the Sphinx entrance but they said it opens an hour later and we should go to the "Mena House" entrance if we wanted to go in early. Is that true or were we scammed to pay for transport to the other gate?
Hello I am American living in Egypt and I love going to the Pyramids but always encounter these scammers every time. Last time I went the police (they said they were the police anyway) stopped our car and demanded half the commission from our tour guide/driver before we could go through. Luckily our driver knew how to get out of this and we were able to go through after about 15 minutes of arguing. The time before that we had a scammer approach us with a badge saying he needed to see our tickets before we could go into the Sphinx and started following us around. Once we figured out what he was doing and we told him we did not need his help he turned extremely nasty calling us bad names and demanded money for his time. I absolutely love the Pyramid but you just need to be aware of what you are up against before you go. The locals are very sad that tourists have to put up with this kind of behavior. Thank you for your videos, you do an awesome job of helping people when they come here.
Thank you for watching and sharing your perspective!
Thank you so much for including the recommendations of local artisans! Really love your videos.
My pleasure 😇! Thanks for watching.
We were in Egypt in November and the first day when we were near the Egyptian museum a "professor" approached us and said he could show us how to get the Egyptian Museum. However, he took us to his families shop offered us tea and cookies and proceeded to dupe us into buying papyrus with our children's names on them. It was a terrible first experience in Egypt. The hotel the next day told us to go back and return the items and if the shopkeeper was unwilling to call the police. We did return with the items and we got half of our money back and kept the items (thought we really didn't want them). Lesson learned. Luckily it was not that much money. Unfortunately after that we didn't trust any vendor in Egypt unless our tour leader vouched for them.
Thanks for sharing that experience, Pat! It’s why I always recommend first time travelers to Egypt without knowledge of Arabic or the country try to use a local guide (or me!) when they can to help them navigate these situations.
What do you mean for “proceeded to dupe us into buying papyrus”, you couldn’t say things like: NO, thanks, I’m not interested, I don’t want to buy it, I don’t need it or I don’t like it and simply get away from that place?!
Key takeaway:
If an Egyptian man’s lips are moving, they’re either lying or scamming, most likely BOTH! 😂😂😂
When at the Pyramids area, yes, if someone is telling you something and it doesn’t sound right, chances are it’s probably a scam. One of the reasons why having a trusted local guide at the Pyramids is a great idea 👍🏼.
Hi i am visiting in dec 2023 your video has been very infomative i love it..thanks alot
My pleasure!
Egypt is awesome. Awesome people. I had a driver and guide. No scams. Was taken to some nice places.
I’m glad you had a great time!
Here in Cairo the most common "scam" I've faced is while walking, some guy will suddenly approach - always very friendly!! - asking where I'm going and then insist that it's really "that way" and that he'll show you the "best way"....before you know it you're in their shop and they're showing you papyrus paintings, or lotus flower oils, or whatnot.
I knew where I was going most of the time so I just politely turned them down, but once I let my guard down and ended up buying a medium-sized papyrus painting and a smaller one for a total of 200EGP [about $12]. They're actually quite nice as gifts and $12 is nothing, so I don't regret getting "scammed." lol
But in general, the best advice is to stick to your track and don't follow anyone extremely chatty and **insisting** they'll show you the "best way."
Side note: Of course there are kind/polite Egyptians who will gently help you if you seem lost, but you can tell they're genuine b/c they're not insisting or trying to "chat you up."
Totally agree with all of this (and it happened to me too, back in the day). Thanks for sharing!
Thanks a bunch for the Gouda contact....and another informative vid....cheers!
My pleasure!
Hi Gus. Really enjoy your real tourist facing videos. Thanks for the informative,useful videos.
Glad you like them!
I think I’ve watched all of ur videos & I just love love love them!!! Your personality is everything! You’re so informative! Love ur Chanel
Thank you for the kind words! I have videos out every Thursday, so stay tuned each week for more :)
Thank you so much for posting this - I’m a big fan of your channel - i keep going back and forth about going on my first trip soon with my child - I feel depressed after watching this and I know that was not your intent but I do - the fact that even you felt uncomfortable dealing with the authorities and didn’t feel confident about continuing your video at the site makes me worry - my fear is if a misunderstanding with the authorities turns sour then who could I trust in that scenario or ask for help?
You definitely don’t need to worry about that! I was just being questioned because I was specifically making a UA-cam video. The whole time, the authorities were apologetic, they just were concerned that I was taking videos of specific police/military officers and equipment. Egypt definitely isn’t the easiest place in the world to travel, but it is so rewarding to experience such a wonderful country.
I’d be happy to chat about Egypt anytime, and to help plan your trip!
Scammers suck! Who wants to be haggling with people over crap when you're on vacation! What a turnoff to a great adventure vacation.
It's definitely not for everyone! That's one of the biggest things my guests who come on my tours love...I take care of any potential scams, and I do all the haggling for them, so they don't have to!
Some people like to bargain though, and think it's fun!
To each their own, but you're right, if you don't like it, it can really put a damper on enjoying your vacation.
Sounds like Egypt is not the place to visit, frightening stuff. But my best advice is if you arrive late at the airport (Especially from Greece that arrives at 1am) make sure you have your taxi nailed down without question beforehand. Just ordered up and Uber did not work at the airport. Getting stranded at the airport at night is really Frightening stuff. My wife and I are very experienced travelers and it was a nail-biter all the way across Cirao, but we make it just fine.
In my opinion, Egypt is still *definitely* the place to visit, but it's always a good idea to be prepared when traveling. The only reason I attracted so much attention is because I was taking a video in an area that has a heavy police/military presence; they were making sure that I wasn't specifically trying to record police and military personnel/equipment.
To offer a counter-perspective, I almost never have my taxi nailed down beforehand, but prefer to just bargain when I get to the airport. I always get a taxi for 300 Egyptian pounds, including the tip, to downtown Cairo (about $20). Of course, some folks like setting up their taxi ahead of time, like you said, which is a totally fine option. I just prefer to not worry about meeting up with a driver, and usually use someone who is ready and waiting. The taxis at the airport are heavily regulated, and I always feel safe. If I were a solo female traveler, though, I would opt for using a pre-booked taxi service.
I'm sorry that you had a nail-biter and frightening experience moving from the Cairo airport to your hotel! I love taking care of travelers in Egypt, so I can help ensure they have a safe and easy transition to wherever they need to go.
My daughters and I watched dozens of personal Egyptian pyramid tour videos because I want them to go with me but now they're not too enthused about going. I myself was harassed ugly in a Mexican market place, surrounded by vendors all wanting to sell me their goods. After saying politely No, my words were not respected, so I loudly said BASTA (in English means Enough!) in Spanish and they were embarrassed and backed off a bit. Geeezus!!! I was sweating so ugly with their horde like behavior that I was left just staring at them in disbelief! I left slowly and they dared not bother me further.
I’m sorry that happened-I hope you all make it to Egypt and have a better experience there-the best strategy is to hire a vetted and trusted local guide to take you to the pyramids.
Great video! Thanks for the info!.. it's a shame there's so many scams and scammers at the pyramids. It ruins the experience for tourists and discourages people from coming back.. I've talked to people who canceled their trip to Egypt after watching all the scam videos.
It’s why I always recommend first time travelers use at least a local guide to help avoid some of those pitfalls. Egypt is a wonderful place, and if travelers know what they are doing or are in the hands of someone who knows, then they’ll have a great experience! Thanks for watching.
Great info! Thanks. About the entrance, would be helpful to provide some Google coordenates so we don't get lost.
Great question! Here is the parking lot area where the visitor center is. They do not have the actual visitor center/ticket office on Google Maps. goo.gl/maps/ZYaLpiRHDdSVkJXv7
We go check it out tomorrow thanks for sharing !!
Have a great time!
Im back in the us after 20 days in Egypt 🇪🇬 beautiful experience
Yay! I’m so glad you had a good experience in (I’m biased) the most amazing place in the world! 😍
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel yes ❤️
Thanks for the advices
No problem!
The other scam are the "trinket" salesman at the base of the Pyramids. The scam goes, "Where are you from? I like - insert country -. Here my friend take this souvenir for free - but please I have 5 children at home - how about 5 dollars." We caught one guy saying he had 5 children, then in the next sentence he said he had 4. LOL
Yes, this is another common one. Thanks for sharing!
On our first trip to Egypt, we went without a guide to Giza to see the Pyramids and Sphinx. We made the HUGE mistake of letting our daughter (7 years old at the time) go for a camel ride. We settled on a price and were told I would be a very short out-and-back ride. The next thing we know, the guy giving her a ride is off like a shot and almost out of sight while his other guy immediatley starts telling us we needed to give him triple what we had agreed upon if we wanted our daughter back. Meanwhile, the guy with our daughter was also telling her that we needed to give him more money or he wasn't going to bring her back to us. In shear panic, my wife started screaming bloody murder which immediatley attracted the attention of nearby police officers. They rushed over and, after several tense minutes of heated conversation between all parties, got our daughter back from the scammer on the camel. Overall, it set a tone for the rest of our trip and we kept an iron grip on our daughter at all times.
All of this said, we weren't dissuaded enough to not come back. We have another trip coming up in March with a private tour company where we will be doing Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. We want to replace out somewhat negative first experience with a new, better experience. If we ever take a third trip to Egypt, we will be sure to reach out and use your services! You videos have been a great way to prep for this upcoming trip! Thanks!
I am so glad you all are going back to Egypt despite that scary experience! Yikes! The camel area has changed a lot over the years, and I luckily hear of those experiences happening less and less, but still, that is not a good first impression of a place.
I hope you have a much better time in Egypt this trip, and yes, I would love to take you all to Egypt on one of my future trips! Thanks for watching.
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel thanks! We love to travel internationally and we try to never let an isolated experience ge the gauge we weigh the overall experience by. We will definitely be in touch when we are planning our next Egypt adventure. Cheers!
Jeez I think Israel would be 50 times more terrifying than Egypt
My husband often (ALWAYS) has a small pocketknife in his pants pocket (think letter opener, or various uses, but small). Is that going to be a problem at the tourist sites in Egypt?
I would recommend against traveling throughout Egypt with this. For example, at the Intercontinental Hotel, they scanned my clients’ luggage and found a pocketknife and wouldn’t even let him have it at the hotel - they confiscated it for the entire stay.
At other times security isn’t even checking the scanners or metal detectors, so it just depends, but you may run into issues.
This video is SPOT ON when dealing with travels in Egypt...pretty much anywhere! I have been to Egypt twice and had encountered many scam attempts on me. One thing you must also make sure of when crossing the country is to ensure it is in an convoy, escorted by military. Any tourist travels for long distances should normally be like this. I make hiking videos in Germany and would really appreciate other travelers like you. Please come by and check it out.
Thanks for commenting! Just to offer a counter perspective, I have traveled throughout Egypt in convoys and without convoys, and felt just as safe each time. It just depends on the current political climate and what the police/military determine.
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel you are correct on this. I think I was personally more at ease with the convoys. Nice job dealing with the police pressure while shooting your video.
@@TheArmchairUniverse thank you, and thank you for sharing your experience. I’m glad you’ve gotten to go to Egypt twice now :)
Another one that I have seen is someone will approach you with a Egyptian scarf/headwear etc and they ask you to try it on for a picture in front of the pyramids and then you do, then they try and make you buy it for trying it on.
Thank you for sharing that one! I have not heard of that, but I can definitely see that happening.
I'll be adding it to the list ;)
I think people talking about egypt often mix up "scam" and "hustle". A scam means you were directly deceived out of your money, usually by actual theft of sorts. Some guy asking you to come into his shop is just a hustle. He may have lied about the way in to the pyramids, but that in itself isnt a scam.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a scam is “a dishonest scheme; a fraud”. I would call lying to someone about where to go to enter the pyramids, in order to dishonestly lead them to your store, scheming to make money from someone who is not wanting nor intending to buy something, a scam. But whatever you call it, whether it’s a scam of hustle, I hope to help travelers avoid it, so they can focus on all the amazing things Egypt has to offer 😎.
One word: Tour guide. Avoids all this! Lol.
Yes, I agree! The pyramids is the place in Cairo I think having a tour guide is the most helpful!
Took the camel ride at the pyramids and made sure to ask the price beforehand but once done they asked for double. I literally agreed to pay $200 & then they demanded $400 USD! Just nuts! Oh and the "tour guides" show official looking badges that they say make them "official government tour guides" who, when I tell them I don't need them, say it's illegal to go alone and refuse to leave you alone, all while in front of the police who do nothing.
Oh no Matthew, I’m sorry you had this experience! I always recommend first time travelers to Egypt have a vetted and trusted local guide (or me 🙃) with them at the Giza Plateau to help avoid these hassles. I’m so sorry this happened, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Egypt.
Matthew Gage paid 400 😁 like iam fool im donkey
Very helpful! ❤
Thank you! ❤️
Would it be wise to do all inclusive? From the UK and nervous about these scams due to mh
You don’t need to do an all inclusive trip, but the best way to avoid scams is to work with a vetted and trusted local company or guide. Shoot me an email if you want to talk about working together on your trip!
I was in Egypt in 2021 for 18 days and it was amazing (the sites are one of a kind), but I couldn’t stand the amount of people trying to sell me stuff. I hated the endless hounding to get on camels, the constant whistle blowing, horse carriages following me for miles. I’ve been all over the world and Egypt is by far the worst when it comes to being hassled. If you go to Egypt then you will experience all of these scams (and more) over and over everyday. The best advice I can give is to never take your wallet out of your pocket. They can’t take your money if you don’t give it to them. Also, be prepared to be the aggressor because they back down more quickly when you match their crazy. I loved the sites in Egypt, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. If you are looking for something similar with less hassle than visit Jordan.
Hi Vince, I’m sorry to hear you had this experience. Just curious, did you have a local guide with you, or did you work with a company to help with your trip?
@@EgyptAdventuresTravel I traveled with a family member without a tour company. I had watched several UA-cam videos and was prepared for the various hassles, but was completely surprised by the fact they were constant, all day-everyday. Luxor was the worst. The sights were absolutely incredible, however, the locals were horrible. We couldn’t walk out of our hotel without being hassled and followed for miles. Some days we had to decide whether to stay at the hotel where we were treated great or going out where we were endlessly hassled. I’ve traveled all over the world and never experienced this level of hassle.
@@colevt yikes, that does not sound like an enjoyable experience at all! This perfectly illustrates the challenges travelers going without a company or guide might face. I wish you all would have been with me on one of my tours so you would not have had to deal with that! Thank you for sharing your experience though-hopefully it will help future travelers decide if they want to visit Egypt and if they do go, if they decide to invest in working with a guide or company who is vetted and trusted to avoid these potential pitfalls.
This is very helpful, thank you ❤
My pleasure! Are you planning a trip to Egypt sometime soon?
Yes! I will be volunteering in Jerusalem during November and really hope to visit Cairo and Luxor. I was planning a 3-4 days itinerary on a very tiny budget😊 your videos help me a lot specially in terms of mobility . Thank you
I posted 3 scam videos myself. Two scams you didn’t mention were some guy offering you a gift then asking for some money afterwards. Another are those fake Egyptologists walking around with those yellow cards. As far as the picture scam goes, I had some scammer come out of nowhere while I was taking pictures, as I was taking photos, he demanded I tip him. Then he started grabbing me, I almost fought him. I talk about it in my video
Yes, these are great ones to add to the list! Thanks for sharing.
Very useful pieces of advice
Thank you!
It will be good to actually film the transaction with the camel and horse ride packages. Just incase they switch up the prices
Prices can often change anyway due to constant rising costs in Egypt (everything there has gotten consistently more expensive year by year), but I will try to do this in a future video-thank you ☺️
You never said the name of the main entrance!
I don’t think it has a name, sorry!
You make it sound HORRIFIC 🤣 I'm looking to book this month, I'll be wary when I'm there!
Hi Conor, Egypt is not horrific at all! I just want tourists to be prepared with what to expect. Egypt is a wonderful place full of amazing people, food, and places-check out my Instagram and other UA-cam videos for some examples ☺️.
I make customized itineraries, hook travelers up with local guides, lead private tours, and more! Reach out via email or DM if you’d like help with your trip!
Thank you so much for the video which is very helpful! Could you pls tell me the contact number at the pyramids? Thx!
There isn't one that I know of. Does anyone else know?
Good job brother all people are not aware of this,
Because all going for explore the Great Pharos living style and places.
Unfortunately bad people ruined there experience and stole there all money they keep with for trip.
Note: English is not good but i share my view
Yes, I made this video so people are aware and are able to avoid the potential scams and pitfalls at the Giza Plateau. Thanks for watching!
solid advice. we experienced all of these things but luckily didnt fall for any of them
I’m glad they didn’t take too much time away from your experience!
Will be going in June from the US!
Awesome, I'm excited for you! I make customized itineraries, recommend local guides, book cruises, and more! Let me know how I can help :).
Great advice! 😎
Thank you!
Hi bro ,nice view,Bro can we Keeping touch with you ,By the way i am living in cairo,I want to take some information about alexandra and cairo.
Sure, I would be happy to do a consultation appointment to help you out! Get in touch via email and I can talk about some options.
Muy agradecido contigo. Nos ayudó muchísimo ver tus videos y el blog
Por nada! I'm glad you got to go to Egypt :)
Leaving on Saturday to egypt for the first time
Awesome, have an amazing time!
Thank you.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching.
thank you
You're welcome! Are you traveling to Egypt? I make customized itineraries, recommend local guides, book cruises, and more! Let me know how I can help :).
Wow, this video went bad. I've seen lots of videos around and in the plateau without getting hassled by cops. I did it without issue.
I’m glad that you had that experience at the Giza Plateau, and I hope others have the same experience.
Just visited. Hate to say 95% of trip was scams and lies. Sad but rue.
Who is he talking to? Or is he reading off of something? It would be great if he was facing the "viewers" as if we were right in front of him.
Hey Missa, thanks for the feedback! I shoot most of my videos like this in "selfie mode", so I am holding my phone out in front of me. Not reading anything, just making sure I am getting everything in the video I need, avoiding obstacles (Egypt is full of obstacles!), and trying not to get too many people in the frame. Apologies that this doesn't give the best viewer experience! One day I would love to get big enough where I can hire someone to hold the camera ;).
😎🤘🏻
Thanks for watching!
My friend it's too much scams ! Say to your guests what's the right without scam scam scam scam .... I don't like that respect Egypt and Egyptian .
اهلاً و سهلاً ليك حضرتك الchannel بتاعي
الفيديو ده فيديو واحد بس عن الموضوع ده. انا عندي اكتر من ١٢٠ فيديو عن مصر، كل دول عن حاجة مختلفة و مش من نفس الموضوع الفيديو ده.
ممكن حضرتك هتفرج عن فيديوز مني اكتر و هتشىف حضرتك باحب مصر ازاي عشان دي بلد جميلة جداً و باحبها اوي.
شكراً ليك حضرتك.