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Encounters Travel - Day Tours & Extended Tours

Encounters Travel - Day Tours & Extended Tours

Encounters Travel - Day Tours & Extended Tours
4.5
Cultural ToursPrivate ToursArchaeology Tours
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
About
We specialise in imaginative, adventurous, small group tours and travel-goers. What they have in common is a passion to go-a passion to encounter the vast diversity of our planet for real.We are a UK registered company, with full bonding and financial protection through ATOL and IPP. Our owners and directors have over 50 years of experience between them of arranging this type of travel, from driving overland expeditions and running travel companies both here in the UK and on the ground.
Cairo, Egypt

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles504 reviews
Excellent
433
Very good
38
Average
13
Poor
12
Terrible
8

Sara K
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Me, my husband and our three friends just finished up our Nubian Adventure 9-days trip in Egypt and we truly had the best experience. We had Big Mo as our tour guide and he is truly a one of a kind human being. His wisdom and expertise was incomparable and we were so grateful for it. Encounters does an amazing job of making the tour absolutely seamless- the rides were always on time, the free time meals were normally offered to us, the hotels were immaculate. We would recommend this experience to anyone and plan on traveling with Encounters again.
Written 30 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you, your husband, and friends had such an incredible time on the Nubian Adventure. Big Mo’s passion and knowledge truly make all the difference, and we’re thrilled he made your journey so special. It’s wonderful to know that everything from the logistics to the accommodations met your expectations. We greatly appreciate your recommendation and can’t wait to have you join us on another unforgettable adventure! If Egypt calls again – or perhaps another destination – we’ll be here to help make it just as seamless and memorable. 😊
Written 25 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ezmmy
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
My travel buddies and I decided to visit the amazing city of Egypt and Petra! Our destination was pretty long flight from LAX to layover at London then fly to Cairo Egypt. As soon as we got there it was about 3 a.m. and one of the encounter guide was there to pick us up. Got to the hotel, just to fresh in up a bit, had breakfast at 6 a.m. no sleep, then met our tour guide name Islam Gaber he explained everything what we were going to do for the first tour until the last tour will do with him. He was very friendly and funny. He made sure everyone was okay and comfortable. He even gave us a Santa clause hat and we took a group picture! Islam would tell us the history of the city and sometimes give us trivia if we will remember what we learned. He made it FUN! All of our new friends in our tour was pretty amazing! We all got along! The History was amazing!!! Temples, Kings, and the Tombs. We all had a great conversation with Islam and he was helpful in every way. The one thing I will never forget was our experience in the train, Cairo to Luxor. 9 hour train ride... WOW!! But Islam Gaber made sure we are okay and our luggages was complete.
Our bus drivers was great as well but I don't remember everyone they were as friendly as Islam. Everyone liked the Nile River boat sometimes you just need some self reflections.. My experience over all with Cairo and Luxor tour was something I will never forget! Thank you for everything you did for us Islam Gaber, if you need a tour guide please add him with your travel in Egypt, Cairo and Luxor. After this tour my tour group were headed to hurghada egypt and that's where we met Big Mo. I got to see the red sea, he was funny and friendly as well. after this tour me and friends were headed to Jordan Petra. That was an amazing place! We also met our tour driver name Amer Abu Rezeq if you guys need a tour driver his awesome!
I had an incredible amazing tour with every city we visited!! Something you need to experience when you only live once. Thank you! Everyone!
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear ezmmyi, Thank you very much for taking the time to post your feedback. We are always happy to receive detailed reviews, which are very helpful to other travellers. We’re delighted that your tour with us in Egypt and Jordan was such a wonderful experience for you. This is exactly the kind of experience that we aim to provide for our clients. We’re also very glad that your guides made your experience even easier and better. A good guide makes a tour great! We’ll be sure to pass on your comments to them and all staff members. We do hope that you will join us on another tour soon!
Written 22 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Eric D
Poulsbo, WA58 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
We had a wonderful experience with Encounters for our Egypt tour. Everything was great, from booking, pre-trip communication, accommodations, transfers, guides and drivers. We anticipated a "small group" tour but we were the only couple who booked this particular week. To our surprise, we had a guide and driver all to our selves! Our guide in Luxor did need to make some adjustments to the itinerary due to changes in the Nile cruise schedule. He was great at reading our interests and suggesting alternative options that we throughly enjoyed. On hindsight we may have shortened the Nile cruise a couple of days for a visit to Hurghada. We also extended our trip a day to visit Alexandria. It was a very long day and we wished we would have considered other options like a trip to the Red Pyramid, Memphis or other museums in Cairo.
Written 4 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We’re so happy to hear that your Egypt tour with Encounters Travel was such a positive experience. It’s great to know that the communication, accommodations, and personal attention from your guide and driver made your trip memorable. We’re glad that your guide in Luxor was able to adapt to changes and provide you with personalized experiences that you enjoyed. We appreciate your feedback regarding the itinerary and your suggestion for future travelers. It’s always great to hear about your personal insights, and we’ll definitely keep that in mind for future tours. Thank you for choosing Encounters Travel, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future
Written 24 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Hector C
Chicago, IL13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
Just finished up the Incredible India tour, what an amazing experience! If you’re expecting every modern comfort and can’t be in the heat too long, this might not be for you. However, you would miss out on the experience to taste the most flavorful, colorful, and energetic culture that exists in this world. I would describe this tour as a Golden Triangle+ (it goes to a couple more towns/villages)
On most stops a local tour guide would join your group and give you a thorough explanation and interesting facts of the monuments, palaces, forts, etc. They were all fantastic. Not only they taught you the history but also made sure you visited markets, small villages, and mingled with the locals that were going about their daily lives. For this trip, we made sure we picked a date that included Holi festival. This was very special as we celebrated Holi in a very small village (Tordi). We got to play with the colors in a small village full of wonderful kids and people that were just as curious of us as we were of them. We had a blast with the colors. Our driver, Mr. Singh will always be a friend. In typical Sikh manner he was always there to save the day whenever anything went wrong. He did it always with a huge smile and would throw in a joke or two.
The accommodations were very well selected. As the tour description states, the heritage hotels were the absolute best. The hospitality was in the true Indian way. Both the Khandela Haveli and the Tordi Garh were great. I wish all hotels were in that style.
Booking this trip had its major challenges caused by India entry restrictions related to COVID-19. Encounters Travel did an excellent job recognizing these challenges and modifying their policies. I feel like they were more than fair in recognizing the uncertainties of traveling during a pandemic. Ant Horrobin took us by the hand throughout the entire process and kept us up to date with all the changes. Thanks to him we decided to go on with the trip and we could not be any happier!
Highly recommend.
Written 24 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"Thank you for sharing your incredible experience on the Incredible India tour! We're so glad you enjoyed the vibrant culture, flavorful experiences, and beautiful local interactions. Celebrating Holi in Tordi sounds like a memorable highlight, and we’re thrilled that you had such a special time with the locals. We're also happy to hear that your driver, Mr Singh, was there to make the trip even more enjoyable with his humour and assistance. It's wonderful that you appreciated the accommodations, especially the heritage hotels. We know booking a trip during the pandemic came with its challenges, but we’re pleased we were able to assist you and make sure everything went smoothly. We truly appreciate your trust in Encounters Travel and your kind words about Ant's support throughout the process.
Written 24 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Alex M
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We used Encounters Travel as the organizer for our Dec 2019 Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. They handled everything from the flight booking to the airport shuttle to the guide/porter arrangements. Their planning was well organized which allowed us to focus solely on getting through the physical challenges of the trek.
We were booked on Qatar Air which was nice for our 30+ hours of traveling each way. The hotel they had booked for us in Kathmandu was clean and comfortable with a very nice staff (and great location). Lastly, the guide & porter for our trek were absolutely fantastic. Dipesh (our guide) was professional and took time each day to discuss how we were feeling and address any concerns or questions that we had. I honestly do not think we would have made it to Base Camp if not for the expertise of Dipesh.
Encounters Travel made this trek much less stressful than it could have been, and on a trek that is stressful & difficult by its very nature, that was a relief. I don't often book travel with a tour company, but I will likely be coming back to Encounters Travel in the future. HIGHLY recommended.
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear adventure_travelings, Thank you very much for taking the time to post your review. We are delighted to receive your positive feedback and to hear that you had a good experience with us in Nepal. We're also very happy to hear that your guide Dipesh was able to make the trek easier for you. We'd certainly love to travel with you again– which of our many other destinations can we take you to next?
Written 14 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Marty R
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
I just returned from an Encounters Travel trip called “Jordan and Egypt Express” and the trip was amazing. Everyone at Encounters was fantastic with special mention going to Marika for all the help with our reservation, our guides Ebrihim (Jordan) and Mohammed in Egypt with his local Encounters Rep in Cairo Ahmad. This trip lived up to all that it was advertised. You literally get to see so much of both Countries it is hard to believe that it can be squeezed into just two weeks. Be prepared for a hectic pace. You will move hotels almost everyday and spend hours in a bus going between cities and sites. The bus rides are very long but you get to explore small villages and towns and get to see the real Jordan and Egypt. This trip is not for those that are mobility restricted to not in reasonable physical shape. The amount of walking and the pace of the long days did war on a few folks. We enjoyed to it though. Mohammed, our guide in Egypt was remarkable. Mo was a formally trained Egyptologist and was an encyclopedia for a guide. We took advantage of also the every optional trip that was offered which just made the pace a little more hectic. Encounters did an amazing job of responding when we had questions or problems. I would highly recommend them and would travel again with them without hesitation.
Written 31 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful review! We're thrilled to hear that your 'Jordan and Egypt Express' trip exceeded expectations and that our team – from Mariska to Ebrihim, Mohammed, and Ahmad – made your experience exceptional. It’s wonderful to know you embraced the fast-paced adventure and appreciated the chance to dive deep into the culture and beauty of both countries. We truly appreciate your insight about the physical demands and long days – it's all part of the journey, but it’s great to hear you enjoyed every moment, even with the hectic schedule. Mohammed will be delighted to know his knowledge and passion left such a lasting impression! Thank you for your high recommendation and for trusting us with such an incredible experience.
Written 24 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JennyCamilleri
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Our tour manager Annas was superb. Met us at Cairo Airport. Everything was organised brilliantly. Hotel transfers, tours and accommodation 5 star etc awesome. Our guide Mustafa in Cairo spoke perfect English and was very kind, knowledgeable, and helped us shop for what we needed, and was fantastic.
We were transferred to airport to go to Luxor, met again and transferred to our cruise on the Nile Empress. Our guide Tamer is brilliant. Very interesting and knowledgeable too. And so helpful and patient.
The cabins are very clean, good space, the staff are fantastic, and the buffet meals all included are incredible.
We have been to all the places wanted to see. It was fast, efficient, well organised. Just brilliant.

My 15 yr old daughter and myself are only two on tour so it's superb as it is out own personal guides.

We have been to the pyramids and Spinx, light and sound show at pyramids and Sphinx, ride camels across pyramids to Sphinx, been to El Khalili Bazaar, been to beautiful jewelry and furniture shop with brilliant customer service and prices, River Nile Cruise, temples, Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Edfu Temple, down to Aswan now. Then will finish back in Cairo at the Museum and Khan El Khalili Bazaar again.

The guides have warned us where to shop and taken us to reputable businesses.
They are so well spoken, understand everything we ask, very knowledgeable, very kind and fun.

I highly recommend this tour company and all that is included.
Absolutely brilliant
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear JennyCamilleri, Thank you for taking the time to post your feedback. We are so glad to hear that you and your daughter have enjoyed your time in Egypt with us. Thank you also for your lovely comments about your guides– we will be sure to pass these on. We'd love to welcome you onto another tour with us in the future!
Written 27 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Peter Wilson
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
We did the Discover Egypt tour and have nothing but praise for the experience. Encounters Travel ensured everything ran very smoothly and the trip was great value for money. So many highlights apart from the obvious ones of the Pyramids and temples. Visiting a Nubian village for lunch and a lazy overnight cruise down the Nile were both perfect. Also a special shout out to our fantastic tour guides Hassan (who was brilliant in helping us to retrieve delayed luggage from Cairo airport), Ayman with his warm personality and deep historical knowledge, and Mohammed whose laughter and jokes lit up our time in Hurghada. All of them deserve 5 stars.
Written 19 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words! We're so happy to hear that your Discover Egypt tour with Encounters Travel was a memorable and smooth experience. It’s wonderful that you enjoyed the Nubian village visit and the relaxing Nile cruise—those are truly special parts of the trip! A big thank you to your amazing guides Hassan, Ayman, and Mohammed for making your journey even more enjoyable with their expertise and warmth.
Written 24 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

HB L
10 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Friends
I don’t recommend this tour at all, because flight is not included and they canceled our tour, I lost more then $1500 on my flights, and my flights are not refundable. My tour to South Africa, was a discounted deal. I signed up for the tour, but instead they charge me or sent me an email, they charged my friend with out my permission, and now they charged my friend for extra money, and now my friend wants to return my money back.
I tried to emailed them and asked them to give the refund to me because I already paid her, but they denied. Also what they offered us again it was another tour, with another schedule plus extra flight that we had to get again.and there isn’t any other grantees to get another ticket and get cancel.
Written 6 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear HB L, Thank you for your review. We did, unfortunately, have to cancel your trip because a group of friends booked onto it canceled, leaving it with just a couple of people booked on, not enough to run an overland trip like this. However, we offered you an alternative on an almost identical itinerary that would have fitted with the same dates. We offered a partial refund to reflect the different itinerary, which should have covered the extra flight from Johannesburg to Windhoek that you would have needed to join. We did not however charge anyone else without your permission. We are simply not able to process card payments ourselves and never collect, or see, anyone's card details. Every payment requires the cardholder to process it themselves, with 2-stage authentication. Looking back, I believe that you paid your friend's deposit on her behalf. Since she went ahead with the trip, a refund for her deposit wouldn't have been due. When you decided not to proceed with the alternative itinerary plan, we agreed to refund you in full. However, we can only pay refunds back to the card that made the original payment, which is what we did.
Written 12 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mary R
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
Bus used was old, bad suspension rattled, and had old style windows. So not o lying uncomfortable after sitting for 2 hours which happened most days but hard to take good pictures. Varanasi extension turned out to be 1 day and 2 nights instead of 3 days and 2 nights. We arrived at 11pm and left at 8am, but original itinerary suggested to everyone that we were leaving directly after lunch not evening. It was a very expensive extra not worth it. Most of us would not have paid the extra if we had known that we would only be spending 1 day there. Very disappointed . Some hotels needed a refit even though they were supposed to be 4 star and 2 were located in areas that were far away and there was free time on itinerary. Nothing to do and hotel very ordinary
Written 9 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Mary, It seems as if you have booked a tour with an Australian Company called Encounter Travel - https://www.encountertravel.com.au/. We are a UK company and really value our feedback as do our actual travelers and we would really appreciate it if you removed your review and posted it to the company you actually booked with. You can do this here - https://search.app.goo.gl/TGR48vh The Encounters Travel Team
Written 14 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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