Door to door ease. H & Zizou picked us up and took great care of us as we toured four ancient yet still active monasteries carrying forward the faith and traditions of the Desert Fathers.
Once inside each monastery a monk of the local order gave us a tour but we would have been lost without Zizou’s help navigating the entrance into each location.
Ask for Abouna Ezra at the Monastery of St Bishoy. His love for Jesus was tangible and his joy was radiant!
Finally, one more big thank you to the team for handling our special requests with ease and grace. 🙏
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Q9607PUcharlottek
May 9, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
HAZEM was a great guide
Hazem was a great guide. He got us to the monasteries and had lots of information about life in Egypt too. He was very gracious and helpful. We would tour with him again!
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raphep2023
May 4, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Excellent and enjoyable tour
Really excellent tour! We saw everything that we wanted to see and Hosny arranged excellent guides at each monastery A most enjoyable trip.
K
Koen E
March 25, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
An inspiring journey into the heart of the Desert Fathers
A five-star experience, thanks to my excellent guide, Tarek. Together, we visited beautiful sites and ancient churches, and I was deeply impressed by his knowledge of the Desert Fathers and their history.
One of the most remarkable moments was visiting the cave of St Pishoy, which was truly powerful to experience. We were also able to witness church services taking place, which made the visit feel even more special and alive.
The highlight of the trip was the Monastery of St Macarius. There, we had the privilege of meeting Abba Mercurius personally, and I was given the chance to ask a few profound questions about the heart of our faith. I have rarely met someone so energetic, articulate, and full of life. He spoke four languages, radiated joy, and was incredibly enthusiastic to show us the cells of the ancient fathers. An unforgettable trip, and the perfect ending to my city trip to Cairo.
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Renan_D
March 5, 2026 · via Viator
Lack of guidance
No guide, we only had the driver and we had to fend for ourselves to benefit from a visit by the monks. In addition one of the monasteries was closed.
事業者からの返答
Merci d’avoir pris le temps de partager votre expérience.
comme indiqué dans la description de l’excursion et dans la section des exclusions, cette visite comprend uniquement le transport avec chauffeur et n’inclut pas les services d’un guide.
Concernant la visite du monastère, il arrive parfois que certains monastères ferment temporairement pour des raisons religieuses ou internes, ce qui est malheureusement indépendant de notre volonté.
Nous apprécions sincèrement votre retour et espérons avoir l’occasion de vous accueillir de nouveau en Égypte pour une expérience encore plus agréable.
Cordialement.
E
eliasmE6663SS
February 18, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Beautiful day with Hisham
Hisham was the best driver, safe and effective. On time. Very helpful in getting me guided tours at the Monasteries, and even drive me to a store away from the drop off point, despite heavy Cairo traffic. Thank you!
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luisacP2468AD
January 29, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Wadi El Natrum Monasteries
Very very nice day in places historically and culturally interesting. Zizou guide and professional, friendly and considerate drivers. Tour highly recommended.
Nothing negative.
1
137daciam
October 29, 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Pure Excellence
Transport arrived on time. Greeted by Mahmood and Karim who were very friendly with a very warm personality. Very comfortable journey with Mahmood giving us lots of information and history in Egypt. Throughout the trip they showed patience and respect and translated for us. I really lovely service cannot fault the service offered. Excellent service throughout. Thank you.
Y
Y_L
April 21, 2025 · via Viator
Extremely disappointing, exploitative, and dishonest experience
I don’t even know where to begin—this was easily one of the worst travel experiences I’ve had.
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Although the tour was marketed as a “Private Day Tour,” we were forced to join other tourists at one of the monasteries, completely defeating the purpose of a private tour.
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We were pressured not to visit St. Macarius Monastery, which was the main reason I booked the tour. The guide emphasized how far it was and how hungry and tired he and the driver were. As a small woman traveling with my elderly parents, I felt extremely uncomfortable and unsafe in this dynamic.
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We were taken to an overpriced restaurant and charged 2,500 EGP for lunch, including meals for the guide and driver—which we never agreed to. Then we were dragged to multiple expensive souvenir shops we never asked for.
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To top it off, the guide tried to force me to write a positive review on the way back to the hotel. When I hesitated, he grabbed my phone, opened the browser, and started typing a glowing review without my consent. He even browsed through my personal photo gallery to look for pictures to post. Fortunately, for some reason, the review didn’t go through. The next day, he even texted me via WhatsApp asking me to confirm if the review was published.
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This tour was dishonest, unprofessional, and outright manipulative. Viator should immediately investigate this operator. I have screenshots of the WhatsApp messages as proof and will be sharing them here.
事業者からの返答
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are genuinely sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with your experience, but we would like to clarify several important points regarding your tour.
Firstly, we want to emphasize that everything during the tour was arranged according to your personal preferences and requests. At no point was there any pressure from our team to make decisions or participate in activities you did not agree to. We deeply respect our guests’ comfort and autonomy, had you declined any suggestion, we would have fully respected your choice without hesitation.
Regarding the visit to St. Macarius Monastery, we only provided guidance based on logistics and time management, especially considering the distance involved. The suggestion not to visit was made purely in an advisory capacity, and the decision remained entirely yours. It’s important to note that during the tour, you appeared at ease and even requested assistance from the guide with a smile, showing no visible signs of discomfort or distress.
As for the restaurant and souvenir stops, these were offered as part of the flexible itinerary and again were not mandatory. We apologize if they gave the impression of being otherwise.
Lastly, we take the allegation regarding the review request very seriously. Our guides are trained to maintain the highest standards of professionalism. If there was any misunderstanding or overstep, we sincerely regret it and are actively reviewing this matter internally.
We truly value guest feedback and are always looking to improve. We wish you all the best in your future travels.
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Peter G
April 7, 2025 · via Tripadvisor
A wonderful day visiting the origins of Monasticism
This was an exceptional tour to the Monasteries of Wadi El Natrun. A unique opportunity to visit the sites where monasticism emerged. Zizou our guide for the day was excellent and ensured we had a monk escorting us around and informing us about the history of their individual monastery.
The journey to and from Wadi El Natrun was comfortable and safe for which we thank Omar, our driver.
In conclusion a magnificent day which we can strongly recommend.
