A Day with the monks
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. 🙏
Daniel T · Jun 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!
Q9607PUcharlottek · May 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.
raphep2023 · May 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.
Koen E · Mar 2026 · via Tripadvisor
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.
Renan_D · Mar 2026 · via Viator · Translated
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!
eliasmE6663SS · Feb 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.
luisacP2468AD · Jan 2026 · via Tripadvisor · Translated
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.
137daciam · Oct 2025 · via Tripadvisor
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.
Y_L · Apr 2025 · via Viator
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.
Peter G · Apr 2025 · via Tripadvisor
