First things first…I was in Cairo about a week before the protests of 2011 started. As far as the tour was concerned, I was very pleased. I was met at the airport by a knowledgeable guide (Sara) who spoke great English and a driver. They took me to Giza first, then drove around the Islamic center of the city. We finished by walking around the markets and having a nice dinner in a local tea house. I was very happy with the tour.
All of that was fine, but the real adventure started on our way back to the airport.
We left with plenty of time to spare, but it had rained that morning, and the main road to the airport was washed out. Traffic was bad even by Cairo standards. After it began to be apparent that I might not make my flight, the driver started looking for alternate ways to get me to the airport. He was on the phone with Hani (the company owner, I think), who called ahead to the airport for me to let them know that I was coming.
Eventually, the guide and I decided that the best thing to do was to get out of the car (we had not moved for some time) and start on foot. With luck, we got out ahead of the traffic and convinced an off-duty cab to take us the remaining mile to the airport. I did make the flight.
I highly reccomend this company as they went above and beyond to take care of me. I hope that after the protests are over tourism will return.
