OAT Travel

My friend went on their Egypt tour and thought it was wonderful. Later she went on Odysseys Unlimited’s tour of Egypt and said it was better than OAT’s.

My friend did a trip to Sicily and loved it. She particularly liked the attention to detail and the pre-trip phone call. Although she did say they didn't get o eat enough pasta :)

I have not yet traveled with them but have booked a tour of Egypt for February of 2025 with OAT. So far I have been very happy with the process. They've explained things very well and are easy to reach with questions. I especially like that the tour group is small (average of 13 people) and that there is no single supplement.

If you go to the Beyond Europe forum, you will find several threads there that discuss OAT that might be helpful and contains posts from members here who have used OAT. In fact, it was based on those comments that I decided to go with OAT>

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/logistical-questions-about-egypt-tours-and-o-a-t
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/add-ons-to-oat-egypt-the-eternal-nile-tour

Forgot to add that I am booked on the Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht with the pre-trip Jordan extension. I also really like that the trip uses the smaller Egypt dahabeya boats instead of the large cruise boats.

A relative swore by them and did multiple tours over a number of years. The only complaint was with the health insurance recommended by the company. Sadly, it was needed one trip due to a fall and injuries. The company refused payment for an upgraded air ticket even though the doctors would allow travel only in a first class seat. The relative ultimately was out of pocket for that.

I have looked at some of the trips. With several years of Asian ex-pat experience, I'm not a fan of the "controversial topic forums" I see sometimes see included. Not that the identified concerns or situations don't exist, it is just that I see these issues as much more nuanced that is sometimes portrayed in one short session by the presenters. Others may disagree and welcome being aware of local concerns or conditions that were unknown to them. That's fine, personal preferences.

Be aware that if OAT cancels a trip for any reason you do not get a refund but get a credit instead.

That said, I have gone on 2 trips with OAT and have a 3rd scheduled. I like their small, 16 people max, tour group sizes. I do like their controversial topics as many are new to me. This last trip we got to meet the son of the last Mafia Boss.

I've done two OAT tours in South America, and I have three more scheduled, including Egypt and the Eternal Nile this fall, followed immediately by Jordan and Israel; and next year I'm going with them to Australia and New Zealand.

I really like the small group size. On my previous tours with them, we had just 13 or 14 people. The maximum is 16. I like the pace--very few one-night stays and not too many two-night stays. I like their "Controversial Topics" and "Day in the Life." As a solo traveler, I especially like that they don't charge a single supplement. I like that the tour price includes all tips (except the tour leader).

I can't think of anything negative about either of my previous OAT tours.

I have taken two trips with OAT. My trip with OAT to Laos and Myanmar was excellent. The guides were every bit as good as RS guides. The group was much smaller than RS tours (14 in this case - they limit tours to 16). They provided some services that RS does not, such as luggage handling and airport transfers. We had many wonderful excursions, but also some free time, meals on our own, and one or two optional activities. Some of the hotels were quite amazing, but, of course, these countries are inexpensive. I also took a tour with them in Morocco. The guide was not as good (although we had a couple of excellent local guides), but the trip was still a lot of fun and worthwhile. I would not hesitate to travel again with them - as a matter of fact, I will be going to Vietnam and Cambodia with them in November!

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the feedback. I always plan our vacations not loving the idea of leaving them to someone else. But, Egypt concerns me, so am looking for the relative safety of a tour. I really do appreciate all of your comments.

pollocktoni, I understand that. I've always traveled independently and in fact, this will be my first tour for the very reasons you mention. So it will be a new experience for me, but one I am very excited about. Have you thought about a time period yet?

I hear good things about OAT, but also consider Gate 1, we have done two wonderful tours with Gate 1 and they are great with super low prices.

We did the OAT tour to Egypt and really enjoyed it. I’ve read the bad reviews too but haven’t had any issues. We took other OAT tours and the other tour Company, Grand Circle. I’d take either again to destinations not covered by RS.