Travel Department Reviews 

Very well organised holiday, our first time using the Travel Department and our first time in India. Very well organised tour and everything went as it should.
Great guide, an absolute mine of information. Hotels were all very good for food and accommodation. We found the extras, such as drinks, very pricey with limited choice. Understandably to see so much in 10 days the schedule was quite busy, early starts and long drives between cities. A little more downtime would have been welcome. Overall a great taste of India and good value for money.

We were very satisfied with our holiday and everything was excellent..

The guide sylvie & bus driver Paulo were the best we have experienced on any of our holidays with travel department. They were both efficient, friendly, professional, obliging & especially our guide knew & understood her clients.

Travelling solo to Egypt with the Travel Department (Ireland) in May 2026 turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. The trip through Egypt was a breath-taking mix of ancient history, desert thrills, and seaside relaxation. From the moment we stepped off the plane into the warm Cairo air, we were treated to a level of luxury and hospitality that made us feel like royalty.
Our journey began at the Grand Egyptian Museum, where sunlight filled the modern halls and Ramses II towered above visitors like a guardian of Egypt’s past. From the quiet awe of Tutankhamun’s treasures, we plunged into the colourful chaos of Khan El Khalili, a maze alive with voices, spices, and shimmering stalls.
Nothing compared to seeing the Great Pyramids rise from the desert or squeezing through the narrow passages of Khufu’s Pyramid. The Great Sphinx felt both familiar and astonishing, as if meeting an old legend face to face.
In Luxor, the Valley of the Kings revealed its hidden world of colour beneath barren hills, with Tutankhamun’s Tomb shining brightest. The elegant terraces of Hatshepsut’s Temple and the monumental columns of Karnak led naturally to the graceful beauty of Luxor Temple. A sunrise hot air balloon ride cast the whole valley in golden light.
Life slowed on the HS Radamis II, where warm hospitality and peaceful Nile views made each day feel effortless. Along the river, Edfu and Kom Ombo offered two very different windows into ancient myth.
In Aswan, the Sound and Light Show at Philae brought the story of Isis and Osiris to life under the stars. A motorboat ride and a dreamy felucca sail around Elephantine Island revealed the gentle rhythm of Nubian life.
Our journey ended with turquoise waters in Hurghada and the thrill of the desert — racing across dunes on a quad bike, swaying on a camel, and meeting Nubian and Bedouin communities whose warmth added a human heartbeat to the adventure.
What made this trip truly special was our incredible tour guide Emad ‘Dodi’ Fathy. He didn’t just guide us - he welcomed us, supported us, inspired us, and made us feel at home in a country we were only just discovering. Traveling with an award winning Egyptologist felt like walking through history with a friend who knows every secret the temples hold. His depth of knowledge was staggering, turning every stone and hieroglyph into a captivating story. Dodi managed every detail with professionalism and warmth, ensuring our experience was seamless, educational, and deeply personal. He didn’t just show us Egypt—he made us feel it, understand it, and fall in love with it. Thank you, Dodi, for filling our journey with knowledge, kindness, and memories I’ll treasure forever!
If you are looking for a destination that combines world-class luxury with awe-inspiring history, Egypt is the ultimate choice. Form me, the trip to Egypt has been the best holiday in my life!

Everything about the cruise was perfect. The staff were excellent.The group facilitator Sean was fantastic. We will definitely be booking another cruise with the Travel Department.

TD had a recent 30th year Competition and the winner and entry was not posted on Website. I emailed Cust. Service/Marketing dept and still none the wiser. I'm a loyal customer and have previously emailed TD complementing service/Guides and recommended TD to family and friends. And I'm very dissapointed that this info is not posted on website. I feel its disingenuous to the customers who entered and also not in the spirit of Fair Play of the competition

From start to finish the trip was amazing. Turkish Airlines were a great airline to fly with. Excellent food comfortable seats and very pleasant staff. On arrival Jimmy Chong our guide was waiting for us and what a fantastic, friendly lovely man. He was so welcoming and immediately assued us that he had everything in hand. His organisational skills are 5 star and nothing was too difficult for him to sort out. He was funny and fun and had so much knowledge about every place we visited. The trip is very fast moving so it's not a chill trip- it's high energy! You see so much and you experience Vietnam under the amazing guidance of Jimmy. I would suggest that you drop the hotel stay in Holong bay. There is nothing around the hotel expect noise from a local funfair type place. A bus trip back to Hanoi and another night there would be more enjoyable as to have to go back there to fly to the next destination. There were 27 lovely people on the trip and we had nights of food drink singing and fantastic piano playing by 2 of our companions- amazing! Well done to the travel department and particularly well done Jimmy Chong you are such an asset to The Travel Department! I certainly will travel with you again- the trip was amazing 👏

Our guide Sean was the star of the show. His professional performance and interpersonal skills are unparalleled. The tour was excellent. The cruise ship and staff were first class. The entertainment was very average, 3 nights doing a quiz was too much.

The professionalism and hard work of David our guide

Everything works like clockwork have never had any problems in the 10 holidays we have had

In March 2026 we went to Egypt with The Travel Department (Ireland). We had a great time. The tour is a busy one with early starts but worth it.
We started with a trip to the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids and Sphinx. The museum is magnificent and our fantastic guide, Dodi, takes you through this large museum. Dodi is very knowledgeable and provides excellent commentary on all the exhibits. You will end up in the Tutankhamen section which is breathtaking.
Next was the Pyramids and Sphinx. You spend a good 2 hours there and it is a fantastic thing to be at the site of these amazing structures that you've seen so much about.
Beware, I went in to the burial chamber in the Great Pyramid of Khufu and it's not an easy trip. Don't bring a backpack or a large camera. A small bottle of water and your phone, in your pockets. Try and keep both hands free as it's cramped and boiling hot. It's an option but it's not for everyone.
We flew on to Luxor. For me the Valley of the Kings was a highlight. Dodi will recommend 3 tombs to visit. They were all breathtaking. Beautiful images in the tombs. King Tutankhamen's tomb is an option and it was worth going in to.
There are visits to six temples included on the trip. All the temples were worth visiting. Edfu and Kom Ombo, Hatshepshut were very good but Karnak, Luxor and Philae were fantastic in my opinion. Visiting them at night, as happened with Kom Ombo and Philae, does make for a different look. The light and sound show at Philae was underwhelming but it's not that pricey and it was atmospheric at night.
Luxor is an interesting city. We went to the Museum of Nubia and the Coptic Cathedral on our own and enjoyed both.
The trip to the Aswan dam was interesting, not a lot to see but obviously this is an important site for modern Egypt.
The Felucca trip around Elephant Island was lovely and relaxing and the trip to Seheil Island was a highlight. It's so vibrant and colourful. The school lesson was very funny.
The trip to the Grand Bazaar was not my thing but after the excellent Dodi managed to get my watchstrap fixed we joined him in a cafe and had a break.
A word on the accommodation. The hotels in Cairo and Hurghada were very good. The boat was fine. A small cabin but clean and comfy with a good shower. All the food we had, on the boat or in the hotels varied from fine to very good. A good variety in all the different restaurants and plenty of it. Avoid ice if you can or ask for 'bottled ice' on the boat. We particularly enjoyed the Lebanese and Fish restaurants in Hurghada. The Italian was only okay.
The Travel Department takes you to three shopping excursions on the trip. A shop selling painted parchment, one selling alabaster and worked stone and one selling essences. All were fine as there is no hard sell. We bought something in all 3. The perfume shop offers free massages. I had a very enjoyable back massage. The presentation in the Alabaster shop was great fun.
There was a couple of negatives. Shopping on the strips or in the Bazaar can be a little hard as there can be a lot of hassle. We found one or two shops which advertised themselves as no hassle.
Also, there are, we were told, 400+ cruise ships operating on the Nile. Some need overhauling as they can be seen belching out thick black diesel smoke. Our own boat was fine but there are points of congestion were the air quality is not good but there's little the Travel Department can do about but maybe bring a mask.
Also bring a lot of Arret or Imodium as some of us had tummy trouble. I don't think its the food so much as the heat and change of diet. On the heat, travel, if you can, on the earlier dates as we heard that the temperature reached 48°C on the last trip in May 2025. Maybe the Travel Department should start tours earlier in year.
Wifi on the boat can be patchy but we bought short use local SIMS in the Vodafone shop in Luxor.
All in all, an excellent trip which covered all the things most people want to see.
A particular word for our guide Dodi. He's not just a guide but he's very personable, likeable and if you need advice or help he's always available. He organised medical help for a member of the tour and advised me against going on a third party trip.
His knowledge and guidance put him at the top of the list for all the guides we have had on the Travel Department trips.

Excellent service from booking to journeys end. Everything always goes according to plan. Would highly recommend booking with the Travel Department.

Amazing holiday with this company from start to finish - great tour guide- fabulous food and tour accommodation to everyone’s wishes - paid half of what we paid for Wendy Wu tour and was twice as good - no comparasion - definitely will go with travel department again and never with Wendy Wu tours

We are just back from a Travel Department tour -
Classical Danube River Cruise 4 Star (Budapest - PassaIt It was an amazing experience 5 star in our view. And Sean Creen the TD rep was exceprional/ DO not hesitate book ASAP

just back from a trip to Alghero in sardinia. totally amazing from start to finish. departure flights were late mirning which was great. no really early starts. met at the airport by a very lovely lady who looked after us so well for 7 days .trips were well organised and local guides were so full of information and witty too. bus drivers all very polite and sociable. the hotel Florida was really lovely. staff were so welcoming and couldn't do enough to ensure we all had a good stay. meals were just great. lots of local dishes and plenty of choice delivery recommend this trip. includes visit to Costa smeralda and Porto cervo

Having recently had a brilliant 12 day trip to Egypt with the Travel Department, I must say I was delighted with the experience. From the departure in Dublin to our return we were exceptionally well taken care of by our guide, Dodi. His knowledge of Egyptian history is amazing. He was surely the reason we learned so much. He was always available for chats & to answer questions. The cruise was lovely & we really enjoyed our beach vacation at the end. I must mention our fantastic travel companions out of Dublin. They were wonderful company & we all enjoyed our adventures together.

Just back from Highlights of Vietnam with The Travel Department .
Well organised trip with very knowledgeable, friendly and patient guide called Jimmy Chung who made our trip so interesting, fun and looked after us so well.
Would highly recommend this trip. I am a vegetarian and all my meals were delicious and varied. It’s a fast paced trip but it all went very smoothly, considering there was 27 people on the trip, as it was highly organised by The Travel Department and our wonderful guide Jimmy.

We have just returned from a fabulous and very memorable holiday to Egypt with The Travel Department. From the beginning right up to the end the entire trip was brilliantly organised. Everything worked like clockwork. Our guide Dodi was superb from the moment we met him until we said Goodbye to him at Cairo Airport. He is extremely knowledegable regarding Egiptian History and went over and above to answer questions and help everyone. We were with a terrific group of people who all contributed to making the experience even more special. We are looking forward to booking our next holiday with The Travel Department.

The week on the lake como trip was excellent . A little hiccup in Milan when we hit the wrong day as a demonstration was taking place most things were closed. But overall all days were fantastic and a big thank you to our exceptional local guide Carol. A fantastic week well planned and very enjoyable.