7-Night Private Egypt Experience with Flights and Nile Cruise

Summary: Great experience overall. Positives : *Very well looked after by the local tour company staff with excellent meet & greet, transfers etc... * Personal guides for us on all visits including the cruise, which allows for some flexibility on schedule and all, which is not possible in a group. Excellent quality guides speaking perfect english and very knowledgeable * Stay at Sheraton in Cairo was great * We got to visit (almost) all main sites and had an enjoyable boat experience ( good food, nice sceneries,..) Negative/possible improvement * Pick up for the flight from Cairo to Aswan was at 3:30am which was very early and not warranted - we traveled business class however so thanks for that "compensation" * the cruise schedule could be improved : we stayed 24h+ in Aswan when we could have sailed earlier and from there everything was in a rush. We skipped the visit of Edfu as it was scheduled at 5 am. That early schedule was meant so as to arrive early at Esna lock. We ended up spending the whole day at the lock due to the huge traffic and missed the visits we had scheduled at Luxor that day. We ended up not being able to visit the Luxor temple

Summary: Exceptional! This company does it right. Great itinerary that has easy options for flexibility and last minute whims - they will arrange it all with zero hassle. Absolutely professional and friendly escorts, expert and genuinely caring guides. As a solo female traveler I felt entirely safe, held and respected every step of the way. Highly recommend without hesitation.

Summary: Rody was an excellent tour guide we coyly have asked for better thank you Rody you sent it off your way to make our experience amazing.

Summary: Amazing trip and the best service! We really love our time in Egypt. Mohamed and his team are super professional, kind, always on time and willing to support us! Highly recommended!

Summary: My wife and I had an exceptional experience with this private tour company. From the moment we arrived in Cairo, they exceeded our expectations in every way. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted at the airport and seamlessly taken care of by Hussein, who handled all the paperwork, ensuring a smooth entry. As promised, we were accommodated in a luxurious five-star hotel, Le Méridien Cairo Airport, which was a fantastic way to start our journey. The entire tour was meticulously organized, and the professionalism of the guides and drivers truly stood out. The Nile cruise was a remarkable experience, with excellent accommodations and a well-planned itinerary. When we returned to Cairo after the cruise, the company arranged our stay at the Hyatt Regency, another top-tier hotel that provided a comfortable and elegant experience. One of the most impressive aspects of this company was their dedication and commitment to customer service. The van they provided was spotless and comfortable, and every detail was handled with great care. A special mention goes to the owner, Mohamed, and Hussein for going above and beyond their responsibilities to assist us. I had mistakenly miscalculated my flight time and found myself with less than two hours before departure. Thanks to Mohamed’s extraordinary efforts and quick thinking, I was able to make my flight. He was always available whenever I needed assistance, answering every call promptly and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. I cannot recommend this tour company highly enough. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and genuine care for their clients made our trip to Egypt truly unforgettable. If you are considering a private tour, this is the company to choose—they will take care of you every step of the way.

Summary: Had a great time. Would have no hesitation in using this company again. The nile cruise was brilliant nice to be able to sit & watch the wonderful scenery go past. AAA+

Summary: All organised for us (hotel checkin, transports etc was all done by the tour representatives) we just had to show up and enjoy our time there! Unforgettable experience, I highly recommend the optional experiences of Abu simbel and air balloons in the valley of kings!

Summary: First off, I asked 8 different companies in Egypt for a custom tour. Out of all the companies not only was this one the best, but it was also private. Anytime I had a question Mohammad would get back to me within 24 hours and was assisting 1 month before the trip and during the trip. The owner truly wants you to have a memorable time in Egypt. This package also has a hotel upgrade available, which I highly suggest. The Ritz Carlton was a great place to stay in Cairo. When we ran into an issue on the trip, this company stood by their product and upgraded us when they did not have to. Truly the best customer experience. Now we have to talk about the amazing guide, the doctor. I have only been to Egypt once, but I could not imagine a better guide than Friday! He was incredible!! He was knowledgeable, answered so many of our questions, and was with us the whole trip. This company got a tier one guide. After our tour, he was off to a National Geographic tour which was probably triple the price we paid. He was an absolute delight to have. If I had to rank the best parts of the trip, he would be in the top 3. If you are going to Egypt, the reviews of this company speak for themself. It is 5 stars, and it felt 5 stars. Thank you Egypt Unlimited for making the most memorable Egypt experience! P.S. if you want my trip which I planned with Mohammad, ask for Kyle’s trip. I know I am a voice on the internet but I travel a ton, and when I travel I make sure to do everything!

Summary: My wife and I spent the first week of our three weeks in Egypt on several excursions. Day 1 (Saturday): Our first day we were transferred to the Sheraton around 1 pm, checked in, and upgraded to a corner suite, which is very nice and comfortable, including a heated swimming pool (great for a January swim!). The rest of the afternoon was free time for us, so my wife got a massage (about 60 USD, so somewhat equal to US pricing there) and we then went to the tent makers' market (google "Al Khyiamia (Tent Makers Bazaar)" to find it on the map). We went by ourselves with no guide and neither one of us speaking any arabic, using Uber (very inexpensive and no taxi-fare haggling required). The market stalls are a unique experience for Westerners who have not traveled much (live animals for sale, fruit stalls, various household necessities) but the neat thing about Al Khyiamia is the selection of tapestries, clothing, and fabrics/textiles. My wife got a beautiful tapestry for our home and a hot pink scarf she could tie around her head, shoulders, waist, etc. We returned to the hotel and ate at the italian restaurant there, myself getting rack of lamb, her sea bass. Day 2 (Sunday):  The "egg chef" made my wife her favorite dish - Eggs Benedict - every day we stayed there, and the rest of the breakfast buffet had a large variety to make me happy. Around 8 am, our guide Magdy arrived and we loaded up in a nice, clean, newish van for our driver to take the three of us to The Egyptian Museum. Cairo can be very foggy/hazy in the morning, meaning any pyramids photos you take could be hazy as well until the fog burns off later in the afternoon. We spent close to three hours touring the museum with our guide providing an overarching narrative to the history in this place. It was a great start! Next we were off to Giza for the pyramids, the Sphinx and lunch afterwards. Our guide was very honest about having us tell him if we were interested in any of the souveniers being touted by the vendors, but a firm, deep "no…shukran" with a slight handwave was extremely effective at shutting down the vast majority of the vendors, but also I don't make eye contact with them since whenever I did they'd take it as an invitation to strike up small talk/pitching me. Keep walking, sidestep any vendors, give a polite, firm "no" then a second later "shukran" and you should have a completely enjoyable time. Overall at the pyramids, we were approached maybe just 4-5 times for shirts and booklets they wanted to sell us. More on vendors later… After the pyramids we went to a papyrus shop where they showed us how they make it, then a bunch of papyrus art for sale. Rule 1 for Egyptian haggling: ALWAYS BE PRECISE. The signs for pricing may say "100" but they will try to tell you it's 100 USD instead of Egyptian pounds. Confirm pricing always and ensure they input that price into the credit card machine correctly. We went to an Egyptian cotton factory as well and were quoted 125 usd for a GORGEOUS belly dancers outfit, which I said was too much, and the manager said sorry and so we walked. The fact he let us walk tells us that it actually IS that valuable (or he may have been bluffing…) Regardless, next we did some jewelry shopping to get my niece a silver pendant/cartouche and my wife an 18k gold one. This shop was legit, but you can get better deals at less populated cities, so wait until Luxor for jewelry. You may be able to find similar stuff for nearly half the Cairo prices. After all the shopping and a VERY late lunch (Egyptians eat lunch very late), we were trekking back to the hotel in the van and we said farewell to Magdy and the driver, and off to bed since a 3 AM airport pickup the next day was on the docket. Day 3 (Monday): We were picked up by Hossein and whisked off to the airport for the 5:45 AM EgyptAir flight to Aswan (about 90 min flight time). Hossein went inside the airport with us and made sure we got our bags checked and our boarding passes, then we bid him farewell as we went through security. No issues overall and there's a coffee kiosk near the gate to fuel up as you wait for the boarding to begin. Upon arriving at the baggage terminal, the Aswan rep from this tour travel agency met us and escorted us directly to the parking lot after we retrieved our bags. We met our guide, Mohamed (a different Mohamed than the one who runs the travel agency) and were driven to the High Dam built in the 1960s for electrical and agricultural reasons. The dam is neat to see from an engineering perspective, but from a political perspective there's been many facets of Modern Egypt that have been affected by it, some good, some bad. Next we visited The Temple of Philae via a short 5 minute motor boat trip, where we really began the "meat" of this wonderful crash course in Egyptology. You see, every guide in Egypt must be formally educated (4 year degree) plus formally trained, then examined by professors from the Ministry of Tourism. Our guide Mohamed was a practicing archaeologist in the 1990s and worked with very well known American archaeologist, Bob Brier (look up Brier on YouTube). In the 2000s, Mohamed switched careers and has been giving tours ever since. He has been around these sites THOUSANDS of times and still has AMAZING passion and reverence for it all! At the Temple of Philae, Mohamed sat us down for about 15 minutes to explain why this temple was important, but also drew an infographic of the main Egyptian deities from their Creation account. He then took us into the temple, explaining the layout and the reasons the builders built it this way, and pointed out several details non-Egyptologists wouldn't pick up on. Also, he took photos for us, pointing out the best photo op locations as we went, which was nice! Next we stopped by The Unfinished Obelisk to learn the history/method of creating these massive artifacts. After Philae and the Unfinished Obelisk, we checked in on the cruise ship, and napped/relaxed until Dinner. Day 4 (Tuesday): Another early morning, this time off to Abu Simbel, which requires a three hour drive each way from Aswan. After returning from Abu Simbel, we had lunch then we set sail heading north down the Nile, toward our first port, Ko Mombo. We arrived at sunset, and the place was illuminated to make the photos spectacular! Much like Philae, our guide explained the why's and the who's and the reasons behind the temple, then showed us around in a very professional yet fun manner.  After that, we visited the Crocodile museum then back to the boat for dinner, and we set sail for Edfu. Day 5 (Wednesday): Not as early today, but still dark out in January, so we wore layers (hoodies over t-shirts and pants)  We left the ship and were amazed to see dozens of horse-drawn carriages lined up, with each carriages' respective owner rushing to haggle with the unguided tourists. Fortunately, our guide bypassed all that crowded mess and got us a good driver who cares for his horse. The carriage driver took us to the Temple of Horus, where we learned even more about this fascinating ancient culture. Back to the ship, and we set sail for our final port, Luxor! We docked around 3 pm in Luxor and headed out for Karnak Temple, followed by Luxor Temple AT NIGHT! Again, great photos, great education, and a great excursion. Back to the ship for dinner, then sleep. Day 6 (Thursday): We woke up and were on tge road at 6 am go beat the crowds in The Valley of Kings, then to Queen Hatshepsut's Temple. Both are amazing in thrir own right! Next we saw alabaster being made and bought some gorgeous statues/figurines from that place (haggle aggressively!). Finally, we got some pics with The Collosi of Memmon then off to another jewelry store for my wife to get some gifts for her sister and mom. We had a final lunch in town then we were driven to a hotel right on yhe nile for some much needed R&R while we waited for our 7 pm pickup to the Luxor Airport for our 9:45 flight back to Cairo. We were taken back yo Sheraton, which we were happy with! Day 7 (Friday):  The same guide we had (Magdy) and the same driver showed us around Islamic Cairo and Coptic Cairo. This too, was a great experience! Afterwards Magdy took us to eat at a local hotspot called Al Ahga since I told him I would like to eat shwarma! It was soooo good and close to the Sheraton, where we said farewell to Magdy and waited until the evening for the driver to take us to The Sound And Light Show. Day 8 (Saturday): We are staying in Egypt so we just extended our stay at Sheraton instead of having a driver take us to the airport. Overall: 10/10 scored. Would do again. Magdy was great, but Mohamed for Aswan, Ko Mombo, Edfu, and Luxor blew me away with his expertise in the field of Egyptology! He also has incredible street smarts and will help you haggle. He is a family man as well with a wife and three daughters.  Truly an experience we will never forget! If you read this far and have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me! I would love to help! luke dot james dot eaton (at) gmail

Summary: It is virtually impossible for one to experience the wonders of ancient and modern Egypt in 8 days! So, what you need is a tour agency that can maximize your limited time to customize your tour allowing you to do so. Egypt Unlimited with Mohamed at the helm and his amazing organizational skills made that possible for me. From being met upon landing to ensure I had the right documents for Immigration and arranging transportation, Hussein was great in logistics! Ahmed was an excellent guide in the northern part of the tour and Ramadan was awesome in the southern part of the tour. They educated me in the wonders of Egypt: it’s ancient history/ it’s religion/ it’s warm and friendly people and made me feel cared for and secure. A thousand thanks!