15 Days Cairo, Alexandria, Abu Simbel, Nile Cruise & Luxor (GEM Museum Visit, 12 destinations)

Traveler Reviews

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  Leslie1.0•March 2026
  I do NOT recommend Ancient Egypt Tours. As per another review I just read here, they are not concerned with your...
  I do NOT recommend Ancient Egypt Tours. As per another review I just read here, they are not concerned with your experience at all, they are simply concerned with doing things cheaply and cutting corners to make more money. They (Salwa) do not send any information pre-trip unless requested numerous times, and then they do not send accurate information. Our itinerary was not at all correct and when I asked for an updated, correct one halfway through the trip (so that I had some idea of times, etc), I was sent one that was not even accurate the next day! I asked for hotel and Nile cruise ship names shortly before the trip and was given a few hotel names and a list of ships we might be on (which did not include the name of the actual ship she booked us on). When I pushed for the ship name a week before I was told we were on the Mahrousa - it looked like a lovely ship. When we were taken to our ship it was actually the Commodore - an old, musty much lesser ship (also much cheaper - I checked pricing on both after). We were put in a room in the bottom floor with a window that didn't open right under the gangway where everyone walked on and off the ship. When I messaged Salwa that we were not on the ship she said she booked, and on a much lesser one, she said our room on the Mahrousa was on the bottom floor so she changed us. We were not notified of this change and were put in an even worse room in the bottom floor of a ship where they were vacuuming water right outside our door daily! The scheduling included many 3-4am wake ups. A few were necessary, but many were not, such as for domestic flights. The days we flew back and forth to Cairo we had nothing else on our itinerary for those days so the only reason that we had to fly so early was for cheaper flights! As soon as we were met by our first guide, Dina, she got into our car and immediately said our itinerary was changed and then asked which extra tours we wanted to buy for all the free time we now had. Clearly things changed to save the tour company money and to try to make us spend more with them. We did want to do the hot air balloon in Luxor and Salwa told us to bring US$240.00 in cash for the 2 of us to do this. I gave the cash to Dina and later found out that the 2 days of touring in Luxor were now being squished into one day and they wanted to jam the balloon ride into this day as well. We cancelled and Salwa sent a message that she was giving us a credit on our account for it. I told her I did not want a credit (which we would have had to use for additional tours with her!) and wanted my cash back - which I did get a few days later. Some of the hotels we were at were nice - but were outside of the cities and in summer resort areas, so there was almost no one else at them and often a long Uber ride to get anywhere else off resort for restaurants, etc. Although TourRadar shows breakfast and lunches included in this tour, there were many days where we did not get to eat lunch at all as the guide rushed through to finish early, and only one day that we were actually taken to a restaurant for lunch. We then noticed a US$40 charge show up on our account. Another couple in our tour group protested - showing lunches were supposed to be included and the charge was removed. Although we apparently did not have time to stop for lunches, our Cairo guide, Dina, found time to take us to 'demonstrations' at shops we did not ask to go to (nor were they on the itinerary) where you felt pressured to buy something. After our utter disappointment with the ship swap, I looked at reviews of the hotel Salwa booked us at in Luxor. Most reviews were poor and cited it being a dirty hotel. I messaged Salwa that we did not want to stay in a dirty hotel. She switched hotels and the reviews for the new one were not much better so I booked a hotel myself to be assured of a night somewhere clean after 3 nights on the musty ship. We did see some amazing places in Egypt, but in hindsight we would have had a much better experience if we had just booked this trip ourselves. We did have a few bright spots with this company; our driver, Nabil was a very kind and friendly man as well as an amazing driver! Our tour guide in Luxor, Milad, was also exceptional. In summation, this company is only interested in seeing how much they can save by booking you in lesser than informed, and cover their outright lies by having a sentence in their description 'subject to change'. I would highly recommend getting all information in writing (hotels, ship name, actual itinerary times, etc) from this, or any tour company, before making final payment.Show more
  Traveled in February 2026
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Thanks for your honesty in sharing this with us. We are so sorry you are not satisfied with your experience. We are taking your feedback seriously and are looking into ways to ensure this doesn’t happen again

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• LP

  Lemiel5.0•January 2026
  The trip was awesome; we saw so many beautiful places, loved the sites, people of Egypt and the tour guides were very...
  The trip was awesome; we saw so many beautiful places, loved the sites, people of Egypt and the tour guides were very knowledgeable and accommodating. Mohamed Ali, in Upper Egypt was exceptional. Dina and Marwa were very good. The drivers were also very good. The only drawbacks were a lack of communication and coordination and in Cairo specifically and the lack of WiFi in the hotels all over.Show more
  Traveled in January 2026
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  Many thanks for taking the time to share your positive experience with us. We are thrilled you enjoyed your adventure. Your feedback made our day and we are so happy that you had a good experience with us. We are looking forward to welcoming you here again soon Ancient Egypt Tours Team

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  Alfred1.0•January 2026
  My review of “Ancient Egypt Tours” “Lies and disappointments” 1. They don’t deliver what they promised We were...
  My review of “Ancient Egypt Tours” “Lies and disappointments” 1. They don’t deliver what they promised We were told that we had a private tour – just the two of us. Half way through the tour, we had somebody joining us for a day; and then the next day we had a family of 4 joining us. 2. Lies, lies and more lies We were supposed to be picked up from Alexandria at 11am. Then we got a text to say that it had been changed to 12 noon. Then we were told that the driver could not come from Cairo because the road was closed due to fog. Then we were told that the car had broken down. By the time we were picked up, it was 3:30. We arrived in Cairo at 7:30. There was no time for anything. A ‘free day’ means a whole day waiting for the car. Tourists’ time meant nothing to AET – we were at their disposal. We found out that the time got changed to 12 noon was because they had arranged for somebody else from the same tour company to join us on the trip back to Cairo. It also meant that we had to make a detour to his hotel before we were dropped off at our hotel. That delayed us by an hour. We also found out that there was no road closure because another couple from the same tour company was picked up at 10am and got back to Cairo by 12:30pm. If the road between Alexandria and Cairo was closed, that driver could not have made it from Cairo to Alexandria by 10 am. (The fog would have been heavier earlier in the morning.) My experience with AET is that Salwa lies very easily. 3. Poorly organized AET depends on a network of drivers to drive their tourists around. On a daily basis, we don’t know who the driver is and what time we would be picked up. The first day, the driver was late by an hour and a half although, after we pushed back, the drivers were more punctual. Punctuality is not the issue: time is. If we were delayed, some of the places we wanted to visit would have been closed. 4. Sub-contracting to another party In the Luxor – Aswan segment, AET sub-contracts with another party to take people around. That party that they engaged only wanted to sell extra tours. They are not interested in the tourists. They have no respect for you: you are just an ATM to them. 5. Lack of consideration AET does not care about your time: their agenda to save money is more important. AET arranged for a flight from Cairo to Aswan at 1pm. By the time we reached Aswan and got our luggage, we had no lunch. It was 3:30 and many of the places closed at 4pm. AET could have arranged for an early flight but that would cost them more. Your time and enjoyment are not important to AET: your money is. What I learned about AET are: 1. Don’t book tours with them. (The manager is Salwa.) 2. If you do, be prepared to chase after them for times, names of drivers, and names of guides. (You don’t want to jump into a car with just anybody.) 3. If you do book with AET, be prepared to put up with having to determine when they are lying to you and when they are not. It is difficult to tell their lies from the truth. 4. If you do book with AET, be prepared to let them take control of your time. Your time belongs to them; not you.Show more
  Traveled in December 2025
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  Thank your for taking the time to give us feedback. Your opinion is very important to us

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  Marny5.0•January 2026
  The tour was great. Our excursions in Cairo with guide Dina and driver Nabil were comprehensive and we saw all that...
  The tour was great. Our excursions in Cairo with guide Dina and driver Nabil were comprehensive and we saw all that we had hoped to see, and more. Dina’s English was very good, and her knowledge of the history of the sites we visited was top notch. Nabil must be the best driver in all of Cairo, with eyes in the back of his head. 🥰 We had a couple of glitches during our time there, but our main contact, Salwa, made sure everything was fixed to our satisfaction. The excursions in Upper Egypt were amazing (Abu Simbel and Kom Ombo simply must be seen), and the guides and drivers were prompt, courteous and helpful. The cruise was three stars, not the five that is described on the TourRadar site, but the food was decent and the staff were friendly and helpful. The itinerary we had did not mention tipping, but expect to pay at least $25US/excursion. We were not prepared for how much we would spend on tips. Also expect to be taken to a few stores that are not mentioned in the itinerary; we purchased items from some merchants but not all. Egypt is a fascinating place, with great food and a very welcoming and hospitable culture. We are pleased to have been fortunate enough to visit there.Show more
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  Traveled in December 2025
• PC

  Pat3.0•January 2026
  Here’s our feedback on the 15-day tour with Ancient Egypt Tours. Overall it was enjoyable. But there could have...
  Here’s our feedback on the 15-day tour with Ancient Egypt Tours. Overall it was enjoyable. But there could have been better management with fewer unannounced last minute changes: 1. Our biggest complaint is that Ancient Egypt Tours switched us out of the promised 5-star SEMIRAMIS II to a lesser, downgraded SUNRISE riverboat when we refused to pay an extra “obligatory” US$100 pp (that would have cost us an extra US$200) for the New Year party the boat company imposed. This kind of business practice is totally unacceptable and unethical. 2. Another day, we waited from 11am -3pm (4 hours!) before they sent a driver to take us back from Alexandria to Cairo. This was a complete waste of our vacation time. Very poor organization. This could have been avoided with better management. 3. Salwa’s English was good and she was responsive 90% of the time when we were in Cairo. But NOT in Aswan and Luxor when Tarek took over. He was only interested in selling us extra tours. His communication was poor and his English was limited. We had to be constantly asking questions to know what was going on. Even though Salwa sent us an itinerary by email, we needed a phone with data plan and WhatsApp to contact them all the time to find out what was happening next. Things were subject to change and we would only find out if we asked. I ended up being the main contact person between the tour guide and members of our little group because they did not have a phone plan or WhatsApp. 4. Hotel Accommodations were generally good in Cairo, Alexandria and one night in Luxor. But they switched hotel on us the last 2 nights. 5. George Tony, our Cairo and Alexandria guide was very helpful and good. 6. Some guides were better than others. Most were interested in selling extra tours. We had to be firm about making sure that they took us to all the sites on the published itinerary. For example, the company booked us on a noon flight to Aswan. By the time we flew into Aswan, Hany the guide informed us that Philae Temple, the Dam and the unfinished Obelisk were closed, BUT he would take us to a Nubian village for US$50 extra each!!! We only got to see the sites when we insisted on sticking to the itinerary. Even then, we saw the Unfinished Obelisk from a distance outside the gate. 7. Drivers: all were friendly, and safe drivers and understand a little English. But most cars were dusty and smelled of exhaust fumes because the drivers kept their windows open. The air in Cairo was also dusty and smoggy. 8. Everyone in Egypt expected a tip for their services. We spent much, much more than we expected outside of what was charged for the tour.Show more
  Traveled in December 2025
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Thanks for your honesty in sharing this with us. We are so sorry you are not satisfied with your experience. We are taking your feedback seriously and are looking into ways to ensure this doesn’t happen again Ancient Egypt Tours Team

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• AH

  Allan5.0•November 2025
  Excellent tour - saw everything we wanted to see - great guides - Khaled in the Cairo area and Mohammed in the Luxor...
  Excellent tour - saw everything we wanted to see - great guides - Khaled in the Cairo area and Mohammed in the Luxor / Aswan areas - together with our excellent driver Naveel in Cairo we were well looked after - thank you Allan and KarenShow more
  Traveled in November 2025
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  Many thanks for taking the time to share your positive experience with us. We are thrilled you enjoyed your adventure. Your feedback made our day and we are so happy that you had a good experience with us. We are looking forward to welcoming you here again soon Ancient Egypt Tours Team

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• KH

  Karen4.0•November 2025
  We did the 15 day tour of Egypt which enabled us to see many of the highlights of the ancient world. The great thing...
  We did the 15 day tour of Egypt which enabled us to see many of the highlights of the ancient world. The great thing about the tour was that we could personalise parts of it, and there were a couple of free days. Our guides were excellent, as was our driver. The tour was busy and we were pleased to get back to our hotel and put our feet up. We had the hotel upgrade, which was worth the extra cost. We did the tour in mid Oct-early Nov, and the weather hot but not unbearable. It was hotter in Luxor, and the dust was evident in the atmosphere for the best part of the last week, so not a bad idea to have a couple of masks. We are older travellers - around 70 - and our guides were very cognisant of keeping an eye on us on the uneven terrain. The Nile Cruise was pleasant, with one particularly early start (4am departure) for the drive to Abu Simbel. We were privileged to visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum on its first day of opening to the public, and saw the amazing displays. Definitely a not to be missed experience!Show more
  Traveled in October 2025
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  Hi Karen, Many thanks for taking the time to write this nice review. Your words made us so happy. We also had a great time with you and hope to see you soon Best Regards Ancient Egypt Tours Team

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  David5.0•November 2024
  Covers it all in 2 weeks. Tiring but worth it.
  Traveled in November 2024
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  Many thanks for taking the time to share your positive experience with us. We are thrilled you enjoyed your adventure. Your feedback made our day and we are so happy that you had a good experience with us. We are looking forward to welcoming you here again soon Ancient Egypt Tours Team

  Show more
• JA

  Jurica5.0•April 2024
  The trip and all the activities were carried out in a way that satisfied us completely. All our drivers and guides...
  The trip and all the activities were carried out in a way that satisfied us completely. All our drivers and guides were more than correct and helpful. During the extraordinary circumstances that arose at our home, the reaction from the company was more than fair and in the part that we did not plan, and because of which we partially changed the plan of our trip. In this sense, the staff and people of the company were the best part of the offer, given that we successfully solved the problems we encountered. The accommodation was in accordance with the agreement and was more than solid. Considering everything, we think that we did not make a mistake with our choice, and we hope that one day we will return and see the parts of Egypt that we did not get to see this time. We recommend.Show more
  Traveled in April 2024
• AH

  Ausaf5.0•November 2023
  Having never booked a trip with a tour group, I was initially very apprehensive. I am pleased to say, my 15 days in...
  Having never booked a trip with a tour group, I was initially very apprehensive. I am pleased to say, my 15 days in Egypt with my nephew were amazing! From start to finish the team at Ancient Egypt Tours did a phenomenal job in transporting, planning, organizing, communicating every facet of the itinerary. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Reham my tour guide who was absolutely fantastic! Not only is she very knowledgeable all things Egypt, She went out of her way countless of times to ensure I was having an enjoyable trip and did whatever she could to answer any questions I might’ve had. I also would like to mention my two drivers, Mohamed and Mahmood who were absolutely wonderful, and ensured safe travel wherever my nephew and I went. Thank you for such a memorable trip!Show more
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  Traveled in November 2023
  

  Reply from: Ancient Egypt Tours

  We are so happy to hear that and so grateful for your. Thank you so much Ancient Egypt Tours Team

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