My mom and I recently went on the 8-day Cairo, Nile Cruise, and Abu Simbel trip with Journey to Egypt and had an amazing time! This is a once-in-a lifetime experience that cannot be substituted by watching documentaries or reading National Geographic articles (even though the photography is incredible).
Osama from the front office is truly a rockstar. He answered all of our gazillions of emails before our trip and was super flexible with us as our itinerary had to change due to covid restrictions in other countries en route to and from Egypt. When we had to arrive at 5:25 am in Cairo, Osama made sure we were able to check into our hotel early and get breakfast that morning, which was a lifesaver. He was also great about checking in during the trip on Whatsapp.
We were met at the Cairo airport (at 5:25 am!) by Mohammad, who got us through the immigration formalities and helped us with our bags, then checked us into our hotel - this was greatly appreciated after a very, very long journey from the US. We stayed at the Steigenberger Pyramids and had a balcony with a great view of the Pyramids! We were able to crash all day, then we did the optional light show at the Pyramids that night. If I have any critique here (and it’s a tiny one), I wish that we had stayed somewhere closer to the airport the first night, as we arrived early Sunday morning, then had to turn around and fly to Luxor at 6:20 Monday morning and it’s kind of a long drive to the Steigenberger from the airport.
We started with John on the Nile cruise portion of the trip and he was absolutely fantastic! He was super knowledgeable about everything we saw, helpful with really practical information (like about how best to avoid the pushy vendors at the sites), responsive on Whatsapp, and, best of all, just really kind! He accompanied us to Luxor, Abu Simbel, and Aswan. The knowledge we gained from him came in handy when, a few days later, we went to London to visit the various Egyptian treasures at the British Museum. He even taught us how the ancient calendar worked and gave us a little quiz. My mom’s favorite part was when he told her she was “almost close” in her answer. The Nile Cruise itself (on the MS Princess Sarah) was a nice experience. The food in the dining room was good, if a bit repetitive (always some kind of chicken, beef, fish, veggies, rice, and either pasta or soup), and there’s really nothing quite like sitting out on the sun deck watching the world go by in one of the cradles of civilization.
Then, we went with Sally around Cairo. She was our guide for the included day at the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum. We could have spent all day at the museum with her - she got so excited about particular pieces, which made us more excited about them, too! She was also great for telling us the best vantage points/angles for photos at the Pyramids and Sphinx and took some really good photos of us. We also added on an additional day tour to Saqqara and Dahshur, also with Sally, which was totally worth it. It was interesting to see even older pyramids and to see a different part of Cairo/Giza than the downtown, traffic-y areas. Lunch was included for both days at local restaurants and was really tasty (chicken or beef kebab and rice/soup in Cairo, buffet with similar food in Saqqara).
We’re pretty well traveled, but Journey to Egypt really is (at least!) a step above all of the other travel companies we’ve worked with. It’s amazing what a difference there is in working with a local, independent company rather than a giant corporate entity with itineraries all over the world - Journey to Egypt was able to provide us with true expertise and flexibility in the lead-up to our trip as well as a great experience once we arrived. We’d recommend Journey to Egypt to anyone looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with top-notch customer service.
I contacted Journey to Egypt to organize a surprise trip for the 40th wedding anniversary of my parents.I must say it was last minute,four days prior to arriving in Cairo.I kept in touch with Osama and he organized everything in two days- domestic flights,airport pickups,optional Abu Simbel tour, felucca ride on the Nike,etc.By the time my parents arrived we received a personalized programme from Osama tailored to our needs.
In Egypt, my parents had a wonderful experience: the drivers and guides all proved reliable and kind and they felt very safe during the trip because everything went so smooth. Hotels and the Nile Cruise were comfortable,the food was nice and they were even surprised by a cake and music on the day of their anniversary.They grew really fond of their guide from Luxor,John who accompanied them to most of the sites and gave them first-hand information about ancient beliefs,history and the current situation.
They said they had the time of their lives!
Thank you Journey to Egypt!!