Kimkim Trip Reviews for Egypt

Generally: Amazing!
Some minor hick-ups:
1- HESHAM, the guide in Cairo was knowledgeable but not professional. He flirted and harassed my wife, saying to her such as "You are delicious, can I taste you". She had to push him away. I was not present, she only reported to me afterward. This kind of behavior is not acceptable. Imagine what may happen to a solo female traveler.

2- On the way to Cairo airport I discovered not having my flight tickets Cairo to Luxor. SAMARA was extraordinary to arrange everything so that we can get on board on time. He helped us go through custom at Cairo airport smoothly. I give him 6 stars over five!

3- OMAR deserved 6 stars over five. He was very knowledgeable, very professional and very nice person.

4- Services on the boat were very good. No complain whatsoever.

I was with KimKim in 2025 in Morocco, in Egypt in 2026 and will use KimKim again for my future travel.

Samara was a welcoming face when we arrived! He ushered us from place to place with ease and although he’s led a lot of tours including tours simultaneous with ours, he treated us like we were top priority when he was with us. Khaled did a wonderful job showing us Cairo by night and getting us into a VERY popular restaurant in a timely manner for a delicious Egyptian meal add a wonderful dining experience. Lastly, Michael was top notch - experienced, personable, and efficient. We visited EVERYTHING we wanted to visit which was a feat given the time allowed. Highly recommend!

My family said that this trip was a fantastic experience.

The planning started out well with Gehad, but then there were long breaks between responses (over 1 week at times), and there was also confusion on how we preferred the payments to be provided. We were then put in contact with Khaled. He was much more prompt and assisted in every way possible. The only part that was a challenge was a seeming communication issue between Khaled and the KimKim corporate office. We asked for a detailed pick up times and flight info which the KimKim site says would be provided before departure and he seemed confused and only provided the general itinerary.

The rep that picked us up at the airport, Mohammed, was friendly, however we felt rushed and he advised he would return at 10am to go over our trip details and he never showed up. We attempted to contact him multiple times on Whatsapp but got no response. Later that day, our driver for the show was 45 minutes late, and then got lost in Cairo (semi understandable getting lost), which made us arrive exactly at the start time of the show only after we got out of the car and walked the remaining blocks.

The tours with Mohammed Samir and the driver Rafat were amazing and flawless. Best part of the trip without a doubt. The only other glitch in Cairo was that we requested a dune buggy ride which was confirmed by Gehad, but then we were told they only had a 4*4 for fayum. But that driver in the safari and sand board was also amazing.

The arrival and start to Aswan went well. We were very disappointed that the Nubian Village "cultural" experience was little more than a market/tourist trap and not cultural almost at all. There was another communication gap where the itinerary showed Luxor and Karnak on one day with Valley of Kings, Hatshepsut , and Valley of the Nobles on the next day. Due to the Nile cruise timing with the lock, we had to do it in one day. This turned out fine but there was no advanced notice that this could happen which would have reassured us that timing wouldn't be an issue. Ahmed did a great job adjusting and making the experience enjoyable. We the. Were transferred to Hurgada. They booked a small sedan, which was fine aside from not anticipating us having two large suitcases that barely fit (had to have two men forcefully push them into the trunk). The driver was very kind but definitely not a professional driver. The 4 hr drive had several times where it felt like he may have drifted to sleep and jerked the car back to the middle of the road or made very abrupt adjustments, including very late and hard stopping/slowing. This is partially just how Egypt driving is but certainly not what we experienced with our other drivers.

Hotel Review

Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo

Cairo

Great hotel, great room, great food.

Authenticity & Character

Na

Location

Perfect location for most Cairo and Giza sites. Quieter than staying in Cairo proper.

Staff

Very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Activity Reviews

Hurghada

Hurghada

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver was friendly but the trip from Luxor to Hurgada felt very unsafe.

Hurghada

Hurghada

We booked a room with a single king bed over 6 months in advance and were told on site they only had a room with two single beds available. The drive there was also a little scary even though the driver was friendly and timely.

Quality of Experience

Driver quality and booking the room type requested.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quality of driving skill.

West Bank of Luxor (Valley of the Kings, Queens - Hatshepsut Temple - Colossi of Memnon)

Luxor

We thought there would be a little more time to walk the full fally of the kings, but it didn't feel overly rushed. See main comment and Luxor comment for more details.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ahmed was great. The driver was very nice but not the best at driving (see main comment)

Transport

Quality of driving. Driver was otherwise very nice and timely.

Visit Edfu temple & Luxor temple and Karnak temple

Egypt

Lack of clear communication between the Egypt Promotions company, KimKim, and us about how the potential timing would work due to the locks and time for the boat would have made it much less stressful than it ended up being.

Quality of Experience

Food

The staff on the Dahbiya boat was incredible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Abu Simbel temple and Kom Ombo temple

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk & Nubian Village

Aswan

Nubian Village is advertised as a cultural experience but was little more than a shopping trip to a tourist trap. The boat ride was OK, and the guide did give some info about nubians. No time really provided to walk any of the shops that were in the village. He may have been trying to protect us from haggling, not sure.

Quality of Experience

Be more transparent with what will be experienced

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Al-Muizz Street & Khan el Khalili bazaar

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Over day Fayoum & 4*4

Cairo

We were told by Gehad we would have a dune buggy but they only had a 4*4. However, that guide did a great job.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grand Egyptian Museum tour

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara & Memphis

Cairo

Mohammed and Rafat were incredible

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Al Tannoura Egyptian Dance Heritage Show at Wekalet El Ghouri

Cairo

Driver was 45 minutes late and almost made us miss the show. He also seemed to drive like he was drunk or lost. Driving very slow on the far right of the highway, missed turns several times. Even the guide didn't like the driver.

Quality of Experience

Advise guides to be slightly less focused on going to stores that were not asked to go to. If the client wants to just go back to the hotel or go get food, just accept it and go.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Have drivers that will be close to on time (within 5 minutes of planned time)

Transport

Be on time and have better quality drivers

Arrival Cairo

Cairo

Great pick up experience, but felt rushed. Advised we would see our point of contact at 10 Am but he never showed up or answered on Whatsapp. (See main comment)

Quality of Experience

10 am follow up for trip details was a no show

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Make things feel less rushed. Follow through with timing and what is said will happen.

Transport

Great arrival transport vehicle.

My 18-year-old daughter and I planned a long-awaited bucket-list trip to Egypt over winter break. The ancient history lived up to every hope: standing beneath the pyramids, visiting the Valley of the Kings, sailing the Nile, and seeing temples thousands of years old was genuinely awe-inspiring. Egypt’s monuments are unlike anything else in the world.

Unfortunately, much of the experience outside the sites themselves was uncomfortable. With the notable exception of our Cairo guide, Mary—who was warm, knowledgeable, and consistently professional—we experienced repeated boundary-crossing behavior from multiple male guides. Two different guides showed us shirtless photos of themselves without prompting. Another explained women’s dress codes by comparing women to uncovered chocolate bars melting in the sun, then laughed when asked about men. These moments were jarring and far from isolated.

There was also frequent miscommunication and poor planning: very early wake-ups followed by long waits, delayed flights and ships, missed evening tours, and vague or misleading information about schedules and amenities. Aggressive sales tactics were constant, from shops to boats pulling alongside our cabin windows on the Nile. Even while dressed conservatively, we experienced intense staring and persistent discomfort in public spaces. My daughter summed it up as “belittling vibes and patronizing energy.”

We understand that our guides are shaped by their own society and circumstances, and we recognize that tourism is complicated in a country facing economic and political strain. Still, the lack of professionalism, cultural sensitivity, and care—particularly toward female travelers—was disappointing. We came to Egypt to stand in awe of its ancient past, and we did. I would strongly recommend that KimKim reconsider its local tour partner and invest in clearer communication and more rigorous guide training, especially around professionalism and respectful conduct.

Hotel Reviews

Pyramids Resort by Jaz

Cairo

We spent very little time here but it was beautiful, comfortable and clean with delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far from everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M/S Semiramis III

Aswan

The Semiramis III is an older Nile cruise ship that shows its age, but it was generally clean and comfortable. Our cabin was surprisingly spacious and one of the nicer aspects of the experience. The food was consistently good, and the housekeeping staff was kind and attentive—creating lovely towel sculptures each day that genuinely made us smile. That said, there were several drawbacks. The ship smelled strongly of cigarette smoke in many common areas. Wifi was repeatedly promised but never worked. While docked in Aswan and Luxor, dozens of ships were packed together, so our “river view” was directly into another cabin window. Once underway, the experience improved, but scheduling was unreliable. We were told departure and arrival times that turned out to be hours off, which caused us to miss anticipated evening temple visits. While sailing, vendors in small boats approached the ship and shouted into cabin windows—even while we were sleeping—which was jarring and disruptive. The sundeck itself was lovely, but swimming and sunbathing felt uncomfortable, as very few passengers used the pool and there was intense staring from men on staff, even while dressed conservatively. Despite these issues, cruising the Nile itself was genuinely special, and traveling together along the river was a highlight of our trip. With better communication, stricter policies around vendors, and improvements to onboard amenities, the experience could be much stronger.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's on the Nile! However, the ships are all packed together.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Great Pyramid INN

Giza

The Great Pyramids Inn is a clean, basic hotel with an unbeatable rooftop view of the pyramids—but otherwise, it fell short for us. Our room was simple and comfortable enough, with very comfortable beds, but several things were broken, including the bathroom door and the shower waterproofing. Breakfast was disappointing and limited. The rooftop restaurant offered a stunning view and good food, but it was noticeably overpriced for what it was. The hotel’s location is also a drawback. It’s not in a walkable neighborhood, and there isn’t much to explore nearby on foot. It’s also very far from the airport, which made late-night and early-morning transfers especially tiring. Overall, it was fine for a short stay focused on pyramid views, but given the condition of the room, food quality, and location, I would likely choose a different hotel next time.

Authenticity & Character

It's just basic. Nothing wrong.

Location

There is no walkability. It's on a highway. However, it is across the street from the GEM and has a (polluted) view of the pyramids.

Staff

The staff of the rooftop restaurant ignored us; it was hard to get their attention.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Just broken doors and flooding shower.

Activity Reviews

Tour to Citadel, and Coptic Cairo

Cairo

This was another excellent experience thanks to Mary. The Citadel offered fascinating insight into medieval Cairo, and learning about the Mamluk massacre was chilling and memorable. Touring Coptic Cairo—the churches and synagogue—was deeply interesting and meaningful. As an AP World History teacher, I especially appreciated Mary’s ability to connect these sites to broader historical themes. She handled sensitive topics with care and clarity. This tour felt thoughtful, educational, and well paced.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cairo food and walking tour and khan elkhalili bazaar

Egypt

The food itself was delicious. Koshary Abu Tarek was a highlight, and wandering through the streets and Khan el-Khalili was colorful and lively. However, the tour was uncomfortable in several ways. The guide, Hani, made inappropriate and misogynistic comments, including comparing women to uncovered chocolate bars melting in the sun when explaining why women should cover themselves. When asked how men fit into this analogy, he laughed and refused to answer. He also showed us shirtless photos of himself and bragged about working out. He offered little explanation about the food or its cultural context. Aggressive sales tactics in the bazaar were relentless, and the overall experience felt more awkward than enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

The Koshary and the juice at Fishaway were highlights

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traffic made this tour soooooo long. I would say to make it a walking tour all centered in one spot.

Check out to Luxor West Bank

Luxor

The West Bank tour was incredible in terms of content. The Colossi of Memnon were striking, and the Valley of the Kings was unforgettable. The tomb artwork was astonishingly well preserved. Guides are not allowed inside the tombs, but Ahmed explained the history beforehand, which helped us appreciate what we were seeing. Seeing King Tut’s tomb—his mummy still inside—was a powerful experience, and we appreciated that the ticket was included. Lunch afterward at Oriental House was excellent and easily the best meal we had in Egypt. While the sites themselves carried the day, the guiding was competent but not especially engaging.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor, Egypt cruise

Luxor

This was absolutely worth it. Despite the very early wake-up, the hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings was flawlessly organized. The crew and pilot were professional, calm, and safety-focused, and we felt secure throughout. Floating above the temples and farmland at sunrise was breathtaking and one of the most awe-inspiring moments of the entire trip. This experience exceeded expectations and was a clear standout.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was no communication about what to expect.

Transport

There was no communication about what to expect.

Luxor East Bank

Luxor

Karnak and Luxor temples were breathtaking in scale and preservation. Walking through these massive complexes gave a real sense of ancient grandeur. Unfortunately, we arrived much later than expected—after 8 p.m.—and missed the anticipated evening experience and light show because of delays earlier in the day. The sites themselves were extraordinary, but poor timing and communication diminished what could have been an even more memorable visit.

Quality of Experience

Food

Ahmed took us to Oriental House, where we paid for our own lunch. It was really good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Travel from Aswan to Luxor via kombo and Edfu

Egypt

The concept of traveling the Nile between Aswan and Luxor was magical and a highlight of the trip. However, communication around timing was consistently inaccurate. We were told specific departure and arrival times that were hours off, which resulted in missed evening temple visits we had been looking forward to and super early wake up times. The promised "gym" did not exist, and sunbathing or swimming on deck was not appropriate or comfortable for women. While sailing, vendors in small boats pulled alongside the ship and shouted into cabin windows, even while we were sleeping. Despite the logistical frustrations, being on the Nile together was genuinely special and memorable.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food aboard the Semiramis III was delicious but the beverages were insanely overpriced.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

kom Ombo, and edfu Temples

Egypt

Kom Ombo Temple was interesting and lovely to see in the dark. We especially enjoyed the crocodile mummy museum. Again, the visit felt rushed. Our guide, Ahmed, seemed frustrated by crowds and eager to finish quickly. On the walk back, vendors aggressively accosted us, throwing items at us as we said no. Edfu Temple was visually stunning and historically rich, but the experience was dampened by logistics. We were required to wake at 4:30 a.m. for a carriage ride, only to arrive with thousands of other visitors already present. Our guide again seemed impatient and disengaged. We stayed positive and enjoyed the site, but the guiding did little to elevate the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

There was no food on this tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ahmed was rushed and grumpy. His English was unclear, and he didn't make the sites more interesting than, say, reading the plaques at each place would have been. I'm a history teacher and I didn't learn much that I didn't already know.

Transport

Tour to High Dam, Philae Temple, and Obelisk

Aswan

Philae Temple was truly spectacular and one of the most beautiful sites we visited. Learning about its relocation and seeing it by boat was fascinating, and Ahmed provided helpful historical context once we were on-site. However, the overall day felt disengaged. After arriving in Aswan during a sandstorm, Ahmed was reluctant to help us plan alternative afternoon activities and instead lingered in the souk smoking. We were taken to a spice shop with extreme overpricing and very pushy sales tactics. While the sites themselves were impressive, the guiding felt uneven and lacked initiative.

Quality of Experience

Visiting Philae Temple itself was spectacular and seeing the High Dam by boat (on day 2 because it was obscured on day 1 by a sandstorm) was cool.

Food

There was no food on this tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ahmed was rushed and grumpy. His English was unclear, and he didn't make the sites more interesting than, say, reading the plaques at each place would have been. I'm a history teacher and I didn't learn much that I didn't already know.

Transport

The Nubian boatman who took us to Philae was iconic.

Giza Pyramids with a camel ride & the Grand Egyptian Museum

Cairo

This was an outstanding first day in Egypt, largely due to our guide, Mary. She was warm, knowledgeable, and consistently professional. She navigated the massive Giza complex smoothly, chose engaging stories that brought the pyramids and Sphinx to life, and never rushed us. The camel ride was touristy but fun, and Mary helped us avoid unnecessary hassle. The Grand Egyptian Museum was a highlight. Mary guided us through about 20 pristine galleries, helping us make sense of the scale and significance without overwhelming us. She also brought us to a papyrus “museum” where sales pressure was noticeably lower than elsewhere. This day set a very high bar and showed what excellent guiding in Egypt can be.

Quality of Experience

The incredible sites and the excellent guide, Mary

Food

Lunch was at a touristy buffet with only other travelers. A more local restaurant would have been much better.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mary was open-minded, chatty, knowledgeable and sweet

Transport

Cairo has some serious traffic but our driver navigated it well

My family of six had an amazing trip to Egypt and Jordan. It was two nights in Cairo, 4 cruising up the Nile, 2 back in Cairo and the last 3 nights in Jordan to visit Petra and the Dead Sea. We are repeat customers of Kimkim, and on the last 15 months have spent almost $60,000 with them.

Overall we were very pleased with the trip. To improve our experience the communication during the planning process could have been better. I was surprised by the difficulty on this trip because the year before we used Kimkim for a family trip to Spain and we didn’t have the same problems.

For the Spain trip our specialist was in Colorado at the Kimkim headquarters and communication was excellent. For the Egypt and Jordan trip our specialist, Aya was in Egypt. Aya, was very good, but communication was difficult due to four factors: 1) the time difference, 2) some language barriers, 3) some technical glitches which resulted in scheduled calls not going through, and 4) Kimkim subcontracted all of its Egypt work to Sun Pyramids, who subcontracted the Jordan portion to a third company. As a result, the Jordan information was slow in coming, and the Egypt information seemed forced into the Kimkim framework.

A few times there were gaps/delays in communication and I reached out to Kimkim corporate twice. The first time they were helpful (your advisor has been sick and will be in touch shortly), the second time they were not helpful at all (please write all your comments in the trip chat and you will get a response - I did and but they didn't). Overall, I expected more from Kimkim, and I felt they were not actively supervising the people with whom they contracted/ delegated.

Guides and Drivers:
The guide in Cairo (Mahmoud Imam), was very good. The Jordan guide (Mohammad Al Najjar) and Jordan driver (Mohammad Masoud) in Jordan were excellent. We had one bad experience with a vehicle in Luxor that was substandard. We complained to Aya and Sun Pyramids was very responsive and positively resolved the issue very quickly, compensating us with upgraded tickets in the Valley of the Kings.

Hotels / Cruise:
The MS Nile Premium Cruise was rated 5 Star, but was on the very low end of that The personnel and service were excellent, the cabins were tired, and the food was mediocre. The Sofitel in Cairo was excellent. The Petra Canyon Hotel in Wadi Musa was very good, although the dinner fare was so-so. The Holiday Inn Dead Sea was excellent (rooms, food, service).

Tips for working with Kimkim:

Responsiveness - Be aware that you have their full attention and they are very eager to work with you before the deposit is placed. Once the deposit is placed, responsiveness drops off noticeably. (This was true of our Spain trip and the Egypt/Jordan trip). I was happy to give a deposit to secure hotels during a busy season, but their assumption was that the trip had been finalized, and we were still working on it. To Aya's credit, she worked with us on changes throughout the planning for the trip.
Trip Details - Kimkim is a little slow on some information. For example, we repeatedly asked how much driving was planned for each day. We we wanted to minimize our time in the vehicle. The information was not readily available. I had to plot the stops myself, to figure out which days were too long and request adjustments accordingly. After the first one or two adjustments, it would have been great if a thorough analysis had been undertaken to help us.
Confirmations - in Spain, confirmations and contacts for all hotels, transfers and guides were sent one week in advance. In Egypt this was not the case. Sun Pyramids did not provide confirmation numbers and telephone numbers in advance for transfers and guides, and no confirmations for hotels in Jordan.
Service - We were always picked-up on-time, and never left hanging, but it was more comforting in Spain to have all the telephone numbers and names in advance. It was disconcerting to have no contact information when landing at an airport, or when expecting to be picked up at the hotel at 2 am for a 6 am flight. Again, everything went well, but not having a telephone number or contact beforehand was not comfortable. This appears to be a Sun Pyramids policy.
Laundry - A very small thing, but important. Our trips tend to be long and midway, we usually need laundry. Hotel laundry for a family is usually ridiculously expensive. I asked for some recommendations/suggestions for local laundry, and help here would have been amazing.
Tipping - When I requested information about tipping I received general information that was not always useful. Since Kimkim (Sun Pyramids) paid the guides and the drivers, I didn't have a reference (for example, an extra 10% or 15% of what?). We resorted to AI several times. More direct guidance from Kimkim would have been valuable.

Overall, I highly recommend this trip with Kimkim with the above caveats.

We just returned from our magical 13 day trip to Egypt. Aya planned us an amazing trip and knew all of the best things to do and see. She was super responsive and was open to any input we had for this trip. We typically don’t love a trip either a tour guide, but for Egypt it is necessary. Aya found the best tour guides in all the various spots in Egypt. We loved our tour guide Anna and would recommend her to anyone who travels to Cairo. Overall great experience!!

All the guides were great, particularly Fatima and Achmed. I forgot to mention that each time we arrived at the Cairo airport, from Heathrow and Aswan, there was no on there to greet us. From Heathrow we waited 50 minutes before we found someone from Sun Pyramids and from Aswan we had to find the sun pyramid representative who spoke no English and seemed completely lost.

Hotel Reviews

MS Salacia Nile cruise

everything was great except that they missed two wake up calls.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Cairo Grand Nile

cairo

Everything was great. As a 81 year old senior citizen getting in ad out of the bath tub was a challenge as the tube wall was about 2.5 feet high.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour to High Dam, Philae Temple, and Obelisk / Check out

Aswan

we did not go to the obelisk. we went to the botanical garden and nubian village intead

Abu Simbel Temple

Aswan

We did not go. We did not realize that this was four hour drive to and from through the desert in a caravan for safety with a one hour visit. We should have been told this when the trip was being planned originally

Edfu, and Kom OmboTemples

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luxor West Bank

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, and Luxor Museum

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Tour To The Newest Saqqara Tombs

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Transport

Half day To Egyptian Museum

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to National Museum, Moez St. and Khan El-Khalili

Cairo

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tour To The Grand Egyptian Museum “GEM”

Egypt

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Giza Pyramids With Camel Ride

Cairo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Having done 1 trip with kimkim, we felt certain that our time in Egypt would be well organized. Having a representative meet and guide us through airports was a big plus. Our guides were amazingly knowledgeable about each temple and site and tempered the visit to our level of interest and enthusiasm. Having a driver take us to and from all destinations, somewhow being ready to pick us up at the right meeting spot despite the hundreds of cars, scooters and busses...amazed us. A highlight was dinner with a family in Cairo. Besides excellent fresh food, our host turned out to be a seasoned rower and my husband rowed a quad on the Nile. We thank Nader for all the emails and adjustments because we visited one of the most ancient countries in our world. Fantastic experience.

We had a fantastic ten day holiday in Egypt put together by Amr at Egypt Promotion Travel through Kimkim. We were also supported so well when we were there by all the reps, tour guides and drivers who made us feel like we were in safe hands throughout. We started and ended in Cairo and had an overnight stay in the White Desert and a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan in between. We saw all the top sights we were hoping to see and so much more. Particular highlights were the pyramids, Karnak Temple, the GEM, a hot air balloon ride over Luxor and our day and overnight camping stay in the White Desert. We learnt so much more and had such an enriching experience by having wonderful private tour guides who were clearly very knowledgeable and friendly too. Having only ten days to see so much was only possible due to the clever itinerary put together for us by Amr which was ably supported by the team when we were there. During our stay, when we made a last minute request for the hot air balloon ride, Amr helped sort this out too and effectively reorganised the day's itinerary for us. He was very helpful and responded promptly to messages during the planning process and throughout our holiday too. It was reassuring to know that we were always supported even when we were there.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Egypt and would highly recommend kimkim as a way to achieve a great holiday there.

Hotel Reviews

M/S Semiramis III

Aswan

Good size and comfortable twin bed cabin with ensuite bath and shower. Wonderful catering for all meals, a great buffet selection for all tastes. Spacious communal areas and friendly and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Pyramids Golf

Cairo

Loved this hotel as it was spacious and comfortable. It had great buffet breakfasts and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A green oasis well situated for the GEM, but other side of the city to the airport.

Staff

Friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Top class

Activity Reviews

Day tour to visit Grand Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Salah El-Din & Old Cairo

Cairo

The GEM was one of the highlights of our trip to Cairo. We were very ably supported and guided by our private tour guide Yahya throughout the day. His incredible wealth of knowledge and friendly manner added to our enjoyment and learning immensely. We had our friendly driver Abdullah again and he seamlessly transported us from one sight to another. We enjoyed seeing the beautiful Citadel and Old Cairo too including visits to the Jewish synagogue and the Koptic church.

Quality of Experience

Amazing experience and the now fully open and new GEM was a sight to see.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and knowledgeable guide Yahya and very friendly driver Abdullah who always had a smile on his face.

Transport

Smooth and very comfortable

Cruise Disembarkation in Aswan

Aswan

Our disembarkation of the boat went well and was very smooth.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aswan

Aswan

Philae Temple and Aswan High Dam well worth visiting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable guide

Transport

Visit Abu Simbel temple

Egypt

Not to be missed - well worth our early plane ride to visit it. Great to have a private guide who added to our enjoyment and knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Stunning and we were very impressed to learn about how the site was moved to protect it from the Nile flooding

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and knowledgeable guide

Transport

Smooth transitions to and from airport

Temple of Horus at Edfu & Kom Ombo Temple

Egypt

Our Edfu Temple visit was with guide Mina and Kom Ombo Temple visit was with his equally knowledgeable and friendly brother, Michael. We much appreciated having their expertise during our visits.

Quality of Experience

Great temples to see

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mina and Michael were both great guides.

Transport

Karnak temple

Egypt

An outstanding temple to visit with amazing sights. Our knowledge, ease and enjoyment was added to by having our private guide Jamal throughout.

Quality of Experience

Amazing in its scale and the details that we saw.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

With an expert guide like Jamal the visit is even more enriching.

Transport

Smooth and straightforward

West Bank of Luxor (Valley of the Kings , Hatshepsut Temple - Colossi of Memnon) Sailing to Edfu

Egypt

Valley of the Kings an absolutely wonderful experience. Having our very knowledgeable guide Jamal added to our enjoyment and knowledge immensely.

Quality of Experience

Bucket list sights by the dozen!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jamal was especially good as our guide and his expert knowledge and friendliness added to our trip.

Transport

Smooth and straightforward

Visit Luxor temple

Egypt

We had a great experience here made even more so by our very knowledgeable guide Jamal. He expanded our understanding of the significance of what we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jamal was a fantastic guide and added to our enjoyment and knowledge.

Transport

Easy and straightforward

Cairo/ White Desert

White Desert

Stunning scenery and amazing experience all round. Particularly will remember camping out in the desert, dancing beneath the stars, sand boarding and sunset in the desert - just magical.

Quality of Experience

Like experiencing another planet at times as the desert formations were so 'other worldly'.

Food

Very welcoming and delicious lunch and dinner

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fantastic people who made the whole experience wonderful

Transport

Long journey but totally worth it to get to such a remote place we wouldn't have seen on our own.

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis and camel ride

Cairo

Absolutely wonderful day spent seeing sights we had dreamed of seeing. Loved Sakkara and found it to be a very special place, not as many crowds. The camel ride by the pyramids at Giza was a fantastic experience and we couldn't get enough of seeing the pyramids!

Quality of Experience

Bucket list sights everywhere!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful and kind, we loved having Abdullah as our driver. He remained very calm even in the busy Cairo traffic!

Transport

Very comfortable car with air conditioning and was great to have door to door transport, made everything so much more enjoyable.

The tour guide for the first 2 days was good. The rest was a disorganized mess. This was my third international kimkim trip in 2025 but this one was the opposite of the first two. I emailed Alison at Kimkim to try to help out as I had spoken with her in the planning phase. (When she assured me the contact they set me up with would be good). No one from kimkim got back to me. The tour was poorly run, disorganized, and lastly (though honestly least of my concerns) was a terrible value for the price paid. One of the events booked was cancelled - without informing us and we were only refunded $130 for that. I’m pretty sure we were charged 10x that amount. But again, money aside, we were not told of this cancellation even though the company finalized our itinerary the day before. They weren’t able to communicate the cancellation to us despite having the kimkim chat and WhatsApp and my active cell service as options. Our family was disappointed with this one. From Egypt we went to Athens and Rome and black tomato provided stellar service.

Hotel Review

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL CAIRO AT NILE PLAZA

Amazing hotel, location, cleanliness, and service. 5 star luxury with a concierge that was able to set us up with trips and excursions when Kimkim left us hanging. The hotel concierge facilitated our trip better than Kimkim.

Authenticity & Character

Four seasons class!

Location

Cairo is a hectic city. This location was a sanctuary in the middle of the city.

Staff

The concierge, the wait staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping did great and came 2x day.

Activity Reviews

Female-Led Cooking & Countryside Farm Tour in Rural Egypt.

Egypt

Not really that interesting. Small farm tour with the owners (very nice family). Took about 15 minutes. Then a preparation of an Egyptian lunch which wasn’t more than 20 minutes. We got to make bread in the oven which was fun. after that it was eating the lunch and driving back to Cairo. The whole experience was about an hour and though it was nice to see the countryside not really worth it. They didn’t book anything else for us for the day but luckily the hotel concierge was able to find activities for our free time. (Our rep from kimkim was useless)

Quality of Experience

Food

Cleanliness

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giza Pyramids with a camel ride & the Grand Egyptian Museum

Cairo

A must do obviously while in Egypt. The camel ride was adventurous, kids loved it!

Quality of Experience

The grand Egyptian museum!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids

Cairo

They cancelled this on us

Cairo Day Tour to Egyptian Museum, Citadel and Khan Khalili Bazaar

Cairo

Was great and worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Kind of dirty for western standards. I saw them taking the unused food from a table that left and serving it to a new table

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a memorable and exciting trip overall. Our guide, Hasan, was exceptionally knowledgeable; his deep dive into the history and facts of the monuments and Pharaohs truly brought the experience to life. While the cruise was enjoyable, we found the food options to be quite repetitive and limited, especially for those who don't eat beef. However, the hot air balloon ride was a major highlight that the kids absolutely loved. It was a wonderful educational journey for the whole family.

Hotel Reviews

Baron Hotel Cairo

Cairo

Beautiful hotel with great views. Breakfast options were amazing and the service of the hotel staff was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nile Paradise

Cairo

Overall nice cruise with comfortable rooms and amenitites. Food options were very limited and repetitive for no nbeef eating. Wifi was very unsable. There were very few entertainment options on board.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coptic Cairo - Salah El Deen Citadel - Mohamed Ali Mosque

Cairo

Citadel and the Coptic Cairo visit was good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alexandria

Cairo

The drive was comfortable, but the locations we visited were underwhelming. The museum was good but the trip to library was time wasted.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grand Egyptian Museum tour

Cairo

We had limited time but really enjoyed looking at the artifacts collected by archeologists

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to visit Pyramids and Sphinx

Cairo

Pyramids view was amazing, would have been great if we could visit the Sphynx close by instead of just walking down the path.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Abu Simbel Tour

Aswan

Amazing architecture and beautiful location

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aswan

Aswan

Beautiful temples and locations. Boat ride to the Philae temple was very beautiful

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Edfou temple and Kom Ombo temple

Edfu

Temple and the architecture was beautiful. but it was very crowded

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

West Bank of Luxor (Valley of the Kings , Hatshepsut Temple - Colossi of Memnon) Sailing to Edfu

Egypt

View of the valley of kings from the hot air balloon was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Attend Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple

Egypt

Beautiful light show

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Karnak Temple and Luxor temple

Egypt

Our first experience with the ancient Egyptian monument and we were awestruck with the magnitude and the architecture skills. Light show was amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My Egypt holiday with your team was extremely disappointing and not what we expected and I don’t think I want to visit Egypt again

Right from day one there were issues , we had planned this holiday in advance but it seemed like a last minute effort by Aya and her team. It felt like the person planning the tour for us had no idea about how long it can take to see one site and the travel time between places was not taken into account and on day one our itinerary was not achievable at all and the amount of back and forth we had to do to adjust it just added to stress and took the joy out of holiday .
On the first day, our tour guide wasted 2.5 hours of our time in the morning picking up tickets from one place and then again he forgot to get the ticket for my 10 year old and we again had to wait outside the museum for him to buy an additional ticket. When he got the tickets he had to stand in another line to get the audio guide system and that wasted another hour. we were up and ready from 8 in the morning and we entered the museum at 10:30 in the morning . As a reminder we were staying in a hotel that was right opposite the museum so u can imagine how organised Aya and her team are. When we went to Giza he again had no tickets and we had to wait for our guide to buy tickets for us.

Further, we had paid for a golf cart for our mom for the Giza trip but on the day we were told it’s not available (the money was later refunded but still it shows the lack of organisation).

When we returned to Cairo on 2nd January we were sent a guide who was extremely rude and was not really interested in showing us anything. when we mentioned that we needed to see the citadel which we had already discussed with Aya on day 2 he was extremely rude and unhelpful. My sister had already mentioned his behaviour this guide ruined our day and made sure we didn’t not get to see anything useful. We found Aya and her team very unhelpful and disorganised

I would never recommend anyone plan a trip to Egypt with this company.

Hotel Reviews

Novotel El Borg

cairo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M/S Farida Nile Cruise

Aswan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo

Cairo

It’s dated but loved its breakfast and there staff was not very helpful and porter was rude

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in front of museum

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tour to High Dam, Philae Temple, and Obelisk

Aswan

One star : Dam visit was very boring , avoid Philae temple : 3 star Obelisk: 3 star

Quality of Experience

Transport

We had planned our family vacation a year in advance with great anticipation, but our experience with your tour company was profoundly disappointing. The itinerary provided bore little resemblance to what we had requested. The tour operator was rigid, unhelpful, and seemed more intent on promoting her own agenda than curating the personalized experience we had paid for. We felt deprived of the sights and experiences we had carefully chosen and expected.

It is difficult not to question whether we paid for a custom trip only to be directed toward what suited the company’s convenience and cost savings. Key arrangements, such as purchasing tickets in advance, were neglected—causing unnecessary delays. In one instance, tickets for my niece, a member of our group from the start, were simply forgotten. The tour operator, Aya from Sun Pyramids, created an unrealistic itinerary for the Giza tour day, expecting us to cross the city through heavy traffic to visit multiple sites—an impossible task. The overall planning and organization reflected a lack of attention and care.

Our final day was especially distressing. The guide refused to take us to certain sites, explaining that the company would not cover the ticket costs. This led to significant anxiety and emotional distress, as well as a complete waste of our limited time. It seemed evident that the company prioritized saving money over delivering the experience promised, while shifting the blame to us for what was, in truth, their failure of execution.

Aya demonstrated neither competence nor professionalism. Once the contract was signed, she became largely unresponsive, and her communication—when it occurred—was vague and unhelpful. Despite our considerable upfront payment, we were constantly asked for additional charges. One of the guides, Omar, behaved unprofessionally, frequently smoking and speaking on his phone while disengaged from the group. He appeared unprepared and frustrated, undermining the quality of our experience.

Despite these challenges, our family did its best to remain positive and make the most of our time together. We would like to acknowledge Ahmed on the Nile cruise, whose professionalism, kindness, and attentive coordination were a welcome contrast to the rest of the experience.

Overall, we feel profoundly misled and disappointed. We chose Kimkim because of the excellent experiences we’ve had with them in past vacations, but this trip fell far short of their usual standards. We sincerely hope Kimkim will reassess their partnership with Sun Pyramids to ensure future travelers do not endure a similarly distressing experience.

Everything was well organized as planned based upon my specific requirements. My guide Amira was very knowledgeable and made the experience very enjoyable.

I have used Kim kim in the past for trips to Morocco and Jordan. Both those trips worked out really well. I'm not a normal tourist. I've been working in Archaeology for the past 15 years since I retired. I have 12 field seasons and quite a few papers to my credit. I guess I would fall in the category of a high demand customer..

I originally did not choose Kim Kim for the trip that I just finished to Egypt. I chose a different company and that turned out to be a big mistake. I approached KimKim to help me salvage the last week of the trip and they did a spectacular job. In addition to a two day visit to the GEM, which they helped me navigate in view of my specific interests, I did a trip to Tell el-Armana. It's not on the normal tourist trail, and the fact that they were able to put the trip together in such a meaningful way with such short notice really meant a lot to me. They had a lead guide looking after me and specific guides for specific sites. I found all the guides to be very engaging. Nothing that we think we know in Archaeology is an absolute truth and being able to discuss bearing points of view with the guides is to me the hallmark of a world class company.

Khaled Ali handled the logistics in the office and did a superb job organizing all my last-minute requests. They had a primary Guide take care of me.. his name was Samara (Mohammed Monaem). He did a great job getting me from place to place in an in Fischer Manor, but what I enjoyed the most was hard discussions about the interpretation of Egyptian history and historical events. The narratives that are developed about history are never completely black-and-white and to have a guide who could discuss those things just added so much to the trip.. they also provided a local guide in the mania and tell el- Armana areas and his relationship with the local staff helped a lot.

My hero was a guide that they obtained for me to visit GEM, Rania. GEM is overwhelming. I've done a lot of work with museums and I was more than impressed with the way they've organized their material. At the same time I have very specific interest and my guide Rania mapped out a very efficient route through the museum and then helped me find the restoration stela of Tutankhamun. My AI search engine actually had Gavin me five different locations for the stela, two of which were not at GEM. I was panicked, but I shouldn't have worried. I was in good hands..

All in all, it was a very well done trip in some trying circumstances.

We had a wonderful experience in Egypt at all planned locations. Our airport representatives and driver in Cairo were welcoming and helped us smoothly through passport checks and to our hotel. The hotel staff were also kind and accommodating. Our Cairo guide, Mohamed, was very knowledgeable and shared valuable insights into Egypt’s sites, culture, and history.
In Aswan and Luxor, the staff were equally helpful. Zane and Michael welcomed us warmly, and Michael was our favorite guide for keeping our children engaged and being especially attentive to their needs.

Overall, we absolutely loved our trip and are grateful to everyone who helped make it happen. We hope to return in the future and would be thrilled to have Michael as our guide again.

We had a very poor experience with KimKim and with our specialist Nader. There was absolutely no communication to us of any details or coordination of the trip. After we had already arrived in Egypt, he informed us that he wouldn't even be with us and was sending someone else. There was also no communication to the actual in person guides with us - they were just as confused as we were. It was very stressful and frustrating as we literally paid tens of thousands of dollars to this company to exactly avoid having to do the planning and logistics ourselves. It was obvious that no coordination or care had been taken and the job we paid for was not done at all. Even our guides were shocked and saying this was all wrong and not normal. On the very first night, hotel rooms were not properly booked and our guests had to move rooms. The incorrect beds were given and our guests had to get roll away beds. It was a mess and horrible way to arrive after days of long travel. Our entire itinerary was requested to be changed last minute by Nader. We still don't know the real reason behind why. I said no multiple times to the changes but he kept pushing for it so we eventually agreed. Throughout the trip, Nader was unresponsive many times...again leaving out vital details and not there when major issues were occurring for us in country. The entire trip focus was spiritual experiences at temples which we paid great money for. And no special access was coordinated for us in any temple, when that was clearly communicated and plenty of money given for this. Some of the days, our whole group went without barely any food and were hungry and exhausted. One day, the only food all day was 2 box lunches- with barely any food inside them. Again, this is not at all what we paid for. After the whole trip with a specific guide, we were given a different guide on very last day. There was also a security guard and police randomly added only on the last day - then we were expected to pay money to all these additional people. We were never asked nor informed beforehand for any of this. And overall, one of the worst parts was the crazy amount of money being asked from us in tips. We were asked to not only tip our driver and guide (which is understandable), but also asked for large tips for the boat staff, for the random guides given that we never asked for, for the security (who then even yelled at us for more money). It left a horrible experience for the whole group. If there actually is a set tip amount expected, then at the very least this should have been told to our group so that we could properly prepare. Everyone spent hundreds more than they had prepared for which not only reflects poorly on your company but also on me as the trip coordinator.

We will never be using Kimkim again.

From the moment we landed, we were greeted by a wonderful representative, Ibrahim, who went above and beyond for us. He took care of everything — from collecting our luggage to handling our visas — and even made sure we had something to eat on the way to the hotel, knowing how late it was. If I had to describe him in one word, it would be spectacular.

Our visit to Cairo was absolutely amazing — nothing like what we expected. It was safe, welcoming, and truly life-changing. From there, we traveled to Luxor, and words can hardly describe how incredible that experience was. That part of our journey set the standard for what we now expect from every tour and guide.

Our guide, Mohammed Kamal, made each city and site unforgettable. His knowledge of Egypt’s history was unmatched, and his passion brought every story to life. when I think of Kamal one word comes to mind magnificent, impressive and kind.

My husband and I take a honeymoon trip each October, and I can honestly say that the hospitality, kindness, and warmth we experienced in Egypt have been unmatched anywhere else.

When we visited Alexandria, our guide Hosam was equally wonderful — gracious, knowledgeable, and truly dedicated to making our visit special.

Each moment of our trip exceeded our expectations, and we left Egypt with hearts full of gratitude and memories that will last a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

M/S MAYFAIR Nile Cruise

Aswan

nothing more that spectacular

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The restaurant staff was incredible — attentive, friendly, and always made us feel welcomed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The staff was incredible — attentive, friendly, and always made us feel welcomed.

Kempinski Nile Hotel

Cairo

This hotel was exactly what we’re used to — professional, kind, and accommodating. If we return, this is definitely where we’d want to stay again. Each staff member displayed unique qualities that truly represent the high standards of this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Each staff member displayed unique qualities that truly represent the high standards of this hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day tour Alexandria

Cairo

When we visited Alexandria, our guide Hosam was equally wonderful — gracious, knowledgeable, and truly dedicated to making our visit special. Each moment of our trip exceeded our expectations, and we left Egypt with hearts full of gratitude and memories that will last a lifetime.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Philae temple & High Dam - Felluca ride

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edfu - Komombo

Egypt

There is no words but amaZing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Mohammed Kamal, made each city and site unforgettable. His knowledge of Egypt’s history was unmatched, and his passion brought every story to life.

Transport

Visit The west Bank of Luxor

Luxor

Our guide, Mohammed Kamal, made each city and site unforgettable. His knowledge of Egypt’s history was unmatched, and his passion brought every story to life.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Karnak Temple and Luxor temple

Egypt

Our guide, Mohammed Kamal, made each city and site unforgettable. His knowledge of Egypt’s history was unmatched, and his passion brought every story to life. the hospitality, kindness, and warmth we experienced in Luxor have been unmatched anywhere else.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Mohammed Kamal, made each city and site unforgettable. His knowledge of Egypt’s history was unmatched, and his passion brought every story to life. the hospitality, kindness, and warmth we experienced in Luxor have been unmatched anywhere else

Transport

Day tour to visit Pyramids and Sphinx , Camel Ride , Sakkara

Cairo

From the moment we landed, we were greeted by a wonderful representative, Ibrahim, who went above and beyond for us. He took care of everything — from collecting our luggage to handling our visas — and even made sure we had something to eat on the way to the hotel, knowing how late it was. If I had to describe him in one word, it would be spectacular. This tour was truly life-changing — to go back in time and experience what I once learned in college, to see, feel, and touch history firsthand, was absolutely mind-blowing. Our guide Caron was very knowledgeable and shared so many fascinating details that brought history to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I just returned from an amazing trip to Egypt. Kimkim put together an itinerary that was super specific to our wants and needs. We jumped around from Cairo to Aswan to Luxor to Hurghada to Cairo and the entire trip went flawlessly. We felt so pampered, with private drivers and guides that catered to us and taught us so much about the sites we visited, as well as the local culture and beautiful country. EGYPT IS AMAZING. Truly a trip of a lifetime.