Kimkim Trip Reviews for Egypt

I've had a bit of time to think about the Egypt trip and I do have a few comments. First of all, providing the WiFi unit was an enormous plus for us. It was often stronger than the hotels where we were staying. Secondly, the greeters at the various airports were very helpful and professional. The drivers were all amazing and skilled at maneuvering the triffic in the cities and in the countryside! Our guides in Cairo and from Aswan to Luxor were both excellent and knowledgeable. Heragy was especially good at being helpful and at interacting with my 12 year old granddaughter, Ginger. I highly commend them both. Also, Ginger was given a lovely silver necklace with her name in hieroglyphs. Very thoughtful. The content of the tours is something I regret not being more involved with. I absolutely love the ancient monuments and Ginger had been studying the mythology and heiroglyphs of Egypt. All were presented to us very professionally. On my previous trip to Cairo and Luxor, however, we were taken to several very interesting mosques and Coptic sites and to several places that were culturally interesting - a carpet factory, papyrus demonstration to name a couple. I regret that some of these were not on the schedule to relieve the visits to ancient sites.
One item that really caught me by surprise was the amount of tipping necessary for the plethora of people involved in the trip. Some realistic guidellines of who and how much would have been VERY helpful before we arrived. I did not bring sufficient US $$ to even begin to cover the necessary tips. ATM's were available but I had to make numerous withdrawals to cover expenses. Also, perhaps I should have known that there would be at least 3-4. people requiring tips on each journey (airport greeter, driver, guide, porter etc....)
Another downside, the days in Huarghada were difficult. The choice of hotel was not provided to me so I had no idea where we were going once our dirver arrived in the area. I naturally expected to have a nice hotel on the Red Sea with the beach an easy view and walk. Not only was the waterslide resort (that we called Disneyland) not AT ALL what I would have chosen, but the assigned guide, who tried to be helpful, really did not have enough English to be working with us. He was about an hour late meeting us with the driver and assistant at the hotel, but just trying to plan the days was very iffy. Except for the bit of snorkeling that Ginger was able to do, the rest was unexpectly difficult. He did indeed try to provide us with good service, but had it not been for his use of a translation app with Whatsapp, we would have had a very difficult time indeed. On the last day our check-out time was noon and the plane departure was 7PM and there was apparently no pre-planning for the intervening hours. As it turned out, Mohamud made a good plan for us and the time was interesting.
I've never made such a lengthly reiview of a trip so I hope this might help you with other customers. I have previously used KimKim for granddaughter trips to Greece and to Paris and these were exceptionally delightful.

Activity Reviews

Meet and Greet + Transport to Hotel

Cairo Int. Airport (CAI)

The greeter was excellent. I was not prepared with Visas for Egypt and he handled this with good grace.

Quality of Experience

We did see a lot of wonderful ancient sites, would have liked to have had some exposure to Coptic and Moslem sites.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drivers, especially, amazed me. Very tricky driving!

Transport

Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx

Egypt

Camel ride was good but expensive. Nice lunch at the 9 Pyramid lunch place.

Food

Loved the lady making the delightful bread at the lunch place.

Sakkara - Memphis

Cairo

Visit to Khan Al Khalili

Cairo

Disembarkation Day

Egypt

The ship was very comfortable and the staff extremely courteous. There were very few passengers and yet every detail was carried out with perfection, from the dining experience to the several onboard activities.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lunch at 9 Pyramids Lounge

Cairo

Nice lady making bread

Snorkelling/Diving trip

Hurghada

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

Cairo

Don't miss it.

Egyptian Museum

Cairo

Surprised that our guide needed to stand in line for tickets.

The unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple visit

Egypt

Don't miss it.

Aswan high dam

Aswan

Very interesting site.

My extraordinary, solo, three-week trip to Egypt and Petra fulfilled a life-long dream. KimKim’s agents helped make this a fabulous, stress-free adventure every step of the way. My guides, including Mahmoud Gawish, Mohamed Kamal, “Jimmy” and others were all knowledgeable, thoughtful gentlemen. The drivers, including Said in Cairo, “Mr. Ferrari” and Shadi in Jordan, and private car were all top-notch. Multiple airport transfers were incredibly smooth. I may have forgotten some of the others who helped make me feel so welcome, cared-for and well informed. The Egypt agent, Lareine, was always responsive, helping me tailor the trip, choose congenial accommodations, answering questions and helping with itinerary tweaks during my trip. I am so glad I saw some places that others sometimes miss, such as the tomb of Seti I and the stunning temples of Abydos and Dendera. It was all magnificent. Thanks so much to all.

Our trip to Egypt was amazing. Our guides, Omar and Ahmed, were knowledgeable and friendly. They catered to our needs, making sure we comfortable and seeing the sights we wanted to see. Beth and I truly enjoyed our time with them. Mr. Sabry and Mr. Said were a huge help organizing local trips and upgrading our accommodations.
The food and accommodations were first class. The Nile River trip was relaxing and the ship's crew took good care of us.
One of our favorite restaurants was the Valley of the Kings. We went twice.
The Pyramids and the museums were amazing but the Temple at Abu Simbel and the balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings and Queens should not be missed.
I might add that we felt very safe in Egypt. I would gladly go back.

Activity Reviews

Explore lost city of Petra and overnight in Wadi Rum

Egypt

If you ever need to feel like Indiana Jones, this is the place. It was one of the surprises of the trip, as it exceeded our expectations. Petra is a place you need to see. The H Luxury hotel is a great place to stay.

Quality of Experience

Food

H Luxury hotel's food was first class. The wait staff was very attentive.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rasheed was our driver. He made sure we got to places on time. He also made sure we were comfortable.

Transport

Grand Egyptian Museum tour to the grand hall & commercial area

Cairo

The Grand Museum will be a must see once it fully opens. It is an architectural marvel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour to visit Pyramids and Sphinx

Cairo

Can't go to Egypt without seeing the pyramids. Definitely worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Cairo

Another great day. The museum has more items than can be seen in one day. King Tut exhibition lived up to its reputation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruise disembarkation- Visit Abu Simbel temple & overnight at the hotel

Egypt

Our one-night stay at Seti Abu Simbel Lake Resort was pleasant. The hotel was lovely, and the highlight was visiting the Abu Simbel temple. We enjoyed the light show in the evening, which was a memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

The light show

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full Day tour at the West bank (Kings, Queens, Hatshepsut, Memnon, Ramsseum & Habu) - Nile Cruise

Luxor

Our Nile River cruise experience was wonderful. The boat may have been a bit older, but the crew was fantastic, and the food was excellent. We have been upgraded on a suite. We felt incredibly safe and well taken care of during our time on the cruise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arrival Luxor- East Bank tour

Luxor

The Sofitel Winter Palace in Luxor was a beautiful hotel with a lot of history. The accommodations were comfortable, and the service was top-notch. Our visit to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple was a highlight of our stay.

Wadi Rum desert tour - Overnight at the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea

Our stay at Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea Resort was incredible. The resort was beautiful, and the location by the Dead Sea was stunning. We had a relaxing time and wished we could have stayed longer to enjoy the spa and the surroundings.

Quality of Experience

When you initiate a travel plan with Kimkim, the company will assign you to a local agency who makes all the travel arrangements for you. The price was steep and was a black box, there was no breakdown when I asked for it. I should have stopped by this hint.

The agency works with certain hotels that give them an agency rate that’s lower than the consumer rate. They put me in fairmont, an Arab owned establishment. The problem was that they have a party every other night hosted by the Arabian Club/ casino (yes hotel has a casino) until 3 am. The noise could be heard from the highest floor of hotel(20th). For the Cairo Representative he was very nice but didn’t speak much English. I was a little devastated by the difficulties of communication as I just arrived in a foreign country. The tour guides, their English are mostly heavily accented. At the end or middle of the tour days, they take you to commissioned shops for overpriced and roughly made souvenirs (not included in the itinerary, you are on your own to defend from the hard sell ). The extra events are also marked up with a lot of room for the guide/company. For example the hot air balloon at Luxor is marked up very steep, for 140USD per person, if you book through the hot air balloon business directly, you can easily get a quote at 30 USD/person. It is a very dark industry with people who are careless about your wellbeing.

The flight returning home was a breaking point for me. You pay everything with a fat margin but you don’t get the best in line, or not even a professional service. The Egypt agency(Egypt Promotions) was careless as to mistaking the flight times to return home. After the first negotiation, they refused to book the flight for me. They think it is my fought for not checking the travel plan they made. Told me that I should buy another ticket out of my own pocket(3000usd). After desperate attempts to battle with the agency. they were finally able to change the flight for me when they discovered that the airline can put me on the same flight for only 300 usd, a discounted price. (I bought business) Perhaps also fearing that kimkim will no longer send them quality clients. egypt has its enchantment but the business is rotten. During the entire event kimkim did not care to reach me via phone or to apologize.

A dark price breakdown:
I paid kimkim 5000usd for 7days in Egypt, not including flights.
fairmont hotel was 200usd/night on Expedia agency should have better price.
200*4nights=800usd
Tour guide + driver: 64 usd/day*5days=320usd
Movenpick cruise: 400usd/day *3= 1200usd

Total paid: 5000
Total cost from agency: 800+320+1200= 2320
They earned about $2700 from me on this trip.

If I booked on my own I could have stayed at four seasons or at St Regis (best line of hotel in Cairo with much better service and no noise from casino/club) and an upper deck suite at movenpick. And I will still have surplus.

And it is a shame that I had to flight for my ticket back home. I was on the edge of experiencing a full mental breakdown at the airport.
If you decide to travel to Egypt, it’s best to book the hotel by yourself, tours with a local company separately.

This was our first time booking through Kimkim so we didn’t know what to expect. The trip was complicated because it included three countries each with different local specialists: Egypt, UAE, Jordan. Mohamed did an amazing job working with me to get us the tour we wanted. For example, we added the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza and the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi.

Our Cairo tour was excellent. Our tour guide Dalia was both knowledgeable and compassionate. She took time to take pictures of us as we visited the different sites. She even captured the pyramids from the Citadel. Dalia also organized the visit so we avoided most of the crowds and traffic. The driver was highly skilled and helpful.

The sunset on the rooftop restaurant before the sound and light show at the pyramids was magical. The felucca boat trip on the Nile was unforgettable. The Grand Egyptian Museum was well worth adding to our tour. Finally, I appreciated the SIM card which made communication seamless.

Another Mohamed did an excellent job guiding us around the sites in Luxor. We were able to see the important sites in a packed 24 hours.

In UAE, our tour of Dubai was very comprehensive. The driver had a comfortable van and was very punctual. He kindly provided water and even gave us 10 AED so we could take the boat to the Old Souq at our first stop since we hadn’t converted any money yet. The best part was that Navas worked with us to customize our tour so that we didn’t have to spend more time than we wanted at any one site.

We visited in high season so there was plenty of traffic and a long line at the Burj Khalifa. Unfortunately, we were also booked for a visit at 10 PM which made for a long day. The Palm monorail tickets were not included so be prepared for 30 AED round trip if you want to go to Atlantis.

We also did a day tour of Abu Dhabi. The highlight for us was the Louvre Museum and the Qasar al Watan palace. It was great that we could customize our visit so we didn’t spend time in places we didn’t want to visit.
In Jordan, we were only able to visit Petra. Both Oqba who drove us to Petra and Ali who guided us around were highly knowledgeable. We learned more about the history of Jordan than any other country we visited. The natural beauty of Petra was amazing. Ali took us off the normal tourist path to show us the colorful rock formations. He is also an expert photographer and took outstanding pictures.

In conclusion we would definitely use Kimkim again for another trip.

We had such an amazing time in Egypt. Egypt has so much history and the people were great.
We were so lucky to have our own private driver - Ahmed - you were amazing!
And all of our guides were extremely friendly and helpful. Mohad, Sayad, Ezzart and Mohamed. They made the culture come alive and made us feel like family. Thank you for a wonderful anniversary trip!

We were hoping to get all the details and iternary before we landed, the iternary in kimkim was not updated with correct dates even though I asked several times. We did not know who would pick us up at the airport and was told there would be a sign. Upon landing, noone was there and we had to catch a taxi to get to the hotel. Our kimkim rep also did not pickup his phone.

Once I got hold of kimkim agent, things started rolling in place. The local guides and reps were extremely good and we had an amazing experience in Egypt. Highly recommend the local agency used Egypt Promotions. Excellent work by them.

Activity Reviews

Cairo Walking Food Tour

Cairo

This was rushed because we lost time trying to find out who our rep was when we landed. I don't think we had the full experience. Thought it might have been food tasting but was more of just 1 meal.

Quality of Experience

Not rushed and taste various food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pyramids, Sphinx, Camel ride 15min, Sakkara & Memphis

Cairo

Great experience also little rushed, would have liked to spend more time there. Camal ride was fun.

Quality of Experience

Just being there

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly

Transport

Friendly

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

Cairo

Amazing seeing ancient artifacts and learning more about it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Karnak Temple and Luxor temple

Egypt

Great experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon - Visit Valley of the Kings - Hatshepsut temple - Sail to Edfu

Luxor

Balloon is a must and adds to the experience. Valley of the kings was amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edfu-Komombo-Aswan

Edfu

Good experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Abu Simbel temple and Aswan

Aswan

Unique experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alexandria day tour 1

Alexandria

Good to see but was expecting to reflect the ancient times in its building and content

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alexandria Day tour

Alexandria

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My review is related to the value of the trip. It would have been fine if we were on one of those $2500 per person trips. We paid almost $7,000 per person and for that amount it was disappointing. Guides were really poor. Took the minimum time to explain things and then left us in our own. We had to discreetly join other groups to learn more than the basics. Hotels were ok with one terrible exception (Tolip in Aswan was really awful).

As far as I can tell KimKim doesn’t do anything except contract with lessor know agencies in each country. You would be better off working directly with the known agency.

To sum it up, the itinerary was planned and executed as per our requirements. However, we would have appreciated it if the driver's name and contact details were shared in advance ie a day before travel as it did cause us last-minute panic situations twice. Also, the lunch buffet given to us at Cairo on 24th Dec 2023 was not good. My 11-year-old daughter got Egyptian diarrhea from that food and she suffered for 2 days after that. Please make sure to get off that restaurant from the list of Sun Pyramids Tours and Kim Kim.

Furthermore, on our second last day in Cairo, the guide given to us by Sun Pyramids Tours via Kim Kim named Mohamed who picked us up from Cairo Airport on 31st Dec 2023 and took us to the market on 31st Dec 2023 urged us to do an Islamic architecture tour next day ie on 1st Jan 2024. He committed to us that he will come next day. But he didn't turn up next day as he claimed he was very good in it. We paid an additional 70 USD upfront to Sun Pyramids Tours and they had said that everything is included. However, this Mohamed switched his phone off next day and didnt even have the courtesy to tell us that he isn't coming. And everything went haywire the next day. First of all, the alternative guide sent by Sun Pymrids Tours was hopeless and useless in all aspects. I forgot his name unfortunately. He arranged a car in which neither of our luggage would fit. Sun Pyramids Tours very well knew its our check out so we would be having bags as we were going to check out and do sightseeing and head off to Cairo airport directly. This was already mentioned. The new guide was useless in all aspects. He did not know the places of interest we visited that day. He was not giving any information. He was not at all interactive. Really a hopeless guide ive ever come acrosd in my life. Also, we were not told that we would have to buy the tickets separately and the add-on price we paid did not include that. This all left a very bad taste regarding the people of Egypt, the country of Egypt, Sun Pyramids Tours, and also Kim Kim as we felt we were cheated. This is not Kim Kim's fault as we did the last day sightseeing directly from Sun Pyramids Tours. The guides and drivers kept on asking for tips. It was very irritating. I would however request Kim Kim to kindly review Sun Pyramids Tours properly before giving them any more work from hereon.

Activity Review

Pyramids and Cairo Sightseeing

Cairo

Our guide Saeed was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

My daughter got diarrhea due to the lunch buffet organised by Sun Pyramids tours on 24th Dec 2024

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a very well planned trip with Kimkim and specially our local trip specialist, Mohamed. He patiently worked with us to customize the trip according to our needs and was available on call or message whenever we needed. He put together a great itinerary that included Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Sharm el Sheikh. The guides he arranged for us in all of these places were also very good and knowledgeable, which made the experience richer. We had a minor issue with flights which also was sorted out eventually. Definitely a trip that will stay as a cherished memory, Egypt is a wonderland. Thanks to Mohamed, Sun Pyramids team and Kimkim for making it a great experience!

Activity Reviews

Tour to Egyptian Museum, Citadel, and Coptic Cairo

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to High Dam, Philae Temple, and Obelisk

Aswan

Aswan Dam was interesting, and Philae temple was outstanding and so worth it! Unfinished Obelisk was okay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Abu Simbel Temple

Aswan

An outstanding experience and so worth the 3 hour drive from Aswan. Our guide in Abu Simbel was extremely knowledgeable and patiently explained the history and significance of the temple along with the key things to look for, since guides are not allowed inside. He was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to The East & West Bank of the Nile

Luxor

The best day of the entire trip for us. Luxor is breathtaking, and the only thing that was a negative was that we just had one day to spend here. Our guide Ahmed Ameen, was the best guide of the entire trip. He made the day what it was with his knowledge, patience and wit. Starting with Valley of Kings and Hatshepsut temple to the beautiful Karnak and Luxor temples, this was easily the busiest and the best day of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edfu, and Kom Ombo Temples

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip to Pyramids, Memphis, and Sakkara with riding a camel

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor, Egypt

Luxor

An early morning balloon ride that lasts for about 45min - 1 hour. It was amazing to watch the Valley of Kings and the temple from above. Totally recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mount Sinai & St.catherine Monastery Group tour

Sharm el-Sheikh

A difficult trek, but well worth it. The sunrise views from the top of the hill are stunning, and make the hike up worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a very great experience for us, when we visited Egypt for the first time in December 2023.

Potentially more on the higher price side, but we had a very smooth trip.

The quality of the tour guides varied, as some were a bit too pushy to bring us to tourists shops, which we indicated not to be in favor.

The best and most outstanding experience we had was with Abdul Hamid Ahmad.

Also Sameh (and the driver Romi) was very knowledgeable for our Cairo Trip.

The whole trip was excellent. Hesham Nour was our Cairo and Alexandria guide. He was excellent. He helped find good local restaurants and taste good local food.
Ahmed was our Luxor, Edfu and Aswan guide. He was excellent.

Overall the trip was excellent. A few things that I suggest are:
A) The Nile cruise overall is ok. It is for sure not new and not 4+. I would rate it 3. The staff in the cruise are good but the floor was creeky and the carpet was not well laid. The bathroom was a bit leaking. I would suggest to prefer another cruise. Sightseeing and other things in the cruise are good.
B) There were too many staff changes. The guides were consistent but the drivers changed often. I prefer I stick to a team so that I get to know them better. Before I knew someone a new one comes in.
C) I would suggest kimkim to suggest an appropriate tipping guide. Other travel agencies do that. I had to read other blogs for tipping guide.

Thanks to the whole team for making it a memorable experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hyatt Regency Cairo west

cairo

This is excellent. The front desk staff were very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is very close to the pyramids

Staff

The staff helped us with international charges.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Baharia Camp

Bahariya

The hotel was ok. A 3 star

Authenticity & Character

The staff are good

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Steigenberger Achti - Luxor

luxor

A very good hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in heart of the city.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis and camel ride

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hesham took us to an excellent restaurant to taste Kushari.

Transport

Cairo - White Desert

Bahariya

The trip was good. But a long travel to the desert. Not very convenient for restrooms.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Karnak Temple and Luxor temple

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Ok

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bahariya - Cairo

Bahariya

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was ok. We had to keep telling him to close the windows as it was noisy

Transport

Visit Edfou temple and Kom Ombo temple

Edfu

Quality of Experience

Look

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Abu Simbel temple and Aswan

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Over day Alexandria

Cairo Int. Airport (CAI)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Valley of the Kings - Hatshepsut temple - Sail to Edfu

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Look

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip! Thanks to Lareine for sorting things out so well and in particular to Ahmed on the Nile Cruise and Khaled in Cairo for a brilliant time. We could not recommend KimKim highly enough!

Fantastic trip arranged by kimkim and Ibrahim and through them the Egyptian promotion company.
Good hotel choices in Cairo and Aswan and a pretty good cruise liner from Aswan to Luxor. Every day we had knowledgeable guides, private AC vans with a driver at our disposal. Hisham at Cairo and Zakariah at Aswan/Luxor were knowledgeable enthusiastic guides. Mahmoud (Cairo) & Zin (Aswan) met us at the airport at arrival and departure and made it a smooth experience . The optional trips to visit a Nubian village and the hot air balloon was unforgettable . Mohammed our driver in Cairo was super helpful and kind.
Ibrahim’s itinerary and hotel/ flight bookings were 5 star.
2 small points, which I hope will be taken as constructive feedback
1. Communication from Ibrahim could have been a bit more prompt and saved us some worry
2. On the return to Cairo from Luxor we only had 12 hours to spend in Cairo. Perhaps a hotel closer to the airport could have been chosen saving us a 1.5 hr trip each way from airport to hotel and back.

Our trip to Jordan and Egypt, organized by kimkim, was excellent. All accommodations were great, with special mentions for Harir Palace Amman Hotel and Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo. Our driver in Jordan, Rashid, was punctual and safe, and the guides in Jerash and Cairo were knowledgeable and friendly. The desert tour in Wadi Rum was a unique experience, and our guide there made it even more enjoyable.

Visiting the pyramids and museums in Cairo was a highlight, particularly the Egyptian Civilization Museum. Our guide, Khaled, made the visits even more enjoyable. The sightseeing in Aswan was also amazing, with a visit to the Nubian village by boat being a standout experience. Our guide, Abraham, added a lot of value to our experiences in Aswan.

The Movenpick Sunray Nile Cruise was luxurious and the food was fabulous, with the staff going out of their way to accommodate my vegetarian diet!

Hotel Reviews

Rum Oasis Luxury Camp

Wadi Rum

The Rum Oasis Luxury Camp in Wadi Rum was very nice. It was an interesting experience to have such luxurious accommodation in the middle of a desert.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harir Palace Amman Hotel

Amman

The Harir Palace Hotel in Amman was adequate for our needs. The food was great and the staff were friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dead Sea Spa Hotel

Sweimeh

The Dead Sea Spa Hotel was great. The facilities were good and the location was convenient for diving into the sea.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kempinski Nile Hotel

Cairo

The Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo was amazing. We enjoyed the food at their various restaurants and the sleeping accommodations were really great. The location was safe and convenient for walking around at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Petra - Wadi Rum Desert Tour

Wadi Rum

The Petra to Wadi Rum desert tour was a lot of fun. Our driver was friendly and the journey was interesting and safe.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old Egyptian Museum & Citadel Of Salah El Din & Old Cairo Mosques

Cairo

We visited the Egyptian Museum and the Citadel of Salah El Din, which were both impressive. Khaled, our guide, made the visits even more enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)

Cairo

The Egyptian Civilization Museum was a highlight of the trip. The exhibits were arranged in a way that showed the progression of Egypt over thousands of years.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome in Jordan ( Queen Alia airport )- Amman

Amman

The welcome in Jordan was a smooth process with someone guiding us through the airport. Everything was well-organized, which gave us a great first impression of Jordan.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman - Madaba - Nebo -Kerak - Petra

Amman

The journey from Amman to Madaba and Nebo was filled with fascinating historical sights and beautiful landscapes. Our driver, Rashid, was punctual and safe.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis and camel ride

Cairo

Our guide, Khaled, was fantastic. He took us to the Giza Pyramids and Sakkara in a way that was both informative and fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aswan sightseeing - Overnight at hotel

Aswan

Aswan offered an amazing sightseeing experience. We visited the Nubian village by boat and saw local people and birds along the Nile. Our guide, Abraham, added a lot of value to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Abu Simbel temple & board the Nile cruise

Egypt

The visit to Abu Simbel temple was very interesting. Boarding the Nile cruise was a unique experience, and the Movenpick boat was quite luxurious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I only have wonderful things to say about Lareine - I have extensive travel experience having been in more than 60 countries, I am not exaggerating when I say that working with Lareine was my best experience so far.
She is extremely efficient, she gets everything done in a little time, she immediately understands your needs and customizes an incredible journey for you. Not only the planning was impeccable, but she also followed up with me throughout our trip in Egypt to ensure everything was going as planned and taking care of additional activities that were not originally planned. She is a smart, hard working and caring travel specialist, I strongly recommend working with her.
Egypt is a truly wonderful countries, it is breathless to stand in front of temples and pyramids that are more than 4000 years old - this is a must go destination at least once in your lifetime! So much to learn and enjoy.

All trip was planned per our request and Ibrahim did excellent job.

Hotel Reviews

Fairmont Nile city

cairo

Enjoyed our stayed at this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

yes

Location

excellent

Staff

good service

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean rooms and overall all areas of the hotel

Steigenberger Achti - Luxor

luxor

Overall enjoyed

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M/S MAYFAIR Nile Cruise

Aswan

Excellent cruise experience

Authenticity & Character

Excellent

Location

Great

Staff

Very accommodating and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

BenBen by Dhara Hotels

Excellent location , in fact one should stay at least for 2 nights to enjoy this hotel

Authenticity & Character

Great

Location

Location of this hotel is on top of the hill with 360 water view

Staff

Great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean hotel

The Nile Ritz-Carlton

Cairo

Great Location facing Nile river

Authenticity & Character

Great

Location

Great

Staff

Great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great

Activity Reviews

Free Day in Cairo

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Transport

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis and camel ride

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valley of the Queens - Temple of Habu (Ramses III) - Ramsseum Temple - Check in on Nile Cruise

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Edfou temple and Kom Ombo temple

Edfu

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Luxor

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aswan

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Disembark Nile cruise & visit Abu Simbel temple

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coptic Cairo - Salah El Deen Citadel - Mohamed Ali Mosque

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karnak Temple and Luxor temple

Egypt

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour Alexandria

Cairo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Every Person associated with this trip in Egypt were awesome, they all went beyond to make our trip a memorable one.
Could not be any better.
Very good planning and coordination.

Hotel Reviews

Fairmont Nile city

cairo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Steigenberger Achti - Luxor

luxor

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

BenBen by Dhara Hotels

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Nile Ritz-Carlton

Cairo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M/S MAYFAIR Nile Cruise

Aswan

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis and camel ride

Cairo

Our trip to Egypt far exceeded our already high expectations. Sherif, Dunes and Beyond, was the perfect partner for planning the trip. He was always open to our many ideas, and focused on helping us include these ideas rather than telling us to drop them. Sherif truly was superb…he made our trip the success that it was.

Our guides were amazing. Lena, our guide in the Cairo area, was excellent. She accommodated our needs fully, including some mobility issues of one member of our trio. She had great passion for the ancient wonders of her homeland. She enabled us to go into the Pyramids and to see historic sights, such as Coptic Cairo and Islamic Cairo. She was most patient for our deliberate pace in Cairo’s wondrous museums.

In Luxor (ancient Thebes) AlluhDin was our guide. An expert Egyptologist, he was without equal in enabling us to experience the wonders of Ancient Egypt; his passion was contagious. He never tired of our endless questions, and his answers reflected his deep knowledge and insight. He stayed with us throughout our visits to Thebes (home of the Temples of Karnak, the greatest manmade monument that I have ever seen in my extensive travels around the world), during our four/day Nile cruise and the historic sights along the way, and during our several- day stay in Aswan. He was the key to the success of our grand tour of Ancient Egypt. We could not have asked for more. Thank you to AlluhDin and KimKim and Sherif for giving him to us as our guide…that is what made all the difference.

Our 11-day visit (3 full days in Cairo, nearly 3 days in Luxor, the stops along the way during our cruise to Aswan, our 3 days in Aswan, and our flight and stop in Abu Simbel) was just right for a fulfilling introduction to and emotional engagement with the magnificence of Ancient Egypt.

I recommend buying the extra experiences along the way such as going into the Pyramids, taking in the panoramic view at Philae Temple, and adding the tombs of Seth 1 and Ramses V and VI in the Valley of the Kings. The experiences are well worth the added cost.

My only suggestion for improving the experience is to upgrade the cruise ship. The SemiRamses II was clean, but the meals were pedestrian at best. Getting into the bathtub/shower was a dangerous and frightful experience for both my wife and me.

Thank you, KimKim, Sherif, Lena and, most especially, AlluhDin for this grand experience, truly a highlight of our lives.

Most of the feedback was given to Egypt Promotion Tour manager during departure and end of trip. Below are the highlights.

1. Day 1 tour described by KimKim was completely different than what was executed by Egypt Promotion. It was definitely NOT a food tour. It was a walking city tour ending with lunch buffet. Disappointed.
2. Day 1-4 on all 4 days I did not have lunch until 4-5pm. Even after calling this out on Day 2 and Day 3 still no attention taken.
3. The itinerary provided never mentioned my visit to shops and art shops which I think must be provided during planning. While whether to buy or not is my choice. These visits itself took priority over for all the guides that we had to skip lunch and cover all these shops and demos. While I understand the importance for supporting local artists and art and making purchases, definitely not at the cost of skipping my lunch and also the guides make these shopping stops a priority evident across all cities. If it was so important for all to make me buy stuff then why was it not mentioned and timed accordingly in my daily itineraries.

With no compromise on my high price I was charged by KimKim, it was not even suited to my comfort with all the above points.

Another very important thing KimKim needs to do is to provide tipping guidance to foreigners. While I am aware tipping is a choice, but how much is more and how much is less is totally unknown to us visiting Egypt for first time. This guidance must be provided as it depends local cost of living that will help me decide what the tip is. Due to this confusion I may have ended up paying more to few and less to few others

Activity Reviews

Attend Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple

Egypt

This being a local activity in my itinerary, it did not happen on the same day as planned. It was closed due to a private function and it happened the next day. It would have saved some time going and being turned back at the venue if the local on ground updates were known to Egypt Promotion. If the venue was blocked for private gathering and not open to public on the day as planned.

Quality of Experience

Knowing ground realities and updates about venue being blocked for private gathering

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Egypt - Cairo Walking Food Tour

Cairo

This was a not a food tour so please rename thr tour and also your description you give in KimKim itinerary. This is a walking tour that ends with lunch. There is no trying of 4-5 different local delicacy with stops at different food stops as described

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour to visit Pyramids& Sphinx, Old Egyptian Museum, Salah El Deen Citadel & Mohamed Ali Mosque

Cairo

This was one of th best tours of my entire itinerary. Well paced and covering the main spotlights of Pyramids. Hope we had a little more time. (Read skipping the shopping and art demo places - Day could have been better) But I liked what the guide did and cover all main spots.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport