The pyramids were amazing! If you plan on visiting, a guide is a must! Makes its all the worth whiel!

This was my 2nd trip to Egypt and will not be my last. Hanan setup this entire trip and like my first trip, everything went smoothly. I traveled with a friend and she enjoyed the tour as well. We experienced both the cultural aspect of Egypt and the Egyptian night life. The Egyptian people are genuinely kind and welcoming. Be prepared to tip and know how to tip Also prepare yourself for the hot weather.

Farag is my favourite person in all of Egypt. He is an amazing driver, guide, and even more so a friend, and he is the most honest and generous person I’ve met on my travels. I highly recommend travelling with him!

My girlfriend and I booked the 10 day tour (Cairo, white desert, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Luxor) and were very satisfied with our trip overall. We can definitely recommend Hanan and Egypt Budget Tours to other travellers looking for a time and cost effective tour of the country. All representatives of the company were very polite and professional, and made the upmost effort to ensure that we were satisfied. Egypt is a chaotic place at times, and this tour involved handing off with other local tour companies which sometimes had mix ups. However, Hanan and her team were never more than a phone call away, and never failed to sort things out in a timely manner. I will provide specifics about our experience below. First and foremost, I recommend that travellers acquire an Egyptian SIM card for their mobile upon arrival, as any problems we had during our trip were effectively solved with a couple of phone calls. Day 1: We were picked up at the airport and fast tracked through customs (we still paid for entrance visas) to our taxi, and promptly delivered to King Hotel a few minute’s drive from Tahrir Square. There we were greeted by a friendly representative from the company, who explained the details of our itinerary and whom we paid for the entire trip in cash up front. The hotel was fine for our needs, but was basically exactly what you’d expect for three stars in Egypt. If you have higher expectations I recommend you ask for an upgrade. The best part of the hotel was definitely the charming rooftop bar/café. Day 2: We visited Saqqara, Memphis, and the great pyramids of Giza with a private driver and tour guide. The pace of the tour was good and we did not feel rushed. Plenty of time for photo opportunities. We were asked if we wanted to visit papyrus and essence shops, to which we agreed. While this is optional, I recommend travellers going into these shops to be prepared to negotiate, since the merchants will try hard to push overpriced stuff, but if you can haggle, they can be nice souvenirs. At the pyramids we rented camels and a guide to tour around and take pictures, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The tour company handled the payment, which was agreed upon beforehand (30 EUR pp I believe). At this point it is worth mentioning that you will need to handle all the tips, and I encourage you to ask the guides early on what is appropriate for a given situation. Our camel guide (not with the company) was probably the most pushy/ungrateful with regards to tips, but you must simply stand your ground. Most other people were polite and all the guides were very professional about the tipping. Day 3: We drove west into the desert. Our driver, Mr. Ahmed I believe, was also very professional and enjoyable to talk to during the 4-5 hour journey. At the Bahariya Oasis (very cool location) we were handed off to a friendly Bedouin guide that drove us and 3 other tourists to the white desert, crystal mountain, and black desert. Driving in the sand was certainly an adventure. Afterwards he set up our camp and cooked us dinner. Personally, this was my favorite part of the trip, but that’s just me, I think I was seduced by the desert’s mystique. Day 4: After camp we were brought back to the village oasis, and then picked up by our private driver and delivered back to Cairo. We were left to rest/recover for the remainder of the evening, during which we went to a nice restaurant called Sequoia. Day 5: Egyptian Museum with our private guide. The guided portion lasted around one hour, and we had around another 1.5 hours to ourselves. Incredible museum. Afterwards, we were taken to a restaurant for lunch then delivered to the train. Sidenote about lunches: in Cairo you must pay for these yourself, and the price and menu are sort of pre-arranged by the tour guides. It’s not the cheapest lunch (~8-10 EUR), but generally pretty good. That said, the second restaurant on a boat (I forget the name..something about Memphis) was simply bad and overpriced. Maybe just say no to boat restaurants, or do your research and demand your own pick. Afterwards we were delivered to the train. Now the train is a chaotic affair in Egypt and is nigh unpredictable when it comes to arrival and departure. However, the company sent a representative to wait with us on the platform and ensure we entered the correct train and car. We booked a sleeper cabin and the beds were not bad. Unfortunately the train food was my downfall, and I got very sick the next day, and it took me 2-3 days to fully recover. BE CAREFUL WITH TRAIN FOOD. Day 6: Picked up and checked into Nile cruise and later did tour of Philae temple. This tour was not private and we had to share the guide and transport with 6 other tourists. Perhaps clarify this early on in case you require private tours for the entire journey. Although later on we shared tours with only one or two others, which was fine, sharing with six people (and in two languages) was not ideal. The cruise ships are all very nice, and while the food was hit and miss, it’s definitely a cool and relaxing way to travel up the Nile. The staff on board are all very friendly and helpful. Protip: you should only tip the staff at the end of the cruise in one lump sum in an envelope. Safety tip: Don’t trust any of the people hanging outside on the street next to the entrance to the cruises. Since it’s a concentrated area for tourists, basically all the parasites in town will hang out there and generally try to scam you in some way. Either stick to your guide, or simply do not engage these people. Day 7: We woke up super early to drive to Abu Simbal. This excursion was optional but I strongly recommend it. You can order with private driver or driver+guide. Honestly I would not hire the guide again, although he was very nice and informative, it was very expensive for a 1-1.5 hour tour (~50 EUR extra pp I believe), and you could just learn everything and more from a book during the car ride. Afterwards we drove back to the cruise, and relaxed until evening where we stopped for a short tour of Kom Ombo, which was also enjoyable. Day 8: We opted not to do the hot air balloon, although I heard others enjoyed it. In the morning we visted Edfu and in the evening we visited Luxor temple. Both sites were amazing, and our guides were very friendly and informative. The whole day was enjoyable. Day 9: Many sites including tomb of kings, temple of Hatshepsut, and Karnak. This tour went into midday and was very hot, so make sure you have water and good clothing. All of these sites are spectacular and was a great conclusion of our tour. After a lunch break we were escorted back to the cruise where we could relax before heading to the train. Again accompanied by a guide on the platform, we had to wait over two hours before the train arrived. As a side note: Honestly, if I could do this trip again, I would have skipped the train and just flown from Cairo to Aswan and back if possible. The train was neither cheap nor time efficient, plus it made me sick. Thus, my money would have been much better spent on plane ticket. However none of this is the tour companies fault. Day 10: We were picked up at the train and taken to lunch by a very friendly representative of the tour company, who was very interested to learn about our trip and hear all about the little ups and downs as feedback. He took great care of us, until it was time to get dropped off at the airport. He made sure we left the country with positive feelings overall. Summary: Great trip, reliable tour company, felt safe throughout. I would avoid the train, and be careful with the food. Learn to haggle, stand your ground, and ask for what you want directly. Egypt is not the easiest destination but it has a lot to offer, and the having a tour company help with organization makes a big difference.

We recently visited Egypt for 10 days and had Egypt Budget Tours book the whole thing. Everything went very smoothly and they worked with us on the itinerary and as things came up on the trip that we changed. Hanan was great to work with and a great guide. We liked all our tour guides -- Michael down in Aswan and Luxor, Ronia in Cairo and another in Alexandria -- they were all very knowledgeable and their English was perfect. Farouk was a great host who picked us up and delivered us from airport to hotel and back and called to make sure things were going ok all along the trip. Don't hesitate to use them and wire them money - they are legit and will treat you well.

I booked a private tour with my wife and daughter, to sakara and Giza pyramids. Everything went great and as planned, starting by a call in the morning to confirm the pick up. The driver, sayed, arrived early which is good, he drives responsabily and we felt safe. The tour guide, shaima, was the star of the day, she is very friendly, very well informed and passionate about her job. She is a precious asset to tourism in Egypt. We will definitely plan more trips with you in the coming years and strongly recommend to everyone.

The first thing that came to my mind, will someone really pick me up at the airport? Yes they did. I need to send them a bank transfer for deposit, no issue. Now that I got this out of the way.... Farag (person in charged of my tour) is very nice, always asking us how's everything and checking with us if there's any issues. The hotels booked by them are ok (don't use Western standards) and the cruise is very very very good. They have different guides along the way so you will deal with different people if you take the Cairo-White Desert-Aswan-Luxor-Cairo package. By all means, take THAT package. They go all the way to help you for eg: even taking you into your cabin in the train and ensuring you get off at the right stop (they take the number of the conductor to call them to be sure). They gave me free buffet once and also helped us get a room for free to rest before we get into the train for overnight ride. I am not writing because I love the free stuff but it goes to show how much the team care for their customers and want to ensure that they are happy. People talked about how kind and hospitable Egyptians are - I am glad I experienced it. They don't need to do that but they did. However don't expect it or demand for it. Overall I am satisfied and had a memorable time and recommended them to all my friends. Their prices are good compared to other online sites.

Hanan, Farag, Mohammed, Rania, Heba and all of the various other drivers and tour guides I encountered during my 10 day trip to Egypt were amazing. This company is: - extremely knowledgeable - very client centric and service oriented - offers great value I spent Apr 7-17 in Egypt, visiting Cairo for a day of the way in and a day on the way out. They met me at the airport (2 people, a driver and someone to come in past customs/immigrations to meet me) when my 5 am intercontinental flight arrived. They arranged an early check in to my Giza hotel, helped me change currency (because banks weren't open that early) and let me rest for an hour. Then we did Sakkara, Memphis and the incomparable Giza pyramids. The next day, Mohammed, my driver drone me Bahariya oasis where I met two Bedouin guides (nice guys, but not English speakers) who took me into the White Desert for overnight camping. This is a long way from Cairo (500 km) but so worth it. The desert is beautiful, silent, desolate and one of the most unique experiences I've ever had and I've travelled to 45 countries. The following day, Mohammed brought me back to Cairo, and even arranged for a day room at my hotel from the previous night (Al Gawarhat in Al Haram district of Giza) for a few hours while I awaited my sleeper train to Aswan. He then drove me to the train station (and stopped on the way to help me buy an iPhone charger as mine had broken, thus helping me avoid haggling and getting hosed on a new one...actual cost 100LE...roughly 1/3 what it would cost in Canada). Sleeper train was on time, quiet, comfortable. Expensive vs. Regular train, but worth it for this 13 hour trip to Aswan. I slept for probably 9 hours straight. I then took a 3 night/4 day cruise on M/S Gisèle from Aswan to Luxor. Small river boat. Don't expect ocean liner luxury, but the rooms were clean and quiet, the food was decent and the views from the sun deck were amazing. Highlight of this segment was a sidetrip to Abu Simbel on the Sudan border. Long drive in the early AM (3.5 hours each way), but totally worth it. After a blitz day of sightseeing in Luxor (I recommend insisting that you get 2 days to see Luxor...my itinerary was compressed into 1 day by an unprofessional local sub-guide (not the fault of Hanan or her colleagues in Cairo), and it was too rushed. I then embarked on a solo side trip for two days to Hurghada by bus. The local Luxor guide introduced me to some migrant workers heading to Suez and made them promise to help me arrive safely in Hurghada. He even took one of their cell phone numbers and called very hour or so on this six hour trip for status updates. So impressed by this deification and attention to detail. Hurghada is a pretty chill resort/riviera scene. Highlight was a half day snorkel trip which I booked independent while there. Very worthwhile. Incredible scenery. I returned to Cairo by bus two days later and did the Egyptian museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo, etc on the last day. Overall: - Egypt is safe, fascinating, beautiful, diverse, inexpensive. This company absolutely exceeded my expectations in every way. Hanan, Farag and the rest of your the group - thank you! A final piece of advice: if you have leftover Egyptian currency, convert it before you go through the airport security. There's nowhere to convert it after that.

EXCELLENT private tour of the Pyramids and camping in the desert. This was such a memorable experience that I will remember for a lifetime! Farag was my driver and main tour guide. He listened to the things that I wanted to do and tailored the experience for me. We walked through downtown Cairo, ate ice cream, and had a great lunch at a local restaurant off the beaten path. Thank you Farag for making this experience so special! I will not forget :)

Hanan worked with me to organize a whirlwind budget tour all around Egypt seeing many archaeological and contemporary sights and towns, camping in the desert, and a nile trip, and it was amazing. Her staff were so kind, helpful, friendly, full of knowledge and local tips - they all worked tirelessly to make sure I felt welcome, safe, learned about the history and culture of ages past and today, with delicious local food and market detours - great folks and lots of fun. My tour was in English and all the staff were fluent and very pleasant and usually very funny people to spend time with. Egypt Budget Tours really live up to their name and good reputation. As an experienced solo world traveller, I had heard mixed things about Egypt lately, but from the moment my flight arrived Hanan's staff were there to make sure things went as smoothly as possible. Everywhere I went, people were so kind, so friendly, and very welcoming to tourists, and extremely well behaved towards a single female. Hanan's itinerary built in lots of flexibility also, with opportunities to explore on my own as well as covering a huge area in a pretty short time. Egypt has a diverse travel network so you can take local and distance buses, shuttles, taxis, horse carriages, ferries, flights, and trains - Egypt Budget Tours will arrange anything you like and you don't have to worry about which of the many stations in town to go to, making connections, or where to find your next ticket because someone with a friendly smile will reliably be there on time to take you safely to your destination, and explain the historic, archaeological, and architectural highlights to you, and answer any questions. Egypt has been suffering from a drop in tourism over recent years, and the 2016 devaluation of their currency has impacted locals immensely. But that means for you, THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO VISIT!! For tourists, this means great value, no crowds at most places, and there was a real emphasis on safety and security - especially in the Sinai region, but most prominent tourist sites have visible security measures and staff. I felt totally safe everywhere, and locals often were so appreciative to see visitors, taking time to chat and show off some of their favourite local sights and snacks, asking if I felt safe (yes), if I liked Egypt (yes), and would I please tell my friends to visit (definitely!).

5 days tour to Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor ...Overall all arrangements beyond our expectation except the hotels washroom....Thanks to Egypt Budget Tours

I am Japanese female and wanted to go around Egypt by myself, including White Desert (camping), Pyramids, Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. I looked around the internet and found Egypt Budget Tours, who provided a tour including all that I wanted to do at a reasonable price. I was a bit nervous until I saw the person who came to pick me up to the airport. Once I met him, everything went very smooth until I left the airport at the end. Everyone involved were very professional. I especially recommend White Desert camping - it is a very unique experience to sleep under the starts surrounded by white monuments! I was very concerned about the safety in general but once I landed there, I thought it was a very safe country with high security. I am Japanese and I felt quite safe so it should be quite OK;-) Of course having a driver and a tour guide with me all the time helped a lot. For option tours, I recommend Abu Simbel (if you like world heritages). The belly dance cruise and Dahshur to me were so-so (Red Pyramid smelt bad!!). I also really liked a long camel ride at Giza. Egypt was my dream destination and I was able to fully enjoy it by myself for 10 days. Thank you Egypt Budget Tours!

The company took really good care of us and I would definitely recommend using their services. Each person I dealt with was very accommodating and professional. They went out of their way to make sure our tour was great.

Hanan Sala was an AMAZING tour guide! She was funny, friendly, down-to-earth, and willing to go out of her way to help my friends and I get what we wanted. She was also very informative, and taught me a lot about the rich Egyptian history.

Trip was excellent.. i sent the trip plan for 5 days and the guys provided ezcellent transport and guides.. very friendly and highly recommended.. egypt is a very safe place by the way guys.. dont hold backk..