we booked directly with this company to ensure we got to select the boat we were on. we booked on the ibertrol crown emperor boat and was a nice boat. we were located on the upper floor and had a big window in our room which was nice. We had an egyptologist booked through the company for us who accompanied us to all the sites-Mo. Mo was great! He spoke perfect English and was very knowledgeable and explained all of the ancient history at the sites. Everything went smoothly regarding pickup, transport to sites/tickets/ free time to explore at the sites. The program itself is a little slow the first 2 days as the boat stays docked In Aswan so there is lots of free time. we went to the nubian village on day 2 ( extra cost) which was fun. Mo was responsive to all of our questions about the program. overall I would recommend this company and guide!

Big thank you to our tour guide Hassan who was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly and went out of his way to make sure we were well looked after, and that we saw everything we wanted to see on our tours

Bottomline- had an amazing experience touring Egypt using Luxor and Aswan Travel. There are multiple reasons behind my 5-star rating: • The guides were amazing and their knowledge about Egyptian history exceptional (see more details further down in this review) • The operations manager has representatives chaperoning you from when you first arrive inbound at the Cairo airport visa check till you go through departure security upon your exit from Egypt. After flying 10 time zones to a new culture, new language, and far from our network, it was very comforting to have the representatives chaperoning us quickly and confidently through all the procedures and transportation. • The guides and operations manager are exceptionally accommodating for scheduling side excursions and changes to each day’s itinerary based on things that might capture your interest. First some background: We took the “11 Days Cairo, Nile Cruise and Hurghada by Flight” tour package. Travelled the last two weeks of November, 2024. The tour was just my wife and myself with the private guides. We had the same guide in Cairo (Sahar) for the Cairo tours at the start and at the end of the 11 days. We had a single guide (Mohamed) that was with us from Aswan through Luxor. The days in Hurghada were basically beach days and we choose not to do any side excursions, thus didn’t have a tour guide during those days. The number of tourists in Egypt was lower than usual for this time of year. The guides we had love Egypt, are born and raised in Egypt, and deeply know the history spanning the early nomads to current events. Both loved questions and were eager to share their knowledge/insights and explain the different hypothesizes where history is ambiguous. My wife and I both love learning and between Sahar and Mohamed we feel like we got a Masters degree in Egyptology. Mohamed has worked for the Egyptian Government department of Antiquities, taught Egyptology classes in multiple countries, publishes papers on Egyptology, and as a child discovered a tomb with mummies in his backyard (which started him down the path of becoming an Egyptologist). Sahar has a passion and deep knowledge for the history and all things Egypt providing insights both historical and contemporary. Both of them far exceeded any tour guides we had previously encountered. The operations manager, Hany, is fantastic making us feel well taken care of. He was always a quick WhatsApp message away and proactively provided well timed updates on who, where, and when we were to meet our next guide/representative. His expert handling of all the logistics let us spend our time enjoying Egypt. It felt like we had a guardian angel looking out for us and path clearing to make everything flow flawlessly. Observations and advice: • It was an amazing experience to have personal guides with such love and passion for Egypt’s history and mysteries. • If you are sensitive to air quality, smoking is far more prevalent in Egypt than the western nations and the air quality in Cairo can be pretty poor. • Lots of food to experience, we definitely ate more than we typically do and discovered several new favorite foods. • The weather in late November was comfortable. A couple of windy days and one evening with rain, but otherwise a loose-fitting long sleeve shirt was perfect. • The vendors near any tourist area are not shy. I found it interesting to pay attention to the techniques they use to bring tourist into their shops and get them to make a purchase. If you are in sales, you will likely pick up some new insights and techniques to incorporate in your job. • If you are a light sleeper, Cairo is a noisy city with all the traffic honking, the rest of Egypt had peaceful nights. • Be ready to be emersed deeply into Egyptian history and culture. We slept exceptionally well as our brains processed all the sights and learnings of each day. • You are in Egypt! Touch the pyramids, ride a camel, descend in to a Pharoh’s tomb, have your guide explain the hieroglyphs, learn to identify the deities, try the exotic foods, take the sunrise hot air ballon ride, imagine what it must have been like to live among these epic monuments, and take that silly picture that makes it look like you are kissing the Sphinx.

I did a 3-night cruise on the Amwaj Livingstone from Aswan to Luxor. We had a private guide dr./Mr. Azab our guide who met us at Aswan. We toured Aswan, Abu simbel and Luxor — had a wonderful time! Mr Azab was excellent as a guide - he took good care of us and also made sure we had enough time to take pics and wander around after presenting us the curated historical information. He patiently answered all our questions and was well informed. We did additional places not on the tour : Hator temple - with the valley of the artisans as well as the Habu temple — the former is less known and we just loved it !!Highly recommend Mr. Azab! Loved the cruise and hospitality aboard the Amwaj! The best experience - with the chef making sure we had enough vegetarian options ! What I would do differently ? A) fly to Abu simbel and do the temples and drive to Aswan — would save half a day of going up and down by doing it just one way! B) ensure there is a nice lunch place on the day out in Luxor — for vegetarians options needed.

The boat I chose, Nile Premium, was vary modern and stylish with huge lounge and upper deck. A floating hotel! The staff on the boat were very friendly, attentive and professional. The food was excellent and had variety each meal. My Guide, Mohammed Abdo was what really made it great. As was great company and taught me so much of his knowledge as a professor of Egyptology. The pace of activities he planned was just the right mix of tours and relaxing. The cabins were also comfortable.

The cruise provided the perfect balance of relaxation and exploration. After a day of sightseeing, it was wonderful to return to the comfort of the ship. Watching the Nile drift by was a peaceful way to end each day.

This was a good experience - I did a 2 day east & west bank tour solo. I was picked up from the Luxor airport with a private vehicle/driver and a representative from Luxor & Aswan Travel who met me in the airport lobby. I was impressed with the driver’s skills being - professional, attentive, and the car was very clean. He also spoke English. The tour began on with the East Bank Temple at Karnak and later Luxor Temple. The guide Ahmed Sliem was very knowledgeable of Egyptian history and made sure I was comfortable with drinks and snacks. He also was attentive to my needs asking what my preferences were the entire trip and ensured the vendors did not hassle too much. The hotel accommodation was beautiful and comfortable at Hotel St George located on the Nile River with a beautiful view and I was impressed with the huge buffet breakfast and 1st class customer service. The 2nd day was also as nice as the first with a visit to Hatsepshut Temple & Valley of the Kings. Travel and Operation Manager Hany El Dosouki was also attentive to my needs to change my tour upon my request and accommodate me with a final airport transfer back to Luxor Airport. They go the extra mile to make sure that you’re safe and Hany confirmed my arrival, which was a personalized experience. Thank you Luxor and Aswan Travel! I enjoyed my time in Luxor.

Amazing guidance with Waleed - detailed explanation of the monuments and we wouldnt have understood as much of what we are visiting without his guidance! He is very knowledgeable and helpful to answer any questions that we have had

I can’t say enough great things about this tour. Great cruise at a great price, and a private Egyptologist guide included! My guide, Mo, was excellent. Amazing experience!

I'd done my research from a travel blogger so I know the MS Esplanade is one of the best boats and I knew Mohammed our personal Egyptologist came highly recommended. He is not just a tour guide he loves history and has studied to a high level. It's the first time I've ever paid for a tour guide - it was worth it there is so much history and for most of us a cruise is a once in a lifetime holiday. Hany handled all the bookings and even extra request like the Sound and Light show. They picked us up from the train station and dropped us back to the airport. You will get a detailed itinerary Aswan to Luxor so that is self explanatory, and you get quite a bit of time to relax on the gorgeous boat. Mohammed took trains to meet us each time the boat docked, ours was a private tour, everyone else on the boat was in big groups and had worse cabins, we had one of the best cabins.

Had a blast on deluxe cruise, 3 nights / 4 days from Aswan to Luxor. Our experienced, friendly, and intelligent guide, Ashraf, received us @ Aswan Airport and made our stay throughout excellent. He knew the answers to all our questions, and guided us through a relaxing but informative itinerary filled with unique experiences. A tour guide even told us at a site that Ashraf was a hieroglyphics expert, corroborated by the fact that he translated any inscriptions we pointed to. The cruise was wonderful, buffet plentiful, and the crew helpful. Had a wonderful time, highly recommend and would love to be back.

Our trip with Luxor and Aswan Travel was truly impressive. From the moment we first contacted Hany to arrange our journey from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, we felt we were in capable hands. Hany efficiently booked our flights, a Nile cruise, and a day of sightseeing in Cairo before our departure, ensuring a seamless experience. He was quick to respond to any inquires we had within 24 hours (given the time difference). We mostly communicated by texting through WhatsApp. After arriving in Cairo, we spent one night at Le Meridien Cairo Airport Hotel (which was connected to the airport, very convenient and lovely), before flying early the next morning to Luxor, where our 5-day Nile cruise awaited. We opted for the Premium Nile Cruise, which, though not overly luxurious, provided us with attentive service, very friendly staff, and delicious meals. I'd recommend upgrading for a touch more comfort, but the premium level was still quite pleasant. Importantly, we stayed healthy by sticking to bottled water, even for brushing our teeth. To my knowledge, no one on our ship got sick, and our guide assured us of the high standards for preparing food. However, we had seen so many travel blogs warning us about this, so we erred on the side of caution, only eating hot cooked food and drinking bottled water. We also requested a mid-ship cabin to avoid the diesel smell from other ships that are docked next to each other and continue to run for power (even when docked). One of the highlights was our private guide (just for my dad and me) and Egyptologist, Mohamed Mahmoud Abd El Ghany, who told us to call him "Mo" and by the end of the trip I called him, "Mo-tastic!" Mo went above and beyond to make our experience exceptional, treating us like family, arranging extra excursions, providing water and snacks, negotiating prices, taking iconic pictures of us, and offering unparalleled insight into Egypt's history. His deep knowledge, warmth, and excellent English added so much to our adventure. I was traveling with my dad who has some mobility issues, and I felt like Mo was always making sure my dad was comfortable and taken care of, offering us places to sit in the shade while he gave us a history lesson. Most importantly, he made us feel safe and welcomed in his country. He was outstanding. Our days were packed with visits to iconic sites, including Karnak, Luxor Temple, Hatshepsut Temple, Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae Temple. All of this was included in the tour without us having to arrange the itinerary. We did add on Abu Simbel, a 3-hour drive, but absolutely worth it, thanks to Mo's arrangements and suggestion. The optional hot air balloon ride over Luxor was another extraordinary experience we’d recommend. After our cruise, we returned to Cairo, where Waled Elsharkawy, our guide, was equally wonderful. Patient and informative, Waled, like Mo, took care of every travel need we had (food, pictures, banking, shopping, etc.) during our short time in Cairo and offered us extra sightseeing options and made sure we did not miss out on anything we desired. Waled also had a very warm and welcoming demeanor that made our day with him at the pyramids special. If you’re traveling with Luxor and Aswan Travel, I’d recommend requesting airport escorts for both arrival and departure, especially through Cairo’s Terminal One (domestic departures and arrivals), which was chaotic and confusing to navigate. When we left Cairo for Luxor it was unlike any other airport experience. There were no clear lines and several security checks and very crowded terminals that made it confusing on where to go for checking luggage and boarding. Somehow, we were able to get where we needed to go, but I saw many people lost in the shuffle. I was relieved when our escort was waiting at Luxor airport for us with a driver that Hany had arranged. From there it was smooth sailing and all our rides were pre-arranged from that point. I would also recommend taking time to organize cash withdrawals/banking needs and planning ahead for tipping. Tipping is suggested/expected in many instances and I was not prepared for not being able to use my debit/credit card in many circumstances. Withdrawing Egyptian pounds is limiting as most ATMs only allow for about $80 US at a time (this could change drastically with the fluctuating value of the EGP). However, I found myself making withdrawals from an ATM more often than I had planned because most vendors, drivers, staff, and guides preferred to deal in cash. All costs are very affordable, and our guides were helpful with finding us ATMs, but just be sure to pencil in some time to figure out where to get the cash and how much to give to all the staff that is helping you, daily bathroom allowance, shopping allowance, etc. It helped to google suggestions on appropriate tipping amounts. I felt a little disorganized in this matter. Side note: the Wifi connection on the ship could be better, but it was also nice to disconnect and take in the sites. When needed, our guides provided us with their hotspots. I did want to mention that as an animal lover, it was tough for me to see the neglect and suffering of dogs throughout my journey in Egypt, as well as some of the horses. This is true of every part of the world, but it seemed to be in abundance in Egypt. I loved so many things about Egypt, but I feel it is important to mention this so you might be able to emotionally prepare yourself. It was tough. I researched and found animal rescues in Egypt that take donations. Lastly, this is not a relaxing vacation. I suppose you could skip seeing some of the sites to relax by the pool on the ship, but there are so many ancient treasures to see that make your heart swell! With a limited amount of time on the 5 day cruise, it felt like we were always on the go. This is not bad thing, but just be prepared to get up early to explore and to be exhausted when you are back on the ship. All things considered, Luxor and Aswan Travel, with Hany’s planning, and Mo and Waled’s outstanding guidance, made our trip extraordinary. This was a beautifully organized experience with incredible guides who truly care about your experience. Thank you friends for an unforgettable journey!

The Aswan-Luxor trip with optional Abu Simbel took us to jaw-dropping sites, expertly accompanied by a private tour guide (brilliant Omar). We also had very professional drivers. Overall great boat ride, with very nice meal service on board. However, the ride was tiring, as the boat engines are left on all night (on petrol or diesel...) and the boats are parked four-five in a row, so that it's almost impossible to have a cabin where that roar is not heard. We had a cabin right next to the the adjacent boat's engine...

I have met Ahmed Sliem on my first day in Aswan. He was waiting for me and my boyfriend in Aswan train Station. We went on a Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor (4 days and 3 days) and during that period Ahmed was our guide. Ahmed Sliem since the first day was an excepcional kind person. Without any doubts the best guide we found in Egypt (hope he knows that). He has a tremendous knowledge about Egyptology and the best thing about it is the way he explains everything. We found him very engaging and assertive and with a bit of humor as well we learnt a lot about the Ancient Egypt. Ahmed Sliem we are eternally greatful for the experience. Your vibe is amazing. It was a pleasure to meet you ❤️🙏 warada

I’ve met some tour guides but Ahmed Sliem is absolutely my favourite one. He explains so well and with a perfect knowledge of Ancient Egypt. Also, he was so kind with us, never missed us a thing. Always worried with our well-being and very funny. It was a perfect journey if im being honest. I recommend him to anyone. Perfect! Bruno Vicente