Hello!
Can anyone tell me of a good tour company to use for a trip to Egypt and Jordan? I heard Casual Cairo Detours is good but they don't do hotels or packages. Would I be better to arrange hotels and flights on my own and then book a company for the tours and Nile Cruise?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks

Many people on this board (me included) recommend Lady Egypt which is essentially a travel agency headquartered in Cairo. I planned my entire Egypt trip with them by email.

I wholeheartedly recommend Lady Egypt tours. I have just returned from a tour they organised to Egypt and Jordan in Sept/Oct 2010. Coming from Australia I felt I was risking my money by paying an overseas company that I had never heard of. I thought to myself that if I lose my money I lose it. Taking what I thought was a risk, which actually wasn't, was the best decision I had ever made. I found Lady Egypt to be exactly what I wanted in regards to suggesting itineraries, going along with my suggestions and making all the arrangements. We had our schedule planned but we also had free days where we decided the night before or on the morning what we would do. I felt like a movie star with someone on hand to do all of the worrying for me. The guides they organised for us were fabulous. I was advised that if I didnt like a guide they could change them for us, but there was no way I was going to change the guides I was given. (now i am home I miss them!) When the Lady Egypt reps helped check us in, we were often upgraded to a suite. Like SF, I planned my entire trip by email. When my credit card wouldn't work to pay the first 50% of my tour, I was advised by Lady Egypt "to just pay it when I could'.... I felt my money was safe as if they were going to "scam me" they would of pressured me for money! (My bank actually stopped the payment as they thought it strange I had paid for something in egypt!) Google Lady Egypt!

Thanks for all the info. I have been reading some trip reports and see that Ahmed Yousif is also popular. Has anyone used both? or made a comparison?
Thanks Mirasia

Ahmed is a tour guide himself, and apparently a very good one. He <i>also</i> arranges trips, but he uses the services of Lady Egypt to do that. So, while some people are happy using his services for that purpose, others think you're just adding another layer and therefore more cost, vs. going directly to Lady Egypt.

We just returned from an excellent tour of Egypt with Overseas Adventure Travel. The itinerary and guide were excellent and there are never more than 16 people in a group. Besides showing you all the highlights, OAT takes you to visit villages where you see real life in Egypt. Accommodations were very good, including the river boat. Prices are good too. There is an extension to Jordan.

One suggestion I would make and that only stems from individual experiences and some of the sites we saw was to visit Jordan first and then go to Egypt. (Some may think otherwise). For me, the Desert Castles in Jordan paled in comparison to the magnificence of Karnak or Philae temple and I felt let down by the sights in Jordan.

We used Ahmed and were delighted with his services......link to our blog here

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/l...8_adv/b_cairo/

We also used Ahmed and were delighted with his services. He arranged everything-checked on us to make sure all OK. when my husband left some clothes in Cairo hotel he called to have it in lost & found when we came back through Cairo. When I bought some gifts and it had to be picked up later-he picked it up and kept it safe until our last night. There were little added perks-gifts from him along the way. Anything I asked for he gave-he is one in a million.

I forgot to add Ahmeds E-mail
[email protected]
It was wonderful to have a guide/driver the whole way-he does hotel reservation/Nile Cruise If you use him ask from Mohamed in Upper Egypt-another Jem

We are using Egypt Quality Tours. We do not go until January 2011 but so far they have been very professional and we are a group of 4. They have tailored what we want. Whoever you use give a report later for others to check.

I would like to highly recommend Le Caire Travel in Egypt.
Mr. George did an excellent job of arranging tours to meet our personal needs. He replied to all e-mails promptly and efficiently.
We had read excellent reviews of Le Caire Travel extensive tours of Egypt, but because we were on a cruise, we toured with them one day in Alexandria and one day in Cairo, Memphis, and Sakkara.

I had always wanted to see the pyramids, and they exceeded my expectations. It is amazing how they were built so many thousands of years ago using only rudimentary tools.

Each of the limestone stones is as tall as a person and weighs several tons. Supposedly, there is enough stone to encircle France with a 1-by-3-meter fence. The three pyramids are all impressive.

My guide booked a camel ride for me near the pyramids. What fun!

Alexandria was spectacular. We saw all the usual things, but the highlight was actually going inside of the new Alexandria Library. Most tours only drive by it, but inside it is spectacular and the exhibits are worthwhile. This is the largest library in the world and the main space is incredibly large and beautiful.

Our guide was outstanding. I taught ancient Egyptian history in public school, but I learned so much more!

I would recommend Le Caire Travel www.lecairetravel.com to anyone thinking of planning a trip to Egypt.