A 10-Star Trip of a Lifetime to Egypt and Jordan In March 2024, Marcy and I and two friends took the bucket list trip of a lifetime arranged by Mahmoud Gebril of Osiris Tours. We worked with Mahoud for over two years planning our itinerary (hoping that the Grand Egyptian Museum would open – it didn’t) that included virtually everything we wanted to see. Our base of operations in Cairo was the Four Seasons at First Residence Hotel. Our sights included the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the Pyramids at Giza, Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Sakkara, and the Cairo Museum (which is still fantastic). Our guide Ahmed was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful in so many ways. The camel ride was a complete hoot, and our camel jockey was hysterical! We flew from Cairo to Aswan, visited the Philae Temple by boat and stayed at the amazing historic Old Cataract Hotel where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile. The long round-trip drive to Abu Simbel – I was not prepared for its immensity and desolate beauty - was very interesting, and not only that, it rained for the first time in 9 years. We then drove to Luxor, stopping at the Kom Ombo and Edfu temples along the way. Because of our early departure, there were virtually no crowds at either temple, and we were able to take our time while our terrific guide, Essam (aka Sam) Hamed, who explained everything to us (as he did since we met him in Aswan). During our stay in Luxor, based out of the equally historic Winter Palace Hotel, we went on a hot air balloon ride, toured the Valley of the Kings (tombs of King Tut, Seti I and Rameses IV, V and VI). The next day, Sam and our driver agreed that us old-timers needed a little rest, so we had the morning off. Later we visited the Karnak and Luxor Temples, which are simply mind-boggling. If that weren’t enough, we also visited the beautiful Dendera temple complex with its amazing colorful ceilings and wall paintings. On our last day in Luxor, we visited the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which is simply astounding, as well as the impressive Habu Temple. I cannot say enough good things about Sam, our guide in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor. He is an extremely accomplished Egyptologist, as well as a very friendly and very funny guy. We bonded with him immediately. He reordered our itinerary on-the-fly to give us the maximum of experiences while taking into account our stamina and energy levels. It was a long, but interesting drive from Amman to Wadi Musa where we stayed at the delightful 5-star Movenpick Hotel Petra. Mohamed, our driver and erstwhile guide took us the back way into Petra, past an ancient Crusader castle, and the mountainous scenery on the way was truly breathtaking. Petra was even more mind-boggling than Abu Simbel and covers a huge area where the ancient Nabateans carved amazing tombs and dwellings into solid rock. Our guide, Sameer, was just great. The next day we drove to Wadi Rum where we stayed at the Memories Aicha Desert Camp. Nobody can be prepared for the desert beauty of Wadi Rum – it was just spectacular. It was a very long (4 hours) drive back to the Movenpick Dead Sea Hotel and Resort – a huge complex right on the water. The girls took advantage of the Dead Sea mud and had a great time getting all muddied up by the lifeguard. All in all, we were all just delighted with all our arrangements. Processing through the Cairo and Amman airports was easy and seamless with our facilitators and drivers timely and on the spot. We were whisked door-to-door and never had to handle our luggage. There is no doubt that we will be going back to Egypt and Jordan – there was not one instant where we did not feel completely safe, and people are friendly, outgoing and helpful. BTW, there is WiFi everywhere. I, for one, must see the GEM when it’s finally open, and I’d love to take a Nile River cruise, and now that I’ve already seen virtually everything, I can pick and choose when to get off the boat! Osiris Tours gets a solid five stars. I would give them 10 stars, if I could. You cannot go wrong.

Osiris Tours is First-Class and Now is THE time to visit Egypt On February 3, 2024, we returned from a 10-day tour of Egypt and it was utterly fantastic due to the professionals at Osiris Tours. Our journey started in Cairo, then on to Aswan and Luxor, and a return to Cairo. The Osiris guides and drivers were with us every step of the way, which ensured we got to spend quality time at such wonderful places as Abu Simbel, the Karnak Temple, the Luxor Temple, and Kom Ombo. The great aspect of working with Osiris Tours is that the staff were helpful from the moment we started planning the trip, providing insights on Egypt that we wouldn’t have known about. It was important to us that we not be rushed and we weren’t. Our guides were knowledgeable, accommodating, and personable and the hotels where we stayed were first class. Ours was a private tour, which means it was just the two of us and we had a dedicated guide and driver throughout. And, we felt totally safe in Egypt.

Meticulously Planned, Awesome Experience, No Stress! My husband and I spent a few days in Cairo on our honeymoon in September of 2023 and we couldn't have been happier with our decision to go with Osiris! Absolutely every detail was accounted for, from the time we landed to the time we left. Our accommodations were beautiful, right on the Nile with a view of the pyramids from our balcony. Our tour guide, Marwa, was absolutely incredible. She's SO knowledgeable and kind and took the most amazing pictures of us and of the scenery. The two days we were there were a great mix of historical sites and artisan shops - the days were busy and full, but I can't imagine not experiencing a single part of them! We opted for the food tour after seeing the pyramids, which I would highly recommend. It was so fun to see some of Cairo outside of the more touristy locations! Our only regret is that we could only stay for two full days of touring; we would have loved to see Luxor, but I guess that will have to wait for when we come back!

Excellent experience with Osiris tours Excellent experience with Osiris tours. Very knowledgeable Egyptologist guides - their passion about the subject really brought the history to life. Our customized private tour made the most of our time thanks to their expert advice during the planning phase. The whole trip was stress-free, from the moment we landed in Cairo until final goodbyes at the airport. Highly recommended.

Osiris Tours are great Osiris Tours are great! Years ago, I watched the lectures on Egypt through the Great Courses from the Teaching Company with prof Bob Brier. Since then, I had always wanted to go. I strongly recommend you watch the lectures before you go as Egyptian history is very complex. We had two groups of friends go to Egypt with Osiris and both loved it. Mahmoud Gebril of Osiris is very responsive and set up a wonderful itinerary. We had fantastic accommodations in Petra, Aswan and Luxor. We were less than 4 months after the start of the war in Gaza. We felt entirely safe. The airport representatives were very helpful, particularly in Cairo airport. The food was basic but wholesome and safe. Our drivers had to navigate in a country without traffic lights. Our guide, Ahmed Fathy was perfect. Very knowledgeable, patient, flexible and kind. He actually leads tours with Bob Brier and has been a student of Zawi Hawass. The very best travel is when you have an emotional connection to the sights you visit. Thank you Osiris for making that happen for me.