Petra and the Nile

We did the Discover Egypt tour and have nothing but praise for the experience. Encounters Travel ensured everything ran very smoothly and the trip was great value for money. So many highlights apart from the obvious ones of the Pyramids and temples. Visiting a Nubian village for lunch and a lazy overnight cruise down the Nile were both perfect. Also a special shout out to our fantastic tour guides Hassan (who was brilliant in helping us to retrieve delayed luggage from Cairo airport), Ayman with his warm personality and deep historical knowledge, and Mohammed whose laughter and jokes lit up our time in Hurghada. All of them deserve 5 stars.

Our Egypt Tour was life changing! we took the express tour, we were greeted on arrival by a company member in Cairo airport with a company sign, then escorted to passport screening and check ins, we were taken to the first hotel then escorted the group to check ins at the hotel lobby .. they made check ins easy.. first day we hit the Giza Plateau, on our way to the pyramids our tour guides (Ayman Kenawy) and (Ashra fbehairy) explained what to expect and took care of us the entire tour.. the pyramids were amazing, Ayman and Ashra explained the history, personal prespectives and highlights of the pyramid location with great detail.. we were in complete awe.. they got us our tickets and guided us to the great pyramid entrance. after we checked out the great Sphinx went on camel rides they helped take pictures, SECURITY was present and tentative.. we felt SAFE the entire Tour! Second Day Ayman guided us on a tour to beautiful Cairo! to the Muhammad Ali Mosque.. wow this place is a true MARVEL.. most gorgeous architecture and history.. Ayman explained the purpose of things and the history of Muhammad Ali and purpose of this Mosque, this place i will not forget.. the gorgeous chandeliers and design on the ceiling , the energy there was captivating, just wow .. Ayman explained Islam to us, Mecca and the pilgrimage.. Thank you Ayman! We visited Coptic Cairo and the Hanging Church of mary.. another life changing experience! afterwards The guides took us to the Khan El-Khalili Bazaar.. Security walked with us as we shopped Next day we headed to Aswan by flight, in the day we journeyed to Abu Simbel .. our Guide Ashra Gave us a time frame about a hour to freely check out the temples.. on the way Ashra explained the the Story of Abu Simbel.. Thank you Ashra! we ended the day on a Felucca cruising the beautiful Nile.. we slept in ethe felucca overnight.. it was comfortable and really nice.. starry skies over head and tranquil experience. next day we hit the Temple of Philae, rode a small boat to the temple the sights and river was worth every photo and video you can take! the details on the temple walls here are something else, an incredible sight! also the history of early Christianity here very worth noting.. Part of the tour was also shopping for Natural egyptian Oils medicined, perfumes and papyrus along with local food spots.. worth noting, if there was anything we NEEDED the tour guides were very well connected and will get you what youre looking for.. I.E medicine in case you are not feeling well or where the ATMs are located.. The Following locations were The valley of the kings, Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep, Luxur and my absolute favorite stop, Dendera's Temple of Hathor! this temple added the cherry on top of our trip.. we were in amazement of the tressure this place truly is. so much detail here.. you do NOT want to miss this location.. Ayman explained the history and the zodiac here! a true Marvel.. last stop was a day tour to ALEXANDRIA with our tour guide Ashra, we visited the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa.. this place is eerie and trippy.. but definitely worth the visit , we hit Pompey's pillar, The famous library of Alexandria and were treated to a great sea food restaurant overlooking the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea.. Thank You Ashra! The Tour Guides kept us SAFE, fed and exited for the next stop .. the entire tour i felt SAFE.. the security staff was cool and followed close to the group.. met some amazing People and made priceless memories, THANK YOU TOUR GUIDES!! cant wait for our NEXT CHANCE TO VISIT EGYPT , WE LOVE YOU and GOD BLESS .

We had a wonderful experience with Encounters for our Egypt tour. Everything was great, from booking, pre-trip communication, accommodations, transfers, guides and drivers. We anticipated a "small group" tour but we were the only couple who booked this particular week. To our surprise, we had a guide and driver all to our selves! Our guide in Luxor did need to make some adjustments to the itinerary due to changes in the Nile cruise schedule. He was great at reading our interests and suggesting alternative options that we throughly enjoyed. On hindsight we may have shortened the Nile cruise a couple of days for a visit to Hurghada. We also extended our trip a day to visit Alexandria. It was a very long day and we wished we would have considered other options like a trip to the Red Pyramid, Memphis or other museums in Cairo.