SmarTours

As this was our first organized/group tour I didn’t know what to expect. We booked our airfare independently as wanted to visit Dubai prior to the start of the tour. Upon arrival in Cairo at the Marriott Cairo a day before the tour started, our room was assigned already and the check in process was seamless. We had a welcome dinner the next day and met up with our group of 16 people and our exceptional Egyptologist & tour guide, Mrs. Enas Hassan. I cannot say enough about the knowledge, courtesy, patience and professionalism of Enas. This tour would have not been the same without her. I believe this in-depth tour was a fantastic way to visit Egypt. We were a bit apprehensive about travel to Egypt but now freshly back in the states, I have absolutely no qualms that we made this trip of a lifetime. After researching several aspects of travel to this region, I discovered that crime in a Egypt is less than half of a percent compared to crime in the USA which is 12%. Everyone we encountered was genuinely friendly and accommodating. Vendors at the markets & bazaars will approach you for a sale but not at all intimidating or threatening. Be ready to bargain with them as you would expect. Such a great feeling to get a good deal on souvenirs and priceless goods. The itinerary was comprehensive and learned so much further than that from lessons learned earlier in life. There was an equal amount of discovery and education compared to some needed downtime. As a gay married couple, we were a bit apprehensive about this tour as uncertain about visiting the a Middle East but the apprehension quickly subsided once we met our fellow travelers within our group and our trustworthy guide, Enas. We are ages 47 and 53 and we were the youngest within our group with the exception of a 24 year old daughter of other group attendees that happen to also be from Central Florida. I think our only negative feedback would be that we would have liked additional “free time” at each location but as the ages of our fellow travelers were greater than our own, they did not have the stamina to do more which is understandable, I suppose. We also had a couple that did not seem to be satisfied with accommodations, food, activity, etc. This was somewhat discerning as everyone else in the group was having a fantastic time and their energy was unnerving. When visiting a foreign country, you cannot expect things to be the same as in the USA. You need to have an open mind and experience a culture that is different than your own. I have gained so much valuable insight into the culture, history, incredible & unbelievable sights we were afforded to see on this amazing adventure. This trip, again, would not have been the same without the exceptional guidance of Enas Hassan, please request her for a truly Egyptian experience that you will never forget.

It was excellent. Our Tour Director & Egyptologist Mohamed Atef was one of the best that I have seen in my 40 years of worldwide travels. He was very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. What set him apart was that he and his team took personal interest in the needs and welfare of every tour member. The hotels accommodations, Nile river boat Movenpick MS Royal Lily, local tour Buses and the meals were all wonderful. Their logistics management, baggage handling, room check-ins, meals and transfers to and from the airport were impeccable. Each and every historical site and the museums that we visited was beyond fabulous. The sites, statues are magnificent and the colors inside the Tombs are still vibrant after 4700 plus years. The Egyptian people are are quite friendly and very welcoming. One does run into vendors trying to sell you the local papyrus, books and clothing artifacts at these sites. But we recognized that this is their livelihood and were not bothered by it. We were very fortunate to have such a nice and fun group. Everyone had become friendly during the tour. The farewell dinner ended on a festive note with birthday celebrations for a couple of people in the group. I highly recommend this tour.

tour was outstanding. our egyptian tourguide /egytologist achmet meligie was the highlight of the tour- outstanding in every- made the tour for me, really. keep him on staff!!! pace and tours were excellent and the extra side excursions were necessary and excellent. food ,hotels, bus, and selected shops were top notch-- will book with smart tours very soon best steven moberg

We've just returned from the Splendors of Egypt 10 days tour. We love it! Arrangements and logistics were set up and managed to the highest quality standards. Hotels, transportation, cruise, meals, luggage handling - everything was excellent. However, the top highlight of the tour was our Tour Director - Noha Ouf. Her knowledge, enthusiasm and passion made our experience unique. Her pride of Egyptian history and culture and the way she was delivering information excited us a lot. SmarTours is lucky to have Noha! We recommend this tour, in general, to those who is interested in exploring Egypt and to learn about its long history and rich heritage and, specifically, choosing smarTours for its organization and care. And, if you decide to go, request Noha - it will add value for the money paid!

Trip was excellent with the exception of having to be on a flight to Aswan after arriving in Cairo requiring we all get up at 2:30 a.m. creating a major sleep deficit right off the bat. Following that we had to fly to Abu Simbel making for a very long day. We had several people become ill with diarrhea and being dehydrated and I wonder if lack of sleep might have contributed to this condition. I did not but my partner did being up all night and suffering the following day. To repeat Tour Guide Dina Talaat was terrific! Don't know how you provide such a quality trip for so little money. Great value!

We saw Egypt through the enthusiasm and the eagerness of sharing the cultural wealth of Egypt by our tour guides Dina and Mohammad. They were courteous, always smiling and knew their subject matter well. Dina was prompt, knew her motherland, and well organized. Mohammad was always with a smile on his face, remembered our names the first day we met, made sure we checked in and out of the hotel and at the airport OK. The security guards were quiet and secluded but I always saw them out of the corner of my eyes at every excursion we took. It had been a wonderful journey for us. We felt very fortunate to be exposed to this exotic land! Shokran!