Crociera privata sul Nilo di 3 giorni a Luxor con giro in mongolfiera

Very good experience on the Nile cruise. Communication with the operator was excellent, mainly through WhatsApp, and they were always very attentive. At the last moment, we requested to add a private guide in Spanish for the tours, and they managed it without any problem, paying the additional cost before the start. We also appreciate the upgrade of the cruise category at no additional cost. The organization was very good, all transfers were punctual, and the tours were conducted properly. The hot air balloon ride could not be carried out due to weather conditions, even when trying to reschedule it for the next day, something that was beyond the company's control. In general, we highly recommend it for the good organization, communication, and service.

Overall, the whole tour and experience helped us see everything we wanted to, and made things much simpler than if we tried to do the individual tours alone, but the whole experience was tainted and made less special by the fact that almost every staff member (of the boat, the tour guides, the drivers) constantly kept harrasing us for more money/tips on multiple occasions (rarely ever aggressively, but on the rare occasion we did have people angrily tell us off in Arabic for not giving enough or less than what they wanted). The boat itself is very outdated (most of the furniture was falling apart/being held together by bit and pieces of random fixings) and the service was pretty bad (never cleaned our room despite our request, never said hello; the younger / teenage staff members were actually the nicest of the bunch) and the tour guides were overall adequate but mostly explained very little and did not show much interest in actually giving us a good experience Read more about - Private 3-Days Nile Cruise to Luxor with Hot Air Balloon Ride

Overall, the whole tour and experience helped us see everything we wanted to, and made things much simpler than if we tried to do the individual tours alone, but the whole experience was tainted and made less special by the family that almost every staff member (of the boat, the tour guides, the drivers) constantly kept harrasing us for more money/tips on multiple occasions (rarely ever aggressively, but on the rare occasion we did have people angrily tell us off in Arabic for not giving enough or less than what they wanted). The boat itself is very outdated (most of the furniture was falling apart/being held together by bit and pieces of random fixings) and the service was pretty bad (never cleaned our room despite our request, never said hello; the younger / teenage staff members were actually the nicest of the bunch) and the tour guides were overall adequate but mostly explained very little and did not show much interest in actually giving us a good experience

Tour Breakdown: The tour operator doesn't own the ship, they booked rooms on a ship, and arrange mutiple day tours for the group. In my case, the ship guests are assembled by multiple tour groups from different operators. Unlike other cruise tours, this tour start from Abu Simbel, so I could skip the first day which the ship was actually staying in Aswan, and arrange better alternative tour. 1st day: I'm told to get ready for pickup before 3:30 AM, but actually the person for pickup came at 4 AM. Luggages are stored in the hotel I stayed in Aswan. Started from Abu Simbel tour, 4 AM, transfered by cars, about 3 hours each way. After the tour, returned to the hotel, pick up luggages, and transfered to the ship, then lunch on the ship. The ship sailed to Kom Ombo in the afternoon, then we had a tour of Kom Ombo temple, and returned to the ship for dinner. 2nd day: Edfu tour only, started at 4 AM, transfered by horse carriages, about 10 minutes each way. After the tour, returned to the ship for breakfast, lunch, dinner. I joined no activities on the ship arranged by the tour operator, to have a rest for 4 AM start next day. The ship sailed to Esna Lock in the afternoon, after crossing the lock, continued sailing to Luxor. 3rd day: The balloon tour started at 4 AM, tourists may take a breakfast box, transfered by vans and boats, then returned to the ship for checkout. After checkout, the group was split into some smaller groups, and my group went for Luxor tour, visited Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, and Luxor Temple, finally transfered to the hotel I booked in Luxor. Communication: 1/5 0 information about itinerary details communicated proactively. Mostly shocks, a little surprises, and a lot of confusion. Detailed info is provided in this review, for future tourists' reference. Actual ship name Princess Du didn't match the name tour operator told: Albrans. I asked for next day tour start time, and always got confirmed at night before that day. They did post schedule info every day near the reception, but it functioned as a day recap rather than a notice. I was first time heard about Esna Lock after visiting Edfu Temple, the info came from a tourist of other tour group. At least they did commnunications in English. Tour Arrangement: 3/5 4 AM. Everyday in this tour, we must wake up and get ready before 4 AM. 1 almost empty day around Esna Lock. This is not avoidable by any tour operators, but they should arrange something or at least clearly reveal the fact on tour info page. Abu Simbel: I was able to visit the temple inside before the crowds came, but the guide only explained the temple outside. The good part is, the guide adviced us to purchce online tickets in advance, and helped to buy tickets from ticket office for whom had difficulties purchasing online tickets. Kom Ombo: The tour guide came late, but he really did a good job in explaining the temple. The group also had some time to visit Crocodile Museum. Edfu: We were transferred to(and back from) the temple by hourse carriages, and arrived after many other groups. The temple was actually opened from 5 AM. It was super crowded inside, moving inside was like a struggle, and the guide couldn't explain well because of lack of space and noise. Baloon: We were transferred by vans to the pier, and took a boat to west side of Nile, then transferred to the balloon site by vans again. The group is really lucky, the weather was bad for previous 5 days, and finally we had a good day for ballooning. Luxor Tour: After the balloon, the group had to go to the ship and pack up for check out, and join tour of Nile "west" bank. I was wondering if we could start west bank tour without going back to the ship. The tour guide does a average job. Cruise Guide / Coordinator: 2/5 The person who was supposed to hand turists to the day tours, and transfer them back to the ship. In my case, his name is: Mina habeb For the Abu Simbel part, the result is good, but I had no clue about his effort, let's believe he did a good job. For Edfu part, the carriage transfer came late and the driver asked for exccessive tips. Shouldn't he protect tourists from Arabic frustrations? For the baloon, only another tour guide showed up, and all the arrangements finally went smoothly. The group had to buy tickets for temples by themselves, hopfully there mostly no ticket queues. Accommodation: 3/5 The meal/buffet on the ship is like what you would find in an average tourist buffet restaurant. The room space is not big, but it's enough for 2 adults + 1 child, and open 2 suitcases at the same time. The bathroom is small, but it's clean and functional. Remarks for Esna Lock part: Although no mention on the tour info page, the experience of crossing Esna Lock is actually quite interesting, and there were some merchants came around the ship to sell textiles and play bargaining games with tourists. For me, it's a very long way to travel to Egypt, so every day of the tour is precious. the day around Esna is actually a huge waste of time. If you also need to travel a long way to Egypt, please consider this point when planning your cruise tour.

Ahmed Abd Elwahab our guide in abu simbel is very accommodating during our visit. He shares egyptology insights into the history of the temple. He also helps us take amazing couples photo. A true Egyptian experience for the amazing scenes without bad experiences from haggling and scamming. Not pushy about buying stuff which is the norm in any tour packages in Egypt. An honest guide and not a pirate by a large stretch compared to what we generally experienced in Aswan region. 👍

My family had a really good tour with our guide Mohamed in Luxor, he was very experienced and well informed. He was a gentleman and made us feel comfortable during the tour. We also enjoyed our time in Kom Ombo with a different Mohamed as our guide. The cruise we stayed on was also very nice and we loved our time on the boat.

Mustafa was a fantastic tour guide for Abu Simbel. Really enjoyed the tour.

Mustafa explained everything in great detail, the Abu Simbel visit was great and the excursion was with few people which made it very comfortable.

Although things are a little disorganized in Egypt, everything went well, it is their culture to do things "upon the hour." But we were very well served by the Nice tour, they gave us an extra night on the ship. The guide who accompanied us in Luxor, that's his name, was excellent, even because he grew up in the mountains and had a lot to tell. Recommended for Nice Tour

We booked this experience as part of the Nice Tours 2-Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor, available through GetYourGuide, Viator, and other booking platforms. The rate was very competitive; however, it is important to note that you do not find out your specific cruise line until about a day before departure, which may not work for everyone. You select your cabin category and are then assigned accommodations accordingly (standard, deluxe, or luxury). For this reason, I would recommend choosing the deluxe or luxury option—it was well worth it. We were upgraded to the luxury category and were very pleased with the experience. As for the cruise itself, our boat, the Ellie, was modern, beautiful, and exceptionally clean. The food was varied and thoughtfully prepared, and the daily schedule—including meals and evening activities—was well organized. Wake-up calls were provided reliably, which helped each day run smoothly. The top deck was especially beautiful and felt more luxurious compared to other boats we saw, many of which appeared more dated. Throughout the trip, the staff was consistently attentive and professional. We especially appreciated the housekeeping team, the bartender, and our dinner waiter for their warmth and attentiveness. The fact that the boat is often used by larger travel groups also seemed to reflect its overall quality. While consistency would be ideal, some variability is understandable and can happen anywhere. In terms of coordination, Nice Tours provides the guides, some of whom were stronger than others. While consistency would be ideal, some variability is understandable and can happen anywhere. There were a few minor bumps along the way, and despite everyone’s best efforts, not everything went as smoothly as expected. For example, due to a late start one day, on our last day, we were not able to see the sunset during our hot air balloon ride, visit the Temple of Hatshepsut, or take the felucca ride. That said, Nice Tours remained accessible and responsive, answering all communications via WhatsApp and email. Their coordination style is different from what travelers in the U.S. are accustomed to—often more last-minute and with limited advance information—but ultimately everything came together. The company and most of its guides made a genuine effort to ensure we were satisfied and had a positive experience. With that said, there is one area that would benefit from greater clarity for guests. On the last day, we were presented with an envelope for tips. While we understood the purpose, we had not been informed of this process in advance and had already generously tipped the staff we interacted with most. We still left an additional tip in the envelope; however, it was opened in front of us and the front desk staff appeared dissatisfied, even though the amount was comparable to American standards and took into account the tips we had already provided. Additionally, one couple was stopped on their way out and asked to add more money to their envelope. This approach felt uncomfortable, did not align with what we consider standard practice in the U.S., and did not land well with us. To improve the guest experience, I would strongly suggest that tipping expectations be clearly communicated prior to arrival or at check-in so that all guests are on the same page and misunderstandings can be avoided. Alternatively, gratuities could be included in the overall cost upfront, similar to the approach used by some American cruise lines. Overall, this was a comfortable, memorable, and worthwhile experience with Ellie and Nice Tours, and with a few adjustments to communication and transparency, it could be even stronger for future travelers.