Egypt Travel Review: Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Abu Simbel, Giza Pyramids, Nine-Day Trip

There are very few experiences that are just completely and absolutely perfect, and the experience our travel agent put together for us was one of them.

This was a total 10/10, no-notes trip that we will remember for years to come. And to any reservations because of the price, I say, I felt I got my money's worth and then some.

From our agent in the London office taking the time to talk to us to get a sense of what we wanted, instead of just sending a boilerplate itinerary, to our guides in Cairo, Aswan (and the great staff of the hotel), and Luxor, everyone was just lovely and there to make sure we were getting everything we wanted. Zicasso’s tour operator was flexible, even making changes while we were in Egypt, to ensure we enjoyed our time there.

To say they went the extra mile is an understatement: when we had some issues with our first hotel in Cairo, we were swiftly moved to a better hotel at no cost to us. When we got to Aswan, the team there even upgraded us to a suite to ensure a great experience.

When I mentioned I loved knafeh, a popular dessert, our guide took us to a local bakery in Aswan, away from the tourist crowds, to get her favorite, even introducing us to flavors I'd never tried before. The day after, as we sailed from Aswan to Kom Ombo, the hotel staff who took care of the lunch even included some knafeh for us.

In Cairo, when I said I loved authentic shawarma, our guide took us to get it shoulder-to-shoulder with locals. And when we said we wanted to just explore Cairo outside the usual sites, he took us on a walking tour through different neighborhoods, introducing us to koshary (a must!) and feteer, a true culinary revelation.

It's very easy on tours to feel like you're just getting the touristy stuff, but I didn't feel like that during our trip.

As history nerds, we wanted to go deep into the history, significance, and meaning of all the sites we visited. At no point did I feel the guidance lacking. Every question was answered. Every doubt cleared. We had an extensive list of places to visit and if there's ever a doubt about where to go, our travel agent will absolutely guide you through it. Everything at every site went smoothly, from the tickets to the access to transportation to and from. There were no hiccups and I wouldn't change anything in the itinerary.

Above all, what I think differentiates our travel partner from the rest is their attention to every detail. During the planning of the trip, I mentioned it would be my birthday during the vacation. On that day, I returned to the hotel to find a birthday cake waiting for us. Everyone seemed to know I was celebrating, making us feel very special.