Travel Review: Family Trip to Egypt, Cairo, Luxor, Giza, Valley of the Kings, Nile River Felucca Cruise, Hot Air Balloon Ride

We landed in the madness of Cairo well after midnight, and before the plane doors had even opened, our guide was texting me with exactly where to go and what to do.  I won't lie, as we landed, I was thinking that bringing my kids to Egypt might have been a crazy idea?  But alas, my nerves were immediately soothed as we were led seemlessly through the visa process, our bags collected and we were whisked into an air conditioned van to our gorgeous hotel.  Our eyes were wide as we took in the streets of the city, and my kids were genuinely in awe at the spectacle of it all.

We spent our first full day pool-side as the happy recipients of incredible hospitality and kindness, and our kids were more than welcome in our beautiful accommodations.  The next day, we began with the pyramids and our guide quickly sensed our pace, captured the attention of our kids and modified the day's plans so adeptly as she read our energy levels and interests.  She kept us safe, clearly with the respect of everyone at each location we visited. As we got into Cairo and Giza, and in some places where we might have felt worried had we been alone, she was the ultimate protector, and we didn't worry for even a moment.  Alongside her and with our fantastic driver, we were taken through museums, mosques and historical sites and enjoyed every second, our safety never a question or a concern.  

We moved next to Luxor, and our second guide was as warm and wonderful as our first, truly feeling like a real friend by the end of our days spent together.  Our hotel surprised us with an INCREDIBLE upgrade, and our experience in the city unfolded from there to be even more interesting, and much more relaxing, than Giza and Cairo.  There we experienced a felucca ride, a hot air balloon ride, tremendous highlights like the Valley of the Kings and King Tut's tomb, and yet another beautiful pool deck at our hotel to end each day with the kids smiling.  

Most of our friends and family asked us if we felt safe bringing our kids to Egypt, and genuinely, under the care of our tour agency and their team, there was not a single instant where I felt concerned.  There were flexible and easily grasped the goals our trip in our first exchanges, and during the actual trip, they were connecting with us in person, via text and via email as necessary.  Not a single logistic went sideways, and the people of Egypt where caring, kind and welcoming at every turn on a trip where that made all of the difference!