Profile photo for Lareine El Dakhly
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active 13 hours ago

Lareine El Dakhly

I'm a native Egyptian and I have lived in Cairo my entire life. I love everything about my country! it's culture, great pharaonic civilization, interesting history, versatile geography and weather and I'm looking forward to helping travelers interested in visiting Egypt have an amazing experience and connect themselves with the local life of an Egyptian. I can help in planning personalized trips for solo travelers, couples, and groups for English and Spanish speaking clients, giving special attention to exactly what my clients are looking for and what is important to them. Are you seeking Relaxation? A rich program? A Budget-friendly trip? luxurious accommodation? Let me know and I will make sure to introduce you to some of the great sites in Egypt and give you the best high-quality service based on my knowledge and background as a destination expert.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"We specialize in tailor-made classic, luxury, religious, red sea and safari tours all over Egypt and helping our travelers to experience the life-style of a local Egyptian."

How did you get involved in travel?

"I started in the travel industry as a full-time Employee for a Tour Agency in Egypt, but my passion for travel, adventure and learning about different cultures has always been there, which makes me realize I couldn’t have picked a better career for myself. I am extremely lucky, fortunate and blessed to say that “I love my job”. I've always been passionate about exploring and diving deeper into the history and culture of my own country, thus, I have been to the major tourist sights in Egypt. I always say yes to new adventure and learning about the world I live in everyday. What's on my bucket list? Everywhere."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"My most exciting travel experience was snorkeling through the crystal waters past dazzling corals, exotic fish and turtles of the Red Sea in Hurghada."

Lareine is part of the following groups: Egypt Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
10 Days in Egypt - 4 Unique Itinerary Ideas
Ten days is a perfect amount of time to spend in Egypt. With enough time to explore several regions, you can combine an extended stay in Cairo with a multi-day cruise down the...
2 Weeks in Egypt - 4 Unique Itinerary Ideas
Two weeks is a generous amount of time to spend in Egypt. With 14 days, you can focus on Egyptian culture and history, touring the country's pyramids and ancient monuments, or...
1 Week in Egypt - 4 Unique Itinerary Ideas
With a week to spend in Egypt, travelers have several great options. Try a highlights tour that takes you to Cairo, Alexandria, and the coastal resort of Sharm El Sheikh, or...

Recent trip reviews for Lareine

Once in a lifetime trip made easy, thanks to KimKim!
Egypt | Apr 7 - Apr 16, 2024

Bianca
Bianca L.
Boydton, VA | Reviewed on May 01, 2024
We had a wonderful trip to Egypt through KimKim! Lareine was extremely responsive and helpful throughout our planning process, and she put together a fabulous itinerary for us that allowed us to see so much of Egypt in 10 days. She made all the bookings per our preferences and made it easy. We started in Cairo (which included a visit to the Great Pyramids), continued to a Nile River cruise from Aswan to Luxor, and ended the trip at a resort on the Red Sea in Hurghada. Seeing the pyramids and... Read more

We had a wonderful trip to Egypt through KimKim! Lareine was extremely responsive and helpful throughout our planning process, and she put together a fabulous itinerary for us that allowed us to see so much of Egypt in 10 days. She made all the bookings per our preferences and made it easy. We started in Cairo (which included a visit to the Great Pyramids), continued to a Nile River cruise from Aswan to Luxor, and ended the trip at a resort on the Red Sea in Hurghada. Seeing the pyramids and riding camels were definitely highlights, but we really enjoyed the entire trip and it all felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

All of our tour guides, representatives, and drivers gave us very good service and made us feel comfortable. They went above and beyond to help with things like getting through the airport, translating, even just tips and tricks about the culture and sites. Our Cairo tour guide Mohamed Samir in particular did a great job in giving us a personalized experience, adjusting our days based on our interests, what kind of shopping we wanted to do, and what kind of food we wanted to eat. Representative Samara was also great about constantly checking in with us, from our flight in all the way until the end of our trip.  

All of our accommodations were nice, but specifically the Sonesta Nuba in Aswan and the Premier Le Reve in Hurghada were beautiful! We would have loved more time at both. 

The only thing we might not recommend are the sound & light shows at various ruins. They are not that exciting and not necessarily worth the time/price. Also, we unknowingly travelled during Ramadan so we had to contend with some holiday hours at sites and restaurants. We did not miss out on anything because of this, but I'd avoid travelling during Ramadan if possible. 

Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
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Excellent tour itinerary! Highly recommend tour guide Ahmed!
Egypt | Mar 22 - Mar 28, 2024

Rhiannon
Rhiannon E.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on Apr 17, 2024
Our tour was the perfect itinerary and number of days for what we were wanting out of our trip to Egypt. We appreciated the help from the Egypt Promotion representative who helped us navigate the Cairo airport quickly. Samara was good about checking in with us through WhatsApp throughout our trip. Our drivers were good in all locations, which was very appreciated in the crazy traffic. Mohammed was our guide in Cairo and Alexandria and was extremely knowledgeable in the sites we visited,... Read more

Our tour was the perfect itinerary and number of days for what we were wanting out of our trip to Egypt. We appreciated the help from the Egypt Promotion representative who helped us navigate the Cairo airport quickly. Samara was good about checking in with us through WhatsApp throughout our trip. Our drivers were good in all locations, which was very appreciated in the crazy traffic.

Mohammed was our guide in Cairo and Alexandria and was extremely knowledgeable in the sites we visited, and everything in between, and we learned a lot from him.

Ahmed was our guide during the Nile Cruise and tour stops, and we cannot say enough good things about him! Not only was he extremely knowledgeable, but he was so much fun to tour with, and he made sure our schedule was set up to beat the crowds. He made sure we stayed engaged with everything we learned from temple to temple and offered a lot of fun photo ops to capture our experience. We'd highly recommend him to anyone doing an Egypt tour!

Regarding Egypt Promotion as a tour company, overall our experience was very positive and things were very organized. However, it seemed like many different people were involved at various phases of the tour which didn't really always seem necessary (three different reps from the company who served in a supervisory role as we transitioned to different segments of the tour, separate bag carriers, separate airport helper, separate drivers, etc.) and it just gave us a feeling that we were tipping way more than we expected due to more people being involved. Our preference would be to work with one driver, one tour guide, and one company representative for the duration of the tour.

Hotel Reviews
Crowne Plaza West Cairo Arkan
cairo

Beautiful hotel. Excellent breakfast buffet. Conveniently located to nearby restaurants and shops.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Le Fayan I Nile Cruise

This was a nice cruise ship for the Nile Cruise. It kindof leaves the impression of something that was high end 20 years ago, with some features seeming a little dated, but it was clean and nice enough. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and meal service was excellent. I would recommend having more staff on the sun deck during sailing times or downtime, as it seemed like they were pretty scarce during times when people could be ordering drinks, etc.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
Read all Egypt reviews

Extraordinary, solo, three-week trip to Egypt.
Egypt | Feb 15 - Mar 6, 2024

Lorraine
Lorraine L.
New Orleans, LA | Reviewed on Mar 17, 2024
My extraordinary, solo, three-week trip to Egypt and Petra fulfilled a life-long dream. KimKim’s agents helped make this a fabulous, stress-free adventure every step of the way. My guides, including Mahmoud Gawish, Mohamed Kamal, “Jimmy” and others were all knowledgeable, thoughtful gentlemen. The drivers, including Said in Cairo, “Mr. Ferrari” and Shadi in Jordan, and private car were all top-notch. Multiple airport transfers were incredibly smooth. I may have forgotten some of the others... Read more

My extraordinary, solo, three-week trip to Egypt and Petra fulfilled a life-long dream. KimKim’s agents helped make this a fabulous, stress-free adventure every step of the way. My guides, including Mahmoud Gawish, Mohamed Kamal, “Jimmy” and others were all knowledgeable, thoughtful gentlemen. The drivers, including Said in Cairo, “Mr. Ferrari” and Shadi in Jordan, and private car were all top-notch. Multiple airport transfers were incredibly smooth. I may have forgotten some of the others who helped make me feel so welcome, cared-for and well informed. The Egypt agent, Lareine, was always responsive, helping me tailor the trip, choose congenial accommodations, answering questions and helping with itinerary tweaks during my trip. I am so glad I saw some places that others sometimes miss, such as the tomb of Seti I and the stunning temples of Abydos and Dendera. It was all magnificent. Thanks so much to all.

Hotel Reviews
Le Riad de Charme
Cairo

I loved this delightful, unusual hotel in the heart of Cairo's old Islamic quarter. I was able to experience three different suites, each of them large and completely comfortable and charming. I appreciated the lovely fruit bowl in my room and the chocolate-covered dates on my bedside table. I enjoyed the busy neighborhood but some people might find it a bit noisy -- the hotel thoughtfully provides earplugs and I slept well every night. I spent many happy moments observing the lively scene from the balcony of the hotel Tea Room. The Zeeyara Roof Top Restaurant is excellent -- absolutely the best dining experiences I had in all of Egypt. Breakfast options were so delicious and the dinner menu was varied and always perfectly executed and presented.

Authenticity & Character
The hotel is situated on historic El Moez street, surrounded by historic mosques, near to the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. From noon till early morning, the street is bustling with families visiting the shops, restaurants, tea and coffee shops.
Location
I loved the busy energy of the historic street but it is a bit out of the way from other restaurants and Cairo sights you might want to visit. I was very fortunate to have the private driver to take me to everything. As a single lady, traveling alone, I always felt safe walking down the street in the early evening and joining in the bustling scene -- watching the stilt-walkers, bicyclists delivering bread, families enjoying ice cream and cotton-candy.
Staff
The different front desk representatives were always helpful and the housekeeping staff were gracious.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Great beds. Earplugs are a good plus. Bathrooms are particularly ample and well- provisioned. It was so nice to have a comfortable sitting room to relax in after a busy day of sight-seeing.
Sofitel Winter Palace
Luxor

Everything you expect in a first-class hotel -- comfortable, elegant guest room and public spaces. Thoughtful touches like the little rose by my bedside one evening. The gardens are absolutely phenomenal -- walking through them is a walk in paradise. Lavish breakfast buffet with excellent French press coffee. Best of all, for me, was sitting on the beautiful front terrace sipping a glass of chilled Egyptian Rosé wine watching the glorious sun set over the west bank of the Nile. Stuff dreams are made of.

Authenticity & Character
Location
My front window faced out toward the Nile and the gardens in back of the hotel were a delight morning and evening -- perfect bookends for my busy days exploring tombs and temples. The Luxor temple is within easy walking distance.
Staff
I did not get his name, but the bartender on the front Terrace was such a courteous gentleman. I am a mature lady, traveling alone, and he made me feel welcome and attended to. On my last evening, I said good bye and he said I must come back to my terrace seat again some day. I wish I could!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Ashranda Dahabiya Boat
Cairo

The dahabiya trip was a definite highlight of my 3-week trip. My cabin and bathroom were comfortable, quite, very clean. The open, covered deck offered so many options of comfortable seating for lounging, reading, enjoying afternoon tea and our evening wine, as we glided down the Nile. Seeing so many timeliness vistas and then docking directly where our visits took us added a dimension of relaxation and ease to my adventure. It was lovely to be able to share the days and meals with my six other shipmates plus our two guides. All of our meals were delicious and varied, with plenty of fresh fruit and dessert options. The ship's crew go above and beyond to provide every service requested. This really is an experience not to be missed.

Authenticity & Character
Watching the crew unfurl the sail was a special treat. I felt that the crew took special pride in their ship --the deck gleamed, tables were set "just so".
Location
I boarded in Aswan and sailed to Luxor. I wish it could have been longer!
Staff
See above comments. Everyone was great.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The deck seating offered especially comfortable areas to lounge and relax. There were only 7 of us, plus the 2 guides, so there were ample space for all. Oh, and the wifi was great as well.
Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
Read all Egypt reviews

Our trip to Egypt was amazing. Our guides, Om...
Egypt | Feb 21 - Mar 6, 2024

Ken
Ken R.
Evans, CO | Reviewed on Mar 08, 2024
Our trip to Egypt was amazing. Our guides, Omar and Ahmed, were knowledgeable and friendly. They catered to our needs, making sure we comfortable and seeing the sights we wanted to see. Beth and I truly enjoyed our time with them. Mr. Sabry and Mr. Said were a huge help organizing local trips and upgrading our accommodations.
The food and accommodations were first class. The Nile River trip was relaxing and the ship's crew took good care of us.
One of our favorite restaurants was the... Read more

Our trip to Egypt was amazing. Our guides, Omar and Ahmed, were knowledgeable and friendly. They catered to our needs, making sure we comfortable and seeing the sights we wanted to see. Beth and I truly enjoyed our time with them. Mr. Sabry and Mr. Said were a huge help organizing local trips and upgrading our accommodations.
The food and accommodations were first class. The Nile River trip was relaxing and the ship's crew took good care of us.
One of our favorite restaurants was the Valley of the Kings. We went twice.
The Pyramids and the museums were amazing but the Temple at Abu Simbel and the balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings and Queens should not be missed.
I might add that we felt very safe in Egypt. I would gladly go back.

Activity Reviews
Explore lost city of Petra and overnight in Wadi Rum
Explore lost city of Petra and overnight in Wadi Rum
Jordan

If you ever need to feel like Indiana Jones, this is the place. It was one of the surprises of the trip, as it exceeded our expectations. Petra is a place you need to see. The H Luxury hotel is a great place to stay.

Quality of Experience
Food
H Luxury hotel's food was first class. The wait staff was very attentive.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Rasheed was our driver. He made sure we got to places on time. He also made sure we were comfortable.
Transport
Grand Egyptian Museum tour to the grand hall & commercial area
Grand Egyptian Museum tour to the grand hall & commercial area
Cairo

The Grand Museum will be a must see once it fully opens. It is an architectural marvel.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day tour to visit Pyramids and Sphinx & Camel Ride
Day tour to visit Pyramids and Sphinx & Camel Ride
Cairo

Can't go to Egypt without seeing the pyramids. Definitely worth it.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day tour to visit Old Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Salah El-Din & Old Cairo
Day tour to visit Old Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Salah El-Din & Old Cairo
Cairo

Another great day. The museum has more items than can be seen in one day. King Tut exhibition lived up to its reputation.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
Read all Egypt reviews

Not what I hoped for.
Egypt | Dec 23 - Jan 4, 2024

Mickey
Mickey M.
Alhambra, AZ | Reviewed on Jan 22, 2024
My review is related to the value of the trip. It would have been fine if we were on one of those $2500 per person trips. We paid almost $7,000 per person and for that amount it was disappointing. Guides were really poor. Took the minimum time to explain things and then left us in our own. We had to discreetly join other groups to learn more than the basics. Hotels were ok with one terrible exception (Tolip in Aswan was really awful). As far as I can tell KimKim doesn’t do anything... Read more

My review is related to the value of the trip. It would have been fine if we were on one of those $2500 per person trips. We paid almost $7,000 per person and for that amount it was disappointing. Guides were really poor. Took the minimum time to explain things and then left us in our own. We had to discreetly join other groups to learn more than the basics. Hotels were ok with one terrible exception (Tolip in Aswan was really awful).

As far as I can tell KimKim doesn’t do anything except contract with lessor know agencies in each country. You would be better off working directly with the known agency.

Hotel Reviews
Tolip Aswan
Aswan

Exceptionally poor. Housekeeping was terrible. Our bathroom had hair from previous guest. The toiletries were OPEN from previous guest. Don’t use their massage services. The woman was beyond useless and the man made me very uncomfortable with inappropriate touching. We are vegetarian. I wasn’t feeling well so daughter (17) went to dinner on her own. She told them she just wanted pasta. They charged her for the buffet even though they had an ala carte option. And she said the pasta was terrible. When we were checking out, the family in front of us was bitterly complaining to the manager about similar issues. Avoid!!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sonesta cairo
cairo

Nice and clean. Good restaurant options. Nice staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Petra Guest House
Wadi Musa

Very comfortable and location cannot be beat. Not great food options for vegetarians.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rum Oasis Luxury Camp
Wadi Rum

Granted we were here in off season. But oof. Toilet don’t work - we had to manually fill the tank to flush. Food was abysmal for vegetarians. Also weirdly you were expected to bring cash to pay for sodas vs just charge to room. Overall a big miss for us.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The St. Regis Amman
Amman

After a 14 day trip of Egypt and Jordan with very middling hotels landing here was amazing. The hotel is gorgeous. We got lots of room service and had massages in the spa. Overall super fun and the staff members were kind.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly

We had a wonderful trip! Thanks to Lareine fo...
Egypt | Dec 22 - Jan 4, 2024

M
Martin M.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Jan 06, 2024

We had a wonderful trip! Thanks to Lareine for sorting things out so well and in particular to Ahmed on the Nile Cruise and Khaled in Cairo for a brilliant time. We could not recommend KimKim highly enough!

Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
Lareine
Lareine El Dakhly
Local specialist in Cairo | Replied on Jan 09, 2024

Thanks for your feedback Martin, I'm happy to hear that and hoping to welcome you & Yelena again. My regards to Aruna & Jeffery as well :)

Read all Egypt reviews

Our trip to Jordan and Egypt, organized by ki...
Egypt | Nov 26 - Dec 14, 2023

Jayshree
Jayshree D.
Berkeley, CA | Reviewed on Dec 23, 2023
Our trip to Jordan and Egypt, organized by kimkim, was excellent. All accommodations were great, with special mentions for Harir Palace Amman Hotel and Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo. Our driver in Jordan, Rashid, was punctual and safe, and the guides in Jerash and Cairo were knowledgeable and friendly. The desert tour in Wadi Rum was a unique experience, and our guide there made it even more enjoyable. Visiting the pyramids and museums in Cairo was a highlight, particularly the Egyptian... Read more

Our trip to Jordan and Egypt, organized by kimkim, was excellent. All accommodations were great, with special mentions for Harir Palace Amman Hotel and Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo. Our driver in Jordan, Rashid, was punctual and safe, and the guides in Jerash and Cairo were knowledgeable and friendly. The desert tour in Wadi Rum was a unique experience, and our guide there made it even more enjoyable.

Visiting the pyramids and museums in Cairo was a highlight, particularly the Egyptian Civilization Museum. Our guide, Khaled, made the visits even more enjoyable. The sightseeing in Aswan was also amazing, with a visit to the Nubian village by boat being a standout experience. Our guide, Abraham, added a lot of value to our experiences in Aswan.

The Movenpick Sunray Nile Cruise was luxurious and the food was fabulous, with the staff going out of their way to accommodate my vegetarian diet!

Hotel Reviews
Rum Oasis Luxury Camp
Wadi Rum

The Rum Oasis Luxury Camp in Wadi Rum was very nice. It was an interesting experience to have such luxurious accommodation in the middle of a desert.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Harir Palace Amman Hotel
Amman

The Harir Palace Hotel in Amman was adequate for our needs. The food was great and the staff were friendly.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Dead Sea Spa Hotel
Sweimeh

The Dead Sea Spa Hotel was great. The facilities were good and the location was convenient for diving into the sea.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Kempinski Nile Hotel
Cairo

The Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo was amazing. We enjoyed the food at their various restaurants and the sleeping accommodations were really great. The location was safe and convenient for walking around at night.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Petra - Wadi Rum Desert Tour
Petra - Wadi Rum Desert Tour
Wadi Rum

The Petra to Wadi Rum desert tour was a lot of fun. Our driver was friendly and the journey was interesting and safe.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Old Egyptian Museum & Citadel Of Salah El Din & Old Cairo Mosques
Old Egyptian Museum & Citadel Of Salah El Din & Old Cairo Mosques
Cairo

We visited the Egyptian Museum and the Citadel of Salah El Din, which were both impressive. Khaled, our guide, made the visits even more enjoyable.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Egyptian Civilization Museum
Egyptian Civilization Museum
Cairo

The Egyptian Civilization Museum was a highlight of the trip. The exhibits were arranged in a way that showed the progression of Egypt over thousands of years.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome in Jordan ( Queen Alia airport )- Amman
Welcome in Jordan ( Queen Alia airport )- Amman
Amman

The welcome in Jordan was a smooth process with someone guiding us through the airport. Everything was well-organized, which gave us a great first impression of Jordan.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Amman - Madaba - Nebo -Kerak - Petra
Amman - Madaba - Nebo -Kerak - Petra
Amman

The journey from Amman to Madaba and Nebo was filled with fascinating historical sights and beautiful landscapes. Our driver, Rashid, was punctual and safe.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara & Memphis
Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara & Memphis
Cairo

Our guide, Khaled, was fantastic. He took us to the Giza Pyramids and Sakkara in a way that was both informative and fun.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Aswan sightseeing - Overnight at hotel
Aswan sightseeing - Overnight at hotel
Aswan

Aswan offered an amazing sightseeing experience. We visited the Nubian village by boat and saw local people and birds along the Nile. Our guide, Abraham, added a lot of value to the experience.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit Abu Simbel temple & board the Nile cruise
Visit Abu Simbel temple & board the Nile cruise
Egypt

The visit to Abu Simbel temple was very interesting. Boarding the Nile cruise was a unique experience, and the Movenpick boat was quite luxurious.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
Lareine
Lareine El Dakhly
Local specialist in Cairo | Replied on Jan 09, 2024

Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed and positive review Jayshree. Your feedback is important to us. Our main goal is to make your trip enjoyable & memorable and I'm glad we managed to achieve that :)

Read all Egypt reviews

Exceptional experience
Egypt | Nov 18 - Dec 2, 2023

Marialisa
Marialisa B.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Dec 09, 2023
I only have wonderful things to say about Lareine - I have extensive travel experience having been in more than 60 countries, I am not exaggerating when I say that working with Lareine was my best experience so far.
She is extremely efficient, she gets everything done in a little time, she immediately understands your needs and customizes an incredible journey for you. Not only the planning was impeccable, but she also followed up with me throughout our trip in Egypt to ensure everything... Read more

I only have wonderful things to say about Lareine - I have extensive travel experience having been in more than 60 countries, I am not exaggerating when I say that working with Lareine was my best experience so far.
She is extremely efficient, she gets everything done in a little time, she immediately understands your needs and customizes an incredible journey for you. Not only the planning was impeccable, but she also followed up with me throughout our trip in Egypt to ensure everything was going as planned and taking care of additional activities that were not originally planned. She is a smart, hard working and caring travel specialist, I strongly recommend working with her.
Egypt is a truly wonderful countries, it is breathless to stand in front of temples and pyramids that are more than 4000 years old - this is a must go destination at least once in your lifetime! So much to learn and enjoy.

Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
Lareine
Lareine El Dakhly
Local specialist in Cairo | Replied on Dec 12, 2023

Thank you so much for your kind words Lisa and for sharing your experience with us. I had fun putting your plan together and I'm glad you enjoyed your trip!
We hope to see you again sometime for another hiking adventure with your family :)

Read all Egypt reviews

Good but can definitely be better co-ordinated between KimKim and local operators
Egypt | Oct 28 - Nov 5, 2023

Ullas
Ullas P.
India | Reviewed on Nov 17, 2023
Most of the feedback was given to Egypt Promotion Tour manager during departure and end of trip. Below are the highlights. 1. Day 1 tour described by KimKim was completely different than what was executed by Egypt Promotion. It was definitely NOT a food tour. It was a walking city tour ending with lunch buffet. Disappointed.
2. Day 1-4 on all 4 days I did not have lunch until 4-5pm. Even after calling this out on Day 2 and Day 3 still no attention taken.
3. The itinerary provided never... Read more

Most of the feedback was given to Egypt Promotion Tour manager during departure and end of trip. Below are the highlights.

1. Day 1 tour described by KimKim was completely different than what was executed by Egypt Promotion. It was definitely NOT a food tour. It was a walking city tour ending with lunch buffet. Disappointed.
2. Day 1-4 on all 4 days I did not have lunch until 4-5pm. Even after calling this out on Day 2 and Day 3 still no attention taken.
3. The itinerary provided never mentioned my visit to shops and art shops which I think must be provided during planning. While whether to buy or not is my choice. These visits itself took priority over for all the guides that we had to skip lunch and cover all these shops and demos. While I understand the importance for supporting local artists and art and making purchases, definitely not at the cost of skipping my lunch and also the guides make these shopping stops a priority evident across all cities. If it was so important for all to make me buy stuff then why was it not mentioned and timed accordingly in my daily itineraries.

With no compromise on my high price I was charged by KimKim, it was not even suited to my comfort with all the above points.

Another very important thing KimKim needs to do is to provide tipping guidance to foreigners. While I am aware tipping is a choice, but how much is more and how much is less is totally unknown to us visiting Egypt for first time. This guidance must be provided as it depends local cost of living that will help me decide what the tip is. Due to this confusion I may have ended up paying more to few and less to few others

Activity Reviews
Attend Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple
Attend Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple
Egypt

This being a local activity in my itinerary, it did not happen on the same day as planned. It was closed due to a private function and it happened the next day. It would have saved some time going and being turned back at the venue if the local on ground updates were known to Egypt Promotion. If the venue was blocked for private gathering and not open to public on the day as planned.

Quality of Experience
Knowing ground realities and updates about venue being blocked for private gathering
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome to Egypt - Cairo Walking Food Tour
Welcome to Egypt - Cairo Walking Food Tour
Cairo

This was a not a food tour so please rename thr tour and also your description you give in KimKim itinerary. This is a walking tour that ends with lunch. There is no trying of 4-5 different local delicacy with stops at different food stops as described

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day tour to visit Pyramids& Sphinx, Old Egyptian Museum, Salah El Deen Citadel & Mohamed Ali Mosque
Day tour to visit Pyramids& Sphinx, Old Egyptian Museum, Salah El Deen Citadel & Mohamed Ali Mosque
Cairo

This was one of th best tours of my entire itinerary. Well paced and covering the main spotlights of Pyramids. Hope we had a little more time. (Read skipping the shopping and art demo places - Day could have been better) But I liked what the guide did and cover all main spots.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Lareine El Dakhly
Lareine
Lareine El Dakhly
Local specialist in Cairo | Replied on Nov 30, 2023
Hi Ullas, first I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write an honest and detailed review of your experience. Your feedback is important to us both the positive and negative aspects as it serves as insight for future planning decisions and helps in evaluating and increasing the quality of our services. Kindly find my answers to the stated points below: 1) I'm terribly sorry that the walking & food tour didn't live up to your expectations and if somehow the explanation provided in the... Read more

Hi Ullas, first I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write an honest and detailed review of your experience. Your feedback is important to us both the positive and negative aspects as it serves as insight for future planning decisions and helps in evaluating and increasing the quality of our services.

Kindly find my answers to the stated points below:

1) I'm terribly sorry that the walking & food tour didn't live up to your expectations and if somehow the explanation provided in the activity sounded different. I'm sure there might have been some sort of miscommunication with the representative. As stated in the activity, this tour is not just about food but rather a free cultural experience that allows you to stroll around the vibrant streets of the city frequented by locals, street vendors, food trucks with the opportunity to stop for shopping or grab a snack if you're a foodie. For the main meals we normally choose restaurants over street vendors since it's the safer option but if you prefer otherwise then the guide will definitely act accordingly.

2) Normally the historical sites aren't open for visitors after 4 & 5 PM. The Full day tour in Cairo was a long tour since you had only one day to explore the city so i believe the guide's goal was to cover all the sites included in your plan without rushing the visits or missing one. I informed the guides of your preferred lunch time after receiving your complain on day 3 but on the next day the guide in Aswan informed me that your flight arrived late and that cut into the time scheduled for visits as well which was beyond their control.

3) Local shops, street markets and Souqs, besides being an integral part of Egyptian culture and local economy, It’s the perfect chance to immerse yourself in the local culture and glimpse what everyday life is like for the people of Cairo that's why it's a standard part of every program but it's totally up to you whether to buy or not and if you'd rather not do it you can simply inform the guide.

4) Tipping is also a part of the Egyptian culture but it's completely optional and based on your satisfaction with the services. We provide our recommended guiding policy in the FAQ section but it's up to you to pay more or less or not at all if you're not satisfied and of course you're not obliged to tip for services you never asked for.

5) The Sound & Light show dates are subject to change, which is also stated on their official website, so it's best not to book it in advance and double check on the same day whether it will still be operating or not, if not the guide books whenever possible according to your plan or offers either a compromise or a refund.

We highly appreciate your insight and we make sure to take it into account upon coordinate with our operation team but on some days when things can be more flexible according to your preferences & the guide's recommendations communication is key :)

Best Regards,
Lareine