Great experience with experienced guide
The guide Mina was very knowledgeable with very good command of English. He is also very kind and friendly. We visited a spices and perfume shop which was not in the initial planning which is great.
The staff on the boat was very kind. They were a lot of choices for the food however it was lacking salt and pepper and spices overall. For a country known by their spices i was expecting food to be less plain but otherwise the food choice combination was good. The breakfast to take away was quite poor and could be improved by adding boiled eggs and yoghurt. To visit Abu simbel we had another guide who was not good and his English was very poor.
The facility of the boat is overall old but fairly well maintained. The room was clean and the mattress comfortable.
Trail06119138095 · dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
A glimpse in the ancient history
My name is Carlos. We had the pleasure to have King Mina as our tour guide. He literally thought about everything. He was very knowledgeable about the ancient history. He also showed us some artisans for spices; essences and stone carving.
Thank you Mina for the amazing experience!
carlosc959 · dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Beautiful places, boat ok
Crociera carina, niente di speciale, camera ok
Programma molto intenso con sveglia presto tutti i giorni. Cibo così così, ma tipico del posto
I posti che si visitano sono spettacolari.
C8638AXgiovannia · dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Esperienza unica
Un viaggio incredibile, tante cose da vedere, ritmi un po’ faticosi ma ne vale la pena. La guida, Mina, è stata impeccabile e super disponibile. L’unica cosa negativa di tutto il viaggio è stata l’enorme pressione da parte di tutti i venditori in ogni sito, veniva richiesta una mancia per ogni singola cosa anche quando non veniva offerto un servizio. Un vero peccato essere stressati così tanto mentre si visita un Paese così bello
H6191MCfedericar · dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
AMAZING!!
Was amazing one experience!!! Mina King is an amazing tpur guide. Always kind and taking care of us. Thanks a lot for this wnderfully days.
CEVIJA · dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Disorganised Tour with Extra Costs
My family travelled in Jordan and Egypt for almost one month, and unfortunately this tour was the worst experience of the entire trip. We constantly faced poor organisation, chaotic schedules, hidden fees, and misleading information.
Poor Organisation
Our group had nearly 30 people but only one guide.One morning we were instructed to meet at 6:00 AM, but the guide was not there. We waited for around 30–60 minutes before the guide finally arrived — and then we still had to wait for other people. The tour only left at 7:30 AM — 1.5 hours late. On another day, the bus left for lunch and two elderly travellers were left behind. There was no headcount and very little care for passenger safety.
Hidden Fees & Double Tipping
Before the tour started, we were asked to pay US $25 per person in “tips,” and told this covered everything. However, at the end of the trip, the guide requested additional tips again. This was uncomfortable and felt dishonest.
Hot Air Balloon – Paying Twice
We had already paid for the hot-air balloon ride through Tripadvisor. The night before, the company claimed the flight was cancelled due to “government regulations.” But the next morning, other groups on the same boat still flew.
We contacted Star Balloon directly and confirmed they were still taking bookings. I arranged a price of 2,000 EGP per person (about US $42) and passed this to our organiser. They eventually booked us with Star Balloon and charged US $50 each — but later publicly claimed the price was US $100 in response to another review from our group. Very unfair and misleading.
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To be fair:
The cruise boat itself was comfortable, and the onboard staff were wonderful — polite, hardworking, and friendly. Our guide Talaat Abdo was knowledgeable and kind, but the group was simply far too large for one person to manage.
Overall, the company’s organisation and transparency were extremely disappointing, and we would not recommend them.
Jack L · dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Must do experience when visiting Egypt
Great experience! From the cruise staff to the drivers, all great treatment.
I did this same cruise a few months ago with a friend and this time around the guide made the experience way superior. Mina has been the best guide in our trip all around Egypt.
Great sense of humor together with interesting and simplified explanations of the temples and mythology. We had long days but they were very fun and light with him.
I could do this cruise again a third time for sure.
Renata_B · dec 2025 · via Viator
Not perfect but nice
The boat was fine, food was good, staff was very nice and attentive.
About the tour, we had 3 nights and 4 days. Be aware that wake up time is very early each morning
The nubian village (extra from the guide) was a nice experience but I felt like the price was too high for what it offered
The guide Khaled was very organised, we were completely relaxed when it came to all the transfers, program, etc. He was sending message a day before with the full schedule for the next day, very helpful.
There were however things we did not like.
When we arrived in the boat, after we got our key for the cabin, the guide pushed us to change the cabin with another one. The one we were asked to have in exchange was the one refused by other people from the group. Basically we gave our cabin and received the other one. The carpet from the cabin we received was really not clean, it gave a bad feeling to the whole room.
I believe the guide should have dealt with this situation in a different way (maybe trying to change the cabin by discussing with the boat staff, not between us - his tourists).
Another thing we did not like was the tip we had to pay to the guide for the boat staff when we arrived on the boat. It was presented as standard, 30 euro per person. I understand the culture of giving tip (everywhere!!) but I want to decide by myself if I want to do it or not and how much. And I want to decide it at the end of the trip, not before the trip when I do not even know how the staff is like.
I would recommend just telling to tourists that tips is appreciated and to give indication about the amount, but leave the people give how much they feel (if they feel like giving it)
Overall it was a nice experience, not perfect but nice.
Andra_C · dec 2025 · via Viator
Cruzeiro em casal
O barco King of Tebas é antigo mas os funcionários muito simpáticos.
A comida é razoável.
O guia Khaled foi muito prestável e atencioso acompanhando o grupo e informando o programa diariamente. O pacote de excursões apresentado pode ser comprado individualmente.
Gostaria de ter visto mulheres a trabalhar no barco, faz parte da cultura mas já podia ter evoluido.
A animação era pouca comparada com outros barcos e a que houve não foi pubicitada tanto que eramos só nós a ver o espectáculo.
De uma maneira geral gostámos.
Olga_G · dec 2025 · via Viator
Decent ship but horrible customer service
The boat itself was fine. Decent food and very good room. However, they tricked us with the hot air balloon tour and made us pay 20 dollars more than the actual price and we did not even see sunrise :(. Worst of all, they did not even say sorry or feel bad and just shifted the blame on us. This is not how you treat customers. Any remorse would made us feel much more heard. I ADVISE NOT TO BOOK THE BALLOON TOUR INCLUDED. SAVE YOUR MONEY FROM THESE TRICKSTERS AND BOOK YOURSELF.
Bas_E · nov 2025 · via Viator
