Saying it was fantastic is a complete under-statement. But I cannot think of a better word. They handled the tour for us, booked our hotel, booked our sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, and took wonderful care of everyone.
My thanks to them, and we would HIGHLY recommend this group to anyone wanting to do private tours in Egypt.
Denver, Colorado5 contributions
After doing some reading on Trip Advisor we decided to book a tour for 2 people with Nile Blue Excursions from our ship (Celebrity Silhouette) which docked in Alexandria in early November 2012. We booked the Best of Cairo excursion with an overnight stay in Cairo.
Given the current political instability in the region, we naturally had some concerns and perhaps even a sleepless night or two in the days before this excursion. However, I can say that we feel that this excursion could not have gone any better than it did. I surpassed expectations in every way.
The guide and driver were absolutely wonderful. They met us at the ship exactly as planned. They were informative and interesting and very pleasant people. Ayeman, our guide, quickly taught us some of the local customs unfamiliar to us so that we felt comfortable right from the start. His narratives were always very informative and never overbearing. Akran, the driver was truly amazing. He negotiated the formidable Cairo traffic with great calm, patience, and intelligence. The overnight portion of the trip was at the sumptuous Mena House Hotel overlooking the pyramids. In fact we could see 2 of the pyramids from our room. They had us back at the ship at exactly the time we told them we wanted to be there.
mggm100 , San Antonio, TX2 contributions
“We were a group of 12 from Princess and I negotiated with Hazem for a 2-day tour of Cairo/Giza/and 2 stops in Alexandria. Price was very reasonable and included all of the things mentioned below. At the end of the tour, everyone was extremely pleased and happy with how the tour turned out.
In the 2 days, we were able to visit Sakkara step pyramid & tombs; Tour the old Egyptian capital (Memphis); visit Temple of Ptah; visit the fallen Colossal statue of King Ramses II & Alabaster Sphinx of King Amenhopis; visit to Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza; Visit Titi Pyramids; a Camel Ride (some thought this was the highlight); Visit to the citadel and the alabaster mosque; Visit to Egyptian Museum. & King TUT treasure; tour the Coptic Cairo Section, the Greek Church of St. George; Visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue; stops in Alexandria for Library and Light House.
Lunches for both days were included; one was a fabulous sit-down lunch and the second day was a satisfying box lunch because of time pressure.
Overnighted at the 5-star Mena House Oberoi in Cairo with a buffet breakfast included. Thanks to Hazem Abbas for this great opportunity to see Egypt and for providing 2 experts who are professionals at what they do. Moemen, our guide was exceptional; he was extremely knowledgeable, courteous, humourous and flexible to allow us to visit and see all the things above. He even called each room after we had checked in to make sure that everyone was comfortably settled in. Emad was a superb driver who negotiated the roads like no other and went out of his way to save us time. We were fortunate to have an armed bodyguard, Tamer, the second day. He was a great piece of insurance although we never had any cause or concern for our safety at anytime. Kudos to Nile Blue. Everyone said they will recommend or use them again. I couldn’t agree more!”
Our first adventure with Hazem and Ghada, owners of the company and our wonderful escorts, was for an overnight off the Star Princess . They picked up 100 of us in Port Said and our buses caravaned into Cairo. We visited Saquara, a rug factory, Giza, the National Museum, took a Nile lunch cruise, and had a wonderful night at La Meridian after an exquisite bedouin dinner on the hotel grounds. We were delivered back to our ship in Alexandria the next day in plenty of time. Those 48 hours were the highlight of our 12 day cruise.
We loved it so much that just 4 months later, we arranged a 12 day land/Nile cruise for 9 people through Nile Blue. The program was much more extensive and included 5 nights sailing the Nile on board the ms Nile Dolphin. Since both Hazem and Ghada are college graduated Egyptologists, it was like having PBS right at our elbows. They were so amazing in their explainations of everything and arranged for any special requests we had. One of them was always with us so we never had any fear nor were we left without a translator at any time. The hotels and meals were well considered and we felt pampered at every turn. They also arranged a side trip out to Abu Simbal which was a highlight although an extremely long day.
Since then, I have recommended this company to many friends and everyone has come back equally praising the service this company provides.
“Nile Blue is Outstanding!
We have used Nile Blue for shore excursions to Luxor and Cairo in 2008, 2010, and 2011, and have found them to be truly outstanding. The first time, my husband and I chose to book individual tours, while the next two times our groups ranged from 4 to 12 persons. We had a wonderful experience in Egypt each time because of Nile Blue’s outstanding service in all aspects of our tours. Our tour guides, Dalia, Mohammed, and Hazem, were exceptional, giving us great insight into Egyptian history and art. In terms of price, Nile Blue was much lower than our ship’s excursion to Luxor (using the same itinerary and hotel). We especially like their payment policy, allowing for payment on arrival. We feel we received excellent value for our money. Hazem, owner and general manager, and his wife, Ghada, are wonderful people and treated us like family. On our last trip in April 2011, our cruise line cancelled all ports of call in Egypt due to the recent uprisings and then reinstated the port calls with just 2 days notice. Nile Blue was amazing in responding to the changes, providing us with outstanding tour guides on the revised dates. They were very skillful in adjusting our itinerary in Cairo to allow us time in the Egyptian Museum before they drove us off to the Pyramids in sufficient time to avoid a demonstration beginning to take place next to the museum. We recommend them highly and will certainly use them again. For more information, we suggest checking out their excellent new web site www.nileblueexcursions.com, which has detailed information on all that they offer.
Shelley and Bill”
If you are on the Holy Land cruise and need a reliable and affordable independent tour company to take you to all the great places in Cairo on an overnight stay, NileBlue Excursions is the company you’re looking for.
Our itinerary included the same itinerary that the ship offered but for a fraction of the price. On top of that, our guide Mohmen, was very knowledgeable and accommodating. We were a group of nine people and our guide did not rush us in seeing the sites we went to see. We love to take pictures (who doesn’t – it’s your proof that you’ve been to these places) and Mohmen allowed us to have the time of our life. We were thrilled with our camel ride – don’t leave Egypt without doing it, and had a fantastic time taking pictures of the pyramid in Sakkara and in front of the panoramic view of the Pyramids of Giza. We were fascinated by the artifacts in the Egyptian Museum and we really loved the food and entertainment while on the Nile River Cruise. The itinerary also included breakfast and two lunches and they all served delicious food! Travel from the port to Cairo takes 3 hours so I highly recommend doing an overnight excursion – it’s worth it – especially with the affordable fee that NileBlue excursion charges.
Really, really had a great a time in Cairo and did not have to break the bank. Thanks a lot, NileBlue Tours and regards to our tour guide, Mohmen!
Our family of 6 thoroughly enjoyed our private shore excursion from Alexandria to Cairo with Nile Blue Excursions. All details were handled before our tour by email, with prompt replies. We were picked up early in the morning at the dock in Alexandria in an air conditioned van, and returned in time to sail the same evening. Ossama Elsawy, the Nile Blue tour representative, was very professional. He accompanied us the whole trip and handled the tickets for all the attractions, including riding camels, entering a pyramid, sailing on a felucca, and the Antiquities Museum. He spared us the time and effort involved in bargaining with camel drivers, which I especially dreaded. Camel rides were $15 for a single rider, and $25 for a camel with two riders. Entering the pyramid was $30/each.
Our tour guide, hired by Nile Blue, was Mohamed Mostafa. He was very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. He took us on an informative tour of Egyptian history in the Antiquities Museum, and let us wander amongst King Tut’s furnishings to see whatever we wanted. For lunch, he brought us to a place “where he would take his wife” for koushari, an Egyptian specialty. It was very good and satisfying, and no one got sick. Mohammed explained cultural details (like tipping and haggling over souvenir prices) without appearing offended at our questions. He seemed experienced enough to realize that we were not being critical, we just honestly needed information. We appreciated the information about Egyptian customs. government, history, and everything else. He was happy to share his extensive knowledge with us. He was cheerful and upbeat the whole day.
At the end of the day, we shopped the bazaar, and Mohamed and Ossama walked near enough to be available for questions or security. Our family (2 men, 4 women) felt safe and secure the whole day.
We also appreciated the Nile Blue driver, Ahamed, who delivered us safely to each of our destinations, and then back to the ship with time to spare. Driving standards in the eastern Mediterranean are decidedly more “mad-cap” than in Germany or America, and we were glad that we had some experience with taxi drivers in Turkey before coming to Egypt. Ahamed knew where he was going. He did a great job negotiating the crowded streets and returning us to the dock in time.
All in all, we toured the Giza pyramids and Sphinx, went inside a pyramid, took camel rides, sailed on the Nile in a felucca for an hour, visited a papyrus demonstration factory, toured the Egyptian Antiquities Museum with the King Tut exhibit, and shopped the bazaar. We would never have been able to do all that without Nile Blue Excursions. They are efficient, professional, and communicative. Everything was explained and questions were answered.
We are usually “do-it-yourself” tourists. But Egypt was more exotic than places we’ve been before, and we were somewhat nervous about going there. We’re very glad we hired Blue Nile to show us around. We had a wonderfully enjoyable time. We highly recommend Nile Blue Excursions for your shore excursion to Cairo.
My mother and I recently returned from a 10 day trip to Egypt that we booked through Passport & Go! (a U.S.-based travel agency), which partnered with Nile Blue Excursions (an Egyptian-based travel agency). We had an amazing trip that we would happily recommend to others. The trip consisted of 4 nights in Giza, 1 night in Aswan and a 4 night Nile River cruise from Aswan to Luxor before briefly stopping in Cairo for our flight home to the U.S.
In Giza, we stayed at the Mena House in a room with a balcony overlooking the pyramids. (The balcony was an unexpected and pleasant surprise!) While in Giza, we had a very knowledgeable and friendly tour guide, Dalia. After my mom and I spent a day relaxing in Giza and adjusting to the time zone, we spent one day with Dalia at Sakkara and the Giza pyramids and another day in Cairo, where we visited the citadel, Egyptian Museum and Coptic sites. Her explanations of the sites and artifacts we viewed reflected her genuine interest in Egyptian history, and my mom and I learned a lot during our tours. We were so pleased that Nile Blue organized the trip so that Dalia would be our guide up until the time we checked into our Nile cruise, as we enjoyed her company and it gave us a feeling of continuity. After our stay in Giza, Dalia flew down to Aswan with us, where we visited a Nubian village and overnighted at the Movenpick. I particularly liked Aswan, which has lovely views of the Nile River and generally has a relaxing atmosphere (especially when compared to Cairo). On the following morning, she also flew with us to Abu Simbel, where we had a morning tour of the incredible temple (I definitely recommend taking this side trip!), before we checked into our Nile cruise.
Our Nile cruise was aboard the Oberoi Philae, a beautiful boat with a professional and courteous staff. As each cabin had its own balcony, we were able to privately enjoy some time on the Nile. The food overall was good, and the chef was willing to take special requests for particular food items. We participated in the group excursions, which were led by a tour guide provided by the boat. Each morning, we visited a temple and generally had the afternoon to ourselves. We think the cruise was a great way to end the trip.
The customer service we received from Passport & Go! and Nile Blue Excursions was excellent. They organized our trip so that we wouldn’t have to worry about any details. A driver was included in all our tours and we had private transfers waiting for us when needed (such as going to and from the airport). Ghada, a manager at Nile Blue, met us at the airport in Cairo when we arrived as well as when we departed. She also called us during our cruise to ensure that we were satisfied, which was a nice personal touch. In addition, our travel agent in the U.S., Vicki at Passport & Go!, was available by phone and email should we need to contact her. Also, the trip represented a very good value, as the price was lower than if I had booked it independently.
The guides were great, they knew what they were talking about, they answered questions and they were always on time.
My favorite part was the Bedouin Dinner wich was a sort of surprise! There was a belly dancer, camels, goats, great food and music and even a fortune teller.
For anyone who wants a personalized tour of one of the most amazing places in the world, I would reccomend Nile Blue.
They literally emerse you in the Egyptian culture, I have traveled all over the world and have never had such great tour guides.
we used them last November, and were very pleased with our tour. We were able to arrange an itinerary that suited our needs, and had a very memorable two day excursion. The van was comfortable, and guide and driver were both excellent. Big plus for us…ability to pay by credit card, so we did not have to carry large sum of cash with us. We would use them again if we return to Egypt.
Hi Heather,
I used them for a group in 2007 that started out with 4 people and grew to be over a hundred! They had had so many great reviews here on CC that everyone wanted to use them. Some people did private tours with them and some preferred to be with a big group, but everyone had a fantastic time and came home enthusiastic about their extraordinary time in Egypt. They were the first company to not require a deposit from cruise passengers, and then everyone else jumped on board and started offering the same thing. People were extremely pleased with Nile Blue’s professionalism and their genuine kindness.
There was a lovely couple who found out they were bumped from the ship’s excursion last minute and they were told by the cruise line that no wheel chairs were permitted on the excursions to Cairo. Nile Blue welcomed them to join our group and I’ll never forget that the lovely lady with MS told us that she felt like the Queen of the Nile when she was carried down (and back up) the wide deep steps to the Nile Dinner Cruise by the tour director and either the owner or a driver, I don’t recall. These are lovely, ethical people who offer a high quality experience to their guests.
I went back to Egypt for a tour and Nile Cruise with a group of friends and had the whole thing organized by Nile Blue. Everything was flawless. They personalize all their tours and offer real value. Don’t hesitate – you won’t be disappointed.
We used Blue Nile when we were in Alexandra for a private tour and I have to say they were one of the BEST tour companies we have ever used.
We have used Nile Blue 2 times. In Oct 2007 we had a large cruise critic roll call on the Star Princess and 100 of us took 3 buses with Nile Blue for our Cairo overnight. We all were delighted with their attention to detail, their anticipation of potential problems, and their efforts to insure that we saw the maximum in our limited time. Their English was very good and, being college educated Egyptologists, they had all the information one could ever hope to absorb.
We were so impressed that 5 months later, we again employed Nile Blue for a 10 day land trip that included a Nile River cruise from Luxor to Aswan and a day trip to Abel Simbal. They chose an interesting itinerary, excellent hotels, and went with us when we wanted to venture into the souk after dark. We felt safe and well cared for the entire time.
Hazem and his wife Ghada are great people. I cannot praise Nile Blue highly enough. Contact Hazem at info@nileblueexcursions.com