I know there’s already a high demand for accommodation in Luxor for the solar eclipse on August 2, 2027—and I also understand the very real concerns people have.  With limited hotel availability, pressure on international flights, and the risk of being left stranded by service providers chasing last-minute, higher-paying bookings, it’s no wonder many are feeling anxious.

Although Mara House is fully booked for the Eclipse Event and the accompanying tour across Egypt before and after August 2nd, I’ve partnered with a well-located hotel in Luxor and now have a limited number of spots available.  If you are interested in the following package please email me maraegypt@gmail.com

You will see I have included 3 PRIVATE VISITS in this tour – please read my explanation on the difference between Private Visits and Private Tours in Egypt – it may seem obvious but so many people get mislead by assuming they understand what they are booking.

UPDATE 2025 17 May – 12 places have opened up in this group due a group of 12 changing their minds when deposits came due – if you would be interested in two or more of these places, please email me at maraegypt@gmail.com

🌟 Trip Highlights 

  • 🌘 Experience the 2027 Solar Eclipse from one of Luxor’s prime viewing locations

  • 🏛️ A private visit inside the Great Pyramid of Giza and a second private visit between the paws of the Sphinx.

  • 🏛️ A private visit to the Osirion at Abydos Temple – always closed except for private visits.

  • 🌀 Uncover Egypt’s unexplained mystery that is the Serapeum in Saqqara 

  • 🏺 Experience both the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum & the original Egyptian Museum — a rare double treat.

  • 🧭 Travel in style — relax in the luxury of a 4 night Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan

  • ✨ See the most mysterious and best preserved temples of Egypt at Dendera and Abydos

  • 🤝 And last but not least — you’ll be in the trusted hands of someone with over 20 years’ experience as a foreigner living in Egypt, providing what visitors want while being well-known for honesty, transparency, and always delivering what’s promised.

🌍Phase A – Cairo (3 nights)

  • Day 1 July 27– Arrival in Cairo
    I’ll arrange airport pickup for you. We’ll be there to meet you and help fast-track you through getting your entry visa, customs, immigration inspections, etc.  Transfer to our hotel in Cairo.
  • Day 2 – July 28 Giza Plateau and private visit to the Sphinx,  have a rest, some fruit, snacks and refreshments then visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)
    return to the hotel and relax for the remainder of the afternoon.  After dinner, for anyone interested, a trip to Khan El Khalili, a chance to do some souvenir shopping and have a coffee at the famous El Fishawy coffee shop.  While the Khan is teeming with tourists during the daytime, it is also a favourite meeting place for Egyptians at night time.  Egyptians tend to shop at night rather than the daytime and so many shops would be open til mid-night and even after.
  • Day 3 – July 29 This morning we will go to Saqqara incl the Serapeum, and the 7 step pyramid & back to the hotel for lunch and relax for afternoon.  Tonight we will have our private 2 hour visit inside the Gt. Pyramid of Giza.
  • Day 4 – July 30 This morning we will visit the Antiquities Museum at Tahrir Sq (this depends on it still being in operation and worth visiting.  I believe the Tutankhamun artifacts are now being transferred to the GEM)  If we don’t visit this museum we will choose another site to visit) and after lunch we will go see the Royal Mummies Gallery in the Civilization Museum.
  • Day 4 – July 30 – late afternoon we will go directly from the museum to Cairo Airport for our flight to Luxor.

While the above sites are a “must see” for every visitor, it is also possible for you to arrange with me to arrive earlier and see other sites – such as the Civilization Museum which now houses most of the mummies, the Pharaonic Village, Medieval Cairo etc.  please check out our list of sites here – should there be something you want to see that is not on the list please do ask me about it.

🌍Phase B – Luxor & the Eclipse (3 nights)

  • Day 4 – July 30 – arrive in Luxor Airport and transfer to hotel
  • Day 5 July 31 West Bank tour – early morning visit to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, Tombs of the Nobles, Medinet Habu, Workers Village etc… we’ll pace it to suit the group.
  • Day 6 Aug 1 Day trip to Abydos & Dendera Temples  incl a private visit to the Osirion. The Osirion has never been opened even for private visits until 2024.  If you’ve never seen these two places, I promise they’re worth the journey.  Best preserved, most colourful, magical and less visited.
  • Day 7 (Aug 2) – Eclipse Day!!!
    Eclipse day:  While there will be plenty space in our partner resort hotel from which to view the eclipse in comfort we are looking at the possibility of other places in the locality for viewing the event from.  I don’t advise people to go to iconic places like Valley of the Kings or Karnak Temple for a few reasons – it is most likely a space there will only be available by request and at a price.  Not only that but, in Egypt, there is always a chance that such a booking might not be honored for various reasons.  On top of that, the number of people out and about as well as the heat – to my mind viewing from the hotel or an alternative location we may come up with would be the best options.
  • Around 17.30 we will move to the Cruise Boat where we will have dinner and overnight.

🌍Phase C – South to Aswan & Abu Simbel then to Cairo, (4 nights Nile Cruise, 1 night Cairo)

  • Day 7 (Aug 2) – Eclipse Day!!!
    Around 17.30 we will move to the Cruise Boat where we will have dinner and overnight.
  • Day 8 – Aug 3 – This morning we will go to visit Karnak & Luxor Temples then return to the boat for lunch.  Boat sailing time is 13.00 to Esna where the boat will wait it’s turn to pass through the Lock.
  • Day 9 – Aug 4 – This morning will be a trip to the Temple of Horus at Edfu.  As we finish afternoon tea on deck, we will set off for the Temple at Kom Ombo.  Then the boat will sail to Aswan.
  • Day 10 – Aug 5 – Today we go by bus and then a short motor boat ride to the Temple of Isis at Philae.  If the weather is not too hot we may go further up the Nile by motor boat to visit a Nubian Village and handcrafts market.
  • Day 12 – Aug 6 Overday tour to Abu Simbel for anyone who think the heat further south will not be too much for them then fly Aswan to Cairo.  Overnight in Cairo
  • Day 13 – Aug 7 Early morning tour to Coptic Cairo, where one of the sites we visit is the underground cave where the Holy Family lived when they fled to Egypt, and a visit to the miracle cave church in the Moquattam Hills near Saladin’s Citadel.  This church was moved from it’s original location in the middle of the night, in ancient times.  It is sometimes referred to as the Cathedral in the Rock as it is a huge, beautifully decorated but simple space which was hollowed out of the mountainside by manual labor alone.
  • Day 13 – The tour concludes after our morning visit to Coptic Cairo. You’re welcome to spend the night in Cairo, or we can arrange a transfer to the airport timed perfectly for your international flight check-in.”

INCLUDED 

  • 11 nights accommodation incl breakfast – please contact me for full information on hotels and cruise boat.
  • Full board on the 4 nights Nile Cruise – that is breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.  Drinks are not included.
  • internal flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo
  • tours as per the itinerary above incl transport, guide, travel permits and entry fees
  • airport transfers
  • entry visas for those coming from countries allowed to purchase visa on arrival

NOT INCLUDED

Children 10+ are charged adult rates.

PRICE:

Entire Package is €6000 per person based on minimum people travelling together i.e two people sharing accommodation.

For full details please email me at maraegypt@gmail.com

✈️ A Note on Internal travel within Egypt

There is one main domestic flight operator and that is Egypt Air.  There are two smaller carriers – Nile Air and Cairo Air.  Trains – tourists are normally only allowed travel on the overnight train and one other train.  Tourists are allowed travel by privately hired car/bus for which travel permits are required, between the hours of 6am and 6pm.  It will be essential to have internal transfers pre-booked for anyone travelling to Luxor for the 2027 eclipse as transport options are limited in normal time let alone for such a huge event.

Between Cities
  • Cairo to Luxor – plane and train.  
  • Cairo and Aswan – plane and train
  • Cairo and Hurghada – plane, private car/bus, public bus
  • Luxor and Hurghada – private car/bus, public bus
  • Aswan and Hurghada – private car/bus
  • Luxor and Sharm El Sheik – plane only via change at Cairo Airport.

Hi, I’m Mara—the heart behind Mara House Luxor.

Over 20 years ago, I came to Egypt on a standard tour. It was enjoyable—but it wasn’t the transformative journey I’d dreamed of. So I stayed, and over time, I created the kind of experience I longed for: one that reaches beyond the surface and touches the soul.

WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT? - I don’t just want you to see Egypt—I want you to feel it. Through the stories I share on my blog and in person, my intention is to help you imagine the people who once walked the temples, lived in the sacred spaces, and shaped this land. I work hard to give you stories rooted in truth—not the made-up versions so often passed off to tourists.

Together with my dedicated Egyptian team, I craft journeys that are honest, personal, and unforgettable. Whether it’s your first Nile cruise or a month-long stay at Mara House, I’m here to make sure your time in Egypt feels deeply real—and just a little bit magical.