I’ve finally gathered reviews and comments about Mara House and our Salahadeen Restaurant here on my own website. There aren’t many for Salahadeen, as it’s been open only to Mara House guests for years and TripAdvisor has since removed those reviews. These come from TripAdvisor, Google Maps, guest blogs, letters, and other kind words shared over time. Some are missing, as I hadn’t realized TripAdvisor began deleting reviews from tour guests who did their tours with us but who didn’t stay at Mara House. I hope these words give you a true sense of who we are and what Mara House is all about. Enjoy, Mara
471 entries.
Evaluation, Trip to Egypt
We had the grand pleasure to visit Egypt despite the war in the Middle East. Our trip was organized by Mara.
As a general comment, I would like to note that we are couple 85 and 78 years old. My husband uses a wheelchair for anything over 100 meters. We brought our own special wheelchair with mountain bike like tires.
This trip could not have been done without the very special care and arrangements that Mara made. We chose to do a trip with a private driver and guide. We could go at our own pace, choose what we wanted to see, and didn’t slow anybody else down.
The arrangements made with Mara were fantastic. We received an enormous amount of help with preparations for visas, tickets, local information, tips on handling currency and tipping, how to deal with the environment, what to visit, hotels, cruise ship, everything planned to the finest detail. Never have I had a trip so well organized.
Once we began a trip, every detail worked like clockwork, even though our plane arrived late in Cairo and we missed our connection to Luxor, Mara had sent a photo of the man who would meet us. We were whisked through immigration and customs and onto the next plane. At every point in our trip our contacts and guides were punctual and enormously helpful.
We stayed in Mara House in Luxor for our first two nights, a welcome highlight to our trip. We were greeted warmly and served tea by the young man of the house who took great care to see that my husband was carefully looked after on steps and every time he stood up. The breakfast was copious and delicious, as was the meal we had on our second night. The best Egyptian meal we had in Egypt. Amr of Mara House is an excellent cook.
At one point during our flights, EgyptAir damaged our wheelchair. Although they were unwilling to undertake anything at the airport, Mara contacted all the necessary people to see that we had an attestation, which was a result of the failure on the part of EgyptAir. The planning, service, and attention to detail with Mara was extraordinary and we thank them very much.
Our guides
Our first guide was Mo, better known as Pharoah’s Son. He was very experienced and knowledgeable and came with an excellent driver. He accompanied us for visits from and around Luxor, followed us along our Nile cruise on the Concerto Plus for off board excursions, and then guided us to sites in and around Aswan including Abu Simel. His first concern was for our safety and wellbeing. Our driver usually took charge of pushing the wheelchair and when a driver was not with us, Mo took over the wheelchair duty, freeing me to concentrate on our visit. His knowledge was extensive and never tired of repeating the things we forgot from one site to another.
At the beginning of our trip my husband slipped and injured his leg. Mo saw that we had all the necessary medical supplies and informed the ship’s crew, so we were well looked after by everyone with bandages, ice packs and whatever was necessary. He made possible a final trip on our last day in the Upper Nile to visit Philae. Mo was very helpful on explanations of local customs and practices, especially as we were travelling during Ramadan and help with the Baksheesh culture. He then continued to check on us as we moved to the lower Nile and even made sure we arrived well in Jordan.
Our second guide for the lower Nile part of our trip was Mahmoud, again organized by Mara. We were fortunate in all three guides we had (Mo in the Upper Nile, Mahmoud in Cairo, and Tariq in Jordan) as we got three different perspectives on Ramadan, daily life and culture. Mahmoud was able to give us a very thorough academic visit to the sites of Saqqara, the Citadel and the Alabaster Mosque, and the GEM, the highlight of our trip. It was important to have someone as thoughly educated in the treasures of Egypt and the ancient Egyptian history and culture as the Great Egyptian Museum is so huge we would never have had been able to search out the exhibitions in a cohesive way otherwise. We spent nearly 6 hours in the museum and, although we only saw about 800 of the 53000 exhibits we felt we had a very complete tour. Again, We appreciated the punctuality and care Mahmoud showed us the entire time. We both thank Mara Tours for this excellent holiday and highly recommend her and her staff.
Section of trip on cruise boat
As my husband has a reduced mobility, a cruise boat seemed the best and most relaxing way to travel from Luxor to Aswan. As usual, Mara had everything perfectly organized. The ship, Concerto Plus was clean and comfortable and we had the first cabin on the entry floor, reducing the number of stairs we had to use. Our guide met us at each excursion stop, everything went very smoothly and we always got priority treatment as we used the wheelchair for excursions.
The best part of the cruise was the restaurant and the personnel preparing and serving the food. The food was delicious, everything from excellent local cuisine to European fine food to pizza and homemade ice-cream. As I had to manage two plates at a time, the staff right up to the chef hurried to help my husband to his seat and carry my extra plate. The food was always fresh, the buffet was well surveyed to stay full and neat, and there were more choices than one could imagine.
The only negative I would have here is the drink offerings on the cruise. The bottles and cans were very large and very expensive. I would have preferred smaller servings so I could have a couple of drinks a day rather than having to drink a half a liter in one go. This goes for soft drinks as well as beer which were often purchased in cans so couldn’t be easily kept for later. Still, all in all an enjoyable trip and all superbly organized by Mara and her staff.
This review was sent to Mara via email to post online for the clients.
We had the grand pleasure to visit Egypt despite the war in the Middle East. Our trip was organized by Mara.
As a general comment, I would like to note that we are couple 85 and 78 years old. My husband uses a wheelchair for anything over 100 meters. We brought our own special wheelchair with mountain bike like tires.
This trip could not have been done without the very special care and arrangements that Mara made. We chose to do a trip with a private driver and guide. We could go at our own pace, choose what we wanted to see, and didn’t slow anybody else down.
The arrangements made with Mara were fantastic. We received an enormous amount of help with preparations for visas, tickets, local information, tips on handling currency and tipping, how to deal with the environment, what to visit, hotels, cruise ship, everything planned to the finest detail. Never have I had a trip so well organized.
Once we began a trip, every detail worked like clockwork, even though our plane arrived late in Cairo and we missed our connection to Luxor, Mara had sent a photo of the man who would meet us. We were whisked through immigration and customs and onto the next plane. At every point in our trip our contacts and guides were punctual and enormously helpful.
We stayed in Mara House in Luxor for our first two nights, a welcome highlight to our trip. We were greeted warmly and served tea by the young man of the house who took great care to see that my husband was carefully looked after on steps and every time he stood up. The breakfast was copious and delicious, as was the meal we had on our second night. The best Egyptian meal we had in Egypt. Amr of Mara House is an excellent cook.
At one point during our flights, EgyptAir damaged our wheelchair. Although they were unwilling to undertake anything at the airport, Mara contacted all the necessary people to see that we had an attestation, which was a result of the failure on the part of EgyptAir. The planning, service, and attention to detail with Mara was extraordinary and we thank them very much.
Our guides
Our first guide was Mo, better known as Pharoah’s Son. He was very experienced and knowledgeable and came with an excellent driver. He accompanied us for visits from and around Luxor, followed us along our Nile cruise on the Concerto Plus for off board excursions, and then guided us to sites in and around Aswan including Abu Simel. His first concern was for our safety and wellbeing. Our driver usually took charge of pushing the wheelchair and when a driver was not with us, Mo took over the wheelchair duty, freeing me to concentrate on our visit. His knowledge was extensive and never tired of repeating the things we forgot from one site to another.
At the beginning of our trip my husband slipped and injured his leg. Mo saw that we had all the necessary medical supplies and informed the ship’s crew, so we were well looked after by everyone with bandages, ice packs and whatever was necessary. He made possible a final trip on our last day in the Upper Nile to visit Philae. Mo was very helpful on explanations of local customs and practices, especially as we were travelling during Ramadan and help with the Baksheesh culture. He then continued to check on us as we moved to the lower Nile and even made sure we arrived well in Jordan.
Our second guide for the lower Nile part of our trip was Mahmoud, again organized by Mara. We were fortunate in all three guides we had (Mo in the Upper Nile, Mahmoud in Cairo, and Tariq in Jordan) as we got three different perspectives on Ramadan, daily life and culture. Mahmoud was able to give us a very thorough academic visit to the sites of Saqqara, the Citadel and the Alabaster Mosque, and the GEM, the highlight of our trip. It was important to have someone as thoughly educated in the treasures of Egypt and the ancient Egyptian history and culture as the Great Egyptian Museum is so huge we would never have had been able to search out the exhibitions in a cohesive way otherwise. We spent nearly 6 hours in the museum and, although we only saw about 800 of the 53000 exhibits we felt we had a very complete tour. Again, We appreciated the punctuality and care Mahmoud showed us the entire time. We both thank Mara Tours for this excellent holiday and highly recommend her and her staff.
Section of trip on cruise boat
As my husband has a reduced mobility, a cruise boat seemed the best and most relaxing way to travel from Luxor to Aswan. As usual, Mara had everything perfectly organized. The ship, Concerto Plus was clean and comfortable and we had the first cabin on the entry floor, reducing the number of stairs we had to use. Our guide met us at each excursion stop, everything went very smoothly and we always got priority treatment as we used the wheelchair for excursions.
The best part of the cruise was the restaurant and the personnel preparing and serving the food. The food was delicious, everything from excellent local cuisine to European fine food to pizza and homemade ice-cream. As I had to manage two plates at a time, the staff right up to the chef hurried to help my husband to his seat and carry my extra plate. The food was always fresh, the buffet was well surveyed to stay full and neat, and there were more choices than one could imagine.
The only negative I would have here is the drink offerings on the cruise. The bottles and cans were very large and very expensive. I would have preferred smaller servings so I could have a couple of drinks a day rather than having to drink a half a liter in one go. This goes for soft drinks as well as beer which were often purchased in cans so couldn’t be easily kept for later. Still, all in all an enjoyable trip and all superbly organized by Mara and her staff.
This review was sent to Mara via email to post online for the clients.
Luxor My Way, With lots of help from Mara
Right off the top, we did not stay at Mara House. We did, however, book 4 days of travel, transfers and tours directly with Mara / Mara House.
Luxor has been on my bucket list as long as I can remember. Last month my husband and I finally made it here for our 40th anniversary. I pretty much knew what I wanted to see, I just needed help with planning and logistics. Unlike the large bus tours, I wanted a dedicated, personalised tour for just the two of us, with a knowledgeable guide and driver, seeing the the sites we deemed important to us.
Mara was our Ace in the Hole. I came across her blog while researching our trip and I was hooked by her honesty of telling it like it is. I contacted her with our travel dates and trip desires. She put together an itinerary as well as made suggestions for a few extra sites not even on our radar. I took her advice and went with it. WOW!! Could not have worked out better. Awesome trip! Thank you Mara!
I would also like to thank our guides. Mo, you made the West Bank "come alive". Hassan, I still show off with the ancient Egyptian "excel" spread sheet and reading of a cartouche - I am so ready for my test!
I would also like to thank Rami, our driver for all 4 days, including transfers to and from Hurghada. Such a friendly, helpful and kind man.
If you have a vision of what your ideal trip to Egypt should be, let Mara help bring it to life. No hassles, just pure enjoyment.
reviewed on TripAdvisor 11 April 2026
Right off the top, we did not stay at Mara House. We did, however, book 4 days of travel, transfers and tours directly with Mara / Mara House.
Luxor has been on my bucket list as long as I can remember. Last month my husband and I finally made it here for our 40th anniversary. I pretty much knew what I wanted to see, I just needed help with planning and logistics. Unlike the large bus tours, I wanted a dedicated, personalised tour for just the two of us, with a knowledgeable guide and driver, seeing the the sites we deemed important to us.
Mara was our Ace in the Hole. I came across her blog while researching our trip and I was hooked by her honesty of telling it like it is. I contacted her with our travel dates and trip desires. She put together an itinerary as well as made suggestions for a few extra sites not even on our radar. I took her advice and went with it. WOW!! Could not have worked out better. Awesome trip! Thank you Mara!
I would also like to thank our guides. Mo, you made the West Bank "come alive". Hassan, I still show off with the ancient Egyptian "excel" spread sheet and reading of a cartouche - I am so ready for my test!
I would also like to thank Rami, our driver for all 4 days, including transfers to and from Hurghada. Such a friendly, helpful and kind man.
If you have a vision of what your ideal trip to Egypt should be, let Mara help bring it to life. No hassles, just pure enjoyment.
reviewed on TripAdvisor 11 April 2026
I highly recommend Mara to organise your visit to Egypt. With any type of trip from full on sightseeing to relaxing in nature, you can be sure she will deliver an unforgettable and hassle free experience.
Together we planned a 2 week trip with my main focus being the many ancient sites. Mara managed to fit in my specific itinerary with places I never knew I needed to visit and the pacing was excellent from start to finish. You can really just let her do the work for you and enjoy.
Starting in Cairo and firstly moving into the western desert for nature safari, the tour operator she recommended was excellent and my desert guide was wonderful. I spent a further 2 days moving to camp in the white desert by 4x4, stopping at the black desert and crystal mountain. The food, hospitality and personal service were all excellent. I recommend this experience if you can spare the time for it, it is extremely worthwhile with natural beauty you can only find in Egypt.
Arriving back to Cairo, I met with our Egyptology guide Mahmoud, who is kind and extremely knowledgeable. He clearly takes pride in sharing the beauty of Egypt past and present. Great guy. He made things really enjoyable and went the extra mile for everything you can imagine. Also, he will give you a wealth of understanding of hieroglyphics and the deeper meaning behind iconography, which I think is really crucial to get the most from your visit.
Beginning with the pyramids of dashur and saqqara complex, we visited the bent and red pyramid. Must visit serapeum, very cool.
We visited Cairo museum, which has many interesting things you cannot find in the GEM. The Pharo’s mummies are at another Cairo museum and this was also organised.
We spent a day exploring the Giza plateau, highlight for me was the 3rd pyramid and valley temple. Both are strange and Mahmoud gives you all of the information you need without holding back your own ideas - there is a real mystery and you should explore it for yourself. We also visited the GEM on this day and Mahmoud’s experience helped us quickly navigate to the most important pieces.
In the evening I took a private visit to the pyramid with 3 others and this was a real highlight. We entered under cover of dark (cool!) and saw all areas including those which are usually closed. You have 2 hours so are not rushed. Mara specialises in organising these and it is a great opportunity if this interests you.
We saw Islamic Cairo, explored the streets of the modern city, another great day.
Then onto Luxor with flight and transfers organised by Mara, our guide following along with us. All felt very personal.
The next day, to Luxor and Karnak temples. Both incredible. Then down to Edfu for Kom - Ombo and Edfu temples. Great!
Early start for Abu Simbel - wow. Ending in Aswan. If you have the opportunity to take a small boat to the nature reserve - do. You will see many native and migratory birds.
We saw the famous Aswan dam and then moved onto Philai island temple which is beautiful.
Finally back to Luxor and our stay in Mara house with the wonderful host Amr. The food was impeccable, really delicious. I would highly recommend any traveller to Luxor to stay and eat here for a real taste of family Egyptian cooking and hospitality.
Mara house is beautiful and with a great location just beyond the touristic area, you really feel welcome and at home.
From Mara house we travelled to Abydos to see the temple of Seti I and then onto Dandara temple. Both exude a lovely, calming energy.
Our final full day spent in the Luxor West Bank with Valley of the kings, nobles, workers housing complex and Hatshepsut temple. I specially requested to see the colossi of Agamemnon which are a real treat to see in person, truly of an unimaginable scale. It is really great to spend the full day in the West Bank to take it all in.
Overall an amazing trip, very personal, very well organised - genuinely faultless. Thanks Mara, Mahmoud, Amr!
Reviewed on Fora Travel March 2026
Together we planned a 2 week trip with my main focus being the many ancient sites. Mara managed to fit in my specific itinerary with places I never knew I needed to visit and the pacing was excellent from start to finish. You can really just let her do the work for you and enjoy.
Starting in Cairo and firstly moving into the western desert for nature safari, the tour operator she recommended was excellent and my desert guide was wonderful. I spent a further 2 days moving to camp in the white desert by 4x4, stopping at the black desert and crystal mountain. The food, hospitality and personal service were all excellent. I recommend this experience if you can spare the time for it, it is extremely worthwhile with natural beauty you can only find in Egypt.
Arriving back to Cairo, I met with our Egyptology guide Mahmoud, who is kind and extremely knowledgeable. He clearly takes pride in sharing the beauty of Egypt past and present. Great guy. He made things really enjoyable and went the extra mile for everything you can imagine. Also, he will give you a wealth of understanding of hieroglyphics and the deeper meaning behind iconography, which I think is really crucial to get the most from your visit.
Beginning with the pyramids of dashur and saqqara complex, we visited the bent and red pyramid. Must visit serapeum, very cool.
We visited Cairo museum, which has many interesting things you cannot find in the GEM. The Pharo’s mummies are at another Cairo museum and this was also organised.
We spent a day exploring the Giza plateau, highlight for me was the 3rd pyramid and valley temple. Both are strange and Mahmoud gives you all of the information you need without holding back your own ideas - there is a real mystery and you should explore it for yourself. We also visited the GEM on this day and Mahmoud’s experience helped us quickly navigate to the most important pieces.
In the evening I took a private visit to the pyramid with 3 others and this was a real highlight. We entered under cover of dark (cool!) and saw all areas including those which are usually closed. You have 2 hours so are not rushed. Mara specialises in organising these and it is a great opportunity if this interests you.
We saw Islamic Cairo, explored the streets of the modern city, another great day.
Then onto Luxor with flight and transfers organised by Mara, our guide following along with us. All felt very personal.
The next day, to Luxor and Karnak temples. Both incredible. Then down to Edfu for Kom - Ombo and Edfu temples. Great!
Early start for Abu Simbel - wow. Ending in Aswan. If you have the opportunity to take a small boat to the nature reserve - do. You will see many native and migratory birds.
We saw the famous Aswan dam and then moved onto Philai island temple which is beautiful.
Finally back to Luxor and our stay in Mara house with the wonderful host Amr. The food was impeccable, really delicious. I would highly recommend any traveller to Luxor to stay and eat here for a real taste of family Egyptian cooking and hospitality.
Mara house is beautiful and with a great location just beyond the touristic area, you really feel welcome and at home.
From Mara house we travelled to Abydos to see the temple of Seti I and then onto Dandara temple. Both exude a lovely, calming energy.
Our final full day spent in the Luxor West Bank with Valley of the kings, nobles, workers housing complex and Hatshepsut temple. I specially requested to see the colossi of Agamemnon which are a real treat to see in person, truly of an unimaginable scale. It is really great to spend the full day in the West Bank to take it all in.
Overall an amazing trip, very personal, very well organised - genuinely faultless. Thanks Mara, Mahmoud, Amr!
Reviewed on Fora Travel March 2026
I am a well travelled tourist and in my 60’s, but I can honestly say I have never experienced such an eye for detail and care in scheduling an itinerary and comfort of travel in my life.
Egypt is exotic and perceived to be very alien from western culture so most first time travellers will have many anxieties and fears, but Mara (Marie) provides a full service experience and the most experienced and honest guides.
The result is a magical travel experience focused on absorbing the unique grand ancient history of Egypt and not worried on the logistics of a seemingly chaotic system.
Her secret sauce is privileged private access to sacred sights and experiences that other agencies cannot match or deliver.
I still wonder at how she delivered my amazing full itinerary at a far lower price than some large package tour operators I initially researched.
If you are looking for the best experience at the best value matched to your special needs for travel to Egypt Mara is all you need.
Reviewed on Fora Travel 10 March 2026
Egypt is exotic and perceived to be very alien from western culture so most first time travellers will have many anxieties and fears, but Mara (Marie) provides a full service experience and the most experienced and honest guides.
The result is a magical travel experience focused on absorbing the unique grand ancient history of Egypt and not worried on the logistics of a seemingly chaotic system.
Her secret sauce is privileged private access to sacred sights and experiences that other agencies cannot match or deliver.
I still wonder at how she delivered my amazing full itinerary at a far lower price than some large package tour operators I initially researched.
If you are looking for the best experience at the best value matched to your special needs for travel to Egypt Mara is all you need.
Reviewed on Fora Travel 10 March 2026
We had an incredible time. Mahmoud, our guide, was exceptional. He was professional, knowledgeable, pleasant, and fun. I have nothing but good things to say about him and our experiences. I also want to say that the driver, Heni (spelling?) was fantastic. He was very accommodating and always had a smile on his face. All-in-all…you have a tremendous staff. Can’t wait for the Luxor experience 😊
We just arrived in Luxor and Mara House kindly drove us from the airport to our Airbnb. Today we will meet our Luxor guide and over the next few days see, and experience, the many sites we scheduled to see.
This, from my experience up to now, is an exceptional tour service. I would highly recommend Mara House and would encourage you to read their many helpful articles…especially the guide to tipping. I cannot comment on the hotel or the rooms as we decided to experience Airbnb, but for future trips I would not hesitate staying at Mara House based on the quality service we have experienced so far.
Updated:
We just finished the second part of our journey…Luxor. Mohamed our tour guide was fantastic as was Teeto our driver. Mohamed was exceptionally knowledgeable as he showed us Valley of the Kings & Queens and many of the tombs on the first day then Karnak and Luxor Temples on the second day. We were all very impressed with him. He was patient with our questions and took excellent care of us. Mara House did an exceptional job organizing our tours based on what we wanted to see. Mara also organized a driver to take us to Hurghada after our stay in Luxor. Over all we would rate Mara House 10/10. Exceptional service from everyone. We would not hesitate to use them again in the future.
Reviewed on Google Maps Feb 2026. Family travel.
We just arrived in Luxor and Mara House kindly drove us from the airport to our Airbnb. Today we will meet our Luxor guide and over the next few days see, and experience, the many sites we scheduled to see.
This, from my experience up to now, is an exceptional tour service. I would highly recommend Mara House and would encourage you to read their many helpful articles…especially the guide to tipping. I cannot comment on the hotel or the rooms as we decided to experience Airbnb, but for future trips I would not hesitate staying at Mara House based on the quality service we have experienced so far.
Updated:
We just finished the second part of our journey…Luxor. Mohamed our tour guide was fantastic as was Teeto our driver. Mohamed was exceptionally knowledgeable as he showed us Valley of the Kings & Queens and many of the tombs on the first day then Karnak and Luxor Temples on the second day. We were all very impressed with him. He was patient with our questions and took excellent care of us. Mara House did an exceptional job organizing our tours based on what we wanted to see. Mara also organized a driver to take us to Hurghada after our stay in Luxor. Over all we would rate Mara House 10/10. Exceptional service from everyone. We would not hesitate to use them again in the future.
Reviewed on Google Maps Feb 2026. Family travel.
A classic hotel in the heart of Luxor that is a welcome change from brand name hotels to provide a more authentic stay
Mora house is a true gem in the heart of Luxor. The in keeper is Amr who is 100% dedicated to his guests and their needs. The accommodations are akin to an Egyptian version of a pension or Airbnb type accommodations.
There is a nice dining room that allows for breakfast and dinner to be taken at the hotel. The rooms are spacious, and the only thing to note is that the bathrooms are very Asian style in that the sink, commode and shower are all in one continuous room.
Some rooms even have a small kitchenette that allows for extended stays. Amr can help you book local tours if needed for a very reasonable price and is so kind to take you to local markets and stores as needed for anything like money exchange PHARMACY runs or local Quik Mart‘s.
Reviewed on Tripadvisor Jan 2026 Family travel
Mora house is a true gem in the heart of Luxor. The in keeper is Amr who is 100% dedicated to his guests and their needs. The accommodations are akin to an Egyptian version of a pension or Airbnb type accommodations.
There is a nice dining room that allows for breakfast and dinner to be taken at the hotel. The rooms are spacious, and the only thing to note is that the bathrooms are very Asian style in that the sink, commode and shower are all in one continuous room.
Some rooms even have a small kitchenette that allows for extended stays. Amr can help you book local tours if needed for a very reasonable price and is so kind to take you to local markets and stores as needed for anything like money exchange PHARMACY runs or local Quik Mart‘s.
Reviewed on Tripadvisor Jan 2026 Family travel
Words can’t express how grateful I am to Amr from Mara House. He went truly above and beyond to help my family when we had an issue with a lost phone — he handled everything with so much care and generosity. He was incredibly accommodating to all of our needs throughout our stay.
Mara House itself is beautifully decorated and has a lovely neighborhood vibe. Our family suite was spacious, with a traditional water-closet/bathroom/shower setup .
Overall, highly recommend — especially for the hospitality and kindness.
Reviewed on Google Maps Dec 2026. Family travel.
Mara House itself is beautifully decorated and has a lovely neighborhood vibe. Our family suite was spacious, with a traditional water-closet/bathroom/shower setup .
Overall, highly recommend — especially for the hospitality and kindness.
Reviewed on Google Maps Dec 2026. Family travel.
Home away from home
Researching my trip to southern Egypt, I was lucky to happen upon Mara's website. Mara's posted itineraries and pointers made it really easy to figure out what I basically wanted to see and do. I then emailed Mara, who finalized a program and sent me a very reasonable quote, covering travel, sightseeing, and (Luxor) accommodation.
Her communication was responsive and to the point, I could feel that my vacation was in the right hands. When eventually I landed in Luxor, there was literally nothing I needed to take care of anymore for my entire trip - she and her staff had arranged it all, cars, drivers, guides, entrance tickets, lunch stops, in and around Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel.
Everything ran safely and on time, and I could just focus on the awe-inspiring temples and tombs, desert, and Nile.
For the four nights I spent in Luxor, the house itself quickly felt like home. My room was in fact an apartment, including comforts like a mineral water-stocked fridge and air conditioning, of course. Amr and his wife cooked a fine breakfast, and every evening all guests caught up over a delicious dinner, with Mara presiding.
Located in a residential area not far from the center, Mara House offers very local sights and sounds, which definitely added to the experience.
Thank you Mara and team, I am certain that this vacation will remain in my heart.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor Nov 14 2025
Researching my trip to southern Egypt, I was lucky to happen upon Mara's website. Mara's posted itineraries and pointers made it really easy to figure out what I basically wanted to see and do. I then emailed Mara, who finalized a program and sent me a very reasonable quote, covering travel, sightseeing, and (Luxor) accommodation.
Her communication was responsive and to the point, I could feel that my vacation was in the right hands. When eventually I landed in Luxor, there was literally nothing I needed to take care of anymore for my entire trip - she and her staff had arranged it all, cars, drivers, guides, entrance tickets, lunch stops, in and around Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel.
Everything ran safely and on time, and I could just focus on the awe-inspiring temples and tombs, desert, and Nile.
For the four nights I spent in Luxor, the house itself quickly felt like home. My room was in fact an apartment, including comforts like a mineral water-stocked fridge and air conditioning, of course. Amr and his wife cooked a fine breakfast, and every evening all guests caught up over a delicious dinner, with Mara presiding.
Located in a residential area not far from the center, Mara House offers very local sights and sounds, which definitely added to the experience.
Thank you Mara and team, I am certain that this vacation will remain in my heart.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor Nov 14 2025
Great base for individual travelling around Luxor
Me and my sister had a wonderful time at Mara House. The Guest House is very unique, beautifully decorated, very safe but not in a tourist area, delicious food and very spatious rooms.
The roof top terrace is wonderful for some down time. Mara and Amr are very kind and helpful and know the area and history very well. We would definitely recommend spending your stay there.
Also you can book the temple trips over Mara and we had great guides just for ourselves or in a small group for a good price. You also see wonderful temples that a lot of other tours would not show. It is great way for individual travelling.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor Nov 6 2025
Me and my sister had a wonderful time at Mara House. The Guest House is very unique, beautifully decorated, very safe but not in a tourist area, delicious food and very spatious rooms.
The roof top terrace is wonderful for some down time. Mara and Amr are very kind and helpful and know the area and history very well. We would definitely recommend spending your stay there.
Also you can book the temple trips over Mara and we had great guides just for ourselves or in a small group for a good price. You also see wonderful temples that a lot of other tours would not show. It is great way for individual travelling.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor Nov 6 2025
Hassle free tour of Egypt
Mara house is not just about somewhere to rest your head in Luxor, I have wanted to visit Egypt for over 20 years but even once we decided 2025 was the right time , I was nervous about booking the trip, I didn’t want it to be spoilt by hassle, scammers and forced shopping trips and end up feeling uncomfortable and disappointed.
Then I came across Mara on the internet pages and made contact with her to discuss a potential 9 day private tour starting in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor. I needed a mid price trip but wanted to feel safe and that exactly what we got !! Great communication and a seamless tour, comfortable accommodation, clean cars with polite drivers and knowledgable guides.
Amar managers Mara house, his house is lovely clean and comfortable, he also organised the restaurants, boat rides and horse and carriage tour, we requested.
We were happy to walk through the surrounding streets, we felt safe and found the local people friendly but it is completely different from the Uk with unfinished buildings and basic roads , best to check the other reviews for photos,
Traveled as couple. Reviewed on TripAdvisor
Mara house is not just about somewhere to rest your head in Luxor, I have wanted to visit Egypt for over 20 years but even once we decided 2025 was the right time , I was nervous about booking the trip, I didn’t want it to be spoilt by hassle, scammers and forced shopping trips and end up feeling uncomfortable and disappointed.
Then I came across Mara on the internet pages and made contact with her to discuss a potential 9 day private tour starting in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor. I needed a mid price trip but wanted to feel safe and that exactly what we got !! Great communication and a seamless tour, comfortable accommodation, clean cars with polite drivers and knowledgable guides.
Amar managers Mara house, his house is lovely clean and comfortable, he also organised the restaurants, boat rides and horse and carriage tour, we requested.
We were happy to walk through the surrounding streets, we felt safe and found the local people friendly but it is completely different from the Uk with unfinished buildings and basic roads , best to check the other reviews for photos,
Traveled as couple. Reviewed on TripAdvisor
See More
- Mara House Luxor – your home away from home
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Photos of Our Suites – Take a look at the rooms you’ll call home.
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Mara House Guest Gallery – Faces and memories from over the years.
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Salahadeen Restaurant & Feast – The story behind our restaurant and its exclusive menu.
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(Coming Soon: Photo Journal of Mara House – from the first brick to today.)