Guest Book

Amazing experience at Mara house and unforgettable time in Luxor

I had an amazing stay at Mara House and would highly recommend both the hotel and having Mara arrange your tours in Luxor.

Mara was incredibly helpful from the start in planning the itinerary. She took into account what I wanted to do, suggested other activities that made sense, answered all of my questions, and was extremely responsive leading up to the trip. It made planning everything very easy, I didn't have to think at all.

Amr was amazing once I got there. He made sure I had everything I needed (+ is a great cook). My last day of tours ended on the early side and Amr helped me figure out on the fly how to best spend the rest of the day. He took me to a shop with a fair vendor that had pretty much everything I needed for gifts for family back home. He also arranged a felucca ride on the Nile at sunset for me at the last minute and came along. Just incredibly helpful throughout the stay and great to chat with.

My tour guide Mohammed was also great. He was incredibly knowledgeable and patient and answered all of my questions in detail. In some areas where guides aren't allowed to go in with you, he would explain beforehand what to look for and which parts were the most interesting. He also made sure I knew what to watch out for, like people offering to take a picture of you with your phone and then asking for money afterward.

Day 1 was on the West Bank including the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Medinet Habu and more. Day 2 was at Dendera and Abydos, and day 3 at Karnak and Luxor Temple. Some of the coolest sites I've ever visited, hard to pick a favorite. Seeing these places in person, it's hard to wrap your head around how old everything is, and having Mohammed explain how things were built and the stories behind them made the experience much better.

Mara House itself is a little outside the main Luxor area with most of the shops and restaurants (and Nile), but it's only about a 15 minute walk. I liked being outside the main area because it was quieter, but still easy to go in when I wanted to. I was a solo male traveler and felt safe the entire time. Note that there will absolutely be people persistently trying to to sell you something, but I never felt like any interaction crossed a line. Just keep walking and saying "no thank you" was enough. For me, exercise basic situational awareness and you'll have no problems.

Overall, an amazing few days in Luxor and I couldn't have asked for a better setup. Definitely thinking of coming back to check out Aswan / Abu Simbel through Mara House

Reviewed on Trip Advisor - travelled Sept 2026