Overnight Luxor - Valley of the Kings ,Hot Air Balloon – Hurghada

Terrible, spoil your holiday, go somewhere else

Would give them 0 stars if possible. We booked an overnight Luxor trip from Hurghada that included a hot air balloon ride. According to the itinerary, after the hot air balloon ride and 4am pickup, we were supposed to head back to Hurghada, which is approximately a 4-hour drive. However, after the balloon ride, we texted the tour agency multiple times asking where our transport was and when it would arrive. They made us wait for hours, and only at 10am did they inform us that we had to wait until 3pm for transport. This completely ruined our mood and disrupted our travel plans in Hurghada, all because of their extremely poor planning and communication. This is one of the worst tour agencies I have encountered. The service was highly unprofessional and unacceptable. There was absolutely no mention of this extended waiting time in the itinerary. They simply changed the arrangements without proper communication or consideration for their customers. Details are attached for reference. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS. Additionally, during our journey from Hurghada to Luxor, which takes approximately 3.5 hours according to Google Maps, the driver stopped at a tourist rest stop crowded with tour buses and large tourist groups. The prices for coffee and snacks were ridiculously high, and we were made to wait for an entire hour for no apparent reason. The company seems to have little regard for its customers’ time. As for the Luxor tour guide, he spoke so quickly that we could barely understand him. When we offered feedback, he became defensive and visibly annoyed. He then tried to convince the group to take a boat across the Nile to reach the lunch venue, charging €30 for a 15-minute ride. I declined, but other members of the group agreed. My husband and I were then taken aside by the guide. Instead of allowing us to enjoy the area and take photographs as planned, he continued pressuring me to take the boat, despite my repeatedly saying no. He even lowered the price to €20, but I stood my ground. His reaction was unpleasant and completely unnecessary. Later, when we arrived at our hotel in Luxor, we discovered that it was still undergoing renovations. The room itself was decent, so we accepted the situation, but we had to walk past piles of rubbish and construction debris to get around the property. That evening, we discovered that the actual cost of the boat ride was only 100 EGP. This was an incredibly frustrating discovery and made us feel that the tour guide had been attempting to overcharge tourists significantly. EDIT: When we were finally leaving at 3pm, the hotel informed us that we had to pay an additional €20 for late checkout. The audacity to charge customers extra when the tour company itself was responsible for the delay is unbelievable. We were forced to remain at the hotel because of their poor arrangements, yet we were expected to pay for the inconvenience they caused. Between the excessive waiting time, poor communication, ongoing hotel renovations, construction debris, and the guide’s persistent attempts to pressure us into paying for additional activities, this entire experience was deeply disappointing. The last picture is dedicated to the guide, whose behaviour towards us was completely unacceptable. AVOID THIS COMPANY. Based on our experience, the lack of organisation, transparency, and professionalism was appalling. I would not recommend this tour to anyone. Save your money, time, and holiday experience by booking elsewhere.

via Tripadvisor

Good parts ...

Good parts 1. Pick up from hurghada hotel was on time and good but was early at 4.20am 2. All thats included in itinerary was delivered 3. Hot air balloon was a good experience but if you don't give excellent reviews they get angry and ask you for explanation. They made us wait 1 hour to board so I gave ok review which apparently is unacceptable to them and nothing is their fault 😆 Bad parts 1. The journey to hurghada included a 1 hour stop at a mass tourism pit full of vans and the shops sells snacks and coffee at insane prices. There were many vans parked out here that made the delay long. 2. Our tour guide at luxor tried to convince the group to take the boat across the nile charging 30 EUR per person which we refused but half the group agreed. Then he brought us aside and tried to convince by lowering price to 20 EUR, I said no. It made no sense for a 15 min ride in the peak hot sun. The driver took a much longer drive to the lunch place I saw on Google maps. Later when we stayed at luxor we took the boat only cost 100 EGP for 2. This was a scam. 3. After hot air balloon which end at 8am we kept reaching out to travel company to ask what time is the pick up to go back hurghada. He said wait few mins but took 2 hours and no response I called multiple times he kept hanging up and not answering. Then said the pick up is at 3pm after the next day trip finish, this is ridiculous it's not written in the itinerary there's a 4 hour wait before we go back. This means you reach hurghada 8pm. Whole day is waste. 4. The hotel booked for us was not a proper hotel, it was undergoing renovation you have to walk through piles of dirt and debris to get to room. Room was nice but lacks amenities of a normal hotel. Toilet has a window where people outside can see you shower especially the workers. So we used cushions to cover it lol. 5. When we left hotel at 3pm to get the van the hotel guy told us to pay additional late check out fees in cash 20 EUR which was ridiculous got into an argument with him to the with this company who told him to ask money from the customer - beware of this scam. I told him not going to pay a cent and he had to take it up with tour agent. I did not book directly with him how can I pay extra? We are enroute to hurghada now thats all the drama with this company I would not recommend.

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for choosing Red Dragon Tours Egypt! ❤️ We’re truly delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. Your kind words and positive feedback mean a lot to our entire team and motivate us to continue providing the best possible service to our guests. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we sincerely hope to welcome you again on your next visit to Egypt! Warm regards, Red Dragon Tours Egypt Owner

via Viator