Best Egypt tour companies: how to choose a tour company or a tour guide

About this page. This site is an independent travel guide. It does not operate tours. This page names no tour company and ranks no tour company. If you send a tour request on this site, we send it to one tour company. This site can get money from that company. This page has no affiliate links.

Why this page does not give a list of companies

Many lists of the "best" Egypt tour companies come from companies that sell tours. On 2 November 2026, we examined the first 10 web search results for "best egypt tour companies". Five results were pages of tour sellers or a tour marketplace. Four results were forum threads.

A good company for one visitor can be a bad company for another visitor. Your dates, your group, your budget and your pace are different from those of other visitors. Use the checks below to compare the companies that you find.

A tour company or a tour guide

You can book in two ways:

For private tours, group tours and visits without a guide, see Giza pyramids and Sphinx tour with a private guide.

Check 1: the guide's license

Egypt's tour guide law says that a guide must have a license. Before the day of the tour, ask the company for the name of your guide. On the day, you can ask the guide to show the license. For the law and the license, see Egypt scams at the pyramids.

The Egyptian Chamber of Travel and Tourism Companies and Agencies has an index of tourism companies on its website. The index is in Arabic. It shows the license number of each company. You can search it by license number or by company name. If you cannot find a company in the index, ask the company for its license details.

Check 2: a written price and a list of what it includes

Before you pay, ask for the full price in writing. Then ask for a list of what the price includes. Do not accept "all inclusive" without a list.

The written price must answer these questions:

1. Is the price for each person or for the full group?
2. Which entry tickets does the price include?
3. Which costs do you pay on the day, and in which currency?

For the parts of the cost and the official ticket prices, see Pyramids of Giza tour cost. For what to confirm in writing, see What does a Giza tour include?.

Check 3: the reviews

Reviews help, but read them carefully:

• Read the recent reviews first. A company can change its guides and its service.
• Read the low reviews. Find reports of prices that changed, shop stops that visitors did not want and guides who did not arrive.
• Find reviews that name the guide. Then ask the company if the same guide is available.
• Read how the company replies to a bad review.

Check 4: the plan for the day

Before you pay, ask the company these questions:

1. What is the name of the guide who meets you?
2. Where and when does the guide meet you?
3. Does the guide stay with you on the plateau?
4. Which languages does the guide speak?
5. Does the tour stop at shops?
6. Who do you call on the day if there is a problem?

Check 5: payment and cancellation

Ask how to pay, and when. Ask if you must pay a deposit. Ask what happens if you cancel or if the company cancels. Get the answers in writing.

Warning signs

If you see one of these signs, be careful:

• The price changes after you agree to it.
• The company does not put the price in writing.
• The company cannot give the name of your guide.
• The company tells you that a shop stop is necessary.
• A stranger at the site offers you a tour as an "official guide".

The UK government says that scammers and touts sometimes target foreign visitors at tourist sites. The US Department of State tells tourists to beware of overcharging and scams in tourist areas.

Why some visitors use a guide

On Reddit, some visitors say that a guide or a tour company made their visit easier. In one thread with 639 comments, the title tells readers to use a tour company. Its top comment agrees, but it says that this is not the usual view in r/travel. These are visitor opinions, not official advice.

You can also visit the Giza plateau without a guide. Then you must plan the transport, the tickets and the route yourself.

For the tour options on the plateau, see Pyramids of Giza tours.