We spent a fantastic 10 days in Egypt (see our Egypt itinerary here), during which we stayed in some really great places and some more functional places which do the job if you are on a lower budget or booking last minute. We booked this trip at short notice because we went during the COVID pandemic and we weren’t sure we were going to be able to leave the UK. So all the places mentioned in the blog below were available when booking only a couple of weeks ahead at most. Now Egypt is more easy to visit, it is likely that some of these places may get booked up further in advance.

Al Moudira

This characterful and traditional hotel was on the west bank of the Nile, the quieter side, away from all the hustle and bustle of Luxor city. We stayed here as a base to visit the Valley of the Kings as this is also on the west bank and therefore it helped us get an early start to beat the crowds.

The grounds are quite large and colourful pottery paths wend their way through them, connecting the rooms, the dining room area and the pool.

The rooms were ginormous and lavishly decorate on the interior with frescoes and ornaments. The bathroom was equally large. The food in the restaurant was excellent, which is certainly a good thing, because i’m not sure if there were many other dining options on this side of the river. The dining area was lovely and felt like you were eating in a tropical garden with the evening warmth, all the plants and the water feature in the centre.

There are only two gripes about the place. Firstly it is almost twice as expensive as the Hilton on the other side of the river, as a result we stayed here for one night and in the Hilton for two. It is a much more memorable experience than the Hilton due to the lovely colourful style and design and feels a lot more authentic, so I would say it is worth the extra money. Secondly due to its lovely countryside location you are more open to be attacked by mosquitoes and sand flies. Make sure you bring your mosquito repellent, especially around sunset time.

Luxor Hilton Resort & Spa

We would never normally choose to stay in a luxury hotel chain because they feel a bit soulless and generic, where you feel you could be anywhere in the world. However in Egypt we made an exception and we would recommend that you stay here as well. Although it didn’t have the charm and the character of Al Moudira, it was a 5 star hotel on the banks of the Nile for about £60 a night. And that, is not to be sniffed at.

The Hilton is on the eastern bank of the Nile, on the same side as Luxor city, and the two temples of Karnak and Luxor. This made it quite easy to get out early to see Karnak temple on our first day. It is a little further into the centre of Luxor and we ordered a cab to take us there.

With a huge range of facilities including a gym, kids play area, several restaurants, some shops but the pick of the lot was the spa infinity pool where you could relax, order a beer and watch the sun go down over the Nile while Egpytian feluccas sail past.

The rooms weren’t particularly special but came with all the amenities and cleanliness you would expect from a Hilton. It had a balcony, I think ours was Nile view, which was a little tenuous given that the main view was of a sail canopy over the bar below.

There were a few different restaurant options, but the food was a little bland, so we chose to get a taxi into town and eat there, which is one of the benefits of the eastern bank location.

Nour El Nil Dahabiya

We did a 5 day, 4 night Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan with Nour El Nil which was amazing. Our accommodation for the four nights was a beautiful, traditional dahabiya sailing boat. The company have several different dahabiyas to stay on depending on your budget (although none of them are cheap). We stayed on one called the “El Nil” which came with 10 en-suite cabins, two of which were panoramic cabins at the back of the boat with huge glass windows. We had a simple cabin, which was lovely, clean and well decorated, but not much bigger than the bed itself. The size really doesn’t matter though, all you will be using the room for is going to sleep. During the day you are on the deck above relaxing in one of the many lounging seats, enjoying the view across the Nile and getting pampered by the staff.

The staff were great and doubled up as tour guides, drivers, cooks, cleaners and waiters. The whole boat would eat together on the main table on the top deck and the food was big dishes meant for sharing. There is always a risk on these sorts of things that the food becomes samey, but it didn’t, it was delicious.

The only thing which might put you off is the price. It is expensive, but it includes all your food, drinks, tours and four nights of accommodation. It is totally worth it. Sailing down the river powered by the wind in small groups is so serene. The bigger boats are cheaper, but you are sharing them, and all the sites with hundreds of other people. Because they are so big, they can’t stop off at all the places the Nour El Nil dahabiyas can either.

Panorama Pyramids Inn

The name of this hotel is apt, as it is right next to the entrance to the Giza Plateau. We got there at about 2am after struggling to get a lift from the airport and woke up to a slightly hazy, but brilliant view of the pyramids, which was a great way to start our first day. We had breakfast on the roof terrace overlooking the pyramids and then simply went downstairs and 2 minutes later we were at the entrance gate.

We booked the hotel knowing we were going to arrive late and get up early to go to the pyramids before jetting straight off to Luxor. Due to its location and its low price it absolutely delivered for us on this. If it wasn’t for the location, the place wouldn’t really be worth writing home about, the rooms were functional and the breakfast was decent. But the location, that was excellent.

They offered an airport pick up which was another bonus, as Giza is the other side of Cairo from the airport and we didn’t fancy having to haggle for a cab (in a country famous for its haggling) when we arrived tired from our flight. Well, it would have been a bonus. The airport transfer didn’t show up and we did have to get a taxi. They refunded us the cost of the transfer, and I will give them the benefit of the doubt that it was the police causing the delay and it was a one off.

The Marriott Mena Hotel

If you have slightly more time in Giza, and a much larger budget, the Marriott Mena hotel is the best hotel in the area. The view from breakfast and all around the hotel is dominated by the the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is only a short walk away from the front gates.

We didn’t stay here so we can’t comment on the rooms, but we did come for lunch and it was very nice.

New President Hotel

We stayed in the New President Hotel in Cairo’s popular district of Zamalek. Zamalek is a leafy area on an island in the centre of the Nile. It feels less hectic and more European than the rest of the city, which is loud and busy and brash. In truth the hotel was a little short of character and I’m guessing it is a recent extension to the well-establish President Hotel next door. That said, it was reasonable in price, the rooms were large and clean and due to the great location, it wasn’t too far from the sites and it was quieter at night.