Mara House Luxor

Astounding oasis of classic chic and style hidden in Luxor, run by wonderful people who just can’t help enough. Our room is actually a suite with beautiful decor, the hospitality areas are absolutely stunning (there is a fountain in the restaurant), but most importantly - Amr, Mara and the team are the most wonderfully helpful and friendly people I have met in Egypt!
If you are planning a trip to Luxor, don’t miss this absolute treasure of a guest house, and book in for the tours as well - it’s amazing!

Tour coordination: Mara made our trip to Egypt so much more manageable than it otherwise would have been. She patiently answered many questions via email and her blog/Egypt travel guide offered additional invaluable information. Our local guides in Cairo and Luxor were absolutely excellent.

Lodging: We loved our stay at Mara House Luxor. Our rooms were spacious and handsomely furnished. The stocked mini-bar was a nice perk and the roof terrace was a relaxing oasis. The real highlight though was the hospitality of Amr and his family. Our every need was taken care of and the food was the best we had during our ten days in Egypt. Thank you Amr!!

I was very sceptical when first arriving at the property, it's located in a quiet residential area away from the tourist area. Being a solo female traveller I was nervous when it became apparent that I was the only resident in the house. However all of that was put to rest by the incredible staff at Mara House, Amr is an absolute diamond and goes out of his way to make you comfortable and is always happy to arrange taxis, give recommendations, order food, whatever it is Amr is the guy to speak to. The rooms are vey clean and comfortable with everything you need.
I would whole heartedly recommend this to friends and family and will definitely return if I find myself back in luxor.
If you are looking for tours speak to Amr, I will be honest I didn't and regretted it, I bought tours of viator and they were very rushed. Amr knows everyone in the area so he could arrange a better tour for you I'm sure.

Staying at Mara House in Luxor and also working with Mara to book tours throughout Egypt was one of the best decisions we could have made. Upon arriving in Luxor, we were provided with a free airport transfer to Mara House, where we were warmly greeted by Amr, which set the tone for the rest of our stay. Tastefully decorated and inviting, our suite included a kitchen, a large sitting area, clean bathroom, and comfortable beds. It was the people of Mara House, however, that truly made our time unforgettable. Amr is an excellent chef and served us some of the best food that we had in Egypt. Amr also helped us with many other things, such as answering complicated questions, arranging transportation, ordering takeout food, and even taking care of our laundry.

Prior to arriving, we worked extensively with Mara to arrange tours not only in Luxor, but also in Giza, Aswan, and beyond. In Giza (as well as Memphis, Saqqara, and Dashur), we were escorted in private car by Mara’s incredibly knowledgeable Giza-based guide, Mohammed. Having a doctorate in Egyptology with an emphasis in hieroglyphics, Mohammed was able to accurately and concisely explain the many things we were seeing.

Much of our time in Luxor and Aswan was spent with Mara’s very capable and thoughtful Luxor-based guide, Mohammed (Mo for short). Along with providing interesting information on Ancient Egypt, Mo ensured we always had enough water and also had time to explore the many sites that we visited. Additionally, Mo made sure that we visited sites at times of day when crowds were at their lowest, which made our experiences more relaxing and enjoyable.

Mara, staff and guides were super friendly and had an excellent time discovering ancient Egypt. I was fresh off the boat direct from dublin via Cairo and it was the perfect first stop for invaluable insight. Thank you and hope to come back someday!! Highly recommended.

Mara House is the best you can do in Egypt! Her hotel has huge suites with lavish Egyptian decor, delicious feasts, and plenty of personal attention to help in every way. It actually feels more like a home stay. Her tours are completely honest, trustworthy, safe, and cover all the best sites and other highlights that you might not have heard of. The tours do NOT waste time on commissioned shops like most other tours. I loved my 11-day tour with Mara and highly recommend it!

So glad we went with the Mara house team for our first trip to Egypt. Ahmed is the superstar of logistics and took care of everything we needed. The guides (both Mohammad’s) were so knowledgeable about all things Egypt and taught us so much. The sites were amazing and the people were friendly, what more could you ask for on vacation. If you have been curious about visiting Egypt - definitely go and don’t hesitate to plan through the Mara House team.

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!! Cannot say enough wonderful things about Mara, her team and my stay at Mara House! The house itself is just beautiful, very conveniently located and the team takes care of as much or as little as you wish! Services are personalized to your desires and conveniences! I opted for everything - from airport pick-up, to tours, having breakfast and dinner in their dining room and enjoying happy hours with other guests. Tours were excellent and very interesting. Mara is a fountain of information and advice on things to do and places to visit all over Egypt too. Food is delicious, home grown & from local markets daily. Prices are reasonable, no pushy hard sells for anything, they are truly dedicated to making sure you have a fabulous experience.

My stay at Mara House was wonderful. Mara was very responsive and helpful on email before my trip, she had great advice, and the accommodations she prepared for us were perfect. The guides she works with were the best we met while in Egypt, very friendly and did not make any undesired detours. Mara's knowledge of Egyptian history is also top notch and made our trip to the sites and museums even more interesting.

I hope to travel back to Egypt in the future and I would love to stay with Mara again if my plans come to fruition.

The Trip of a Lifetime! My wife and I just returned from a wonderful 11-day trip to Egypt. What made this trip so amazing was Mara and her outstanding team (Ahmed, Mohammad & Mo!), who made Egypt, its fascinating history (from ancient to modern) and its wonderful & friendly people, come to life! All the arrangements were perfect; from Mara's delightful, informative and stress-free itinerary, the 4-star accommodations, easy in-Country flights, our soothing 4 night Nile cruise, great food, great small-group fellowship (there were only 10 of us!), and of course Egypt's HISTORY! And the whole time, everywhere we went, Ahmed and his team cared for us just like family. When we tell our friends where we went, and about everything we saw and did, and how reasonable the cost, they're astounded! This has to be the BEST VALUE/MOST AFFORDABLE all-inclusive Egypt tour available from anyone! If you want to experience Egypt, we give our highest recommendation to Mara House! You won't be sorry!

This was our first trip to Egypt, and it was fantastic! My wife & I stayed with Egyptian relatives in Cairo & Alexandria at beginning & end of trip, with a 3-night stay at Mara House in Luxor tucked in the middle - and the feeling of being taken care of by family was seamless! Mara makes it easy to set-up via email, Ahmed welcomes you into your beautiful home away from home (and cooks excellent meals), and Mohammed is the scholarly cousin who guides you professionally through Egypt's wonderful ancient history! We'll be back.

5 stars just isn't enough for Mara House! An absolutely beautiful house with amazing decor situated in a cute Egyptian street which will give you a good feel of local life as well. Marie organized a trip to the Temples which were spectacular, the finest in Egypt. The trip was stress free and the guide was brilliant explaining everything. The room was very specious and spotless clean. The staff were excellent & always on hand to help! And the feast.. WOW! Thanks a million Maria & the staff at Mara House for an unforgettable stay.

My wife and I just finished our life time tour of Egypt using Mara House. From my initial contact and right through to completion the whole thing rang like clock work. The Mara House team took the pressure and hassle away from me by doing everything they could to make it enjoyable. Their organisational skills are awesome. Their tours and their tour guides are excellent. Anyone looking to travel to Egypt (and I highly recommend you do) please use Mara House. You won’t be disappointed.

We had an incredible stay at Mara House Luxor last month....... what amazing hospitality. The dinner feast was one of the highlights of our trip, and the accommodation - a spacious apartment with atmospheric decor in an atmospheric Luxor neighborhood - was miles better than your typical hotel room. Mara and her team also looked after our daily tours in both Luxor and Cairo. There is no way we could have prepared and organized such a seamless visit on our own. It was truly a vacation we will never forget. Thank you!

Where do I even begin? My husband and I just finished the nine night tour with Mara House. Mara and her staff are the kindest people! Ahmed and both Mohammeds where extremely knowledgeable on Egypt past and present. We learned so much from them! Amr the chef and manager of Mara house made the best food! The feast was exceptional!! Mara house it's self is clean, spacious, beautifully decorated and has such a homey feel. We were able to see SO much in our short time in Egypt!! Book with Mara House you will not regret it!!

We have just finished our holiday touring Egypt with Mara, Ahmed and the team of expert tour guides who have brought ancient Egypt, medieval Egypt and modern Egypt to life for us. We have toured by land and via the Nile to see all of the wonders that Egypt has to offer. We have also been able to appreciate the daily lives of Egyptians today. Mara, Ahmed and the team looked after every detail to ensure our trip was a trip of a lifetime. Thank you so much Mara and the Team. We are so glad we found you. Dianne and Frank Abbley

Mara House is a wonderful place to stay. I traveled there in November 2019. But let me start by saying I also booked one of her 14 day group tours. Mara really does answer all her emails personally, and she was very kind in answering all of my questions before I booked (I'm a real details person lol.) Every last detail was handled by Mara, from guides, to hotels, cruise bookings, and transportation. (The only thing I had to do was book my plane ticket there, easy peasy)

Our tour started in Cairo and we stayed at a very nice hotel. All of our accommodations throughout the trip were very nice, upscale, and clean. And can I also mention our awesome guides, Ahmed and Mohamed, who were with us throughout the entire 14 day trip. They were very knowledgable and kind, and genuinely wanted to make sure we had a good trip. (And as a side note, spoke perfect english, don't worry about not speaking the language, they will take care of you!)

From Cairo we moved on to our Nile Cruise, which was like something out of a fairy tale. Highly recommend it!

At the end of our cruise we had the pleasure of staying at Mara House Luxor, which is a beautiful hotel built by Mara. Every room has a sitting room and kitchenette in addition to the bedroom, its huge and beautifully decorated. She's also big on cleanliness, so be assured everything was spotless.

I was really nervous about booking a trip to Egypt. Lets be honest everyone thinks about safety, will I be safe? I know I was thinking it, but after I landed, that all went away. Not once in any of our travels did I feel unsafe. I'm so glad I didn't let fear stop me from taking the trip of a lifetime. It was amazing and something that will be with me the rest of my life. I'm thankful I went with Mara House, she and her team were amazing. My trip was everything I dreamed it would be, I highly recommend her.

Being a solo traveler to a country such as Egypt can be a little daunting. Thankfully I found Mara House early in the planning stages of my trip. I found Mara's blog posts invaluable - I read them all, some of them several times! I ended up booking the 9 night Egypt tour with an extra night in Cairo so I could add on a day trip to Alexandria.

I didn't actually have much communication with Mara herself - in fact I only got my actual itinerary when I emailed Mara the day before I left on my trip to ask for it, and she wasn't in Luxor when I arrived. However all her guides were fabulous! Ahmed was in constant contact making sure my trip was running smoothly. Nothing was too much trouble for him. A BIG thanks to Ahmed for letting me borrow his USB charger for my phone while I was in Cairo!!

Suzie and our driver in Cairo were both incredible. Thank you for taking us to eat at local places, I enjoyed the koshari immensely :) Driving around Garbage city was a fun experience for me!

Mohamed took us to Alexandria for the day and was a terrific guide. So full of knowledge and very easy to get along with.

Once arriving at Mara House in Luxor, Amr took great care of us and fed us until I was fit to burst! The food was sensational - I only wish I could've eaten more. Mara House itself is just like staying in someones home. The suite I had was massive, with my own balcony, sitting room and extra large bedroom. I appreciated the suburban location so I could get a real feel for the way regular Egyptians live, however I did miss being able to easily take a stroll along the Nile - it's a good 20-30 minute walk to the river so wasn't very convenient to take an evening wander. I also missed small things such as having instant hot water and amenities such as shampoo etc available in the room.

Mohamed was our guide for our entire time in Luxor and on the cruise. You couldn't ask for a better person to accompany you on the tour. Full of interesting facts and stories. I don't think there was one question I had that he didn't know the answer for. I felt very lucky to have him during my time there!

I had such an amazing time in Egypt I'm already planning my return, this time bringing a bunch of my family members with me! I will definitely be booking with Mara House again! Thank you for making my trip to Egypt so special.

If I could give MARA House more than 5 stars, I would. My family and I have stayed with Mara a couple of times and both times have been very happy with the experience. The rooms are immaculately clean, the staff are very friendly and Mara is the font of all knowledge about what to see and do in and around Luxor. If you like independent travel and prefer to stay in B&Bs, rather than 5-star hotels, then Mara House is for you.

During the month of February 2019 & for 8 days, my son & I shared a wonderful adventure to Egypt courtesy of Mara Tours. Mara provided us with excellent flights, excellent accomodations, excellent food & ample opportunity to explore the cities of Cairo & Luxor. At times we felt like we were in a movie! Mara made sure we were surrounded with caring & informed guides as well as making sure we had a fine sense of the kind & great people of Egypt. Mara truly exceeded our expectations ensuring our comfort & accommodating our curiosity of a land that is rich in sights, sounds & history. Mara's house is richly decorated which in turn invited us to enjoy Egytian living & culture. We couldn't be more pleased that we chose Mara tours for our adventure. Until we meet again, thank you Mara. Respectfully,
Matthew J. Voytek, III.