Mara House Luxor

Right off the top, we did not stay at Mara House. We did, however, book 4 days of travel, transfers and tours directly with Mara / Mara House. Luxor has been on my bucket list as long as I can remember. Last month my husband and I finally made it here for our 40th anniversary. I pretty much knew what I wanted to see, I just needed help with planning and logistics. Unlike the large bus tours, I wanted a dedicated, personalised tour for just the two of us, with a knowledgeable guide and driver, seeing the the sites we deemed important to us. Mara was our Ace in the Hole. I came across her blog while researching our trip and I was hooked by her honesty of telling it like it is. I contacted her with our travel dates and trip desires. She put together an itinerary as well as made suggestions for a few extra sites not even on our radar. I took her advice and went with it. WOW!! Could not have worked out better. Awesome trip! Thank you Mara! I would also like to thank our guides. Mo, you made the West Bank "come alive". Hassan, I still show off with the ancient Egyptian "excel" spread sheet and reading of a cartouche - I am so ready for my test! I would also like to thank Rami, our driver for all 4 days, including transfers to and from Hurghada. Such a friendly, helpful and kind man. If you have a vision of what your ideal trip to Egypt should be, let Mara help bring it to life. No hassles, just pure enjoyment.

Mara house is a boutique hotel with large rooms/suites and offers the best home cooked meals. Staff are attentive and can arrange for any need. It is clean and within walking distance to the temples and the few restaurants for westerners in the centre. Highly recommended as it delivers the best value in Luxor.

Mora house is a true gem in the heart of Luxor. The in keeper is Amr who is 100% dedicated to his guests and their needs. The accommodations are akin to an Egyptian version of a pension or Airbnb type accommodations. There is a nice dining room that allows for breakfast and dinner to be taken at the hotel. The rooms are spacious, and the only thing to note is that the bathrooms are very Asian style in that the sink, commode and shower are all in one continuous room. Some rooms even have a small kitchenette that allows for extended stays. Armor can help you book local tours if needed for a very reasonable price and is so kind to take you to local markets and stores as needed for any thing like money exchange PHARMACY runs or local Quik Mart‘s.

Researching my trip to southern Egypt, I was lucky to happen upon Mara's website. Mara's posted itineraries and pointers made it really easy to figure out what I basically wanted to see and do. I then emailed Mara, who finalized a program and sent me a very reasonable quote, covering travel, sightseeing, and (Luxor) accommodation. Her communication was responsive and to the point, I could feel that my vacation was in the right hands. When eventually I landed in Luxor, there was literally nothing I needed to take care of anymore for my entire trip - she and her staff had arranged it all, cars, drivers, guides, entrance tickets, lunch stops, in and around Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. Everything ran safely and on time, and I could just focus on the awe-inspiring temples and tombs, desert and Nile. For the four nights I spent in Luxor, the house itself quickly felt like home. My room was in fact an apartment, including comforts like a mineral water-stocked fridge, and air conditioning of course. Amr and his wife cooked a fine breakfast, and every evening all guests caught up over a delicious dinner, with Mara presiding. Located in a residential area not far from the center, Mara House offers very local sights and sounds, which definitely added to the experience. Thank you Mara and team, I am certain that this vacation will remain in my heart.

Me and my sister had a wonderful time at Mara House. The Guest House is very unique, beautifully decorated, very safe but not in a tourist area, delicious food and very spatious rooms. The roof top terrace is wonderful for some down time. Mara and Amr are very kind and helpful and know the area and history very well. We would definitely recommend spending your stay there. Also you can book the temple trips over Mara and we had great guides just for ourselves or in a small group for a good price. You also see wonderful temples that a lot of other tours would not show. It is great way for individual travelling.

I had a full one week trip organized entirely by Mara and her team. I'm very happy that I chose her to be the organizer. Normally I love backpacking and DIY-type traveling. However with Egypt I decided to get help to avoid all the extra hassle. I have nothing but good things to say. Tour guides were great, the house itself is huge, spacious and well decorated. I was shy to try any local Egyptian food, so Amr's cookings were a great help to get to know the cuisine. Mara even helped me to find a private driver for the last day, so that I was able to complete a full itinerary of all the spots I wanted to visit. I'm not sure if I will return to Egypt, but thank you Mara for everything!

Mara house is not just about somewhere to rest your head in Luxor, I have wanted to visit Egypt for over 20 years but even once we decided 2025 was the right time , I was nervous about booking the trip, I didn’t want it to be spoilt by hassle, scammers and forced shopping trips and end up feeling uncomfortable and disappointed. Then I came across Mara on the internet pages and made contact with her to discuss a potential 9 day private tour starting in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor. I needed a mid price trip but wanted to feel safe and that exactly what we got !! Great communication and a seamless tour, comfortable accommodation, clean cars with polite drivers and knowledgable guides. Amar managers Mara house, his house is lovely clean and comfortable, he also organised the restaurants, boat rides and horse and carriage tour, we requested. We were happy to walk through the surrounding streets, we felt safe and found the local people friendly but it is completely different from the Uk with unfinished buildings and basic roads , best to check the other reviews for photos