Thought I’d start this thread for anyone to post their Egypt tour guide recommendations.
If anyone is looking for a university educated Egyptologist guide, then I highly recommend Mohamed Zaki who formerly worked in archaeological restoration and has years of experience as a guide for both groups and individuals. We had initially considered going with a tour group and assumed an armed guard would be needed, but after speaking with others who had recently been, we chose Mr. Zaki who’s connected with Scaramouche Tours and was recommended by another poster on the Rick Steves forums. Unlike the assumptions many make about Egypt, not once did we feel unsafe anywhere and all the major tourist sites and hotels have security and armed guards. Plus having our own private guide, private van, and driver allowed us to avoid the large tour buses and tweak our itinerary on the go if needed, all for a price that was less expensive than most group tours I found.
My wife and I took a two week tour with Mr. Zaki throughout Egypt and his wealth of knowledge was appreciated. He is a Luxor native and expert in many aspects of both upper and lower Egypt, including all of the commonly visited modern and ancient sites, and this significantly enhanced our own enjoyment of learning about his beautiful country. His professionalism and ability to coordinate the logistics of a trip is second to none and kept our travel schedule running smoothly without a hitch. He has a Facebook presence with contact info. I’d be happy to be a reference for any questions. Mr. Zaki would be a great addition to the Rick Steves team if they ever branched into Egypt. His What’s App number is +20 100 249 6991 and his email is wasetmzaki@yahoo.com.
Certainly, most foreigners should not attempt to travel in Egypt without a guide and driver (if nothing more than to decrease the hassle factor), but realize it can easily be done safely and privately without having to go on a large group tour. Look forward to returning to Egypt!
