When you are exploring an unfamiliar place, it’s always a good idea to be led by someone with an intimate and personal relationship to the area. Hiring a local guide to show you around Badrashin will open your eyes to a rich experience of exploration, knowledge and keen insight into the flavors, sights, and heritage of the region.
The Visit Badrashin! project has selected and worked with a dozen men and women to develop their training in key skills. This group of local guides are born and raised in the area, and are extremely passionate about the history, agriculture and heritage of their villages and the surrounding district. Hiring someone local to lead you on your tour can enrich your experience of visiting Badrashin. Having a trusted and knowledgeable person show you around will open more opportunities to meet, interact and converse with the locals who call this area home.
Curious to know more about the stories behind landmarks you are touring, the ones not in the guidebooks? Your local guide was born in the area, they know the stories passed down by their families and community. Do you want to buy the best dates in the village? Your local guide can help you with that. Feel like hiring a Tuk Tuk or want to ride by donkey from place to place? Your local guide will know just who to call.
If you decide to forgo hiring someone to show you around, our project has put together suggested tour routes to help visitors get the most out of their visit to the area, and much of it can be arranged alone by contacting the suggested places and vendors on the program.
Local Guides in Dahshur
Khaled El Kazaz
Khaled is a Dahshur native and one of the co-founders of Dashur Today, an initiative launched with the aim of developing rural tourism. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, and has been working as a tour guide for 3 years. Khaled has carried out over 200 tours of the local area, showing visitors the beauty of Dahshur’s handicrafts and exploring Dahshur’s rural food and unique agricultural landscape.
Languages spoken: Arabic/English
Tel: 0111 127 5331
Sayed Said
Sayed is a photographer by trade and received local guide training from the Visit Badrashin! project. Sayed is passionate about rural tourism and sharing the beauty of Dahshur and the surrounding region with visitors. What he enjoys most is seeing newcomers to Badrashin taking part in handicraft workshops, learning more about the heritage of Badrashin from the community, exploring the Egyptian countryside and learning about rural agriculture, and enjoying tea by the campfire with the local farmers.
Languages spoken: Arabic
Tel: 0103 009 9128
Mustafa Farhat
Mustafa is a Dahshur native who is currently a university student studying English. He received local guide training from the Visit Badrashin! project and is passionate about rural tourism. He is especially interested in the authentic local crafts and handicrafts work, and loves taking visitors to see the artisans in their workshops.
Languages spoken: Arabic
Tel: 0115 949 3853
Reda Abdel Sameh
Reda is a seasoned local guide, having worked in one of Cairo’s largest hotels for over 15 years. He has worked in the tourism sector since 2001 and has a unique insight into the local customs, traditional, history and agricultural landscape of his hometown. Reda is passionate about sharing this side of rural touring with visitors to encourage “off the beaten path” experiences.
Languages spoken: Arabic
Tel: 0100 737 6005
Reda Kadry
Reda is a Dahshur native, from Mansheyet Dahshur village. He graduated from the Faculty of Languages and Translation and worked in customer service. Reda took part in UNESCO’s workshops on tourism, and co-founded the Dashur Today initiative with friends to develop rural tourism. He is proud of how this new type of tourism blends the guest and host experience in an enriching way. Reda is especially passionate about preserving the district’s heritage, agricultural impact and is proud to teach visitors about Dahshur’s historical significance.
Languages spoken: Arabic/English
Tel: 0100 323 8237
Local Guides in Saqqara
Hussein Bakr
Hussein has worked in the tourism sector for over six years and runs the Blue Lotus Guesthouse. He is especially interested in showing visitors what life is like in the rural countryside, making them feel at home in the area. Hussein has a special interest in local handicrafts as they are a connection to the area’s rich heritage and past.
Languages spoken: Arabic/English
Tel: 0109 492 1167
Ehab Mohamed
Ehab is a Saqqara native and graduate of Cairo University. He runs a local restaurant and events venue in the area called Saqqara Oasis. He received local guide training from the Visit Badrashin! project and is passionate about rural tourism.
Languages spoken: Arabic/English
Tel: 0100 600 6476
Mohamed Hamdi
Mohamed is a native of Saqqara and is the co-owner of Lowhet Saqqara, a farm and film set on the edge of the desert overlooking the stunning step pyramid. Mohamed is very experienced in organizing sight-seeing tours and activities in the area for large groups and tourists, and can organize camping facilities for visitors.
Languages spoken: Arabic
Tel: 0111 232 0933
Mansour Abu Selim
Mansour is a native of Saqqara and is the co-owner of Lowhet Saqqara, a farm and film set on the edge of the desert overlooking the stunning step pyramid. Mansour is very experienced in organizing sight-seeing tours and activities in the area for large groups and tourists, and can organize camping facilities for visitors.
Languages spoken: Arabic
Tel: 0115 866 8651
Mahmoud Bakr
Mahmoud runs the Blue Lotus Guesthouse with his brother Hussein. He is a Cairo University graduate and has a special interest in showing visitors to Badrashin the simplistic beauty of the Egyptian countryside and the heritage of its people.
Languages spoken: Arabic/English
Tel: 0101 911 6414
Local Guides in Abu Sir
Esraa Ahmed
Esraa is an Abu Sir native and NGO member serving the Abu Sir community. She has a keen interest in rural food, handicrafts, agriculture and particularly, children’s activities. Esraa loves creating fun tours to delight the whole family. She loves sharing local traditions and Badrashin’s way of life with visitors to the area.
Languages spoken: Arabic/English
Tel: 0111 489 7898
Nihal Ashraf
Nihal is a native of Abu Sir and she has worked as an antiquities inspector in Saqqara for over a decade. She believes it is very important for visitors coming to Badrashin to see another side of the area by exploring rural tourism. Nihal is most passionate about handicrafts and supporting Badrashin’s artisans. She is passionate about Badrashin’s youth upholding this traditional work and is involved in community-building efforts to provide workshops for children, such as the Badrashin center in the soon-to-be-opened Imhotep Museum in Saqqara.
Languages spoken: Arabic/English
Tel: 0111 667 9088