I hope we can all be civil here - SafariCraig offered some nice info about very nice tours, and I really appreciate it, as I appreciate others' insight about other options that are nice but about less expensive but upper end very comfortable tourist class trips - like the very enjoyable one I took 15 years ago with Contiki. I hope we can avoid terms like ripoff when describing luxurious trips that are a really great option for those who can afford them.

And Memphis, please rest quite assured that I do perform my own research. This is part of it, and I hope to get some good recommendations from experienced travelers who have been to Egypt more recently than I. Given the completely foreign Arabic script and non-Greek/non-Latin based language, it really is more realistic for first time visitors to Egypt to book a pre-planned tour package to get their bearings, understanding that they will pay a tour operator or travel agent for his expertise in setting this all up. I appreciate your pointing out the nice British tour site in your post, just as I appreciate SafariCraig giving me the benefit of his experience.