Four nights on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan with full board, guided visits to both banks of Luxor, the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, the High Dam and Philae, and an optional trip to Abu Simbel on the last morning.
The four-night cruise from Luxor is the longest of the regular Nile sailings between Luxor and Aswan, and the extra night is the reason to choose it. Instead of fitting both banks of Luxor into one rushed day, you spend your first day on the East Bank at Luxor Temple and Karnak and your second on the West Bank in the Valley of the Kings, at the temple of Hatshepsut and at the Colossi of Memnon. The ship then sails south through the lock at Esna to Edfu and Kom Ombo, and on the fourth day you see Aswan's High Dam and the island temple of Philae before disembarking the next morning.
Your cabin, meals and the guided visits are all arranged: the cruise is full board, an Egyptologist guides each excursion, the entrance fees for the sites in the itinerary are included, and the transfers in Luxor and Aswan are part of the package. The cruise departs from Luxor on Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays.
If you only have three nights, the shorter cruise itineraries sail the other way, from Aswan to Luxor. Our guide on Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor explains the difference. For a full holiday with Cairo and flights, see our Egypt classic tours.
The pace is relaxed. Excursions run in the morning, when it is cooler, and the afternoons are spent sailing or resting on board. The earliest starts are on Day 2, for the Valley of the Kings, and on Day 5 if you choose the Abu Simbel trip, which leaves Aswan around 4 am and takes about three hours each way by road. You need to make your own way to Luxor on Day 1 and from Aswan on Day 5; we can add flights, the train or a transfer from Hurghada on request.
Monday from Luxor, Thursday from Luxor, Saturday from Luxor
Your guide meets you at Luxor airport, the station or your hotel and takes you to the ship to drop your luggage. Depending on your arrival time, the East Bank visit is done before or after lunch on board; cabins are usually ready from about midday.
Luxor Temple stands in the centre of the town, built mainly by Amenhotep III and Ramses II for the festival when the statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were carried from Karnak. At its entrance sit two colossal statues of Ramses II beside the one remaining obelisk; its pair has stood in the Place de la Concorde in Paris since 1836.
Karnak, about 3 km north and linked to Luxor Temple by the Avenue of Sphinxes, is the largest temple complex in Egypt, built and enlarged over some 2,000 years for the god Amun. You walk through the unfinished first pylon into the Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 columns, and on past the obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut to the Sacred Lake.
Afternoon tea and dinner are on board, with a belly-dance show after dinner on many ships. The Sound and Light show at Karnak is an optional extra tonight. Overnight on the ship in Luxor. Meals: lunch and dinner.
If you would like to see the West Bank from the air, a hot-air balloon flight at sunrise is an optional extra, 30 to 45 minutes depending on the wind, over the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the green fields along the river. It depends on the weather and is booked in advance. Read whether the balloon ride is worth it.
After an early breakfast you cross to the West Bank with your guide. The Valley of the Kings holds more than 60 tombs cut into the hills for the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. The standard ticket opens three of the tombs open on the day; the tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses VI need an extra ticket bought at the site.
At Deir el-Bahari, Queen Hatshepsut's mortuary temple rises in three terraces against the cliffs, with reliefs of her trading expedition to the land of Punt. On the way back to the river you stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III about 18 metres tall that once guarded his temple.
Lunch is back on board, followed by afternoon tea as the ship sails south towards Esna, where it passes through the lock beside the barrage. Dinner is on board, with a disco or party night on many ships. Overnight on the ship. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After breakfast you ride by horse carriage from the river to the Temple of Horus. Built between 237 and 57 BC, it is the most complete temple in Egypt: the pylon, the roofed halls and the granite shrine still stand much as they were built, and the walls tell the story of the battle between Horus and Seth.
Lunch is served as the ship sails south, with afternoon tea on the sun deck. In the late afternoon you reach Kom Ombo, a double temple of the Ptolemaic period with two sanctuaries side by side, one for Sobek, the crocodile god, and one for Haroeris, Horus the Elder. Your guide shows you the Nilometer and a relief often read as a set of medical instruments; the small Crocodile Museum next door displays mummified crocodiles from a nearby cemetery. Kom Ombo is lit up after dark, which makes it one of the best temples to photograph.
Dinner is on board as the ship sails on to Aswan. Overnight on the ship. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After breakfast you drive to the High Dam, completed in 1970. It ended the yearly Nile flood, supplies much of Egypt's electricity and created Lake Nasser, which stretches about 500 km to the south into Sudan. From the top you see the lake on one side and the river on the other.
A short motorboat ride takes you to Agilkia Island and the temple of Isis at Philae. Its buildings date from the last native dynasties to the Roman period, and it was one of the last places where the ancient gods were worshipped. When the old Aswan dam left it half under water for much of the year, a UNESCO campaign in the 1970s moved it stone by stone to the higher island where it stands today.
Lunch is on board and the afternoon is free. A felucca sail around Elephantine and Kitchener's Island, or a visit to a Nubian village, are popular optional extras. Dinner is on board, moored in Aswan. Overnight on the ship. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you choose the Abu Simbel excursion, you leave the ship around 4 am with a breakfast box for the drive of about three hours south through the desert. The two temples were cut into the rock by Ramses II: the Great Temple, with four seated colossi of the king at its entrance, and the smaller temple of Hathor and his queen Nefertari. Like Philae, they were moved in the 1960s to save them from Lake Nasser. You are back in Aswan around midday. Ask us about the timing if you have a flight or train later in the day.
If you are not going to Abu Simbel, breakfast is on board and you check out by the time the ship gives, usually around 8 to 9 am. Your guide transfers you to Aswan airport, the station or your hotel. This is the end of the cruise. Meals: breakfast.
October to April is the main season. From December to February, days in Luxor and Aswan are around 23 to 26 °C, which is ideal for the sites, but evenings on deck and early mornings are cool. March, April, October and November are warmer and still comfortable. From May to September temperatures often pass 40 °C; the ships are air-conditioned and have a pool on the sun deck, and the visits are planned for the early morning. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest weeks, when the best ships fill first.
Our guide to what to pack for a Nile cruise has a full list.
Many nationalities can buy a tourist visa on arrival at Egypt's main airports, including Luxor, or apply in advance for an e-visa on the official portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg; the rules and fee depend on your passport. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from your arrival, and the ship will ask for it at check-in. The visa is not included in the price.
The currency is the Egyptian pound. Drinks on board are paid at the end of the cruise, usually by card or cash; keep small notes for the horse carriage drivers, toilets at the sites and the markets. Tips are not included: most ships collect a shared tip for the crew at the end of the cruise, and your guide is tipped separately. The tipping guide in the travel policies below gives the usual amounts.
All prices are per person in US dollars. The price changes with the season (winter 1 October to 30 April, summer 1 May to 30 September), the accommodation level and the size of the group. Christmas, New Year and Easter dates add 25%. Your quote lists the final price and everything it covers. After the deposit, changes to your itinerary cost US$25 per request, plus any third-party fees.
A deposit of 30% of the total tour cost is required at the time of booking. The final payment is due 30 days before departure, and bookings made within 30 days of departure are paid in full. We accept Visa or Master Card by secure online payment, Visa or Master Card by email, and wire transfer. We confirm every booking by email.
No-show travelers are charged 100%. During peak events in Egypt, hotels and Nile cruises do not refund deposits. Groups of more than 10 people may have different terms.
Add each child and their age in the enquiry form so the quote is exact.
Optional visits, such as a hot air balloon ride in Luxor, a Sound and Light show or a felucca ride, are not in the price. Tell us which ones you want and we add them to your quote with their cost.
Not included in the price: Drinks during the cruise; Personal expenses; Tipping kitty.
Tipping is customary in Egypt and is not included in the price. A usual amount for a private tour is US$8 to 10 per person per day for your guide, US$4 to 5 for your driver and US$5 to 8 per person per day for the crew on a Nile cruise. Your guide can advise you on the day.
The extra night gives Luxor two full days, one for each bank of the river, and the excursions start at a calmer pace. The three-night cruise from Aswan visits the same temples but fits both banks of Luxor into its last morning.
From Luxor on Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays. The ship you sail on depends on the level you choose and the date; the price options name the ships we use at each level, always "or similar".
Both cities have airports with flights to Cairo, and both are on the main railway line. Many travelers combine the cruise with a stay in Cairo or on the Red Sea; we can add the flights, the train or a road transfer from Hurghada when you book.
No, it is an optional extra on the last morning, by road from Aswan (about three hours each way) or by a short flight. Let us know when you book, as it is arranged in advance.
Independent reviews on the platforms travelers already trust.
Amazing Egyptian vacation! We did an 11 day private tour of Cairo, cruise on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor and a 4 day stay in Hurghada. The guided tours were very interesting, with extremely knowledgeable guides, attentive and helpful.
Egypt package to the Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara was a fascinating journey through Egypt's ancient past ,guide knowledge, the majesty of the pyramids, and the historical depth of Saqqara made this tour truly enriching!
our honeymoon to Egypt ,Giza and Saqqara was a magical escape into history The pyramids looming in the distance, the quiet serenity of the desert, and the ancient wonders of Saqqara created moments that will be with me forever!
Answers to the questions travelers ask before they book.
The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the best-preserved temple in Egypt, built by the Ptolemies between 237 and 57 BC halfway between Luxor and Aswan. A foreign adult ticket costs EGP 550. Here is its history, what to see inside, how to get there and how long to stay.
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The best months for a Nile river cruise between Luxor and Aswan are October to April, when daytime highs are about 23 to 30 degrees. November, February and March balance weather and crowds best; December and January are busiest; summer is hot but cheaper. A month-by-month guide with holidays and booking tips.
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Is a Nile Cruise Worth It? Yes. Enjoy easy sightseeing, relaxing travel, and iconic temples between Luxor and Aswan. Compare cruises and book today.
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