A five-day Nile trip from Cairo: fly to Luxor, sail four nights to Aswan with Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae, visit Abu Simbel on the last morning and fly back to Cairo. Both domestic flights are included.
This five-day trip fits the Nile into a short stay based in Cairo. You fly south to Luxor on the first morning, see the temples of the East Bank and board your cruise ship the same day. Over four nights the ship sails upriver to Aswan, stopping at the West Bank of Luxor, Edfu and Kom Ombo. In Aswan you visit Philae and the High Dam, and on the last morning you drive south to Abu Simbel before the flight back to Cairo in the afternoon.
The sites are the ones most visitors to the Nile Valley come for: Luxor Temple and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the double temple of Kom Ombo, the temple of Isis at Philae, and the two rock temples of Ramses II and Nefertari at Abu Simbel. A guide leads every visit, the ship is full board from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 5, and both domestic flights, Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo, are included in the price.
It is a weaker fit if you want more time in each place: the programme is full and Day 5 starts very early. For a longer stay on the river, see our Nile cruise itineraries, and for routes that include the Pyramids and Cairo, our Egypt tour packages. Any part can be changed in a tailor-made trip.
The pace is moderate to busy. Each day has one or two visits, usually in the morning, with the afternoon on board while the ship sails. Expect walking on uneven ground at the sites and sloping corridors in the tombs. Two days are long:
Our representative picks you up from your hotel in Cairo and takes you to Cairo airport for the domestic flight to Luxor, about one hour. Your guide meets you on arrival in Luxor.
Luxor Temple stands in the centre of the modern town. It was built mainly under Amenhotep III and Ramses II for Amun, Mut and Khonsu, and each year the statues of the gods were brought here from Karnak in the Opet Festival. At the entrance are seated statues of Ramses II and a single obelisk; its twin has stood in the Place de la Concorde in Paris since 1836. The Avenue of Sphinxes, about 2.7 km long, links the temple to Karnak.
Karnak was the largest religious complex of ancient Egypt, built and enlarged over some 2,000 years for the god Amun. You walk through the great pylons into the Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns, carved with lotus and papyrus forms, and on to the obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut.
You board the ship for lunch and the afternoon is free on the sun deck. Dinner is on board. In the evening, the Sound and Light show at Karnak is an optional extra. Overnight on the ship in Luxor.
If you book it, a hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank lifts off at sunrise and lasts about 30 to 45 minutes, with views over the fields, the Valley of the Kings and the Theban hills. It is an optional extra; our article is a hot-air balloon ride in Luxor worth it may help you decide.
After breakfast you cross to the West Bank. 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 tombs among those open on the day; their painted corridors show the king's journey through the underworld. The tomb of Tutankhamun, small but the only royal tomb found almost intact, needs a separate ticket bought at the site.
On the way back you stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III, each about 18 metres tall, that once stood at the entrance of his mortuary temple.
Lunch is served on board as the ship sets sail south. Afternoon tea is on the sun deck. Dinner is on board, and you spend the night on the ship while it continues towards Edfu.
After breakfast you visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, usually reached from the river by horse carriage. Built between 237 and 57 BC, it is the most complete temple in Egypt: its pylon, roofed halls and granite shrine still stand much as they were built. The reliefs tell the story of the battle between Horus and Seth, which your guide reads with you.
Lunch is on board as the ship continues south past fields, palm groves and villages.
Kom Ombo is a double temple from the Ptolemaic period, with two entrances and two sanctuaries side by side: one for Sobek, the crocodile god, and one for Haroeris, Horus the Elder. Your guide points out a relief often read as a set of medical instruments, and the Nilometer once used to measure the height of the river. The small Crocodile Museum next to the temple shows mummified crocodiles found nearby.
Dinner is on board while the ship sails on to Aswan, where you spend the night.
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 optional extras that fit well into this afternoon.
Dinner is on board. Your guide confirms the pick-up time for Abu Simbel tomorrow, usually around 4:00, and the ship arranges an early breakfast box. Overnight on the ship in Aswan.
You check out of the ship very early, with a breakfast box, and drive south across the desert to Abu Simbel, about 280 km and three hours from Aswan.
The Great Temple was cut into the rock by Ramses II, with four seated colossi of the king, each about 20 metres tall, at its entrance. Twice a year, around 22 February and 22 October, the rising sun reaches the statues in its inner sanctuary. Beside it, the smaller temple was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and to Nefertari, Ramses' queen; its facade has six standing statues, four of the king and two of the queen. In the 1960s both temples were cut into blocks and rebuilt on higher ground, in a UNESCO campaign, to save them from Lake Nasser.
You drive back to Aswan, about three hours, and go straight to Aswan airport for the domestic flight to Cairo, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Our representative meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel in Cairo. This is the end of the trip.
October to April is the most comfortable time. From December to February daytime temperatures in Luxor and Aswan are around 23 to 26 °C, with cool mornings and evenings on deck; Abu Simbel can be chilly at dawn. From May to September temperatures often pass 40 °C, so visits are kept to the early morning. Twice a year, around 22 February and 22 October, the rising sun reaches the statues in the inner sanctuary of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel; those dates draw large crowds and need to be booked early. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest weeks on the river.
Our guide on what to pack for a Nile cruise has a fuller list.
Many nationalities can buy a tourist visa on arrival at Cairo airport or apply for an e-visa in advance on Egypt's official portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg. The rules and the fee depend on your passport, so check them before you book. Keep your passport with you on this trip: you need it for both domestic flights. It should be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive. The visa is not included in the price.
The currency is the Egyptian pound. Cards are accepted on most ships and in larger shops; keep some small notes for drinks, the Aswan market and personal extras. Drinks with meals on board are not included. Tips for the crew, the guide and the drivers are not included either; 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: Visa fees for entry into Egypt and international flights; Personal belongings and souvenirs; Additional tours and tourist activities not mentioned in the itinerary; Drinks during meals, and any additional food and meals; Gratuities spent during the trip.
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.
Yes. Abu Simbel is visited on the morning of Day 5, by road from Aswan (about three hours each way), and the entrance tickets are included. The drive starts very early so that you are back in Aswan in time for the flight to Cairo.
The trip starts with a pick-up from your Cairo hotel on Day 1 and ends with a drop-off there on Day 5, but the Cairo nights are not part of the price. We can book them for you, or add Cairo sightseeing before or after the cruise; tell us your dates when you enquire.
The ship depends on the level you choose and on availability for your dates: the names for each level are shown in the price options on this page, always "or similar". We confirm the ship when you book.
Usually around 4:00 from the ship in Aswan, with a breakfast box for the drive. You are back in Aswan around midday or early afternoon, and the flight to Cairo is booked for the afternoon or evening. Keep a small bag with what you need for the day, as your luggage travels in the vehicle.
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