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Destination: <span>Nile Cruise (Luxor–Aswan)</span>
HomeDestination: <span>Nile Cruise (Luxor–Aswan)</span>

Destination: Nile Cruise (Luxor–Aswan)

Luxor to Aswan, or Aswan to Luxor — three or four nights on the river, with the temples between them as the stops.

45 toursPrivate toursLicensed local operator
MayFlower Nile CruiseDeluxe
3 or 4 nights

MayFlower Nile Cruise

Luxor ⇄ Aswan · weekly departures
From / person$800
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About this destination

What a Nile cruise actually is

A Nile cruise covers the 200 kilometres between Luxor and Aswan. The boat is the hotel and the transport at once: you unpack once, and the temples come to you. Standard itineraries are three nights sailing Luxor to Aswan, or four nights in the other direction, and both cover the same sites in a different order.

The stops are the reason the route exists. On the Luxor side: Karnak and Luxor temples on the east bank, and the Valley of the Kings, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon on the west. Between the cities the boat calls at Esna, at Edfu — the best-preserved temple in Egypt — and at Kom Ombo, unusual for being a double temple shared between two gods. At Aswan: Philae temple on its island, the High Dam, and the granite quarry holding the unfinished obelisk.

Boats run year-round and almost all sailings leave on fixed days of the week. Abu Simbel is not on the river route and is added as a separate trip from Aswan, by road before dawn or by a short flight.

Good to know

Nile Cruise (Luxor–Aswan), explained

The stretch of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan carries the densest concentration of standing temples in Egypt, and sailing it remains the simplest way to see them. Every cruise covers Luxor, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan; the difference between boats is comfort, cabin size and dining, not the itinerary.

Three-night cruises sail Luxor to Aswan, four-night cruises sail Aswan to Luxor and give more time at the Aswan end. Full board is standard, as is an Egyptologist guiding each temple visit. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the peak weeks and fill furthest in advance.

Abu Simbel lies 280 kilometres south of Aswan, beyond where the boats go. It is reached by road convoy before sunrise or by a 45-minute flight, and is added to a cruise rather than included in one.

FAQ

Your questions

Three or four nights. Three nights runs Luxor to Aswan, four nights runs Aswan to Luxor. Both visit the same temples — Karnak, Luxor, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae — so the choice is mostly about which city you fly in and out of.
Full board — breakfast, lunch and dinner — the cabin, and guided visits to each temple with an Egyptologist. Drinks, tipping and optional extras such as a hot-air balloon over Luxor or the Abu Simbel trip are normally separate.
No. Abu Simbel is 280 kilometres south of Aswan, past the end of the cruise route. It is added as a separate day trip by road or a short flight from Aswan, usually on the morning after the cruise ends.
October to April, when daytime temperatures in Upper Egypt suit walking around open temple sites. Summer sailings run all season, but midday heat in Luxor and Aswan regularly exceeds 40°C.
Yes. The boat removes the daily packing and travelling that tires children out, meals are included and most ships have a pool. The temple visits are the part to pace — two a day is usually enough.
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