3-day Nile cruise Aswan to Luxor: Temples and West Bank

Drift past ancient wonders under the warm sun on a 5-star cruise from Aswan to Luxor

A 3-day private Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor aboard a 5-star boat with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, full board, and visits to Philae Temple, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Karnak and Kom Ombo Temple. Hotel pickup is included. Entrance fees to sites are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and East Bank visit

• Arrive at Luxor airport or train station
• Transfer to the boat and receive cabin
• Enjoy lunch on board
• Visit Luxor Temple on East Bank
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Return to boat for dinner
• Attend evening disco party

Day 2: West Bank and sailing to Esna

• Have breakfast on board
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Hatshepsut Temple
• Visit Memnon
• Return to boat for lunch
• Boat sails to Esna passing Esna lock
• Enjoy dinner on board
• Overnight on boat

Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo temples

• Have breakfast on board
• Visit Edfu Temple by horse carriage
• Return to boat
• Have lunch on board
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Return to boat

The experience

How do you see the monuments without spending a week on the road? This cruise solves it by moving your hotel onto the water. You board in Aswan, settle into your cabin by midday, and spend the next three days sailing south to Luxor while the temples come to you. The boat itself is your base. You wake up, have breakfast on deck, visit a site, return for lunch, explore another, and sleep in your cabin that night. No packing and repacking, no finding new hotels. The Nile does the traveling while you do the sightseeing.

Day one starts at Luxor airport or train station with pickup and transfer to the boat. After lunch on board, you visit Luxor Temple on the East Bank (built by Amenhotep III from Nubian sandstone), then Karnak Temple, the second-most visited archaeological site in Egypt after the Pyramids. Dinner and an evening disco party happen on the boat. Day two takes you across the Nile to the West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon. The boat sails to Esna while you're at lunch, and you watch the Esna lock from the deck as it passes through. Day three includes a horse-carriage ride to Edfu Temple, dedicated to Horus, then Kom Ombo Temple, an unusual double temple honoring both the crocodile-god Sobek and the falcon-god Haroeris. Your guide is an Egyptologist who speaks English and travels with you to each site.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on board throughout. Drinks are not included. The boat is 5-star standard with air conditioning. Hotel pickup and drop-off in your departure city are included, as are taxes and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle to and from sites. Entrance fees to the temples and the trip to Abu Simbel on day two are paid separately.

What’s included

• Reception and transfer from Luxor airport or train station.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in your departure city.
• accommodation on a 5-star cruise boat for three nights.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner on board each day.
• visits to Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, the Colossi of Memnon, Edfu Temple and Kom Ombo Temple.
• a horse-carriage ride to Edfu Temple.
• an English-speaking Egyptologist guide.
• air-conditioned vehicle transport to and from sites.
• taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (15 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 14 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 5 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Malak Tour Luxor

Is this one for you?Book this three-night cruise if you want temples between Aswan and Luxor with Abu Simbel included. Choose a longer itinerary if Luxor's East Bank sites need more time than the single day provided.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 14 years); Infant (under 5).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly happens on the second day of the cruise?

Day two is devoted to the West Bank sites near Luxor: you visit the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs were buried; Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, one of Egypt's most distinctive monuments; and the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues guarding the plain. You return to the boat for lunch, then the boat sails to Esna while you rest or watch the Nile from the deck.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the boat, or is pickup included?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included in the price. If you're arriving by plane or train in Luxor, the tour agent will meet you at the airport or station and transfer you directly to the boat.

What is Abu Simbel, and when do I visit it?

Abu Simbel is a pair of colossal rock temples carved into a cliff, built by Ramesses II and relocated in the 1960s to save them from flooding. The visit happens on day two and is a separate excursion from the main boat itinerary.

Are meals included, and what about drinks?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on board every day. Drinks are not included in the cruise price, so you can order them separately on the boat.

What is Kom Ombo Temple, and why is it unusual?

Kom Ombo is a double temple dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile-god, and Haroeris, the falcon-god. It's unusual because most Egyptian temples honored a single deity, making this one of the rare examples of a shared sanctuary. You visit it on day three by horse carriage from Edfu.