4-Day Nile Cruise Aswan to Luxor: Abu Simbel & Hot Air Balloon

Abu Simbel at dawn, then four days sailing Egypt's greatest temples

This 4-day Nile cruise runs from Aswan to Luxor aboard a five-star ship, with three nights' accommodation and all meals included. You visit the Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple on arrival, then wake before dawn to reach Abu Simbel's rock-cut temples. The cruise stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu temples en route, and ends with a hot air balloon flight over Luxor's West Bank, followed by visits to the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Aswan and Nile Cruise Tour

• Pick up from Aswan hotel or airport
• Board 5 stars Nile cruise before lunch
• Lunch on board
• Visit High Dam
• Visit Philae Temple by motorboat
• Dinner on board
• Enjoy folkloric show

Day 2: Abu Simbel and Kom Ombo Temples

• Early morning visit to Abu Simbel Temples
• Return to cruise by noon
• Lunch on board
• Sail to Kom Ombo city
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Sail to Edfu
• Dinner on board
• Attend Galabeya party

Day 3: Edfu Temple and Luxor East Bank

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Edfu Temple
• Relax on sundeck sailing to Luxor
• Cross Esna Lock
• Lunch on board
• Afternoon tea on sundeck
• Visit Karnak Temples
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Dinner on board

Day 4: Hot Air Balloon and West Bank Tour

• Hot air balloon ride over Luxor West Bank
• Check-out with breakfast box
• Photo stop at Colossi of Memnon
• Visit Queen Hatshepsut Temple
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Transfer to Luxor railway station, airport or hotel

The experience

Aswan is where the cruise begins. A representative picks you up from your hotel, airport or railway station and transfers you to board before lunch. That afternoon, you visit the Aswan High Dam (3,600 metres long and 111 metres tall at its highest point), then take a motorboat to Philae Temple on Aglika Island. This Greco-Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Isis was carefully moved stone by stone to its current location after the High Dam's construction threatened to submerge it. Dinner and a folkloric show happen on board.

Day two starts around 4:30 AM for the journey to Abu Simbel, where you join a small group to explore the two rock-cut temples built for King Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari. These were relocated by UNESCO and the Egyptian government to save them from flooding. You're back on the cruise by noon for lunch, then sail toward Kom Ombo, a temple standing on the riverbank between Aswan and Edfu, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. A Galabeya party happens that evening.

Day three brings a visit to Edfu Temple, the most preserved temple in Egypt and dedicated to the hawk god Horus. After breakfast on board, you tour the temple, then sail to Luxor, crossing the Esna Lock. By late afternoon you reach Luxor's East Bank to visit Karnak, a vast complex of sanctuaries and obelisks, and Luxor Temple, largely built by Pharaoh Amenhotep III and completed by Ramesses II.

On the final morning, you rise early for a hot air balloon ride over Luxor's West Bank: 30 to 40 minutes in the air with views of the temples and mountains below. After checkout with a breakfast box, you visit the Colossi of Memnon, two massive twin statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, then the Temple of Hatshepsut, which rises in terraces from the desert floor. The tour ends at the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs including Ramesses III and VI were entombed. You then transfer to Luxor railway station, airport or hotel.

What’s included

• Accommodation for three nights on a five-star Nile cruise on full board basis.
• all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle.
• a shared group tour to Abu Simbel Temple.
• motorboat transport to Philae Temple and horse carriage transport to Edfu Temple.
• a hot air balloon ride over the West Bank of Luxor.
• bottled water during outings outside the cruise ship.
• an Egyptologist-speaking tour guide during excursions.
• meet and greet service upon arrival and departure.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday and Friday14 departure times: the first at 06:30, the last at 22:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 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 or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Royal Tours Egypt

Is this one for you?You join a small group for Abu Simbel and share the cruise with other travelers, which keeps costs down and means you travel with people interested in the same temples and sites. If you prefer to move at your own pace or explore independently, a private tour would suit you better, but this shared itinerary packs the major Nile Valley sites into four days without gaps or wasted time between them.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

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 is the Aswan High Dam and why do we visit it?

The Aswan High Dam, completed in 1960, is 3,600 metres long and 111 metres tall. It was built to protect Egypt from flooding and generate electricity, and the water behind it created Lake Nasser, the world's largest man-made lake. The dam supplies irrigation and power to all of Egypt, and the visit gives you a sense of its massive scale and engineering.

Why do we leave so early to visit Abu Simbel?

Abu Simbel is located far south of the main cruise route, so the tour departs around 4:30 AM to reach the temples while they are less crowded and to return to the ship by noon for lunch. The early start also lets you see the temples in morning light before the heat of the day.

What happens at Philae Temple and how do we get there?

Philae Temple is a Greco-Roman complex dedicated to the goddess Isis, sitting on Aglika Island just south of the old Aswan Dam. You reach it by motorboat. The temple was moved to its current location after the High Dam's construction threatened to submerge it, and the reconstruction carefully preserved its original appearance and layout.

Is the hot air balloon ride included, and how long does it last?

Yes, the hot air balloon ride over Luxor's West Bank is included. The flight lasts 30 to 40 minutes and gives you an aerial view of the temples, mountains and landscape below before you check out of the cruise and begin the West Bank tour.

What temples do we visit on the West Bank of Luxor?

On the West Bank you visit the Temple of Hatshepsut, which rises in a series of terraces from the desert plain, and the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs were buried in stone sarcophagi. You also stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive twin statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.