Aswan to Luxor: 4-Day Nile Cruise & Valley of Kings

Four Days on the Nile: From Aswan's Temples to the Valley of the Kings

You board a 5-star Nile cruiser in Aswan and spend three nights sailing south, stopping at Philae Temple, Kom Ombo and Karnak. On the final day, you explore the Valley of the Kings and Temple of Hatshepsut on the West Bank before flying out from Luxor. All entrance fees, meals, a local English-speaking guide and airport transfers are included. The cruise departs every Friday, Monday or Wednesday.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Board Nile Cruiser and visit Philae Temple

• Arrive in Aswan
• Board 5 star Nile Cruiser
• Boat trip to Agilika Island
• Guided tour of Philae Temple
• Visit perfume oil emporium
• Free time in Aswan souqs

Day 2: Cruise to Kom Ombo and temple visit

• Optional early drive to Abu Simbel
• Depart Aswan on Nile Cruiser
• Cruise to Kom Ombo
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Return to Nile Cruiser

Day 3: Cruise to Luxor and Karnak Temple

• Swim and relax on deck
• Cruise to Luxor
• Arrive in Luxor afternoon
• Explore Karnak Temple complex

Day 4: Disembark and West Bank tour

• Disembark from Nile Cruiser
• Visit Colossi of Memnon
• Tour Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• Transfer to Luxor airport

The experience

You've just landed in Aswan. The heat hits you the moment you step outside, and the Nile stretches wide and slow in front of you. Within hours, you're boarding a 5-star cruise ship that will be your home for the next three nights. That first afternoon, a motorboat takes you out to Philae Temple on Agilika Island: a temple dedicated to Isis, the goddess of magic and motherhood, its columns rising straight from the water. Your guide walks you through the carved scenes, explaining how priests once offered six different perfumes to the sun god at dawn, noon and dusk. By evening, you're wandering the souqs of Aswan, or simply watching the sun drop over the river from the deck.

Day two starts with an optional early morning drive to Abu Simbel: the twin rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari, carved directly into the mountainside. If you skip it, you'll have time to swim in the ship's pool and rest on deck as the Nile cruise moves south. In the afternoon, you dock at Kom Ombo, where another temple waits, this one dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god. The guide points out the surgical instruments carved into the walls. The ancient Egyptians were better at medicine than most people realize. You're back on board by evening, dinner waiting.

Luxor arrives on day three. The ship pulls in during the afternoon, and you head straight to Karnak Temple, not one building but a sprawling complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels and obelisks, all layered on top of each other over centuries. The scale is hard to take in at first. Your guide decodes the hieroglyphics, the stories of pharaohs and gods carved into every surface. That night, you sleep on the Nile for the last time.

On the final morning, you disembark and cross to the West Bank. The Valley of the Kings is where the tombs are. You descend into the burial chambers of pharaohs, the walls still painted in blues and golds that have survived four thousand years. The Colossi of Memnon stand nearby, two massive statues of a king whose name is almost forgotten. Then the Temple of Hatshepsut, with its colonnaded terraces rising from the desert floor. By afternoon, you're heading to Luxor airport, the four days already feeling like they happened in another lifetime.

What’s included

Your four days include three nights aboard a 5-star Nile cruiser with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner), entrance fees to Philae Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings, guided tours at each site with a local English-speaking guide, a motorboat trip to Agilika Island, a visit to a perfume oil emporium in Aswan, air-conditioned transport for airport pickup and departure, and time to explore Aswan's souqs on your first evening. The optional Abu Simbel excursion on day two is not included but can be arranged separately.

Before you book

Lasts 4d, from US$ 840 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 10 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesNext departure: 4 Jan 2027

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 to 74 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.You can choose from 11 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Journey To Egypt

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the main temples and tombs of Upper Egypt in one journey without arranging separate hotels, transport and guides. The cruise handles all three, and the fixed schedule means you see Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Kom Ombo without negotiating timing or logistics yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What's included in the 4-day Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor?

Three nights aboard a 5-star cruise ship, all meals, entrance fees to Philae Temple, Kom Ombo, Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings, a local English-speaking guide for all excursions, and air-conditioned transport for airport pickup and departure.

Is the Abu Simbel temple visit included?

No, it's optional. An early morning drive to Abu Simbel (the twin temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari) is offered on day two, but you can skip it and relax on the ship instead.

How many nights do you spend on the Nile cruiser?

Three nights. You board on day one in Aswan and disembark on the morning of day four in Luxor.

What days does the cruise depart?

Every Friday, Monday or Wednesday.

Do you need to arrange your own airport transfers?

No. Air-conditioned transport is included for pickup on arrival in Aswan and for departure from Luxor airport.

Is a guide included for the temple visits?

Yes. A local English-speaking guide accompanies all excursions and explains the history and hieroglyphics at each site.

What is the accommodation like?

You stay in a 5-star Standard cabin aboard the Nile cruiser on a full board basis (all meals included).

Is this tour suitable for people with limited fitness?

Yes, it's suitable for all physical fitness levels. Most of the tour involves guided walks at a leisurely pace, and you can rest on the ship between stops.