Nile Cruise Aswan to Luxor: Temples & Hot Air Balloon

Float down the Nile while the temples of three millennia pass your cabin window

A 4-day Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor with guided visits to Abu Simbel, Edfu, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple, plus a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the West Bank. The boat carries you between sites; meals, accommodation and an English-speaking Egyptologist guide are included. Timed entry to temples and transport by air-conditioned minivan are arranged; you choose your cabin type at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival and Aswan sightseeing

• Meet local tour representative
• Visit the High Dam
• Visit Philae Temple
• Enjoy lunch on board
• Afternoon tea and dinner
• Attend evening disco party

Day 2 — Abu Simbel and Kom Ombo visit

• Pickup for Abu Simbel trip
• Visit Abu Simbel temples
• Return to cruise for lunch
• Sail to Kom Ombo city
• Overnight in Edfu

Day 3 — Edfu and Luxor East Bank tour

• Visit Edfu Temple in the morning
• Sail to Luxor via Esna
• Visit Luxor Temple in afternoon
• Visit Karnak Temple complex
• Overnight in Luxor

Day 4 — Luxor West Bank and balloon ride

• Early morning hot air balloon ride
• Breakfast and disembarkation
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• See Colossi of Memnon
• Transfer to Luxor departure point

The Experience

The cruise departs Aswan on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Your first day includes the Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple before you settle into your 5-star cabin. Lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and an evening disco party happen on board, so the rhythm of the boat becomes the rhythm of the day. You sleep on the Nile and wake to a new stretch of river.

Day two starts before dawn: a driver picks you up around 4:30 am for the drive to Abu Simbel, where you arrive by 8 am to see the rock-cut temples of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari carved into the cliff face. The group stays small. You're back on the boat by noon for lunch, then the cruise sails toward Kom Ombo and Edfu, where you overnight. Day three takes you to Edfu Temple—the most intact temple in Egypt, dedicated to the falcon god Horus—then navigates to Luxor via Esna. The afternoon is spent at Luxor Temple and the vast Karnak complex, where the Hypostyle Hall alone covers 5,356 square meters beneath 134 colossal columns 70 feet high.

On the final morning, you rise early for a hot air balloon ride at sunrise over Luxor's West Bank. After breakfast and disembarkation, you visit the Valley of the Kings—where more than 60 pharaohs rest in tombs carved into the mountain—then the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. The tour ends by 2 pm with transfer to Luxor train station, airport or your hotel on the East Bank. An Egyptologist guide travels with you throughout, answering questions about what you're standing in front of; meals follow the itinerary (breakfast, lunch and dinner most days); and the boat's sundeck and swimming pool are yours to use between sites.

What’s included

• Three nights in a 5-star Nile cruise cabin (your choice of double, twin, single or triple room at checkout).
• breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the cruise.
• a sunrise hot air balloon ride over Luxor's West Bank on the final morning.
• guided visits to Abu Simbel, Edfu Temple, Luxor Temple, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
• round-trip transport by air-conditioned minivan.
• an English-speaking Egyptologist guide.
• meet-and-assist at arrival and departure.
• access to the boat's sundeck, swimming pool and evening disco.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Imperialegypt

Is this one for you?Book this cruise if you want the temples and the river itself—the boat moves you between sites overnight, so you see the Nile Valley from the water and sleep aboard instead of packing and unpacking in hotels. The fixed itinerary and included guide mean the day unfolds without you building it, and the small group to Abu Simbel keeps that pre-dawn drive manageable.

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Top questions

What's included in the price of the cruise?

The cruise includes three nights in a 5-star cabin, all meals as listed in the itinerary, the hot air balloon ride at sunrise, transport by air-conditioned minivan, the services of an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, and assistance at arrival and departure. Temple entry fees are not included and are paid separately.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to Abu Simbel?

No. A driver picks you up from the cruise around 4:30 am on day two and takes you to Abu Simbel as part of a small group, then returns you to the boat by noon. The minivan is air-conditioned and included in the package.

What temples do I visit on this cruise?

You visit Philae Temple in Aswan on day one; Abu Simbel on day two; Edfu Temple on day three; Luxor Temple and Karnak on day three afternoon; and the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon on day four morning.

Can children go on the hot air balloon ride?

Children aged 6 and older can ride the hot air balloon at sunrise on the final morning. Children under 6 are not permitted on the balloon but can join the rest of the West Bank tour after breakfast.

When does the cruise depart and where does it end?

The cruise departs Aswan on Monday, Wednesday or Friday and ends in Luxor on the fourth day by 2 pm. You disembark after breakfast and are transferred to Luxor train station, airport or your hotel on the East Bank.

What is the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak?

The Hypostyle Hall is the largest temple hall in Egypt, covering 5,356 square meters and supported by 134 colossal columns 70 feet high. You walk through it on day three afternoon as part of the Karnak Temple visit.