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

Four Days on the Nile: From Aswan's Temples to Luxor's West Bank

You board a 5-star cruise in Aswan, visit Abu Simbel or a Nubian village, sail past Kom Ombo and Edfu temples, take a hot air balloon over Luxor's west bank, then tour the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, and Karnak: all with an Egyptologist guide, meals, and transfers included. The whole package runs four days, and you disembark around mid-afternoon on the final day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Aswan sightseeing

• Meet guide at Aswan airport
• Transfer to Nile Cruise and check in
• Lunch on board
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Visit Philae Temple by motorboat
• Dinner and folkloric show on cruise

Day 2: Abu Simbel or Nubian village and Kom Ombo

• Optional Abu Simbel tour or Nubian village visit
• Lunch on board
• Sail to Kom Ombo
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Dinner on board and sail to Edfu

Day 3: Edfu Temple and Luxor arrival

• Breakfast on board
• Horse carriage to Edfu Temple
• Return to cruise and sail to Luxor
• Lunch and afternoon tea on board
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Dinner and belly dancing show on cruise

Day 4: Luxor balloon ride and West Bank tour

• Optional hot air balloon flight
• Breakfast and check out
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• Photo stop at Colossi of Memnon
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Transfer to Luxor hotel, airport, or station

The experience

The boat is already moving when you wake on day two. You've spent the night aboard a 5-star Nile cruise, and this morning (around 4:30 am if you've chosen the optional Abu Simbel excursion) a guide picks you up for the drive south. By 8 am you're standing in front of the rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel, the colossal statues of Ramesses II and Nefertari carved directly into the mountainside. It's the kind of scale that doesn't register in photos. After that, you sail north toward Kom Ombo, where the dual temple dedicated to Sobek and Horus sits on a bend in the river. The itinerary moves you downriver over four days, stopping at temples and towns, with meals and a folkloric show included each evening on the cruise.

What makes this different from booking hotels and hiring drivers separately is that the logistics dissolve. You're picked up from Aswan airport or your hotel, transferred to the cruise ship before lunch on day one, and the guide, an Egyptologist, is already waiting. Day two includes either Abu Simbel or a visit to a Nubian village on Soheil Island, where you spend time with a local family and see how they live along the river. Day three takes you to Edfu by horse carriage to see the Temple of Horus, then on to Luxor, where you visit the temple on the east bank and watch a belly dancing show after dinner. The fourth morning starts early, around 5 am, for the optional hot air balloon ride over Luxor's west bank. Thirty to forty-five minutes in the air, and you see the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon from above before landing for breakfast.

After the balloon comes the ground tour of the west bank itself. Valley of the Kings first: the tombs of the pharaohs carved into the mountains, their entrances small and deliberate. Then Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, which sits against a cliff face and has a story attached: the queen and her nephew, the politics of succession, the way she had herself carved into the stone. A photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues that have stood for three thousand years. Finally, Karnak Temple on the east bank: the largest temple complex ever built, spread across 63 acres, with pillars and obelisks that dwarf you. Transfer back to your hotel, airport, or railway station happens around 3 to 4 pm, which means you've seen the major sites without arranging transport, negotiating entry fees, or timing anything yourself.

The cruise itself is 5-star standard accommodation, three nights on board, all meals included. Wifi is available for an extra charge. If you're traveling with children aged 6 to 11, they're charged as adults unless two paying adults are in the room. Children under 6 cannot do the balloon ride. The itinerary can shift depending on river conditions and sailing schedules, but the operator assures that all sites are visited: sometimes just in a different order. Pickup from Aswan east bank hotels is standard. West bank hotels cost an extra $10 per person. Small-group tours like Abu Simbel max out at around six additional people during busy times.

What’s included

• Your four days include airport or hotel pickup and drop-off by air-conditioned vehicle, three nights' accommodation on a 5-star Nile cruise on a full-board basis, all meals and beverages on the cruise, entry fees to Aswan High Dam, Philae Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Temple of Horus at Edfu, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Karnak Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon, a horse carriage ride at Edfu, an English-speaking Egyptologist guide throughout, folkloric and belly dancing shows on the cruise, and optional tours to Abu Simbel or a Nubian village (available for an extra fee).
• The hot air balloon ride over Luxor is also optional and charged separately.
• All local taxes and service charges are covered.

Options for this experience

5 options

3 nights CruiseGuide in English or Arabic · Only on 3 Nov · 14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 12:30Cruise, includes pickup

Cruise from Aswan to LuxorGuide in English or Arabic · 14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 12:30Cruise from Aswan to Luxor, includes pickup

Movenpick Luxury Nile CruiseGuide in English or Arabic · 14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 12:30Accommodation with tours on the Luxury Movenpick Royal Lilly and Luxury Movenpick Royal Lotus, pickup is included

See 2 more options

Luxury Jaz Viceroy Nile CruiseGuide in English or Arabic · 14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 12:30Morning cruise sailing on Thursday, pickup is included

Luxury M/S Movenpick Sun RayGuide in English or Arabic · 14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 12:30Morning cruise sailing on Tuesday, pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 4d, runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 14 start times, from US$ 345 per person, with a live guide in English and Arabic, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 12:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Egypt Best Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the major temples between Aswan and Luxor in one seamless four-day package without arranging your own transport, negotiating entry fees, or timing the sites yourself: the fixed itinerary and onboard accommodation are what make that possible.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

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

Three nights' accommodation on a 5-star cruise, all meals, airport or hotel pickup and drop-off, an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entry fees to temples, a horse carriage ride at Edfu, and folkloric shows. Abu Simbel and the hot air balloon are optional add-ons.

How early do I need to wake for the hot air balloon ride?

Around 5 am for the standard sunrise flight, or roughly 4:30 am if you choose the earlier option. The flight lasts 30 to 45 minutes.

What if I don't want to do Abu Simbel or the balloon?

Both are optional. You can skip them and still have the four-day cruise with all the temples, meals, and guide included. The itinerary adjusts accordingly.

Do I get to visit Karnak Temple?

Yes, Karnak is on the final morning, after the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple. It's the last stop before transfer back to your hotel or airport.

Is the cruise accessible for wheelchairs?

The cruise is wheelchair accessible. Public transportation options are available nearby, and most travelers can participate.

What happens if the Nile's water level changes the schedule?

River conditions can shift the order of sites or sailing times, but the operator confirms all attractions on the itinerary will be visited, just possibly in a different sequence.

Is wifi available on the cruise?

Yes, but it's an extra charge on the ship.

Can I take photos on the hot air balloon?

Cameras are not allowed in the balloon basket, but you can use your cellphone.

What if I'm staying on Aswan's west bank?

Pickup is available, but there's an additional charge of $10 per person.