Nile Cruise Aswan to Luxor: 3-Day Tour with Balloon & Abu Simbel

The boat moves between temples while you sleep, and you wake up at the next one.

A 3-day Nile River cruise from Aswan to Luxor with 2 nights aboard a 5-star boat, temple visits at Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo and Edfu, and a hot air balloon flight over Luxor. An Egyptology guide leads the temple tours. Meals, cabin, transfers from your hotel and all activities are included. Abu Simbel and the balloon flight are subject to weather and carry a refund of $30 per person if cancelled.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Nile cruise

• Pickup from hotel early morning
• Visit Abu Simbel temple
• Return to Aswan and board cruise
• Lunch onboard cruise
• Enjoy Aswan views and islands
• Sail past Nubian villages and fields
• Evening disco party on cruise
• Stop at Kom Ombo temple at sunset
• Overnight on 5 stars Nile cruise

Day 2: Edfu temple and sailing to Luxor

• Breakfast on cruise
• Horse and carriage to Edfu temple
• Return to cruise and sail to Luxor
• Enjoy natural views and local drink
• Arrive Luxor around 8 pm
• Overnight on cruise board

Day 3: Luxor city and hot air balloon

• Breakfast and disembark from cruise
• Hot air balloon ride over Luxor
• Transfer to hotel, train station, or airport

The experience

You're picked up from your Aswan hotel around 5 am to visit Abu Simbel temple before the heat builds. The drive south takes you to one of Egypt's most important sites, carved into the mountainside during the Ptolemaic dynasty. After the tour, you return to Aswan to check in to the cruise boat by noon, and the ship begins sailing north toward Luxor. Lunch is served onboard as you settle into your cabin and watch the Nile unfold from the deck: Nubian islands, villages, small fishing boats, the daily life of the river playing out on both banks.

The second day splits between water and stone. You sail through the morning with Egyptian tea on the sun deck, then stop at Kom Ombo temple as the sun sets. This double temple, built in the Ptolemaic period, was dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile deity, and Hathor. You tour it with your guide, then return to the boat for the night. The third morning brings breakfast and a horse-and-carriage ride to Edfu temple, one of Egypt's best-preserved sites, dedicated to Horus. After the tour you sail the final stretch to Luxor, arriving around 8 pm.

On the last morning, you disembark after breakfast and head straight to the hot air balloon for an early flight over Luxor's temples and fields: the historical city from above, with your phone as the only camera allowed. After landing, a transfer takes you to your hotel, train station or airport. The entire journey (all meals from lunch on day one through breakfast on day three, the guide, the 5-star cabin, the horse carriage, the balloon, door-to-door transfers from your Aswan location) is arranged and included.

What’s included

• Meals from lunch on day one through breakfast on day three.
• 2 nights in a cabin aboard a 5-star Nile cruise boat with all facilities.
• Egyptology tour guide for temple visits.
• entry to Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo and Edfu temples.
• horse-and-carriage transport to Edfu temple.
• hot air balloon flight over Luxor at dawn on day three.
• door-to-door transfers by air-conditioned minibus from your Aswan hotel and to your Luxor destination.
• all handling fees and taxes.

Before you book

Lasts 3d, runs every day except Wednesday and Sunday, 9 start times, from US$ 796.80 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish and Arabic, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day except Wednesday and Sunday9 departure times: the first at 04:00, the last at 12:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Arabic

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 10 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 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Special trips

Is this one for you?Book this if you're traveling without a car and want accommodation, meals, and temple visits bundled together: the 2-night duration fits a tight schedule while the boat itself becomes your base between Kom Ombo and Edfu.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 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 time does the cruise leave Aswan, and when do I need to arrive?

Pickup from your Aswan hotel happens around 5 am on day one to visit Abu Simbel first. You return to the boat to check in by noon, when the cruise departs. If you arrive in Aswan early, the tour can start immediately upon your arrival rather than waiting for the scheduled pickup.

Which temples do I visit on this cruise?

You visit three temples: Abu Simbel on the morning of day one (before boarding); Kom Ombo on day two at sunset; and Edfu on day three morning, reached by horse and carriage from the boat. All three tours are led by an Egyptology guide included in the price.

Where do I sleep, and what's the cabin like?

You sleep two nights in a cabin aboard the 5-star Nile cruise boat. The cabin includes all standard facilities and is your base while the boat sails between temple stops overnight, so you wake up at each new location without packing or moving.

Is the hot air balloon flight guaranteed, or could it be cancelled?

The hot air balloon flight over Luxor on the morning of day three is weather-dependent. If bad weather cancels it, you receive a $30 refund per person, but the rest of the tour (temples, cruise, meals and transfers), continues as planned.

What meals are included, and when do I eat?

Meals are included from lunch on day one through breakfast on day three. You eat onboard the cruise boat, with lunch and dinner on days one and two, and breakfast on days two and three before disembarking. Local drinks are available on the sun deck during sailing.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to and from the boat?

No. Door-to-door transfers from your hotel in Aswan and to your hotel, train station or airport in Luxor are included. A qualified driver in an air-conditioned minibus picks you up and drops you off, so you don't need a car or separate transport booking.