Cairo, Luxor & Aswan: 8-Day Nile Cruise & Abu Simbel

Eight days along the Nile, from Cairo's pyramids to Abu Simbel's colossal temples

You fly into Cairo and a guide meets you at arrivals; over eight days you see the Pyramids and Sphinx, cruise the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, float over Luxor in a hot air balloon, walk through the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel, and sleep in 5-star hotels and a 5-star river cruise. All transport, meals, entry fees, flights between cities and your private guide are included, which means you never book a separate ticket or negotiate a price.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival and Nile cruise dinner

• Meet representative at airport exit
• Enjoy traditional Egyptian lunch
• Check in at 5-star hotel
• Attend gala dinner on Nile cruise
• Watch folklore and traditional shows
• Return to hotel for overnight

Day 2 — Pyramids, Memphis and Saqqara tour

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Great Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx
• Tour ancient city of Memphis
• Explore Saqqara and Step Pyramid of Djoser
• Lunch break
• Return to hotel for dinner and overnight

Day 3 — Islamic and Coptic Cairo exploration

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Church of Saint George and Hanging Church
• Return to hotel for dinner and overnight

Day 4 — Flight to Luxor and temple visits

• Breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to airport for flight to Luxor
• Meet guide at Luxor airport
• Visit Karnak Temple on Luxor's east bank
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Check in on boat and have lunch
• Take one-hour felucca tour on Nile
• Return to boat for overnight

Day 5 — Hot air balloon and west bank tour

• Early breakfast box preparation
• Hot air balloon ride over Luxor
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Tour Temple of Hatshepsut
• Stop at Memnon statue for photos
• Return to boat for lunch and sail to Edfu

Day 6 — Edfu and Kom Ombo temple visits

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Temple of Horus in Edfu
• Return to ship for lunch
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Return to ship for dinner
• Sail to Aswan overnight

Day 7 — Abu Simbel and Philae temple tour

• Early breakfast box preparation
• Visit Great Temple of Abu Simbel
• Return to boat for lunch
• Visit Temple of Philae
• Enjoy traditional felucca ride on Nile
• Return to boat for dinner and overnight

Day 8 — Return to Cairo and tour end

• Breakfast on ship
• Transfer to airport for flight to Cairo
• Meet agent in Cairo
• Transfer to hotel

The Experience

The moment you step out of Cairo airport, a representative is waiting with your name on a sign. No hunting for a taxi, no negotiating a fare — you're picked up and driven straight to lunch at a traditional Egyptian restaurant, then to your 5-star hotel. By evening you're on a Nile cruise ship watching folklore performances while the river moves beneath you. That's the rhythm of this 8-day tour: everything arranged, nothing left to figure out.

Day two takes you to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx with a private guide, then on to Memphis and Saqqara — the Step Pyramid of Djoser is there, older than you'd expect and stranger too. Day three splits between Islamic Cairo (the Citadel built by Saladin in 1176, the Muhammad Ali Mosque with its alabaster walls) and Coptic Cairo (the Hanging Church, the Church of Saint George). A flight to Luxor on day four lands you at Karnak Temple, where three main temples and a thousand years of stone carvings sit in one vast complex. Your guide walks you through it, then you board the 5-star cruise ship for four nights sailing south.

Day five starts before dawn with a hot air balloon ride over Luxor — the west and east banks spread out below, the Nile splitting them in half. After landing, your guide takes you to the Valley of the Kings, where painted tombs hide inside a rocky gorge, then the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. The ship sails while you sleep. Day six brings Edfu's Temple of Horus and Kom Ombo's twin-god temple (one for Sobek the crocodile god, one for Horus). Day seven is the long one: an early morning drive to Abu Simbel, the massive temple Ramesses II carved into a cliff face and engineers moved stone by stone to save it from flooding. After that, the Temple of Philae and a felucca ride on the Nile at sunset. Day eight is the flight back to Cairo and home.

What makes this work is that you don't arrange any of it. The tour includes your Cairo hotel, the Nile cruise, all flights, entry to every site, meals three times a day, a private guide, transport in a car or van, even the hot air balloon and the felucca rides. You show up at the airport and the rest unfolds on schedule.

What’s included

Your eight days include hotel pickup at Cairo airport, a traditional Egyptian lunch on arrival, 5-star hotel accommodation in Cairo for three nights, a gala dinner cruise on the Nile with folklore performances, a private guide and private car or van transport throughout, entry to the Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Memphis, Saqqara, Cairo Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Hanging Church, Church of Saint George, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, a one-hour felucca ride in Luxor, a hot air balloon ride over Luxor at sunrise, the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Horus in Edfu, Kom Ombo Temple, Abu Simbel, Temple of Philae, a felucca ride in Aswan, flights from Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan back to Cairo, four nights on a 5-star Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan with all meals on board, and return transfer to Cairo airport on day eight.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Nice tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Egypt's major sites — Cairo, the Nile Valley, Abu Simbel — without arranging flights between cities, booking hotels separately, or managing entry fees and transport logistics; the fixed itinerary and all-inclusive format is what makes eight days of travel feel like one continuous experience instead of a series of separate bookings.

Traveler reviews

4.72★★★★★★★★★★

209 verified traveler reviews

5 ★185

4 ★7

3 ★6

2 ★5

1 ★6

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

How long is the tour?

Eight days and seven nights, departing and returning to Cairo.

What's included in the price?

Hotel accommodation in Cairo (3 nights, 5-star) and the Nile cruise (4 nights, 5-star), all meals, flights from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan back to Cairo, entry fees to all sites, private guide, private car or van transport, hot air balloon ride, and felucca rides in Luxor and Aswan.

Do I need to book flights to Egypt separately?

Yes, your international flights to and from Cairo are not included. The tour includes flights between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.

What time does the tour start?

A representative meets you at Cairo airport upon arrival. The itinerary begins with lunch and hotel check-in that day.

Is a guide included?

Yes, a private guide is with you throughout the tour to explain the sites and manage the schedule.

Can I bring young children?

Yes. Infants can use a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels.

What's the hot air balloon ride like?

It's an early morning flight over Luxor on day five, showing both banks of the Nile and the city below. A breakfast box is prepared for you before pickup.

How much time do we spend at Abu Simbel?

You travel early in the morning on day seven to see the temple, then return to the ship for lunch. The full day is dedicated to Abu Simbel and the Temple of Philae.

What is a felucca ride?

A felucca is a traditional wooden sailboat. You take a one-hour ride on the Nile in Luxor (day four) and another in Aswan (day seven).

Are meals included?

Yes, breakfast, lunch and dinner are included every day of the tour.