Cairo & Nile Cruise: Pyramids, Luxor Balloon & 5-Star Ship

Seven Days Along the Nile: Pyramids, Ancient Temples & a Sunrise Balloon Over Luxor

You're picked up from Cairo airport and stay two nights at a Pyramids-front hotel, visiting the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Then you fly to Luxor, board a 5-star cruise ship, and sail south to Aswan, stopping at Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae Temple. On day four you take a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple. All domestic flights, hotel stays, cruise accommodations, meals, transport, and the balloon are included. The tour runs seven days total and ends with an evening flight back to Cairo.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and hotel transfer

• Pickup from Cairo airport
• Transfer to hotel

Day 2: Giza pyramids and museum visit

• Visit Great Pyramids of Giza
• See the Sphinx
• Visit papyrus workshop
• Explore Grand Egyptian Museum
• Return to hotel

Day 3: Fly to Luxor and temple visits

• Transfer to Cairo airport
• Fly from Cairo to Luxor
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Check in Nile cruise ship

Day 4: Balloon flight and West Bank tour

• Sunrise hot air balloon flight
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• See stone vase and statue making
• See Colossi of Memnon
• Cruise sailing to Edfu

Day 5: Edfu and Kom Ombo temples

• Visit Edfu Temple
• Cruise sailing to Kom Ombo
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Cruise sailing to Aswan

Day 6: Aswan tour and cultural experience

• Visit Philae Temple on island
• See essential oil making

Day 7: Return to Cairo

• Pickup to Aswan airport
• Fly from Aswan to Cairo
• End of services at Cairo airport

The Experience

So you land in Cairo after midday, and instead of figuring out taxis and hotels, someone's waiting at arrivals with your name on a sign. That's the first thing that lands different. You're picked up, driven to a Pyramids-front hotel, and the next morning you're standing in front of the Great Pyramids before most tourists have finished breakfast. Two million blocks of stone, the oldest and biggest stone construction in the world, and you're not rushing through it with fifty other people on a bus. After the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, you head to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which houses over 100,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt. It's the largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, and the scale of it hits different when you're not reading about it online.

Day three you fly south to Luxor and board a 5-star cruise ship, and that's when the pace shifts. You're sailing the Nile from Aswan back to Luxor, stopping at temples most people only see in documentaries. Karnak Temple (the biggest temple in Egypt, dedicated to the sun god Amon Ra) takes half a day to walk through properly. Then there's Luxor Temple, Edfu Temple with its falcon god Horus, and Kom Ombo, which is actually two temples in one, split between the god Horus and the crocodile god Sobek. The cruise includes all your meals, afternoon tea and cake while you're sailing, and you wake up at a different temple each morning. On day four, you're up before dawn for the sunrise hot air balloon flight over Luxor's West Bank. You drift over the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon as the sun comes up. It's the kind of view that makes you understand why people spent their whole lives studying Egypt.

The last stop is Aswan, where you visit Philae Temple on an island dedicated to the goddess Isis, and then it's the flight back to Cairo and home. The whole thing (flights, hotels, the cruise ship, transport with an air-conditioned driver, breakfast lunch and dinner, even the balloon) is locked in with no hidden costs. Your guide speaks English, Spanish or Italian depending on who you are, and if you need vegetarian or gluten-free meals, they sort that before you arrive. The only thing weather can cancel is the balloon, and if that happens, there's no refund, so book it knowing that's the one variable.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Cairo or Giza location or Cairo airport.
• two nights at a 4-star hotel (Helnan Dream Land Hotel) with breakfast.
• domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo.
• four nights aboard a 5-star Nile cruise ship with all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and afternoon tea included.
• guided tours of the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Museum, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Philae Temple, and Aswan Market.
• sunrise hot air balloon flight over Luxor's West Bank.
• private air-conditioned transport with professional drivers.
• bottled mineral water during daily tours.
• Wi-Fi at hotels and cruise ship.
• in-person guide in English, Spanish, or Italian.
• tipping covering everything except tour guides.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by The great Egypt Travel

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the full Egypt experience (pyramids, temples, and the Nile) without arranging flights, hotels, or a cruise separately. The fixed itinerary and included transport mean you show up and move through seven days of ancient sites without logistics getting in the way.

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Top questions

What's included in the 5-star Nile cruise?

Full board meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), afternoon tea and cake daily, and accommodation on the cruise ship for four nights between Luxor and Aswan.

Do I need to arrange my own domestic flights?

No. Domestic flights from Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan back to Cairo are included in the tour price.

What time does the tour start and end?

Pickup begins after midday on day one from Cairo airport or your hotel. The tour finishes around 6 p.m. on day seven at your Cairo location or airport.

Is the hot air balloon flight guaranteed?

The sunrise balloon flight over Luxor runs from September 1st onward, but it can be cancelled due to bad weather. If cancelled, there is no refund.

Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary requirements can be arranged if you specify them when booking.

What language guides are available?

In-person guides are available in English, Spanish, and Italian.

How many nights do I spend on the cruise ship?

Four nights aboard the cruise ship (Renaissance or Jaz Celebrity, depending on availability) between Luxor and Aswan.

What happens if I need to cancel the balloon due to weather?

The balloon trip cannot be refunded if cancelled because of bad weather. This is stated in the tour terms.