Egypt » Cairo | 🏛 Nile Cruise Cairo · Hot Air Balloon Cairo · Valley Of The Kings Tour

Luxor to Aswan: Nile Cruise, Balloon Ride & Abu Simbel

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.75 (80 reviews) 88% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/21

Duration4d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · AR +3

PickupAt your hotel

Sunrise balloons, ancient tombs and Nile river drifting between Luxor and Aswan

You’ll float above Luxor at sunrise in a hot air balloon, wander through ancient tombs in the Valley of the Kings, cruise down the Nile past palm trees and villages, and stand face-to-face with Abu Simbel’s colossal statues—all with flights, hotel pickup, and an Egyptologist guide included. This trip is more feeling than checklist—it lingers long after you’re home.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Fly from Cairo to Luxor and hotel stay

Pick up from Cairo accommodation
Drive to Cairo airport
Fly from Cairo to Luxor
Meet driver at Luxor airport
Transfer to 4-star hotel

Day 2 — Hot air balloon and Luxor sightseeing

Early morning hot air balloon ride
Visit Valley of the Kings tombs
Tour Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
See Colossi of Memnon
Visit Karnak Temple on east bank
Lunch and check-in on river boat
Boat departs for Edfu
Dinner and free time on boat

Day 3 — Edfu and Kom Ombo temple visits

Breakfast on board
Horse-drawn carriage to Edfu
Guided visit of Temple of Horus
Lunch on board while sailing
Visit Kom Ombo Temple
Dinner and free time on boat

Day 4 — Abu Simbel tour and fly back to Cairo

Check out and take breakfast box
Visit Abu Simbel Temples
Return to cruise for luggage
Transfer to Aswan airport
Fly from Aswan to Cairo
Driver meets at Cairo airport
Return to hotel in Cairo

The Experience

I didn’t really know what to expect when I signed up for this Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan—just that I’d always wanted to see those temples I’d read about as a kid. The first real “wow” hit me before dawn in Luxor, standing in the dark with a handful of strangers while the balloon crew fussed with ropes. The air was cool and smelled faintly of dust and something sweet—maybe date palms? When we lifted off, it was so quiet except for the burners. Our guide, Mahmoud, pointed out the Valley of the Kings below as the sun cracked open over the horizon. I think I grinned like an idiot the whole time.

After landing (a bit bumpier than I expected), we visited those tombs—Valley of the Kings—and honestly, seeing all those colors on the walls after thousands of years felt surreal. Mahmoud knew every detail but also had this way of making jokes about ancient pharaohs’ family drama. At Hatshepsut’s Temple, he told us how she ruled dressed as a man; Li from our group tried to say her name in Arabic and everyone just lost it laughing. Lunch back on the boat tasted better than usual—I don’t know if it was hunger or just eating while watching palm trees drift by on the river.

The days blurred in a good way—horse-drawn carriage rides to Edfu’s Temple of Horus (the driver winked at me when I tried my rusty Arabic), wandering through Kom Ombo’s double temple with its crocodile mummies, then evenings on deck watching kids wave from shore. There’s something about sailing at sunset on the Nile that makes you feel both tiny and lucky at once. The keyword “Nile cruise” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

The last morning started early again—breakfast packed up in a box as we drove out toward Abu Simbel. It’s a long ride but worth every minute; those giant statues staring out over Lake Nasser are even bigger than photos suggest. Our guide explained how they moved everything stone by stone when they built the dam—I can’t imagine having that kind of patience. By afternoon we were back at Aswan Market for a quick wander before heading to catch our flight back to Cairo. Still not sure if I’ve processed half of what we saw—but sometimes travel is like that, right?

What’s included

Your journey includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairo, all domestic flights needed for this itinerary, one night in a 4-star hotel with breakfast in Luxor plus two nights full board on a 5-star Nile cruise ship (excluding drinks), guided visits with an Egyptologist at every major site including Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Edfu’s Temple of Horus by horse carriage, Kom Ombo Temple, Abu Simbel group tour from Aswan—and yes: sunrise hot air ballooning over Luxor before breakfast.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Nice tours