Luxor to Aswan: 5-Day Nile Cruise & Ancient Temples

Five days drifting downriver through Egypt's temple heartland, with an Egyptologist at your side

You board a 5-star Nile cruise in Luxor and spend five days sailing to Aswan, visiting ten major temples and archaeological sites with an Egyptologist guide at each stop. All entry fees, meals, accommodation, and transfers are included, so you unpack once and let the boat and the guide handle the logistics. Plan for a full immersion in ancient Egypt. The pace is steady but unhurried, built around the boat's schedule and the heat of the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Luxor Temples visit

• Meet guide in Luxor
• Visit Karnak Temples
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Transfer to Nile Cruise

Day 2: West Bank tombs and temples

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• Visit Colossi of Memnon
• Return to cruise and sail to Edfu

Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Temple of Horus in Edfu
• Sail to Kom Ombo Temple
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Return to cruise and sail to Aswan

Day 4: Aswan sights and temples

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Visit Unfinished Obelisk
• Visit Philae Temple
• Return to cruise

Day 5: Disembark and optional tours

• Breakfast on board
• Disembark Nile cruise
• Optional tour to Abu Simbel or Nubian Village
• Enjoy Aswan sights

The experience

Picture the moment the boat pulls away from the dock at Luxor, the river stretching ahead in both directions, and you realize the next four nights you're sleeping on the water. That's how this Nile cruise works. You unpack once, and the temples come to you. Day one starts with Karnak Temple, where an Egyptologist guide meets you at your hotel or airport and walks you through the columns and courtyards where the earliest recorded peace treaty was carved into stone. Then it's on to Luxor Temple, built over centuries by Amunhotep III and Ramses II, with the obelisk still standing in front after three thousand years. By evening you're checked into your cabin, and the cruise begins its slow journey south toward Aswan.

The rhythm settles into a pattern: breakfast onboard, then out to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings. You walk past the tombs of Tutankhamun and Ramses VI, descending into chambers where the walls still hold their colors. The guide explains the hieroglyphics, the burial rituals, the names of gods carved into the darkness. After that comes the Temple of Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh who launched Egypt's first trade routes, her mortuary temple rising in three tiers against the cliffs. The Colossi of Memnon (two massive statues of Amenhotep III facing the Nile) appear almost casual in their scale, like the landscape itself decided to sit down. By afternoon you're back on the boat, and it's moving again, carrying you toward Edfu.

Days three and four take you through Edfu's Temple of Horus and Kom Ombo Temple, which was shared between two gods: Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the sky god. The boat docks, the guide is waiting, and you step into another world of stone and shadow. Then Aswan arrives, and the final day includes the High Dam, which holds three years' worth of the Nile's water, the Unfinished Obelisk still lying in its quarry where workers abandoned it 3,500 years ago, and Philae Temple, built for the goddess Isis on an island in the river. All entry fees are included, all transfers are handled, and your Egyptologist guide is there for every stop, explaining what you're seeing instead of you reading a placard alone.

The boat itself is a 5-star cruise ship: four nights of full board, meaning meals are waiting when you return from each temple. You're not rushing between hotels or negotiating taxis or standing in entry lines. The Nile does the traveling while you sleep, and the temples do the talking while you listen. Optional tours to Abu Simbel or a Nubian village are available on the final morning if you want to extend the experience, but most travelers use that last day to rest or wander Aswan's markets before heading home.

What’s included

Your five-day cruise includes four nights' accommodation on a 5-star Nile cruise ship with full board (all meals), entry to ten major temples and archaeological sites (Karnak, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Horus, Kom Ombo, Aswan High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, and Philae Temple), an Egyptologist guide for all daily excursions, private air-conditioned transfers between your hotel and the cruise ship, bottled water during tours, meet-and-greet service, and all service charges and taxes. Optional tours to Abu Simbel or a Nubian village are available on the final morning.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Thursday and Saturday17 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 15:00

Book up to12h before

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

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

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 today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Reflections Travel

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see Egypt's major temples without managing hotels, transport, or entry logistics. The cruise handles all of it. Expect a full five days of guided sightseeing and river travel. The pace is steady but built around the boat's schedule and the heat, so you're not rushing between sites.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Italian.

Can children come?

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

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's included in the cruise price?

Four nights' accommodation on a 5-star cruise ship with full board (all meals), all temple entry fees, an Egyptologist guide for daily excursions, private transfers, bottled water during tours, and all service charges and taxes.

How many temples and sites do you visit?

Ten major sites: Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Horus (Edfu), Kom Ombo Temple, Aswan High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, and Philae Temple.

Is the guide included every day?

Yes, an Egyptologist guide accompanies you on all daily excursions from day one through day four. Day five is free time in Aswan, though optional tours to Abu Simbel or a Nubian village are available.

Can you visit Abu Simbel on this cruise?

Abu Simbel is offered as an optional tour on the final morning in Aswan, not included in the standard itinerary.

What's the accommodation like?

You stay in a cabin on a 5-star cruise ship for four nights on a full board basis, meaning breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided onboard.

Do you need to change hotels during the cruise?

No. You board once in Luxor and disembark in Aswan. The boat is your hotel for all four nights.

What time does the cruise depart Luxor?

You're met at your hotel, airport, or railway station in Luxor on day one and transferred to the cruise ship for check-in. The exact departure time depends on your arrival and the ship's schedule.

Are meals included onboard?

Yes, full board means all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are included for all four nights on the cruise.

What happens on the last day in Aswan?

After breakfast and disembarkation, you have free time to explore Aswan. Optional tours to Abu Simbel or a Nubian village are available, or you can spend the day at leisure.