Aswan to Luxor: 4-Day Nile Cruise & Abu Simbel with Hot Air Balloon

Four Days on the Nile: Abu Simbel, Balloon Ride & Five Temple Stops

You board a 5-star Nile cruise in Aswan and spend four days sailing north to Luxor, visiting eight major temples including Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. A hot air balloon ride over Luxor's west bank and nightly entertainment (belly dancing, Galabeya party, Nubian show) are included. All meals on the cruise are covered, transfers are by air-conditioned vehicle, and an Egyptologist guide leads the excursions. You check out by noon on day four.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Aswan and Nile Cruise Tour

• Pick up from Aswan hotel or airport
• Transfer to 5-star Nile cruise
• Lunch on board
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Visit Philae Temple by motorboat
• Dinner on board
• Enjoy folkloric show
• Overnight on Nile cruise in Aswan

Day 2: Abu Simbel and Kom Ombo Temples

• Early pick up for Abu Simbel visit
• Tour Abu Simbel temples
• Return to cruise by noon
• Lunch on board
• Sail to Kom Ombo city
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Sail to Edfu
• Dinner on board
• Galabeya party onboard
• Overnight on Nile cruise in Edfu

Day 3: Edfu Temple and Luxor East Bank

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Edfu Temple
• Relax on sundeck sailing to Luxor
• Cross Esna Lock
• Lunch on board
• Afternoon tea on sundeck
• Visit Karnak Temples
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Dinner on board
• Overnight on Nile cruise in Luxor

Day 4: Hot Air Balloon and West Bank Tour

• Early morning hot air balloon ride
• Breakfast box after balloon ride
• Photo stop at Colossi of Memnon
• Visit Queen Hatshepsut Temple
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Transfer to Luxor railway station, airport or hotel

The experience

The Aswan market vendor who packed our breakfast didn't ask questions. Just wrapped it tight and handed it over with a nod. That's the kind of efficiency you get when you're moving through Egypt on a 5-star Nile cruise, where someone else has already thought through the logistics. You board in Aswan by noon, and by afternoon you're standing in front of the Aswan High Dam (3,600 metres long, 111 metres tall at its peak) before heading out by motorboat to Philae Temple on Aglika Island. The temple sits where it was carefully reconstructed after the High Dam threatened to submerge it, and you can still see the landscaping they did to match the original setting. Dinner comes on board that night, followed by a folkloric show.

Day two starts at 4:30 AM. Early enough that the sky is still dark when you leave the cruise for Abu Simbel, the rock-cut temples of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari carved straight into the mountainside. You're in a small group with an Egyptologist guide, and the scale of it hits differently when you're standing in front of the colossal statues at sunrise. By noon you're back on the cruise heading north toward Kom Ombo, a three-hour sail where you can sit on the sundeck with tea and watch the Nile landscape unfold. Kom Ombo Temple sits right on the riverbank, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus: built during the Ptolemaic dynasty around 180 BC. That evening there's a Galabeya party on board, and you sleep in Edfu.

The third day moves through Edfu Temple, the most preserved temple in Egypt and dedicated to Horus, before the cruise sails toward Luxor. You cross the Esna Lock, have lunch on board, and by late afternoon you're in Luxor visiting Karnak, not just one temple but a sprawling complex of sanctuaries, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban gods. If the cruise arrives early enough, you'll also see Luxor Temple the same day. If not, it waits for the morning. Either way, you're eating dinner on the Nile again.

Day four is the finale. A pre-dawn pickup takes you up in a hot air balloon for 40 to 55 minutes over the west bank of Luxor: aerial views of the temples and mountains below, the kind of perspective that makes the scale of everything click into place. After landing, you stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two 60-foot quartzite statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that have stood in the desert for thousands of years. Then Temple of Hatshepsut, rising in terraces out of the plain, and finally Valley of the Kings: the burial ground of the pharaohs, where you walk among the tombs of Ramesses III, Ramesses VI and others. The tour wraps by noon, and you're transferred to Luxor airport, railway station or your hotel. Lunch that day is on your own.

What’s included

• Your four days include 3 nights on a 5-star Nile cruise on full board (all meals), all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle with meet-and-greet service, motorboat transport to Philae Temple and horse carriage to Edfu Temple, a hot air balloon ride over Luxor's west bank (40–55 minutes), an Egyptologist guide for all excursions, bottled water during outings, and nightly entertainment on board such as belly dancing, Galabeya party and Nubian shows.
• Service charges and taxes are included.
• Lunch on the final day is not included.

Before you book

Lasts 4d, runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 21 start times, from US$ 875 per person, with a live guide in English and Arabic, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday and Friday21 departure times: the first at 05:00, the last at 15:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 14 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 99

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Let's Discover Egypt

Is this one for you?Book this cruise if you want to see Egypt's major Nile temples and Abu Simbel without arranging accommodation, transport between sites, or guide logistics yourself: the fixed itinerary and all-inclusive meals on board handle those details, leaving you to focus on the sights.

Traveler reviews

4.94★★★★★★★★★★

93 verified traveler reviews

5 ★88

4 ★4

3 ★1

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6).

What time does the cruise check in on day one?

Check-in is at 12:00 PM. If you arrive early (7:00–10:00 AM recommended), the tour starts right away so you don't wait in the lobby during the heat.

Is the Abu Simbel visit included in the price?

Yes. It's a shared small-group tour with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, departing at 4:30 AM on day two.

What happens if the hot air balloon is cancelled?

If bad weather cancels the balloon ride, you receive a refund of $20 USD per person.

What meals are included?

All meals on the cruise are included: breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Lunch on day four (after checkout) is not included. Vegan and vegetarian options are available if requested at booking.

How many nights do I sleep on the cruise?

Three nights: one in Aswan, one in Edfu, and one in Luxor.

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

No. All transfers are included: hotel, airport or railway station pickup on arrival, and drop-off at your hotel, airport or station in Luxor on departure.

What is the group size for Abu Simbel?

Abu Simbel is a shared small-group tour. Other excursions may vary in group composition.

Is bottled water provided?

Yes, bottled water is included during outings outside the cruise ship. Water on board is also available.

How many temples do I visit?

Eight major sites: Philae, Abu Simbel (two temples), Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, Luxor Temple, Temple of Hatshepsut, and Valley of the Kings.