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

Summary

Float between Luxor & Aswan temples, Abu Simbel sunrise and Nile mornings

You’ll wake up to Nile mornings, visit Abu Simbel before sunrise with an Egyptologist guide, walk through ancient temples at Luxor and Aswan, and float past palm trees from your cruise deck. Expect laughter over breakfast, quiet moments inside tombs, and new friends sharing stories as you travel between legendary sites.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Aswan tour and Nile cruise boarding

• Pickup from hotel in Aswan
• Board Nile cruise and have lunch
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Visit Philae Temple Complex
• Dinner on board
• Enjoy Nubian Folkloric Show
• Overnight on Nile cruise

Day 2 — Abu Simbel and Kom Ombo temple visit

• Explore Abu Simbel
• Return to cruise and relax
• Cruise sails in afternoon
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Cruise sails towards Edfu
• Overnight on Nile cruise

Day 3 — Edfu temple visit and sail to Luxor

• Free time while cruising Nile
• Visit Edfu Temple of Horus
• Cruise sails to Luxor
• Arrive in Luxor late afternoon
• Overnight on Nile cruise

Day 4 — Luxor West and East Banks tour

• Breakfast and check out
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• See Colossi of Memnon
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Visit Luxor Temple and Obelisk of Ramses II
• Drive to Luxor drop off point

Top questions

Is hotel pickup included for this Nile cruise?

Yes, pickup is included from hotels in Aswan east bank; west bank pickups are available for an extra fee.

How many nights do you stay on the Nile cruise?

The tour includes three nights onboard a 5-star Nile cruise ship.

Are meals provided during the cruise?

Yes, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included while onboard.

Does this tour include Abu Simbel?

Yes, there’s a group day trip to Abu Simbel with an English-speaking guide included.

Which temples are visited between Aswan and Luxor?

You’ll visit Philae Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Edfu Temple, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, and more along the way.

Is there a local guide during temple visits?

An Egyptology English-speaking guide leads all main temple visits throughout the trip.

Where does this Nile cruise tour end?

The tour ends in Luxor by late afternoon on the final day; drop-off is provided at hotels or transport hubs.

What’s included

Your trip covers hotel pickup in Aswan (with options for both east and west banks), all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle with professional drivers, guided tours at each major site including Abu Simbel in a small group with an Egyptologist guide, entry fees where specified, three nights’ accommodation aboard a 5-star Nile cruise with all meals (breakfasts, lunches and dinners), plus extras like a motorboat ride to Philae Temple and a cart ride at Edfu. All local taxes are taken care of too—so you can just show up ready to experience it all.

What’s the experience like?

I opened my cabin window and the Nile was right there — green palms sliding past, a couple of fishermen waving from their little boat. Breakfast smelled like cardamom and fresh bread. Our guide, Hany, had already mapped out the day on a napkin over coffee. He’s been doing this for years but still gets excited about each stop. First up: Philae Temple. The motorboat ride out there was loud and a bit bumpy (I almost lost my hat), but seeing those columns rising from the island felt unreal — like something out of a storybook I read as a kid.

Abu Simbel was early — really early. I remember shuffling onto the minibus in the dark, clutching sweet tea someone handed me at the hotel pickup. The drive south is long enough that you start to wonder if you’re dreaming it all. But then you step off and those statues are just… massive. Hany told us Ramses moved mountains for love (literally), which made me laugh because my partner won’t even move his socks most days. Later back on the cruise, we drifted past Kom Ombo temple as the sun started dipping — golden light on sandstone, kids running along the riverbank shouting “welcome!”

The day we did Edfu Temple I tried saying “Horus” in Arabic — Li laughed so hard she nearly dropped her camera. There’s something about walking into these places with someone who knows every carved story on the wall; Hany pointed out graffiti from Roman soldiers next to hieroglyphs that are thousands of years old. By now I’d stopped trying to keep track of every king’s name and just let it all wash over me.

Luxor was our last stop — Karnak’s forest of pillars and then Valley of the Kings where it suddenly went quiet underground (cool air, dust motes catching in my flashlight). The Colossi of Memnon looked almost bored watching us go by. It’s strange how quickly you get used to waking up on water and falling asleep after dinner under stars you don’t recognize. Even now, sometimes I catch myself missing that slow drift downriver.