Nile Cruise Aswan to Luxor: Private Temple Sailing

Four days sailing downriver, stopping at tombs and temples most travelers only read about.

A 4-day private Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor with an English-speaking guide, three nights aboard a 5-star superior cruise ship on full board, and guided visits to Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Horus at Edfu, and Kom Ombo Temple. The boat sails each day between stops. You walk through ancient sites with your guide and spend evenings on deck watching the river.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Aswan sightseeing

• Meet at Aswan Airport or station
• Transfer to Nile Cruise and check-in
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Visit The Unfinished Obelisk
• Optional visit to Philae Temple

Day 2: Abu Simbel optional tour and Kom Ombo

• Optional tour to Abu Simbel Temples
• Drive back to Aswan
• Sail to Kom Ombo
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple

Day 3: Edfu Temple and sail to Luxor

• Visit Temple of Edfu
• Sail and enjoy lunch on board
• Arrive Luxor
• Optional visit to Luxor Temple or walking tour

Day 4: West Bank Luxor sightseeing and checkout

• Check out from cruise
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• See Colossi of Memnon
• Optional visit to Karnak Temple

The experience

The cruise departs Aswan after you're met at the airport or railway station and transferred to the ship before lunch. Your first afternoon takes you to Aswan High Dam, built across the Nile with Soviet help in the 1960s, then to the Unfinished Obelisk: the largest known ancient obelisk, started during Hatshepsut's reign but abandoned mid-carving. You sleep aboard that night and every night of the tour, meals included.

Day two is a sailing day to Kom Ombo Temple, which sits on the riverbank with a dual dedication to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. An optional early-morning excursion to Abu Simbel Temples (about three and a half hours' drive from Aswan) is available if you want to see the two colossal rock temples carved into the desert. Day three brings you to Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, built over 180 years with a pylon added by Cleopatra's father. You sail into Luxor that afternoon. An optional evening walk through Luxor Temple is offered, or you can rest on the ship.

The final morning, after checking out, your guide escorts you across the West Bank to Valley of the Kings, where nearly 70 pharaohs' tombs lie hidden in the rock, including Tutankhamun and Ramses III. You then visit Temple of Hatshepsut, the mortuary temple of Egypt's only female pharaoh, built into the cliffs at Der Albahari, and finish at the Colossi of Memnon, two 59-foot statues that once guarded a funerary temple. The guide accompanies you throughout the sailing days and all shore visits. You choose whether to add optional tours like Philae Temple or Karnak Temple, which cost extra.

What’s included

• Three nights aboard a 5-star superior Nile cruise ship with all meals included.
• private English-speaking guide accompanying you on all sailing days and shore visits.
• guided tours of Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Horus at Edfu, Kom Ombo Temple, Aswan High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk.
• airport or railway station pickup and transfer to the ship on arrival day.

Options for this experience

2 options

ONLY Cruise excursionsGuide in 7 languages · 08:30No Accommodation Option: This rate covers transfers at the airports only, plus full excursions across the 3 nights of sailing. Duration: 4 days, sailing from Aswan to Luxor on Wednesdays or Fridays. Nile Cruise tour: full excursions with the cruise, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu and West Bank, with a guide. Private tour: private van and a private guide in Cairo, plus a company private guide throughout the 3-night cruise, with all excursions. Entrance fees are not included. Pickup is included.

Private tour in a double cabinGuide in 7 languages · 08:30Superior 5-Star Deluxe Nile Cruise: air-conditioned cabin with a double or twin bed, private bathroom with shower, hairdryer, mini-bar, safe box, telephone and satellite TV. Duration: 4 days. Nile Cruise tour: all transfers and all excursions with a private guide, covering West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan. Private tour: private van and a company private guide throughout the 4-night cruise, with all excursions. Entrance fees are not included. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesWednesday and FridayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to4h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

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

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Paid on siteUS$ 88

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Explore plus Holidays

Is this one for you?Choose the "Double Cabin Private Tour" option if you want accommodation, meals and guiding bundled into one booking and don't want to arrange a separate hotel. Pick "Cruise excursions only" if you're staying in an Aswan hotel and want the guide and ship-based meals without paying for a cabin you won't use.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Arabic.

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 the difference between the two booking options for this cruise?

The "Cruise excursions only" option covers the tour and guide but not accommodation, so you book your own hotel. The "Double Cabin Private Tour" option includes the cruise ship as your accommodation for all three nights, plus the guide and all meals on board. Both come with a private guide and vehicle for shore visits.

Can I visit Abu Simbel Temples on this cruise?

Abu Simbel Temples are offered as an optional excursion on day two, requiring a three-and-a-half-hour drive each way from Aswan. You choose whether to add it at checkout. It costs extra and is not part of the base tour price.

What happens on the days the ship is sailing between stops?

You're aboard the cruise ship during sailing days, with meals served on board. Your guide is with you, and you can spend time on deck watching the Nile pass. The ship stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu so you can visit the temples there with your guide.

Does the price include entry to the temples and tombs?

No. Entrance fees for all the sites (Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Edfu, Kom Ombo and others) are not included and are paid separately at each location. Your guide will accompany you through each site.

Are meals provided on the cruise?

Yes, full board is included for the three nights you're aboard the ship: breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Note that hotels and cruise ships provide tea and coffee with meals but not bottled water. You'll want to bring your own or purchase it separately.