Nile Cruises in Egypt

A Nile cruise is the most relaxed way to see the great temples of Upper Egypt. You unpack once, and the river carries your room from Luxor to Aswan, past palm groves, mud-brick villages and the sandstone cliffs that ancient builders quarried for their monuments. Every Nile cruise package on this page is a full journey rather than a cabin alone: airport meet and assist, private transfers, full-board accommodation on board, and privately guided sightseeing at each stop with an English-speaking Egyptologist.

Below you will find how the route works, how long to sail, which type of boat suits you, what full board really covers, and what Nile cruise prices look like across our ships. If you already know what you want, browse the cruises above or ask us to build a cruise into a wider Egypt trip.

Nile Cruise Packages at a Glance

Our Egypt river cruises fall into four groups. The table uses the lowest published fare for each example; the exact rate depends on your dates, cabin type and the number of travelers sharing.

How a Nile Cruise Works: the Luxor to Aswan Route

Almost every Nile river cruise in Egypt sails the same stretch of river between Luxor and Aswan. It holds the densest concentration of temples in the country, and the ships are built for it. Long cruises that once ran from Cairo are no longer the standard product, so travelers who start in Cairo fly to Luxor or Aswan to join the boat.

Between boarding and disembarking you visit five places:

• Luxor. Karnak and Luxor Temple on the East Bank; the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon on the West Bank. Read more in our Luxor travel guide.
• Esna. Ships pass through the Esna lock, the one lock on this stretch of the river. It is a highlight for some travelers and a source of delays when traffic is heavy.
• Edfu. The Temple of Horus, one of the most complete temples to survive from ancient Egypt.
• Kom Ombo. A double temple shared by Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the Elder, standing right above the river.
• Aswan. The High Dam and the island Temple of Philae, with time for a felucca sail around Elephantine Island. Our Aswan travel guide covers the rest of the town.

For a full description of the sites, cabins and daily rhythm, see our complete guide to the Luxor to Aswan Nile cruise.

3, 4 or 6 Nights: Choosing Your Cruise Length

The direction you sail decides the length. Cruises that start in Aswan and sail downstream to Luxor usually take three nights. Cruises that start in Luxor and sail upstream to Aswan usually take four, because they include the Esna lock and an extra half day of sightseeing. Some ships also run longer sailings: the Oberoi Philae, for example, offers a six-night itinerary from Luxor. Our 3 night Nile cruise and 4 night Nile cruise pages compare every ship and fare for each length.

A typical 4-night cruise from Luxor

1. Day 1, Luxor. Board the ship, then visit Karnak and Luxor Temple with your Egyptologist.
2. Day 2, West Bank. The Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
3. Day 3, Edfu and Kom Ombo. Sail through the Esna lock, visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, then Kom Ombo at sunset.
4. Day 4, Aswan. The High Dam and the Temple of Philae, with a free afternoon for a felucca.
5. Day 5, Aswan. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport, the train or your hotel.

A typical 3-night cruise from Aswan

Day one combines the High Dam and Philae on arrival. Day two covers Kom Ombo and Edfu. Day three is Karnak and Luxor Temple, and on the final morning you disembark and visit the West Bank before your onward transfer.

Choosing a Ship: Five-Star, Luxury or Dahabiya

The ships we book range from large modern vessels to small luxury boats, and they are not the same experience. Large modern ships carry more guests and offer a pool, a lounge and a choice of cabin categories. Luxury ships are smaller, quieter and more spacious, with suites and a higher ratio of crew to guests. A dahabiya is a different idea altogether: a traditional sailing boat with a handful of cabins that moors at islands and villages the big ships pass by.

• Compare our deluxe Nile cruises for well-priced five-star ships.
• Browse ultra deluxe Nile cruises for newer ships with larger cabins and balconies.
• See our luxury Nile cruises for the Oberoi, Sonesta and Sanctuary fleets.
• Read about the dahabiya Nile cruise if you want a small, slow and private-feeling journey.
• Travelling on a tighter budget? Our budget Nile cruises page lists lower-priced options.

Nile Cruise or Land Tour?

This is one of the first questions most travelers ask, and the honest answer is that both work well. The difference is in the rhythm of the trip.

If you would rather stay in hotels, the Timeless Egypt itinerary covers the same temples from five-star hotels in Luxor and Aswan, and our luxury Egypt tours page compares cruise and hotel journeys side by side. Every hotel-based package is listed on our Egypt tours without a Nile cruise page.

Nile Cruise With an Egyptologist: Private Sightseeing

On most Nile ships, guests are divided into groups and follow a shared guide from the ship. Our packages work differently. The sightseeing in Luxor and Aswan listed in your itinerary is private: your own English-speaking Egyptologist meets you at the gangway, and a private air-conditioned vehicle takes you to each site. You still sleep and dine on the ship with other guests, but at the temples the pace and the questions are yours.

What Full Board Includes on Our Nile Cruises

“Full board” means breakfast, lunch and dinner on board. In our packages it sits within a wider set of services that are included in the price:

• Meet and assist on arrival at the airport
• All transfers in a private air-conditioned vehicle
• Cabin accommodation on the ship with full board
• Private sightseeing in Luxor and Aswan, as listed in the itinerary
• An English-speaking Egyptologist guide
• Entrance fees to the sites in the itinerary
• Service charges and taxes

What costs extra

• International flights and your Egypt entry visa
• Optional excursions such as Abu Simbel or a Luxor balloon flight
• Drinks outside the included meals, which are charged on board on most ships
• Tips for the ship’s crew, your guide and your driver

Nile Cruise Prices: What Affects the Cost

Nile cruise prices are quoted per person and depend on five things: the ship, the number of nights, the cabin type, the season and the number of travelers sharing. These published fares show the range across our cruises:

• Contemporary five-star, 3 nights: from $1,051 per person in a double cabin on the Mövenpick MS Sun Ray.
• Five-star, 4 nights: from $2,011 per person in a double cabin on the MS Mayfair.
• Luxury, 3 to 4 nights: from $2,245 on the Oberoi Zahra to $2,992 for four nights on the Oberoi Philae, per person in a double cabin.
• Dahabiya, 5 nights: $3,500 per person in a double cabin.

Travelling alone adds a single supplement; a three-night cruise on the MS Mayfair, for example, is $2,509 in a single cabin. Three travelers sharing a triple cabin pay less per person where the ship offers one. The busiest dates, especially Christmas, New Year and Easter, sell out first, so ask for a quote early if you plan to travel then. Each cruise page shows its full rate table.

Best Time for a Nile Cruise

Cruises sail all year. October to April is the most comfortable period, with warm days and cool evenings on deck. From May to September the heat in Aswan and Luxor is intense, so sightseeing starts very early and the afternoons are spent on board; this is also when fares are lower. Our article on the best time to go on a Nile cruise goes through the year month by month, and our guide to the best season to visit Egypt covers the wider trip.

Good to Know Before You Sail

• Ships moor side by side. At busy docks your window may face the next ship until you sail. The view returns on the river.
• The Esna lock can mean waiting. When many ships queue, the crossing can run late, and your captain may adjust the schedule.
• Early starts pay off. Temples are coolest and quietest in the morning, especially in Luxor.
• Abu Simbel is a separate trip. The temples lie far south of Aswan. You can reach them by a private drive or a short flight, and our Abu Simbel guide explains both.

Combine Your Cruise With Cairo, Alexandria or the Red Sea

Most travelers pair a cruise with time in Cairo for the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. The Hathor 8-day itinerary does this in a week, with Marriott Mena House in Giza, a cruise on the MS MayFlower and domestic flights included. Our Pyramids and Nile cruise tours page compares every Cairo and cruise package, from sleeper-train budget trips to luxury journeys. For a longer trip, Sun Ray adds Abu Simbel, Ptolemy adds Alexandria, and the Nile Dream and Hatshepsut Dive itineraries finish on the Red Sea.

Why Book Your Nile Cruise With Delta Tours Egypt

We are a family-run tour operator based in Cairo and have been arranging travel in Egypt since 1974. We book the ships ourselves, plan the sightseeing around your interests, and stay reachable on WhatsApp for the whole trip. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will suggest the ship and cabin that fit, with a clear price.

Still choosing how to travel the river? Read our dahabiya vs Nile cruise guide, or see whether a Nile cruise or a land tour fits your trip better.