Pyramids & Nile Cruise Tours

The Pyramids and a Nile cruise are the two halves of a first trip to Egypt, but they sit hundreds of kilometres apart. Cairo and Giza are in the north; the cruise sails between Luxor and Aswan in the south. A Cairo and Nile cruise package joins them up: nights in Cairo for the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, a flight or sleeper train to Upper Egypt, three or four nights on the river, and the journey back, with the transfers and sightseeing arranged for you.

This page compares our Pyramids and Nile cruise tours at three budgets, shows a sample itinerary, and answers the practical questions: which order to travel in, whether to fly or take the train, and what it all costs.

How a Cairo and Nile Cruise Holiday Fits Together

1. Cairo. Two to four nights near the Pyramids or in the city, with private sightseeing at Giza, Saqqara, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Old Cairo.
2. South to the Nile. A one-hour flight to Luxor or Aswan, or an overnight sleeper train, depending on the package.
3. The cruise. Three nights from Aswan to Luxor or four nights from Luxor to Aswan, with Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae along the way.
4. Back to Cairo. A flight or train north for your last night and your international departure.

The Pyramids are not on the cruise route itself, which is why every combined tour includes the journey between Cairo and Upper Egypt.

Compare Our Cairo and Nile Cruise Packages

Prices are per person in a double room from October to April, unless shown otherwise. Each package page lists the full rates, including triple rooms, single travelers and summer prices.

A Sample 8-Day Cairo and Nile Cruise Itinerary

This is how the Hathor itinerary runs, a good model for a first visit:

1. Day 1, Cairo. Meet and assist at the airport and transfer to Marriott Mena House, facing the Pyramids.
2. Day 2, Giza and Saqqara. The Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and the Step Pyramid at Saqqara with your Egyptologist.
3. Day 3, fly to Aswan. Visit the Temple of Philae and board your Nile cruise.
4. Day 4, Kom Ombo and Edfu. Sail north, visiting both temples on the way.
5. Day 5, Luxor West Bank. The Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
6. Day 6, Luxor East Bank. Karnak and Luxor Temple, then fly back to Cairo.
7. Day 7, Cairo. The Grand Egyptian Museum, Old Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar.
8. Day 8, departure. Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Cairo First or Cruise First?

Most of our itineraries start in Cairo, and for good reason. Seeing the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum first gives you the story of ancient Egypt before you reach the temples of Luxor and Aswan, and it leaves time to recover from a long flight close to the airport. Ending in Cairo, as Hathor does, also works well: you finish at the museum with the whole trip in context, and you sleep near the airport the night before you fly home. What we avoid is arriving in Cairo and leaving for the south the same day; after a long-haul flight, a full night in Cairo first makes for a better trip.

Flight or Sleeper Train to Luxor and Aswan?

The train is part of the adventure for many travelers and keeps the price down. If time is short or you prefer not to sleep on a train, choose a package with flights, or ask us to switch the train for a flight in a tailor-made version.

Adding Abu Simbel, Alexandria or the Red Sea

• Abu Simbel. The great temples of Ramses II lie far south of Aswan. Sun Ray and Romantic Nile include them; otherwise add a flight or a private drive from Aswan. Read our Abu Simbel guide.
• Alexandria. A day in Egypt’s Mediterranean city, included in Ptolemy.
• The Red Sea. Finish with beach days in Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh on Nile Dream or Hatshepsut Dive.
• A balloon over Luxor. A sunrise hot air balloon flight over the West Bank fits easily into the cruise days.

Where You Stay: Hotels and Ships by Budget

• Budget. Mamlouk Pyramids Hotel in Giza, the sleeper train, and a five-star cruise such as La Sara. See our budget Egypt tours.
• Classic. Hilton Pyramids in Giza, the sleeper train, and the MS Le Fayan. See our classic Egypt tours.
• Luxury. Marriott Mena House or the Four Seasons Nile Plaza, domestic flights, and ships such as the MS MayFlower or the MayFair. See our luxury Egypt tours.

For more on the ships themselves, see our Nile cruises page.

What Is Private and What Is Included

On all of these packages your sightseeing in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan is private, with an English-speaking guide or Egyptologist and a private air-conditioned vehicle; the luxury packages use professional Egyptologists throughout. The cruise ship itself is shared with other guests. Every package includes airport meet and assist, private transfers, your hotel and cruise nights (full board on the ship), the flights or train listed, entrance fees to the sites in the itinerary, and service charges and taxes. To travel with your own guide at every stop, see our private Egypt tours.

What costs extra

• International flights from the US, UK or elsewhere, and your Egypt entry visa
• Optional tours not listed in the itinerary
• Drinks and meals not listed
• Tips for guides, drivers and cruise staff

Prices and Seasons

October to April is the main season and the most comfortable time for sightseeing. From May to September our packages are priced lower: King Tut, for example, is $1,401 per person in a double room in summer against $1,460 in winter, and Hathor is $2,630 against $2,850. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest weeks, so plan three to six months ahead for those dates. Our guide to the best season to visit Egypt explains the weather month by month.

Why Book Your Cairo and Nile Cruise With Delta Tours Egypt

We are a family-run operator based in Cairo, arranging travel in Egypt since 1974. We plan the connections between Cairo, the train or flights and the ship, with private transfers at every step, and our team stays on WhatsApp throughout your trip. If none of these packages fits exactly, we will build a tailor-made version around your dates.