Sail between Luxor and Aswan with your own Egyptologist at every temple stop. A 4-night 5-star cruise starts at $480 per person, luxury boats such as Sanctuary, Oberoi and Movenpick at $1,200, and dahabiya sailing boats at $1,400.
A Nile cruise is a 3 to 7 night river journey between Luxor and Aswan on a floating hotel that stops at the temples along the way. You sleep in the same cabin every night, eat on board, and visit Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae with your own Egyptologist. A 4-night 5-star cruise starts at about $480 per person, sharing a double cabin.
Check in to your cabin, lunch on board, then Karnak and Luxor Temple with your Egyptologist.
The Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, then sail south through the Esna lock.
The Temple of Horus at Edfu in the morning, then Kom Ombo at sunset before sailing on to Aswan.
The High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple, with an optional felucca sail or an early trip to Abu Simbel.
Breakfast on board, then your transfer to the airport, the train or your next hotel.
Sailing times vary by boat and season. We send your exact programme with the quote. For cabins, food and the dress code, see what life on board is like.
The extra night means separate mornings at Edfu and Kom Ombo, and a spare dawn for a hot-air balloon over the Valley of the Kings. Three nights suits a stopover.
Aswan to Luxor sails with the current and takes three nights. Luxor to Aswan sails against it, takes four, and feels slower and more relaxed.
Some 5-star certificates hang on boats that have not been refurbished in years. We choose the boat for your dates on its current condition, not the brochure.
Sanctuary, Oberoi and Movenpick are worth it for the right traveller: bigger cabins, better food and far fewer guests.
Smaller, slower and about half as much again per night. You moor at islands with 6 to 14 cabins, not 120 guests.
Different boats, route and temples. On a first visit to Egypt, choose the Nile cruise and save Lake Nasser for next time.
The full fleet is running and the weather is comfortable. In July and August some boats go into dry dock and Luxor reaches 42°C.
Most guests book 4 nights on the boat and 2 in Cairo. Three nights in Cairo works better, with time for the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum and a slower day.
How many nights, which direction and the kind of boat you like, online or on WhatsApp.
Attarious and his team check which boats sail on your dates and send an itemised quote, usually within a few hours.
Your guide meets you in Luxor or Aswan and stays with you at every temple stop.
Egypt Day Tours is a private tour operator founded in Alexandria in 2013. Attarious and his team have looked after more than 34,000 travellers and booked 322 Nile cruises in 2025, with a 5.0 rating from over 1,050 TripAdvisor reviews.
We don’t own cruise boats, so we have no reason to push one. We match you to the right boat out of the 8 we work with, including Sanctuary Sun Boat IV, Oberoi Philae, Oberoi Zahra and the Movenpick fleet.
5.0 on TripAdvisor · 1,050+ reviews
Everything was planned and executed from arrival to departure.
An amazing experience, only made better by our fantastic guide Manal. She really helped us understand the true history of Egypt.
I sent an outline of my plans. Soon I received a ready-made plan that fully met our expectations.
A 4-night standard 5-star Nile cruise costs $480 to $780 per person sharing a double cabin, with full board, all temple entry fees and a private Egyptologist. Luxury boats such as Sanctuary, Oberoi and Movenpick run $1,200 to $2,400, and dahabiyas $1,400 to $2,800 for 4 to 5 nights. International flights, tips and extras like the hot-air balloon are not included.
A 3-night cruise sails from Aswan to Luxor with the current, so Kom Ombo and Edfu come in quick succession. A 4-night cruise sails from Luxor to Aswan against the current, at a slower pace, with separate mornings at Edfu and Kom Ombo and more time on deck.
The Nile flows north, so Aswan to Luxor is downstream and Luxor to Aswan is upstream. Choose Aswan to Luxor (3 nights) if you are short on time, and Luxor to Aswan (4 nights) for a slower, more relaxed cruise. Both visit the same temples.
Not always. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism rates Nile cruise vessels separately from hotels, and the standard varies widely within the 5-star tier. True 5-star cruise ships (Sanctuary, Oberoi, top Movenpick boats) are excellent. Other 5-star certified vessels can be 3 to 4 years overdue for refurbishment. Choose based on the current condition of the specific vessel, not the brochure.
October through April for comfortable temperatures (22 to 28 degrees Celsius in Cairo, slightly warmer in Luxor and Aswan). November and February are particularly good: full fleet, comfortable weather, and the peak-week premium has eased. July and August are hot (42 degrees in Luxor midday) and some boats dry-dock for maintenance.
Yes. The Cairo to Luxor sleeper train runs nightly and is a comfortable way to start the trip. From Luxor or Aswan you board the cruise the next morning. We arrange the train ticket as part of the quote. Travelers who are short on time usually take the 1-hour domestic flight; travelers who enjoy the journey often prefer the sleeper.
On luxury vessels (Sanctuary, Oberoi, top Movenpick), the food is restaurant-grade and a highlight of the trip. On standard 5-star vessels, the food is buffet-style and consistently good rather than memorable. Dietary requirements (vegetarian, halal, gluten-free) are easily accommodated; let us know at booking and we brief the chef.
A dahabiya is a 6 to 14 cabin sailing boat that travels with the wind and the current, mooring at small islands and villages no cruise ship can reach. It is slower, smaller, more intimate, and 40 to 60 percent more expensive per night than a standard cruise. Best for second-time visitors, honeymooners, and travelers who want the river itself to be the main experience.
Yes, on luxury vessels and on private dahabiya charters. Sanctuary and Oberoi can arrange a private dinner at the Edfu temple or on the upper deck under the stars. Dahabiya charters can include a chef who tailors menus to your group’s preferences. We arrange these add-ons as part of the booking; pricing varies by vessel.
Varies by vessel. Sanctuary and Oberoi include selected drinks (welcome cocktail, house wine with dinner). Most standard 5-star boats run a cash bar where drinks are charged to your cabin. Some Movenpick boats offer an optional drinks package at $25 to $40 per person per day. We tell you the policy of your specific boat at the quote stage so there are no surprises.
The Nile is calm. There is no swell, no rough water, and you will barely feel the boat moving. Travelers who get seasick on ocean cruises are universally fine on a Nile cruise. The boat is moored alongside the bank every evening and through the night, so you sleep on a stable platform. If you have specific concerns, mention them at booking and we will pick a vessel with better stabilization.
