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CruisesNile cruise guide · every route

Nile river cruises: which route, which boat, what it costs

Most Nile river cruises are 3 nights from Aswan or 4 nights from Luxor on a ship of 50–80 cabins: two halves of the same weekly loop. Platforms sell them from $450 per person; the weekday, the ship and the entry fees decide the rest.

Stretch of the Nile

Luxor – Aswan

Classic route
Luxor ⇄ Aswan, about 200 km by river
Lengths
3 nights downstream, 4 upstream, 7 as a round trip
Platform price
From $450 per person for 3 nights
Entry fees
EGP 4,060 per adult for the eight core sites, if not included
Ship name
Platforms sell a "5-star ship or similar"
Season
October–April; June–August cheapest and hottest
Other routes
Dahabiya, Lake Nasser, Cairo ⇄ Aswan long cruise

Updated 19 October 2026Facts checked against official sourcesContains affiliate links

Nile cruises: what you can book

18 options · Prices checked on 19 October 2026

Nights

Starts in

Platform

See everything on GetYourGuide →See everything on Headout →See everything on Tiqets →

For almost every visitor, Nile cruises mean one stretch of river: Luxor to Aswan, about 200 km, sailed in 3 nights downstream or 4 nights upstream on a ship of 50 to 80 cabins. The two trips are one ship's weekly loop cut in half, and most ships join the halves into a 7-night round trip. Dahabiyas, Lake Nasser and the long cruise from Cairo are smaller niches.

Below, the choices in the order that matters: direction and length, type of boat, what the price covers, and where to book. For a first trip, take a 3- or 4-night cruise on a decent 5-star ship, make sure the entry fees are either included or in your budget, and add Abu Simbel from Aswan if you can face a 03:30 alarm.

Nile cruise options at a glance

Trip Nights Usual start Best for Price to expect
Aswan → Luxor 3 Friday, Wednesday or Monday, depending on the ship Short trips, most platform deals From $450 per person on GetYourGuide
Luxor → Aswan 4 Monday, Saturday or Thursday The fuller version with a free afternoon in Aswan From $840 with Abu Simbel on GetYourGuide
Round trip 7 Luxor or Aswan, same weekdays Slow travellers, UK packages with flights From $1,400 on GetYourGuide (few reviews)
Dahabiya 3–5 Esna for the classic route; some from Luxor or Aswan Small groups, quiet moorings From $1,100 for 3 nights; €6,600+ per room direct
Lake Nasser 3 or 4 Abu Simbel Friday / Aswan Monday A second trip, Abu Simbel by water Operators and agencies; not on platforms
Cairo ⇄ Aswan 12 or 14 One ship, spring and autumn River purists with two weeks From £7,589 per person with flights (UK)
"From Cairo" package 3–4 on board Any day; you fly to Luxor or Aswan Cairo first, cruise second From $1,300 on GetYourGuide

One naming trap before you compare anything: platforms count days, not nights. A "4-Day Nile Cruise" is 3 nights, a "5-Day" is 4 nights and a "3-Day" is only 2. A "4-Day" from Aswan and a "5-Day" from Luxor are the same river and the same core sites.

See everything on GetYourGuide →See everything on Headout →See everything on Tiqets →Prices checked on 19 October 2026

Aswan to Luxor or Luxor to Aswan?

Both directions visit the same temples. The difference is pacing. Sailing upstream from Luxor takes 4 nights; sailing downstream from Aswan takes 3, because the current helps and the timetable squeezes. Sonesta's St. George I and Mövenpick's Royal Lily both leave Luxor on Monday and Aswan on Friday, which is why so many itineraries look alike.

The upstream trip is the better-paced one. On Sonesta St. George I the ship reaches Kom Ombo at 18:30, so you see the temple lit up after dark (it admits visitors until 20:00), and the last afternoon in Aswan goes on a motorboat to the Botanical Garden on Kitchener's Island.

Luxor → Aswan, 4 nights (Sonesta's Monday timetable)

  1. Day 1

    Luxor

    12:00 embark; 14:30 Karnak and Luxor Temple on the East Bank

    Night moored in Luxor

  2. Day 2

    Valley of the Kings

    07:30 West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon; 13:00 sail

    Sail towards the Esna lock; night at Esna

  3. Day 3

    Edfu

    05:00 sail; 10:00 Temple of Horus at Edfu; 18:30 Kom Ombo by night

    Daylight sailing Edfu → Kom Ombo

  4. Day 4

    Aswan

    03:30 sail; 07:30 High Dam and Philae; 14:30 motorboat to the Botanical Garden

    Night in Aswan

  5. Day 5

    Aswan

    08:00 disembark; Abu Simbel or a flight home

    —

The downstream trip packs the same list into three nights. Kom Ombo becomes a 09:00 stop and Edfu follows after lunch, so both temples fall on one day. On Sonesta, Karnak and Luxor Temple happen on the final morning after you have checked out, between 08:30 and 12:00. Book your onward flight for after 13:00. Mövenpick fits the East Bank in on day three instead, which is one reason to read the itinerary of your actual ship.

Aswan → Luxor, 3 nights (Sonesta's Friday timetable)

  1. Day 1

    Aswan

    12:00 embark; afternoon High Dam, Philae and a motorboat ride

    Night in Aswan

  2. Day 2

    Kom Ombo

    06:00 sail; 09:00 Kom Ombo; 14:30 Edfu

    Night at Esna

  3. Day 3

    Hatshepsut temple

    03:30 sail, passing the Esna lock in the dark; 07:30 West Bank

    Night in Luxor

  4. Day 4

    Karnak

    08:00 check out; 08:30–12:00 Karnak and Luxor Temple

    Fly after 13:00

Both directions pass the Esna lock between Luxor and Edfu, often at night. The newer lock takes two large cruise ships at a time, and in the winter peak the queue can run to hours. If the lock is shut or the queue is long, operators move passengers by coach between Luxor and Esna. Daylight scenery is mostly the stretch between Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan; a lot of the actual sailing happens between 03:00 and 06:00.

LuxorLuxorValley of the KingsValley of the KingsKarnakKarnakEsnaEsnaEdfuEdfuKom OmboKom OmboAswanAswanPhilaePhilaeHigh DamHigh Dam
  1. 0 kmLuxorStart or end of every standard cruise. Ships moor along the East Bank and at private docks south of town; Karnak, Luxor Temple and the West Bank are visited from here.
  2. 50 kmEsnaAbout 50 km upriver. Ships pass the Esna lock (two ships per lockage), often at night; many ships stop here overnight without visiting the temple.
  3. EdfuBetween Esna and Kom Ombo. The Temple of Horus is visited by horse carriage or coach from the quay, usually in the morning.
  4. Kom OmboRiverside temple, open for entry until 20:00: upstream ships stop at dusk, downstream ships come early in the morning.
  5. 200 kmAswanAbout 200 km by river from Luxor. Philae, the High Dam and a felucca or motorboat round Kitchener's Island; last night of a dahabiya trip at the Aswan bridge dock.

Distances along the river, rounded; ships also stop at the Esna lock and sometimes moor at Kom Ombo for the night.

Circles: towns; diamonds: temples; squares: locks and dams. Green: the cultivated valley. · Map data: Natural Earth (public domain)

The direction pages go day by day: Luxor to Aswan in 4 nights and Aswan to Luxor in 3 nights.

How many nights: 3, 4 or 7?

Three nights covers the eight sites of a standard cruise. Four nights adds an unhurried Kom Ombo visit and a free Aswan afternoon: choose it if you can. Seven nights is the round trip, and the temples are not visited twice. Sonesta fills the repeated days with "free time", so you pay for extra nights of river and sun deck: good if that is what you want, poor value if you came for the sites.

Shorter listings exist too. "3-Day" (2-night) and "Overnight" (1-night) products are agency slices of a ship's 3-night run: you join mid-way. The 1-night Aswan → Luxor listing costs from $550, more than the plain 3-night cruise at $450. Skip it. The full breakdown is in 3, 4, 5 or 7 nights.

Choosing your weekday chooses your ship

Ships keep fixed weekly rhythms, so the day you can start effectively decides which ship you sail on. If an agency offers "a 5-star ship" on a Thursday from Luxor, it will not be the Sonesta St. George, which leaves Luxor on Mondays.

Leave Luxor (4 nights) Leave Aswan (3 nights) Ships on this rhythm (examples)
Monday Friday Sonesta St. George I and Moon Goddess, Historia, JAZ Elite Regent, JAZ Crown Empress, Steigenberger Legacy, Mövenpick Royal Lily, Nile Dolphin
Thursday Monday Steigenberger Minerva and Royale, JAZ Crown Jubilee, Mövenpick Sun Ray, Semiramis III, Medea, Alyssa
Saturday Wednesday Sonesta Star Goddess, Steigenberger Regency, JAZ Elite Viceroy, Esplanade, Concerto, Nebu, Royal Beau Rivage, Orient Grand Rose

Some ships publish more than one schedule, so confirm the day with whoever sells you the cabin.

Types of Nile river cruise: 5-star ship, luxury, dahabiya, Lake Nasser

Standard 5-star ships

This is what platforms and most agencies sell. Most ships sold to foreigners call themselves five-star; the label covers a wide range, and no public ministry list of rated Nile ships exists. Expect a sun-deck pool, full board, a guide and cabins with windows. Egypt has well over a hundred cruise ships, and the same hull is resold by many agencies under different package names.

Ignore any upsell for a "Nile view". At busy moorings in Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan, ships often tie up side by side, so your window may face the next ship.

Luxury Nile river cruises

The luxury end is a different product: fewer cabins, private moorings, and inclusions that cheaper ships charge for. The Oberoi Philae has 22 cabins, the Oberoi Zahra 28, A&K's Nile Seray 32 suites, against 100–150 or more guests on a standard ship. Oberoi and A&K include entry fees and a guide; Sonesta and JAZ do not when you book direct. A&K is one of the few to publish rates: Sun Boat IV costs $3,235 per person for a 4-night cruise in October–November and about half that in summer. More in luxury Nile cruises.

Dahabiya

A dahabiya is a sailing houseboat with about 6 to 10 cabins. The classic route is Esna to Aswan over 5 nights, upstream with the north wind, stopping at El Kab and Gebel el-Silsila, which big ships cannot reach. There are no pools, a tug tows on calm days, and the government requires the last night at a dock beside the Aswan bridge. Starting at Esna avoids the lock, but it also means Luxor's sights are not part of the cruise. Nour El Nil, the best-known fleet, prices per room in euros: from €6,600 per room for a 5-night cruise. More in dahabiya cruises.

Lake Nasser

Above the High Dam a separate fleet sails between Aswan and Abu Simbel: Steigenberger Omar El Khayam, Mövenpick Prince Abbas and SUNRISE's African Dreams. These ships cannot pass the dam, so a Luxor–Aswan ship can never continue onto the lake. The big two share one rhythm, 4 nights from Aswan on Monday and 3 nights from Abu Simbel on Friday, with stops at Kalabsha, Wadi es-Sebua and Amada. Qasr Ibrim is a 15-minute photo stop from the sun deck, with no landing. You arrive at Abu Simbel by water and spend a night moored below the temples. No platform sells these cruises; see Lake Nasser cruises.

Private Nile cruise

A truly private boat means a charter: JAZ's dahabiyas Molouky and Yakouta have six suites each, and A&K's Zein Nile Chateau is a 6-cabin dahabiya for private hire. On platforms, "private" usually describes the guiding and transfers rather than the ship. GetYourGuide's Aswan 4-Day Private Nile Cruise (from $643, 4.2 from 261 reviews) is a 3-night cruise; ask the seller exactly what is private before you pay.

Nile river cruises from Cairo (and the pyramids)

No ship takes you from Cairo to Luxor in a few days. Almost all "from Cairo" cruise packages fly you to Luxor or Aswan, about an hour to Luxor and an hour and a quarter to Aswan, then put you on a 3- or 4-night cruise. GetYourGuide's From Cairo: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor works this way (from $1,300, 4.5 from 157 reviews).

The real river cruise from Cairo is one ship. Mövenpick's Darakum sails Cairo → Aswan in 14 nights and Aswan → Cairo in 12, only in spring and autumn, about a dozen departures a year. It stops at Minya, Amarna, Abydos and Dendera, passes three locks, and includes a visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum. In the UK, Riviera Travel sells it as "Wonders of the Nile" from £7,589 per person with flights. Viking's 19-day Grand Nile Journey also sails Cairo to Aswan by river, from $14,999.

The overland alternative is the Abela sleeper train (the old Watania service). Train 86 leaves Giza at 20:15 and reaches Luxor at 06:10, in time for a noon embarkation. A single cabin from Giza to Aswan costs US$157.50; a bed in a double costs US$115.50 per person.

For pyramids and a Nile cruise in one booking, GetYourGuide's Cairo All-Inclusive 6-Day Egypt Highlights & Nile Cruise rates highest of the Cairo packages (from $1,700, 4.8 from 56 reviews). Hurghada works the same way: no ship sails from the Red Sea, and packages drive about four hours to Luxor. Full options in Nile cruises from Cairo.

Nile cruise prices: what's included and what costs extra

The platform floor is $450 per person for 3 nights, about $150 a night, in a double cabin with full board and a guide. Above that, prices climb by class of boat:

What a night on the Nile costs, by type of boat
  • Budget 5-star shipAgency packages with guide and usually entry fees, summer to winter: Semiramis III 4 nights $455–645, Nile Shams 3 nights $406–616, Royal Viking 3 nights $436–646; GetYourGuide's plain 3-night Aswan→Luxor from $450USD 114–215
  • Upper 5-star shipMayfair Cruises' published per-night rates incl. sightseeing and entry fees ($230–330, Christmas $400); agency fares for Nile Dolphin, Concerto II, Salacia, Acamar and Medea, 3–4 nightsUSD 198–525
  • Luxury shipA&K's published 4-night rates: Sun Boat IV Nile Deck $1,654 (June–August) to $3,235 (Oct–Nov), Nile Seray from $6,077; Historia and Nebu agency fares sit at the lower endUSD 388–1,519
  • Dahabiya (priced in US dollars)GetYourGuide's 3-night dahabiya from $1,100; agency fares for Nuun & Nuut, Sonesta Amirat (7 nights $3,350) and Nebyt (3 nights from $2,674)USD 367–891
  • Dahabiya (priced in euros)Djed Egypt €330 per person per night in a cabin, €415 in a suite; Nour El Nil prices per room for 5 nights (€6,600–11,300), divided by two guestsEUR 330–1,130
  • UK cruise package with flightsTUI River Cruises, 7-night all-inclusive round trip from Luxor with flights and transfers, from £1,499–1,785 per personGBP 214–255
  • International river lineWhole package incl. Cairo hotels and internal flights, divided by 11 nights: Viking 12 days from $6,999; Uniworld 12 days $6,099–20,849USD 554–1,895

Typical per-person prices per night in a double cabin, full board, checked on 19 October 2026; Christmas, New Year and Easter cost more.

What the headline price usually covers: your cabin, full board (Mövenpick serves four meals a day, including afternoon tea) and guided visits. What it usually does not: drinks (full board means meals, not a bar tab), tips, optional tours and, too often, the entry fees.

Entry fees: the cost most listings leave out

The eight sites of a standard cruise cost EGP 4,060 per foreign adult (students half price). Most GetYourGuide listings do not say whether fees are included, so check "includes" before you pay. On direct bookings with Sonesta, JAZ or Steigenberger, sightseeing is extra; Sonesta's terms say "Sightseeing activities are not included in the rates". Oberoi, A&K and Mayfair Cruises include entry fees in their published rates, as do most Egyptian agency packages. Headout's 4-Day 5-Star Nile Cruise with Entrance Fees (from $325) is the only platform cruise that promises fees in its title. It has no reviews yet and excludes a tipping kitty of about US$45.

The sites on a standard Luxor–Aswan cruise
SiteTicketNotes
Karnak Temple (incl. Open-Air Museum)EGP 600Student EGP 300 · opens 06:00, last entry 16:00 · the Mut precinct is a separate ticket
Luxor TempleEGP 500Student EGP 250 · opens 06:00, last entry 19:00 — visit after dark
Valley of the Kings (general ticket)EGP 750Student EGP 375 · opens 06:00, last entry 17:00 summer / 16:00 winter
Hatshepsut Temple (Deir el-Bahari)EGP 440Student EGP 220 · last entry 17:00 summer / 16:00 winter
Edfu: Temple of HorusEGP 550Student EGP 275 · opens 07:00 (06:00 Sun and Wed), last entry 16:00
Kom Ombo Temple (incl. Crocodile Museum)EGP 450Student EGP 225 · last entry 20:00 — ships visit at dusk
Philae: Temple of IsisEGP 550Student EGP 275 · boat to the island not included · last entry 15:00
Unfinished ObeliskEGP 220Student EGP 110 · last entry 15:00

Official ticket prices checked on 19 October 2026. Many cruise packages include these, many don't: read the listing. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ticket shop (egymonuments.com) ↗

Extra tombs cost more: Tutankhamun EGP 700, Seti I EGP 2,000. Abu Simbel is EGP 822, or EGP 1,272 on the sun-festival days of 22 February and 22 October. Ticket prices are on the ministry's official shop at egymonuments.com.

Tips, galas and add-ons

  • Tips: budget roughly US$5–10 per person per night for the crew, paid in one envelope at reception on the last evening, plus US$10–15 per person per day for your guide. The ship usually announces its suggested figure at the welcome briefing.
  • Christmas and New Year: expect a compulsory New Year's Eve gala supplement on many ships (agencies quote roughly US$50–180 per person); Christmas Eve is often optional.
  • Abu Simbel from Aswan: 280–300 km each way, 3.5–4 hours by road, with a pre-dawn start.
  • Hot-air balloon: flights leave only from Luxor's West Bank, with hotel pick-up around 04:30–05:30. There are no balloon flights in Aswan.

Summer is cheaper, but several ships do not sail then. Full breakdown in Nile cruise prices.

Nile cruise booking: platforms, agencies and UK packages

The booking platforms

GetYourGuide carries most Nile cruise listings: 64 multi-day products from Luxor, Aswan, Cairo and Hurghada. Almost none name the ship; the operator assigns "a 5-star ship or similar". The only named ones are a Radamis II 4-night cruise and a Princess Sarah 4-night cruise, with no or very few reviews. Most GetYourGuide bookings can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead, but multi-day cruises may differ, so check the listing. "Reserve now, pay later" lets you hold a date.

Headout has a handful of Nile cruises with almost no reviews; check the cancellation box before paying. Tiqets sells no multi-day cruise, only Cairo dinner boats and feluccas.

The same 3-night Aswan cruise with Abu Simbel and a balloon flight, as sold on two platforms:

Price check 4 days Aswan → Luxor with Abu Simbel and a balloon on more than one platform Difference: $120
PlatformListingRatingPriceWhere
GetYourGuide From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Abu Simbel and Balloon Flight · 3 nights 4.5 (555) $580 Lowest See on GetYourGuide
Headout From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise with Luxor Hot-Air Balloon Ride & Abu Simbel Visit · 3 nights 2.0 (1) $600 See on Headout
Headout 4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Abu Simbel and Luxor Hot Air Balloon · 3 nights — $700 See on Headout

Lowest price per person in US dollars, checked on 19 October 2026. Ship, cabin, departure day and what is included differ between listings: open each one before you pay.

Today GetYourGuide is the cheapest of the three listings and the only one with a real review record (4.5 from 555 reviews). For the 4-night Luxor start with Abu Simbel, Headout's price is lower and adds a balloon flight, but its listing has no reviews yet:

Price check 5 days from Luxor with Abu Simbel on more than one platform Difference: $250
PlatformListingRatingPriceWhere
Headout From Luxor: 5-Day Nile Cruise with Hot-Air Balloon Ride & Abu Simbel Visit · 4 nights — $590 Lowest See on Headout
GetYourGuide Luxor: 5 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel · 4 nights 4.4 (69) $840 See on GetYourGuide

Lowest price per person in US dollars, checked on 19 October 2026. Ship, cabin, departure day and what is included differ between listings: open each one before you pay.

Ship, cabin, inclusions and dates may differ between listings, so compare the "includes" lists too. More in GetYourGuide, Headout or Tiqets.

Our shortlist on the platforms

1

First cruise, from Aswan

3 nights with Abu Simbel and a Luxor balloon flight bundled, 4.5 from 555 reviews. The two add-ons cost about $130 more than the plain cruise.

2

Lowest price

3 nights Aswan → Luxor with a guide from $450, about $150 a night. Check whether entry fees are included.

3

Best-rated Luxor start

4.6 from 132 reviews, Abu Simbel included. It is a 3-night trip despite starting in Luxor.

4

The full 4 nights

Luxor → Aswan with Abu Simbel, the better-paced direction, 4.4 from 69 reviews.

Direct with the operator

A few ships sell direct like a hotel. Sonesta sells cabins on sonesta.com, and the Historia books through Small Luxury Hotels. You get the named ship and cabin type, but sightseeing is usually extra. Oberoi and A&K sell direct with entry fees and guiding included; A&K's rate table is on abercrombiekent.com.

UK and international packages

From the UK, the simplest package is TUI's. Its own ships, TUI Al Horeya (72 cabins) and TUI Bahareya (68), sail 7-night all-inclusive round trips from Luxor in winter, with flights from Gatwick and Manchester. Past seasons started from £1,499–1,785 per person. Only the Edfu and Kom Ombo excursions were included at launch; Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Philae were paid extras. Check current prices on tui.co.uk.

  • Saga sells the Amwaj Livingstone (a partner ship, not Saga's own) in an 11-day solo holiday from £4,495, with flights, visa and drinks.
  • Viking lists 12 Nile ships and sells them only inside packages, such as Pharaohs & Pyramids, 12 days from $6,999.
  • AmaWaterways runs "Secrets of Egypt & the Nile", 11 nights, cruise-only from €2,740 on its European site.
  • Uniworld sells one 12-day programme on partner ships from $6,099, with all gratuities included.
  • Avalon has no ship of its own; it sells cabins on MS Farah, from $4,949 for 10 days.
  • A&K runs small-group journeys on its own boats from £13,760.

Booking a Nile cruise without surprises

  1. Ask for the ship's name, your cabin deck and whether cabins have balconies before you pay.
  2. Get the list of entry fees included in writing. If they are excluded, budget EGP 4,060 per adult.
  3. Check whether the last morning's sightseeing happens after check-out, and time your flight to match.
  4. Ask what the tipping kitty or suggested tips will be.
  5. Over Christmas and New Year, ask about a compulsory gala dinner supplement.

Best time for a Nile cruise

High season runs from October to April. December to February is the coolest and busiest stretch, with nights down to 7–12 °C, so pack a fleece for early starts. October, November and March are the shoulders: warm days and fewer groups. From May to September daytime highs in Luxor and Aswan average 39–42 °C, and prices fall.

Summer also thins the fleet. Mayfair Cruises, Nour El Nil and Mövenpick's Royal Lily, Royal Lotus and Sun Ray do not sail from June to August; the Oberoi ships skip June; TUI sails only in winter. Sonesta, JAZ, Steigenberger, A&K and Mövenpick's Hamees publish year-round sailings.

The one summer date that sells out is the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027, with more than six minutes of totality near Luxor. Ramadan falls inside the high season for the next few winters; site hours may be shorter during the fast. Month by month in when to go.

Weather on the Nile, month by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °C232530353941414139362924
Low °C791318222526262320139
Sun h/day9101010111212111010109
Rainy days000000000000

Source: WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991–2020 supplied by the Egyptian Meteorological Authority, published by NOAA NCEI (stations Cairo Airport 62366, Luxor 62405, Aswan 62414): max/min = mean daily max/min °C, rainDays = mean days with ≥1 mm. sun = mean sunshine hours per day, 1961–1990, from WetterKontor (based on DWD/WMO station data). ↗

Nile cruise reviews: the ships behind the listings

Because platforms rarely name the ship, reviews of a "4-Day Nile Cruise" listing describe the agency as much as the boat. Our ship reviews cover around 55 named ships and lines: who runs them, which weekday they sail, what a direct booking includes, and which platform cruise is the closest match.

Names change and collide, so check before you book:

  • MS Opera is now sold as MS Ciela.
  • Iberotel Crown Empress is now JAZ Crown Empress; JAZ's Regent and Viceroy are now JAZ Elite Regent and Elite Viceroy.
  • Sanctuary Retreats is now A&K Sanctuary.
  • Royal Viking has nothing to do with Viking River Cruises.
  • Nebu is a motor ship, not a dahabiya, and Lazuli is a fleet of dahabiyas, not one ship.
  • TUI's "Sonesta St George" cruise-and-stay option is the hotel in Luxor, not the ship.
PlanBest Nile cruisesfrom $450 LuxuryBest luxury cruisesfrom $450 Under sailBest dahabiyasfrom $1,100 PlanBudget cruisesfrom $450 CruisesFrom Hurghadafrom $80 EveningsCairo dinner cruisefrom $25

Nile cruise FAQ

How much is a Nile cruise?

On the platforms, a 3-night Aswan to Luxor cruise starts at $450 per person in a double cabin with full board and a guide. Add EGP 4,060 per adult for the core entry fees if they are not included, plus tips of roughly US$5–10 a night for the crew and US$10–15 a day for the guide.

How many days do you need for a Nile cruise?

Three nights from Aswan covers all the standard sites. Four nights from Luxor is better paced, with Kom Ombo after dark and a free afternoon in Aswan. Seven nights is a round trip that repeats the route without repeating the visits, so book it only if you want extra days on the river.

Is it better to cruise from Luxor or Aswan?

Luxor to Aswan if you have the extra night: the pacing is calmer and Kom Ombo is visited lit up in the evening. Aswan to Luxor if time is short, with Kom Ombo and Edfu on one day.

Can you take a Nile cruise from Cairo to Luxor?

Not as a short trip. "From Cairo" packages fly you to Luxor or Aswan and join a 3- or 4-night cruise there. The only scheduled long cruise is Mövenpick's Darakum: 14 nights from Cairo to Aswan or 12 from Aswan to Cairo, in spring and autumn.

Are entry fees included in a Nile cruise?

It depends on the seller. Oberoi, A&K, Mayfair Cruises and most Egyptian agency packages include them; direct bookings with Sonesta, JAZ and Steigenberger do not, and most platform listings don't say. Ask for the list in writing before paying.

Which ship will I be on if I book online?

Platform listings say "5-star ship or similar", and the operator assigns the ship. Ask for the ship's name, cabin deck and entry-fee list before you pay. The weekday you start on narrows it down, because each ship keeps a fixed weekly rhythm.

What is the best month for a Nile river cruise?

October, November and March balance warm days with thinner crowds than midwinter. December to February is coolest and busiest, with a New Year's Eve gala supplement on many ships. June to August is cheapest, but daytime highs in Luxor average around 41 °C, and several ships stop sailing.

Keep exploring

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