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CruisesNile cruise · 3 nights Aswan → Luxor

4-day Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor: the 3-night trip explained

A 4-day Nile cruise is 3 nights, almost always sailing downstream from Aswan to Luxor. You see the same temples as on the 4-night trip, packed tighter. Listings start from $450 per person; entry fees may come on top.

Stretch of the Nile

Luxor – Aswan

Nights
3 (four calendar days)
Direction
Aswan → Luxor, downstream
Boarding
Aswan around 12:00, on Friday, Wednesday or Monday depending on the ship
Temples
Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, the West Bank, Karnak, Luxor Temple
Price
From $450 per person on GetYourGuide
Entry fees if not included
EGP 4,060 per adult for the eight core sites
Best months
October to April

Updated 19 October 2026Facts checked against official sourcesContains affiliate links

4-day cruise (3 nights): what you can book

17 options · Prices checked on 19 October 2026

Starts in

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

A 4-day Nile cruise is the short way to sail the 200 km or so between Aswan and Luxor: three nights on board, every temple of the classic route. What you give up is time. Kom Ombo and Edfu share one day, and on some ships Karnak happens after you have checked out.

4 days, 3 nights: what you are actually booking

Platform titles count calendar days, not nights: a "4-Day" cruise is 3 nights, a "5-Day" is 4 nights and a "3-Day" only 2. A "4-day 3-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor" and a "3 night Nile cruise from Aswan" are the same product.

It is not a cut-down cruise but one leg of a ship's weekly loop: 3 nights downstream from Aswan, then 4 nights back upstream with new passengers. Join both legs and you have a 7-night round trip; all lengths are compared in how many nights you need.

On GetYourGuide the operator assigns "a 5-star ship or similar", and the listing does not name it. Once booked, ask for the ship's name, your cabin deck and which entry fees are included.

4-day Nile cruise itinerary, Aswan to Luxor

This is the published Friday programme of Sonesta St George; most 3-night ships follow the same shape.

Sonesta St George, every Friday from Aswan (the ship's published programme)

  1. Day 1

    Aswan

    Board at 12:00. Afternoon: the High Dam and Philae temple, reached by motorboat. Nubian show after dinner.

    Night moored in Aswan

  2. Day 2

    Kom Ombo

    Sail at 06:00. Kom Ombo temple at 09:00, Edfu at 14:30, galabeya party in the evening (a galabeya is the long Egyptian robe).

    Night at Esna

  3. Day 3

    Valley of the Kings

    Sail at 03:30 through the Esna lock while you sleep. West Bank from 07:30: Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon.

    Night in Luxor

  4. Day 4

    Karnak

    Check out at 08:00, then Karnak and Luxor Temple from 08:30 to 12:00.

    Trip ends in Luxor around noon

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)

What the listings don't say:

  • Day 1 races the clock. Philae stops admitting visitors at 15:00, so a late flight into Aswan can cost you the temple.
  • Kom Ombo comes in the morning. Downstream ships reach it around 07:00–09:00. The evening visit with the temple lit up belongs to the upstream trip.
  • You sleep through the Esna lock. Sonesta leaves Esna at 03:30; Mövenpick sails "to Luxor via Esna" from 15:00 on day 2, so you may pass it in the evening instead.

The last morning is where ships differ. Mövenpick does the West Bank at 07:00 and Karnak with Luxor Temple at 14:30 on day 3, so day 4 is only breakfast and check-out. Sonesta leaves Karnak until after check-out, so book a flight after 13:00. Mayfair, whose 3-night trip sails on its sister ship Mayflower, asks for a flight after 17:00. The official programme is on Sonesta's itinerary page.

Which day the 3-night cruise leaves Aswan

There is no single departure day. Each ship keeps a fixed weekday, so choosing your date effectively chooses the ship.

Leaves Aswan Arrives Luxor Ships on this pattern (published timetables)
Friday Monday Sonesta St George, Moon Goddess and Nile Goddess, Mövenpick Royal Lily, Historia, JAZ Elite Regent, Steigenberger Legacy, JAZ Crown Empress
Wednesday Saturday Sonesta Star Goddess, JAZ Elite Viceroy, Steigenberger Regency, Esplanade, Concerto
Monday Thursday Steigenberger Minerva and Royale, JAZ Crown Jubilee, Mövenpick Sun Ray, Semiramis III

Mayfair's fleet and Mövenpick's Royal Lily and Sun Ray don't sail June to August (when to go).

4-day Nile cruise prices: the listings compared

The plain cruise from $450 works out at about $150 a night with full board and a guide. With Abu Simbel and a balloon flight, listings start from $550.

Our picks for a 4-day Nile cruise

1

Best all-round

4.5 from 555 reviews, from $580: Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Abu Simbel and the Luxor West Bank with an Egyptologist, plus a balloon flight over Luxor.

2

Cheapest plain cruise

From $450, 4.3 from 654 reviews: full board and a guide on "a 5-star ship", no add-ons. The lowest price per night on GetYourGuide.

3

Cheapest with both add-ons

From $550, 4.5 from 168 reviews: Abu Simbel and a sunrise balloon over Luxor, $30 less than the best-seller.

4

Entry fees in the price

From $325 on Headout, the only cruise listing that promises entrance fees in its title. No reviews yet, and a tipping kitty of about US$45 is collected on top.

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

The same "4 days with Abu Simbel and a balloon" trip is sold on two platforms, and GetYourGuide is cheaper today (Headout's cheaper version has a single review, rated 2.0). Ship, cabin and inclusions may differ, so compare the "includes" lists.

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.

Most GetYourGuide bookings cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, but multi-day cruises may differ: check the listing (platform comparison).

With Abu Simbel and the balloon: worth the extra $130?

The best-seller costs $130 more than the plain cruise. Here is what that buys if you arrange it yourself:

ItemOn your ownInside the cruise listing
Abu SimbelDay trip from Aswan from $40 (3,404 reviews), plus the ticket, EGP 822Included; check that the ticket is too
Balloon over LuxorFrom about $70–96 on the platformsIncluded, usually on a Luxor morning
TimingA spare day in Aswan before boardingThe operator fits it in, often with a pre-dawn start

The bundle costs roughly what the pieces cost separately: you pay for the logistics, not a discount. Abu Simbel is about 280–300 km south of Aswan, 3.5–4 hours each way by road, with pre-dawn departures. As the ship leaves Aswan early on day 2, the visit must fit into day 1 or an extra night (Mayfair makes you book one on board). Expect a 03:30 alarm.

The temple charges EGP 822, or EGP 1,272 on the sun-festival days of 22 February and 22 October; last entry is 16:00 (official ticket page). More in our Abu Simbel guide.

Balloons fly only from Luxor's West Bank, never from Aswan, with pick-up around 05:00–05:30 in winter and 04:30–05:00 in summer (balloon guide). If you have flown before, take the plain cruise.

What the price leaves out: entry fees, tips, drinks

Most GetYourGuide listings do not say whether entry fees are included. If "entrance fees" is missing from "includes", budget EGP 4,060 per adult for the eight sites of a standard cruise (students pay half):

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) ↗

Tutankhamun's tomb (EGP 700) and Seti I's tomb (EGP 2,000) are extra tickets. Photography with a mobile phone is free at ministry sites (ministry ticket shop).

  • Tips. Agencies suggest roughly US$5–10 per person per night for the crew (one envelope at reception on the last evening) plus US$10–15 per person per day for your guide; the ship usually announces its own figure.
  • Drinks. Full board covers meals, not drinks, unless the package says otherwise.
  • New Year. Expect a compulsory New Year's Eve gala supplement on many ships (agencies quote roughly US$50–180 per person).

The full breakdown is in our Nile cruise prices guide.

4-day Nile cruise from Luxor, from Cairo or on a dahabiya

From Luxor. Ship timetables run Luxor to Aswan as 4 nights; a "4 days from Luxor" listing is an agency package that covers it in 3. The best rated is Luxor: 4 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel, 4.6 from 132 reviews, from $690, with a horse-carriage ride at Edfu. Ask which day you board and what is dropped. The full upstream programme is on our 5-day cruise page.

From Cairo. Every "from Cairo" listing flies you down: about an hour to Luxor, an hour and a quarter to Aswan. The best rated is From Cairo: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Balloon Flight, 4.5 from 157 reviews, from $1,300 with flights. See Nile cruises from Cairo.

On a dahabiya. A dahabiya is a traditional sailing houseboat with about 6–10 cabins and no pool, mooring at islands rather than town quays. The best-rated 4-day listing on any platform is a luxury dahabiya from Aswan to Luxor, 4.8 from 58 reviews, from $1,100. Our dahabiya guide explains the trade-offs.

3 nights or 4: which one to book

Take the 3-night trip if you are adding Cairo or the Red Sea and want the temples in the least time; you miss nothing on the core list. Take the 4-night upstream trip for the slower version: Kom Ombo at dusk (the temple admits until 20:00), an afternoon in the Botanical Garden on Kitchener's Island, and a last day without check-out sightseeing. With only two nights, see our 3-day cruise page.

Questions about the 4-day Nile cruise

Is a 4 day Nile cruise 3 or 4 nights?

Three. Platform titles count calendar days, so a "4-Day" Nile cruise is 3 nights, nearly always from Aswan to Luxor. A "5-Day" cruise is 4 nights from Luxor to Aswan.

What is the best 4 day Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor?

On reviews and value, the listing with Abu Simbel and a balloon flight (4.5 from 555 reviews, from $580); without add-ons, the plain cruise from $450.

How much does a 3 night Nile cruise cost?

From $450 per person with full board and a guide, from $550 with Abu Simbel and a balloon, plus up to EGP 4,060 per adult in entry fees if not included.

Does a 4 day Nile cruise include Abu Simbel?

Only if the title says so. It is 3.5–4 hours by road from Aswan and not part of the standard 3-night programme. Listings that include it use a pre-dawn start; the ticket costs EGP 822.

Can I do a 4 day Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan?

Yes: agencies sell 3-night versions from Luxor, the best rated from $690. Ships' own timetables run Luxor to Aswan as 4 nights, so check which day you board.

Are entry fees included on a 3 night Nile cruise?

Most GetYourGuide listings don't say, so check "includes". Headout's 4-day listing from $325 includes them; direct bookings with Sonesta, JAZ or Steigenberger exclude sightseeing altogether.

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