Luxor and Aswan Nile cruise: both directions, day by day

For most visitors, a Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan means three or four nights on a 50–80-cabin ship, sailing the roughly 200 km of river between the two cities with stops at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo. The trip upstream from Luxor takes four nights; the trip downstream from Aswan takes three. They are not two different products: on most ships they are the two halves of one weekly loop, and if you stay on board for both you have the 7-night round trip.

So you are not choosing a better or worse itinerary. You are choosing a direction, a start day and a ship, then checking what the price covers. Below: the official day-by-day of both directions, the timings that matter, and what to budget on top.

Luxor and Aswan cruise: how the route works

Luxor sits about 50 km downstream of Esna, and Aswan about 200 km upriver from Luxor. Between them, a cruise ship passes the Esna lock and stops at three riverside temples: Esna itself (many ships moor there for the night without visiting the temple), the Temple of Horus at Edfu and the temple at Kom Ombo. Luxor's East and West Banks are done at one end, Philae and the High Dam at the other.

Ships sail in a fixed weekly rhythm. Sonesta's St George I and Mövenpick's Royal Lily both leave Luxor on Monday for four nights, arrive in Aswan on Friday, take on new passengers and sail back to Luxor in three nights, arriving on Monday. Other fleets use other days, which is why choosing your dates effectively chooses your ship.

Timetables come from the operators (Sonesta, Mövenpick and JAZ Voyages, which also runs the Steigenberger ships) and can change. There is no single "Nile cruise day".

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. Well over a hundred cruise ships work this river, refitted and tired alike.

Luxor to Aswan cruise itinerary: 4 nights upstream

This is the official Monday timetable of the Sonesta St George I, published on Sonesta's itinerary page. Most Monday ships follow a very similar shape.

Mövenpick's timetable for the Darakum (which only does this short route from mid-November to mid-February) shows the variations you will meet on other ships. The West Bank starts earlier, at 07:00, and includes the Valley of the Queens. The ship then sails "to Edfu via Esna Lock" the same afternoon and spends the night at Edfu. Edfu is at 07:00 on day 3, Kom Ombo at 15:30, and the ship carries on to Aswan that evening. Day 4 in Aswan adds the Unfinished Obelisk and ends with a felucca (the traditional Nile sailing boat) round Kitchener's Island at 15:00.

Two things make the upstream version the fuller trip:

• Kom Ombo after dark. The temple admits visitors until 20:00 (ministry ticket shop), so upstream ships that reach it late can visit in the evening, as Sonesta does at 18:30. Mövenpick's 15:30 stop shows it is not guaranteed: check your ship's timetable.
• A free afternoon in Aswan. Day 4 has time for the Botanical Garden or a felucca after Philae. The 3-night trip skips it.

The full upstream guide, with weekday options and add-ons, is on Luxor to Aswan cruise.

Aswan to Luxor cruise itinerary: 3 nights downstream

The same Sonesta ship turns round in Aswan on Friday and sails back in three nights. Downstream with the current, it covers the river faster, and the programme is tighter.

Mövenpick's downstream timetable is a little different and, for many travellers, better: Kom Ombo at 07:00, Edfu at 13:00, then sailing "to Luxor via Esna", the West Bank at 07:00 on day 3 and Karnak and Luxor Temple at 14:30 the same day. You check out on day 4 with nothing left to see.

That difference decides your flight. On a ship that does the East Bank after check-out, book a flight home after 13:00. Mayfair Cruises, whose 3-night Aswan start sails on its sister ship Mayflower, says you need a flight after 17:00. If the listing does not show the day 4 programme, ask before you pay.

The downstream version suits you if you are short of days or flying into Aswan anyway. More on the 3-night run: Aswan to Luxor cruise.

3 nights or 4 nights: which direction is better?

The core temples are the same either way. What you buy with the extra night is pacing: one temple a day instead of two, an evening at Kom Ombo, and a free afternoon in Aswan. If you can spare the night, take the 4-night trip. If you are fitting a cruise between Cairo and the Red Sea, the 3-night trip loses little that matters.

The 7-night round trip joins the two legs on the same ship. Sonesta runs it from Aswan every Friday and from Luxor every Monday, but the second leg repeats the route with "free time" instead of repeat visits. Pay for seven nights only if you want the days on the river. Some 7-night programmes add a real extra, such as JAZ Elite Senator's Thursday sailing with Dendera. See 7-night Nile cruise.

Avoid the shortest slices. GetYourGuide's overnight cruise from Aswan to Luxor costs from $550 for one night, more than the 3-night trip with a guide from $450. Two-night "3-Day" products put you on a ship halfway through its 3-night run, and the temples are squeezed even harder.

The Esna lock, sailing hours and what you see from deck

Much of the sailing happens while you sleep, between about 03:00 and 06:00, or over lunch. The daylight stretches worth being on deck for are mostly Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan on the way up (Sonesta's Wednesday afternoon) and Kom Ombo → Edfu → Esna on the way down (Saturday). Those are the hours when the river itself is the view, so plan to be on the sun deck rather than at the pool bar.

The Esna lock sits between Luxor and Edfu. There are two locks side by side; the newer one takes two large cruise ships per lockage. In the winter peak the queue can run to hours, which is why operators plan the lock overnight or around midday. If the lock is shut or the queue is long, operators move passengers by coach between Luxor and Esna. Downstream on Sonesta's 03:30 departure, you will not see the lock at all.

In December and January, when the irrigation canals are closed for cleaning, the river runs lower. Ships ran aground at Kom Ombo in the 2017–18 season; no strandings have been reported in recent seasons, but it is one more reason not to plan a tight connection on the last day.

At Edfu, horse carriages take you from the quay to the temple; on many packages the ride is included, so ask before you pay a driver. More on the two river temples: Edfu and Kom Ombo.

Nile cruise Luxor Aswan price: what's included and what's extra

On GetYourGuide, the cheapest Luxor and Aswan cruise is the 3-night Aswan → Luxor with a guide from $450 per person (4.3 from 654 reviews), about $150 a night. The most-booked package adds Abu Simbel and a Luxor balloon flight: 4-Day cruise with Abu Simbel and balloon, from $580 (4.5 from 555 reviews). Starting in Luxor, the best-rated option is the 3-night Luxor cruise with Abu Simbel from $690 (4.6 from 132 reviews); the classic 4-night upstream trip with Abu Simbel is from $840.

Today GetYourGuide is the cheapest platform for the Aswan-start package with Abu Simbel and a balloon: $580 against $600 and $700 on Headout, where those listings have one review or none. For the 4-night Luxor start it is the other way round:

Headout is $250 cheaper here and adds a balloon flight, but its listing has no reviews yet. Ship, cabin, inclusions and dates can differ between listings, so compare the "includes" lists, not just the price.

None of these listings names the ship. They say "5-star ship or similar", and the operator assigns one. After booking, ask for the ship's name, your cabin deck and the list of entry fees included. Most GetYourGuide bookings can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead and can be reserved now and paid later; multi-day cruises may differ, so check the listing.

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

From Aswan: 4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Abu Simbel and Balloon Flight

4.5 (555)

from $580Check dates

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide1 nightFrom Aswan

From Aswan: Overnight Nile Cruise to Luxor with Meals

4.2 (178)

from $550Check dates

⛵ Aswan

Headout3 nightsFrom Aswan

3-Night 5-Star Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Abu Simbel Excursion, Nubian Village and Hot Air Balloon

No reviews yet

from $1,000Check dates

⛵ Luxor

GetYourGuide2 nightsFrom Luxor

From Luxor: 3-Day Nile Cruise to Aswan with Private Guide

4.2 (169)

from $1,000Check dates

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

From Aswan: 4-Day 3-Night Nile Cruise with Hot Air Balloon

4.6 (76)

from $686Check dates

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

Aswan to Luxor: 4-Day Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise Adventure

4.8 (58)

from $1,100Check dates

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

Entry fees: the cost that doubles the bill

Most platform listings don't say whether site tickets are included. If they are not, budget EGP 4,060 per foreign adult for the eight sites of a standard cruise (students pay half):

That is before the extra tombs: Tutankhamun EGP 700 and Seti I EGP 2,000 on top of the Valley of the Kings ticket, and Abu Simbel EGP 822. The High Dam has no ministry ticket. Prices are on the ministry's official ticket shop. Photography with a mobile phone is free at ministry sites.

Booking direct does not solve this. Sonesta's direct rates state that "sightseeing activities are not included in the rates", and JAZ and Steigenberger charge sightseeing separately at check-in. Headout's 4-Day 5-star cruise (from $325) is the only cruise listing on any platform that includes entrance fees in its title, though it has no reviews yet and excludes a tipping kitty of about US$45. Among direct sellers, Mayfair Cruises publishes rates of $230–330 per person per night that include sightseeing, entrance fees and airport transfers.

The other extras

• Tips: budget 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 suggested figure at the welcome briefing.
• Drinks: full board means meals (four a day on Mövenpick, with afternoon tea), not drinks. Expect to pay for soft drinks and alcohol at the bar.
• New Year's Eve: expect a compulsory gala supplement on many ships (agencies quote roughly US$50–180 per person); Christmas Eve is often optional.
• Optional tours: Abu Simbel, the balloon, the Nubian village and sound and light shows.

The full price breakdown by class of ship is on Nile cruise prices.

Adding Abu Simbel and a hot air balloon flight

Abu Simbel is not on the river route. It lies about 280–300 km south of Aswan, 3.5–4 hours by road. Tour transfers leave before dawn (your alarm goes at about 03:30) and pass police checkpoints; the road is reported closed to tourist traffic overnight. On the upstream cruise it fits on day 4 or after you leave the ship on day 5. Packages that start in Aswan schedule it before or during the cruise, so check which morning. The ticket is EGP 822, or EGP 1,272 on the sun-festival days of 22 February and 22 October. Bought separately, the day trip from Aswan starts from $40 (4.5 from 3,404 reviews). Short flights from Aswan take about 45 minutes. Details: Abu Simbel.

Hot air balloons do not fly in Aswan. They fly only from Luxor's West Bank, so from Aswan you need a cruise that includes the Luxor flight. Pick-up is roughly 05:00–05:30 in winter and 04:30–05:00 in summer, and the Civil Aviation Authority cancels flights in wind. On Sonesta's timetable you wake up in Luxor on day 2 going upstream, and only on the last morning going downstream, so a cancellation has no second chance. The top-rated sunrise balloon over Luxor costs from $88 (4.8 from 1,869 reviews). See hot air balloon in Luxor.

Is the bundle worth it? The $130 difference between the plain 3-night cruise ($450) and the version with Abu Simbel and a balloon ($580) is roughly what a $40 Abu Simbel day trip and a $70–96 balloon flight cost bought separately, before the EGP 822 Abu Simbel ticket, so check whether the package includes that ticket. Buy the bundle for convenience. Book separately if you want to choose the balloon company or the day.

Which ship? 5-star, luxury, small boat or dahabiya

Standard 5-star ships carry 100–150 or more guests, have a sun-deck pool and sail the timetables above. Mövenpick is a good example of why the ship's name matters. Royal Lily, Royal Lotus and Hamees run Monday/Friday, and Sun Ray runs Thursday/Monday. Royal Lily, Royal Lotus and Sun Ray stop from June to August, while Hamees sails all year. Hamees and Sun Ray use a private dock about 15 km south of Luxor airport rather than the Corniche, and Hamees's lower-deck Classic cabins have portholes only. Royal Lily's 3-night trip includes a free airport transfer. See Mövenpick ships and the Sonesta St George review.

Luxury ships differ more in what they include than in stars. The Oberoi Zahra (28 cabins and suites, mostly Luxor Tuesday / Aswan Saturday, no June sailings) and A&K's Sun Boat IV include entrance fees and a guide; A&K publishes $3,235 per person for 4 nights in autumn, and about half that in summer. Sonesta Star Goddess has 33 suites, each with a terrace, and is Sonesta's Saturday/Wednesday ship. No platform sells these ships. Compare them on luxury Nile cruises.

A small boat on this route usually means a dahabiya, a traditional sailing houseboat with about 6–10 cabins and no pool. Most dahabiyas sail Esna → Aswan in four or five nights, skipping the Esna lock and the Luxor stretch, and stop where big ships can't, such as El Kab and Gebel el-Silsila. Luxor's sights are then outside the cruise. On GetYourGuide, the 4-Day luxury dahabiya from Aswan to Luxor is from $1,100 (4.8 from 58 reviews). See dahabiya cruises.

Getting to Luxor or Aswan for the cruise

From Cairo, flights take about an hour to Luxor and about an hour and a quarter to Aswan (EgyptAir, Air Cairo and Nile Air fly both routes). Almost all "from Cairo" cruise packages fly you to Luxor or Aswan rather than sailing from Cairo. See Nile cruise from Cairo.

The overnight sleeper, now run by Abela, is the scenic alternative. Train 86 leaves Giza at 20:15 and reaches Luxor at 06:10 and Aswan at 09:25, in time for a noon embarkation at either end. The foreigner fare from Giza to Aswan is US$157.50 in a single cabin or US$115.50 per person in a double (Bed Standard). From the UK, easyJet (Gatwick) and TUI (Gatwick, Manchester) fly to Luxor in season. From Hurghada, the drive to Luxor takes about four hours.

October to April is high season; June to August is cheapest but around 41 °C, and several ships stop.

Check dates: 4-Day cruise with Abu Simbel and balloonfrom $580Affiliate link: if you book, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Luxor and Aswan cruise: FAQ