Twenty-two Nile cruises side by side: three and four-night itineraries between Luxor and Aswan on five-star ships, two private dahabiyas, quieter routes for repeat visitors, and cruise packages from Cairo, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Marsa Alam with the transport in the price.
A Nile cruise is the simplest way to see the temples of Upper Egypt: you unpack once, and the boat moves between Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna and Luxor while you sleep. The cruises between Luxor and Aswan on this page are full board, with an Egyptologist guide, air-conditioned transfers and the entrance fees along the route.
The choice comes down to a few things: the direction you sail, three nights or four, a five-star ship or a private dahabiya, whether this is your first visit or your third, and, if you are staying in Cairo or on the Red Sea, a package that includes the journey to the boat. The table below compares all twenty-two on duration, route, style and starting price.
Duration, route, style and starting price for every Nile cruise we operate. Prices are per person, full board, and read straight from each cruise page.
| Nile cruise | Length | Style | Best for | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nights Nile River Cruise from Aswan with Optional Abu Simbel Aswan to Luxor | 3 nights | Full Board Cruise | A first visit, with Abu Simbel as an option | From$500per person | View |
| 4-Day Cairo and Nile Cruise from Hurghada Cairo · Aswan · Luxor | 3 nights | Cruise package, private guide | Hurghada: Cairo and a cruise in 4 days | From$1,340per person | View |
| 4 Days Dahabiya Nile River Cruise Aswan to Luxor Aswan to Luxor | 3 nights | Private Dahabiya | Couples who want a private boat | From$945per person | View |
| 4 Days Nile Cruise Aswan To Luxor Aswan · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor | 3 nights | Full Board Cruise | The classic route, price on request | On request | View |
| 4-Day Nile Cruise from Cairo, Aswan to Luxor Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor | 3 nights | Flights + 5-star Nile cruise | From Cairo: fly to Aswan, sail to Luxor | From$1,160per person | View |
| 4 Days off Beaten Path Nile River Cruise for Repeaters Aswan to Luxor | 3 nights | For Repeaters | A second visit to Upper Egypt | From$415per person | View |
| 4 Nights Nile River Cruise from Luxor with Optional Abu Simbel Luxor to Aswan | 4 nights | Full Board Cruise | A first visit starting in Luxor | From$560per person | View |
| 5 Days Dahabiya Nile River Cruise Luxor to Aswan Luxor to Aswan | 4 nights | Private Dahabiya | Private sailing at the slowest pace | From$1,050per person | View |
| 5 Days Hidden Treasures Nile Cruise for Returning Visitors Luxor to Aswan | 4 nights | Returning Visitors | Returning visitors: Dendera and Abydos | From$480per person | View |
| 5-Day Nile Cruise from Cairo, Luxor to Aswan Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan | 4 nights | Flights + 5-star Nile cruise | From Cairo: fly to Luxor, sail to Aswan | From$1,300per person | View |
| 5-Day Luxor to Aswan Nile Cruise from Hurghada Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan | 4 nights | Cruise package, private guide | Hurghada: the cruise by road, train back | From$940per person | View |
| 5-Day Nile Cruise from Marsa Alam by Road Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan | 4 nights | Private car + 5-star cruise | Marsa Alam: the cruise by road | From$1,030per person | View |
| 5-Day Nile Cruise from Sharm El Sheikh by Plane Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan | 4 nights | Flights + 5-star Nile cruise | Sharm El Sheikh, with all flights included | From$1,755per person | View |
| 5 Days Nile River Cruise from Luxor to Aswan Luxor to Aswan | 4 nights | Full Board Cruise | The classic Luxor-to-Aswan cruise | From$480per person | View |
| 8-Day Hurghada Beach and Nile Cruise Holiday Hurghada · Luxor · Aswan | 7 nights | Beach + cruise, private guide | Beach hotel and a cruise in one booking | From$1,320per person | View |
| 8-Day Nile Cruise from Hurghada with Abu Simbel Luxor · Aswan · Abu Simbel | 7 nights | Round-trip cruise, guided | Hurghada: 7 nights on the Nile, Abu Simbel | From$1,400per person | View |
| Movenpick MS Royal Lily Nile Cruise Luxor & Aswan | 4, 5 or 8 days | Luxury 5-star | Five-star ship, 4, 5 or 8-day programs | From$780per person | View |
| MS Acamar Nile Cruise Luxor & Aswan | 4, 5 or 8 days | Luxury 5-star | Five-star ship on the classic itineraries | From$800per person | View |
| MS Farah Nile Cruise Itineraries & Prices Luxor & Aswan | 4, 5 or 8 days | Luxury 5-star | Five-star ship, price on request | On request | View |
| MS Mayfair Nile Cruise Luxor & Aswan | 4, 5 or 8 days | Luxury 5-star | Five-star ship, Monday and Friday departures | From$855per person | View |
| MS Tulip Nile Cruise Luxor & Aswan | 4, 5 or 8 days | Luxury 5-star | Five-star ship, Luxor and Aswan temples | From$800per person | View |
| Sanctuary Sun Boat III Nile Cruise Luxor & Aswan | 5 or 9 days | Luxury 5-star | Top of the range, 5 or 9 days | From$1,125per person | View |
Compare classic Nile River cruise packages, Dahabiya itineraries, and special routes for repeat visitors. Each package includes guided sightseeing and a clear route between Luxor and Aswan.
Classic Aswan to Luxor Nile cruise with Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor highlights, plus optional Abu Simbel.
A private Dahabiya Nile cruise with a quieter sailing style and essential temples along the route.
A Nile cruise itinerary focused on less repeated stops for travelers returning to Upper Egypt.
A classic full-board Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Philae, the High Dam, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor temples.
Luxor to Aswan Nile cruise with temples, West Bank sightseeing, and optional Abu Simbel.
A longer Dahabiya Nile cruise from Luxor with Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan, and relaxed sailing time.
A richer route for returning visitors, with Dendera, Abydos, and quieter Nile-side highlights.
A classic Luxor to Aswan Nile cruise package covering temples, tombs, and Nile scenery.
Browse Nile cruise ships with full-board accommodation, guided visits, private transfers, and weekly sailing programs between Luxor and Aswan.
Elegant Nile cruise programs with 4, 5, and 8-day itinerary options between Luxor and Aswan.
A comfortable Nile cruise ship option for classic Luxor and Aswan itineraries with full board.
Flexible Nile cruise itineraries with guided temple visits, full board, and availability on request.
A polished Nile cruise ship for travelers seeking refined cabins and classic sightseeing routes.
Full-board Nile cruise programs with sightseeing in Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan.
Premium Nile cruise programs with five-star service, guided sightseeing, and full board.
Cruise prices are per person and depend on two things: when you sail and how many of you travel together. Three of our cruises publish a full season grid; the rest quote a starting price, and we confirm the rest against your dates.
Two patterns run through the grid. Summer is by far the cheapest season — a place on the 4-night cruise from Luxor is $560 between May and September against $920 from October — and the price per person falls as the group grows, so nine travelers pay noticeably less each than a couple on the same sailing. Every price includes the cabin, full board, the excursions with an Egyptologist guide and the entrance fees along the route. Tips, drinks and optional excursions are extra.
Whichever direction you sail, the classic itinerary covers the same monuments. In Luxor: Karnak and Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Between the two cities: the Temple of Horus at Edfu and the double temple at Kom Ombo. In Aswan: the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple. Entrance fees to all of them are in the cruise price, and an Egyptologist guide takes you round each one.
Mornings are for the temples, before the heat. The rest of the day is spent sailing, and on the longer route those are long, quiet hours on the sun deck watching the Nile Valley go past. All cruises on this page are full board, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are on the boat; drinks and tips are the main extras to budget for.
Six named five-star ships — Movenpick MS Royal Lily, MS Acamar, MS Farah, MS Mayfair, MS Tulip and Sanctuary Sun Boat III — sail programs of 4 to 9 days on set departure days, from $780 per person. The two dahabiyas are traditional Nile sailing boats, smaller and quieter, chartered privately for your group, and they can start on any day of the week: $945 for three nights from Aswan, $1,050 for four nights from Luxor.
If you have already done Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, two itineraries go elsewhere. The 3-night Off the Beaten Path cruise from Aswan adds Elephantine Island, a Nubian village, Kitchener Island, the Mummification Museum, the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu and Deir el-Medina, from $415. The 4-night Hidden Treasures cruise from Luxor adds Dendera and Abydos, from $480. The 5-day dahabiya also stops at Gebel el-Silsila, the ancient sandstone quarry between Edfu and Kom Ombo.
If you are staying in Cairo or at a Red Sea resort, eight packages include the journey to the boat and back. From Cairo you fly to Aswan or Luxor, from $1,160 per person in a group of 9 to 16. From Hurghada and Marsa Alam you travel by road, from $940 and $1,030, and from Sharm El Sheikh every flight is included, from $1,755.
Abu Simbel is included only on the 8-day cruise from Hurghada. On the 3-night cruise from Aswan, the 4-night cruise from Luxor and our cruise packages from Cairo and the Red Sea it is an optional excursion from $90 per person, which covers the entrance ticket, the guide and a private vehicle. On the other cruises, the easiest way to see it is a private day tour from Aswan before or after the boat.
Two Nile cruises run on set dates rather than weekly. The 4-day Christmas and New Year cruise between Aswan and Luxor starts at $850 per person. The 2027 total solar eclipse tour puts you on the Nile for the eclipse of 2 August 2027, starting from Aswan airport, from $1,199 per person including the cruise, the viewing spot and transfers.
Three nights between Aswan and Luxor start at $415 per person and four nights at $480, full board with an Egyptologist guide and entrance fees. Named five-star ships start at $780 per person, and a private dahabiya at $945. Prices rise from October and peak over Christmas and New Year.
Both directions cover the same major Nile Valley temples. Sailing from Luxor to Aswan goes upstream, against the current, so it takes four nights instead of three and leaves more time on the water. Aswan to Luxor is three nights and ends in Luxor, which suits trips that start with Abu Simbel.
Three nights covers Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu and Luxor and works when your Egypt itinerary is tight. Four nights adds a second day of sightseeing and long stretches of sailing, and it is the only length offered on the Luxor-to-Aswan route, because the boat is sailing upstream.
Every cruise on this page is full board with an Egyptologist guide, the excursions and entrance fees along the route, air-conditioned transfers, and service charges and taxes. Tips and personal expenses are extra, and on the named ships domestic flights and extra tours are not included either.
Only the 8-day cruise from Hurghada includes Abu Simbel in the price. The 3-night cruise from Aswan, the 4-night cruise from Luxor and our cruise packages from Cairo and the Red Sea offer it as an optional excursion from $90 per person, covering the ticket, the guide and a private vehicle. On other cruises, add a private day tour from Aswan.
Yes. Our cruise packages from Cairo include the flights to and from the boat, from $1,160 per person in a group of 9 to 16. From Hurghada the 5-day cruise travels by road and starts at $940, and there are 4 and 8-day versions. Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh have their own 5-day packages.
October to April is the main season, when Upper Egypt is cool enough for long temple visits. May to September is hot but much cheaper: a place on the 4-night cruise from Luxor is $560 in a group of 9 to 16 in summer, against $920 from October.
A dahabiya is a traditional Nile sailing boat, smaller and quieter than the big ships; both of ours are private and can start on any day of the week. The five-star cruise ships run set weekly departure days. Dahabiyas start at $945 for three nights and $1,050 for four; ships from $780.
Two itineraries skip the standard stops. The 3-night Off the Beaten Path cruise from Aswan adds Elephantine Island, a Nubian village, Kitchener Island, Medinet Habu and Deir el-Medina, from $415. The 4-night Hidden Treasures cruise from Luxor adds Dendera and Abydos, from $480.
Cruise prices are per person and drop as the group grows. On the 4-night cruise from Luxor in summer, 9 to 16 travelers pay $560 each, 5 to 8 pay $600 and 2 to 4 pay $785. Solo travelers pay a single-occupancy price, shown on the cruises that list one.
The dahabiyas can start on any day of the week. The classic 5-day cruise from Luxor to Aswan runs on Saturdays and Mondays. MS Royal Lily sails Mondays and Fridays, Sun Boat III Fridays and Tuesdays; each ship page lists its own days. Send us your dates to confirm availability.
Prices and itineraries on this page last checked 3 October 2026.
A licensed Egyptian travel agency since 2010, operating under an official Class "A" tourism license and certified by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. We craft private, custom journeys with expert Egyptologist guides.
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