Sail the Nile from Luxor to Aswan over five days, visiting the temples of the East and West Banks, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae, with full board on the river and a licensed Egyptologist guiding every shore excursion.
A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is one of the oldest travel routes in Egypt, and it still works as well as it ever did. You board the vessel in Luxor, unpack once, and spend four nights letting the river carry you south while the landscape changes from green farmland to desert cliffs to the granite boulders of Aswan. Every morning brings a new stop. In Luxor you cover both banks: Karnak and Luxor Temple on the East Bank on day one, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon on the West Bank on day two. As the ship sails south it passes through the historic Esna Lock, where boats wait their turn to descend to the lower river level.
Edfu comes next, and the Temple of Horus there is one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt. The walls still carry their original reliefs and colour across several rooms and a vast hypostyle hall. You reach it by horse-drawn carriage from the riverbank. At Kom Ombo the ship docks right beside the temple, which sits on a bend in the river dedicated to two gods at once: Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the Elder. The Crocodile Museum next door holds genuine mummified crocodiles from the temple's ancient sacred pools. Aswan is the final stop, and it is a city worth staying in rather than rushing through. Philae Temple was dismantled and moved stone by stone to its current island after the High Dam flooded its original site. The dam itself is worth seeing for the scale of the engineering. The unfinished obelisk in the granite quarries shows exactly how the ancient Egyptians shaped these enormous stones before a crack stopped work mid-cut.
Full board is included throughout. A licensed Egyptologist accompanies every shore excursion. Evenings on board have their own rhythm: a welcome party on the first night, a traditional galabeya party as the ship crosses to Aswan, and a Nubian folklore show on the final evening in Aswan.
Arrive in Luxor, transfer to the vessel and check in to your cabin. Lunch is served on board.
Afternoon visit to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple with your licensed Egyptologist.
Dinner on board, welcome party, and free time to walk the Luxor souq. Overnight in Luxor.
Early breakfast, then the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon with your Egyptologist.
Return to the vessel and begin sailing south. The ship passes through the historic Esna Lock, where boats descend to the lower river level.
Dinner on board with a welcome programme. Overnight in Edfu.
Morning visit to the Temple of Horus by horse-drawn carriage from the riverbank. One of Egypt's best-preserved temples, with original reliefs across every wall.
Return to the vessel and continue sailing south.
The ship docks beside the double temple, dedicated to Sobek and Horus the Elder. The adjacent Crocodile Museum holds mummified crocodiles from the temple's ancient sacred pools.
Dinner on board with the traditional galabeya party as the ship sails to Aswan. Overnight in Aswan.
Morning visit to the High Dam, then Philae Temple on its island. The temple was relocated stone by stone after the dam raised the river level.
Lunch on board. Optional excursion by felucca to the Nubian village or Botanical Island.
Dinner on board followed by a Nubian folklore performance. Free time to walk the Aswan souq.
Final breakfast on board, check out of the cabin and transfer to your onward destination. Optional day trip to Abu Simbel can be arranged.
Send us your details and we'll confirm availability and price. No payment is taken online.
Luxor to Aswan cruises are typically four to five days; we can advise on the best option for your dates.
Yes, we arrange private Egyptologist guiding at each temple even though the vessel itself is shared.
Both visit the same temples. Luxor to Aswan is the most common direction and takes 5 days. Aswan to Luxor sails with the current and takes 4 days. We can arrange either.
Yes, full board throughout. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus soft drinks, juice and bottled water. Alcoholic drinks are charged separately on board.
Yes. Tickets to the sites on the itinerary are covered in the price. Abu Simbel is the exception, since it is an optional extra outside the cruise programme.
Yes, we can add or extend visits in Luxor and Aswan around the cruise.
Yes. Abu Simbel is not part of the cruise itinerary but can be arranged as an optional day trip from Aswan, either by road or by air.
Yes, and the river pace suits children well. Tell us the ages of any children when you enquire.
English and Arabic are standard. German is available on request at a slightly higher rate. Other languages can also be arranged, so ask us when you enquire.
Half day
A private East Bank tour of Karnak's vast hall of columns and the graceful riverside Luxor Temple, connected by the ancient Avenue of Sphinxes.
From $75 per person
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