Upriver to Aswan

Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan: 4 Nights

Five days upriver from Thebes to the First Cataract, with a full day for each bank of Luxor and a felucca at the end.

5 days · 4 nights · Luxor and Aswan · Shared

Starting priceUSD 800Per person sharing a cabin; the ship and the season set the quote.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.

Nothing is booked until you accept a written quote
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A Nile cruise ship arriving at Kom Ombo at sunset, the sun low over the palms on the far bank.

Duration: 5 days · 4 nights
On the road: Sailing between sites; short transfers ashore
At the sites: Guided visits every day, set by the river schedule
Format: Shared
Pace: Moderate

Before you choose

Is this the right tour for you?

This four-night Nile cruise sails south from Luxor to Aswan, against the current, and gives Luxor two days instead of one. You board before lunch on the first day and leave the ship after breakfast on the fifth, with every meal in between on board.

The first afternoon is the East Bank: Karnak, less a temple than a temple city, and Luxor Temple, where the god Amun came each year from Karnak to visit. The second morning crosses to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and Hatshepsut's terraced temple beneath the cliffs, before the ship passes the lock at Esna and sails on towards Edfu.

At Edfu the Temple of Horus, built under the Ptolemies, still has its roof, its pylon and its carved walls. The same day you reach Kom Ombo, the temple built twice over, side by side, for the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris. The last full day is Aswan: the High Dam, the granite quarries where the Unfinished Obelisk still lies, the island temple of Philae, and a felucca under sail around Kitchener's Island.

An Egyptologist guides every visit, and entrance fees and transfers from Luxor airport or station are included. The order of visits can change with the river schedule; every visit listed is kept.

Our advice

Four nights instead of three buys a whole day for Luxor's West Bank, the part of a cruise most often rushed. Judge the ship by its name and the hours ashore, not its star label.

Consider instead: Short of time? The 3-night cruise sails the other way, from Aswan to Luxor, and fits Luxor into one day.

5 days

Day by day

The cruise sails forwards in time. It starts at Thebes, among the New Kingdom temples and hidden royal tombs, and ends at Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae, built under Greek kings and Roman emperors in the old forms: the last chapter of how Egypt kept reimagining eternity.

Day 1
Luxor: board, then Karnak and Luxor Temple
Met at Luxor airport or station and taken to the ship before lunch. In the afternoon, Karnak, the precinct of Amun, then Luxor Temple, joined to it by the avenue of sphinxes. Night on board in Luxor.
Karnak: Not a temple. A temple city.
Day 2
The West Bank, then south through Esna
The Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. Lunch on board as the ship sails for Esna and its lock. Night on board near Edfu.
Valley of the Kings: The royal cemetery of the New Kingdom, cut into a dry valley beneath a pyramid-shaped peak.
Day 3
Edfu and Kom Ombo
The Temple of Horus at Edfu, built between 237 and 57 BC, then the double temple of Kom Ombo above the river. Night on board at Kom Ombo.
Edfu Temple: The temple of Horus, whose walls are a library turned outwards.
Day 4
Aswan: the High Dam, the quarries, Philae and a felucca
Sail to Aswan for the High Dam, the granite quarries of the Unfinished Obelisk and the temple of Isis at Philae, moved to its island when the dam was built. In the afternoon a felucca around Kitchener's Island, past the Aga Khan's mausoleum on the west bank. Night on board in Aswan.
Philae: The island that was moved.
Day 5
Disembark in Aswan
Breakfast, then leave the ship. Abu Simbel, a train north or a flight home can follow.

The story behind these places

The details

What is included

Highlights

Karnak and Luxor Temple on the first afternoon
The Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and Hatshepsut's temple
Edfu, Kom Ombo and the Esna lock
The High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, Philae and a felucca in Aswan
Full board with an Egyptologist guide

Included

4 nights full board on a Nile cruise ship
Sightseeing in the itinerary, with entrance fees
A felucca sail in Aswan
Multilingual Egyptologist guide
Pickup at Luxor airport or station and drop-off in Aswan
Taxes and service charges

Not included

Entry visa
International and domestic flights, and the sleeper train
Optional excursions
Tips and personal spending
Travel insurance

Places you visit

Karnak Temple
Luxor Temple
Valley of the Kings
Valley of the Queens
Temple of Hatshepsut
Esna Lock
Temple of Horus at Edfu
Kom Ombo Temple
Aswan High Dam
Unfinished Obelisk
Philae Temple
Felucca in Aswan

Group: Shared ship; guided visits with other passengers
Transport: Nile cruise ship; vehicles and a felucca ashore
Departure: Boarding in Luxor before lunch
Meeting point: Luxor airport or railway station
Guide languages: English, Other languages on request
Best time to go: October to April for cooler days ashore
Entrance tickets: Included: entrance fees for the sites in the itinerary
Optional extras: Optional excursions; special tombs such as Tutankhamun's
Cancellation: Multi-day terms: ask when you enquire.
Your price: Set in your written quote for your party, dates and pickup, with the payment and cancellation terms.

Details checked 30 September 2026

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We place these around the tour’s real timing. Anything that cannot fit cleanly stays an untimed request until we confirm it.

Around Elephantine and the islands of the First Cataract
Paddle the Nile at Aswan
An hour on the water among the granite islands, quieter and closer than any boat trip; some paddles end near Philae at sunset.
Late afternoon · About 1–2 hours. Late afternoon, when the light softens and the river is calm.
We confirm the kayak operator, life jackets, the route and the water conditions on the day.
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Photo: Hananelmahmoudy123, CC BY-SA 4.0

Questions

Before you ask

Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor?

Southbound cruises from Luxor usually last four nights and northbound ones from Aswan three, because sailing against the current takes longer. The four-night cruise gives Luxor an extra half day; the three-night one is shorter and costs less.

Will we see Nefertari's tomb?

No. The Valley of the Queens is on the itinerary, but Nefertari's tomb has been closed to visitors since March 2024. Other tombs in the valley are open.

Is Abu Simbel included?

No. Abu Simbel is about three and a half hours by road south of Aswan; add it as a day after you leave the ship.

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Send your dates and party size here. We reply with a written quote: the price for your party, what is included and the terms. Nothing is booked until you accept it.

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