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Temple architecture of the Nile Valley
Classic Nile Cruises

Classic Nile Cruise 4 Nights: Luxor to Aswan

Nights
4
Destinations
5
THE JOURNEY AT A GLANCE

Four nights upriver from Luxor to Aswan, the standard Nile cruise: the east and west banks, the Esna lock, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae at the end.

Four nights from Luxor to Aswan is the default Nile cruise, and it is the one most people picture when they imagine the river. It is also the only version that gives you a proper look at Luxor, because the two Luxor days at the start of the itinerary are a full day each rather than an afternoon squeezed in on the way out.

What makes the upriver direction work is the order of history. You leave Luxor having seen the New Kingdom, cross the lock at Esna, then meet Edfu and Kom Ombo, which are Ptolemaic and therefore a thousand years later. You are moving forward through time as the river carries you south, and the guide can use that as the thread.

The boat sails mostly at night, so the days are for temples and the evenings are for the deck. At Esna and again at Aswan you are moored close to the town rather than at a remote island, which makes the extra walking easy.

  • A full day on each Luxor bank — Karnak and Luxor Temple on the east, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut on the west.
  • The Esna lock in daylight — Day two is spent sailing, so you see the lock properly rather than at night.
  • Edfu and Kom Ombo in daylight — The two great Ptolemaic temples are both visited in the morning light, which is when they cast their best shadows.
  • Philae at the end — The temple of Isis as the final morning, and the cruise ends at Aswan.
Ancient Egyptian temple columns
EGYPT REST TOURSA closer connection to Egypt.
THE RIVER, DAY BY DAY

A journey worth taking slowly.

4 Nights / 5 Days - Luxor to Aswan
Luxor → Aswan 4 nights Price on request

4 Nights / 5 Days - Luxor to Aswan

Day01
Luxor

The east bank, then boarding

The cruise boards in Luxor and lunch is served on board. In the afternoon you go out on the east bank to the temple of Karnak, the largest religious building ever built, and the temple of Luxor beside it, which was where the royal procession in the valley came to rest. Dinner on board, and the first night moored at Luxor.

Overnight
Luxor
Meals included
Lunch, tea and dinner on board
Day02
Luxor to Esna

The west bank, then the lock

Breakfast on board, then a full morning on the west bank: the Valley of the Kings with its painted tombs, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon. Back aboard for lunch, and the boat is under way during the afternoon, passing through the Esna lock in daylight, which is the part people miss on the shorter cruise. Tea and dinner on board, and the second night at Esna.

Overnight
Esna
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner on board
Day03
Edfu

The Temple of Horus

The boat reaches Edfu in the early morning and the cruise stays moored all day, which is unusual and one of the reasons this itinerary is the good one. The temple of Horus is visited in the morning, and it is worth slowing down in: the reliefs in the sanctuary are among the finest surviving anywhere in Egypt. Some visitors take a horse and carriage through the town. Lunch and dinner on board, and the third night at Edfu.

Overnight
Edfu
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner on board
Day04
Kom Ombo and Aswan

The double temple, then on to Aswan

Breakfast on board and the boat is under way early to Kom Ombo, Egypt's only double temple, with two entrances, two processional ways and two sanctuaries. You go ashore in the morning and are back aboard for lunch. The afternoon is spent sailing the last stretch to Aswan, with the desert closing in on both banks. Dinner on board, and the fourth night in Aswan.

Overnight
Aswan
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner on board
Day05
Aswan

Philae and the High Dam, then disembarkation

Breakfast on board, then a final morning in Aswan. Philae is visited first, before the heat, and the High Dam follows. The cruise ends around midday and you are transferred to your hotel in Aswan, to the airport, or to the station for the train south to Abu Simbel.

Meals included
Breakfast on board
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FOUR WAYS TO SAIL

FIND YOUR IDEAL NILE CRUISE

Choose your category and departure date here. Your details and payment come next.

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01
THE NILE COLLECTION

Standard

Comfortable cruising with essential services.

Price on request
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02
THE NILE COLLECTION

Deluxe

Enhanced comfort and a refined onboard experience.

Price on request
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03
THE NILE COLLECTION

Ultra Deluxe

Elevated comfort, service and amenities.

Price on request
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04
THE NILE COLLECTION

Luxury

Exceptional ships, service and amenities.

Price on request
Classic Nile Cruise 4 Nights: Luxor to Aswan
ABOUT THE SHIP

Classic Nile Cruise 4 Nights: Luxor to Aswan

Four nights upriver from Luxor to Aswan, the standard Nile cruise: the east and west banks, the Esna lock, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae at the end.

See dates & prices ↗
PART OF YOUR JOURNEY

The details, considered.

Included

  • Assistance from our personnel throughout the cruise and at every excursion
  • All transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle
  • Full-board accommodation aboard a cruise for the stated number of nights
  • All cruise excursions set out in the itinerary
  • Entrance fees to every site named in the itinerary
  • English-speaking Egyptologist guide for the excursions
  • Service charges and taxes
What is not included +
  • Anything not named in the itinerary
  • Gratuities
  • Personal expenses
  • Optional, not included: The hot air balloon over Luxor
  • Optional, not included: The Sound and Light show at Karnak
FIND YOUR DEPARTURE

Dates & prices

Choose a departure date and your preferred cruise category.

Luxor → Aswan · 4 nights
Available departure dates

Choose a category above, then choose one of these dates.

YOUR SELECTIONRequired: select a cruise category and a departure date.Both selections are required before you can continue to booking.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

A few things worth knowing.

Why four nights

The extra night compared with the three-night cruise buys you a full day on each Luxor bank, and a night moored at Edfu rather than passing it. Luxor is the reason most people come, and this is the itinerary that respects that.

The route

Luxor to Aswan is about 200 kilometres, and the four nights is the standard crossing. The boat sails mostly at night, so the days are for temples.

Pickup and drop-off

Transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle, from your hotel in Luxor and back to your hotel in Aswan.

Optional extras

The hot air balloon over Luxor on the morning of day one, and the Sound and Light show at Karnak, are both available and neither is in the price.

Why does the cruise board in Luxor rather than Aswan? +

Because Luxor is the bigger part of the trip and the part that needs the most time. Boarding in Luxor gives you a full day on each bank, which boarding in Aswan does not.

Can we add Abu Simbel to this one? +

It is possible, but it is a long day: a very early start and about 3.5 hours of road each way. The seven-night Luxor to Aswan cruise does it properly, as a full day with the temples at dawn.

How long is the drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel? +

About 3.5 hours each way by road, which is why it needs a whole day rather than a morning.

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