Lake Nasser 3 Nights: Abu Simbel to Aswan

Nights: 3
Destinations: 4

THE JOURNEY AT A GLANCE

A three-night Lake Nasser journey from Abu Simbel to Aswan, calling at Qasr Ibrim, Amada, Wadi el-Sebua and Kalabsha. Departs every Friday.

This is the same boat and the same lake as the four-night sail, running north on a Friday instead of a Monday, and it ends in Aswan rather than at Abu Simbel. Three nights is short, and the trade is honest: you lose the second night at Amada and the unhurried afternoon at Abu Simbel, and in exchange the route compresses into three days and finishes in Aswan with Kalabsha on the last morning.

The order is fixed by where things are. You start at Abu Simbel, pass Qasr Ibrim from the sun deck, spend a full afternoon at Amada with Derr and the Tomb of Pennut, spend the second night at Wadi el-Sebua, visit the valley temples early on the third morning, and reach Aswan the same day. Kalabsha is the last stop, because it is the first thing you would have passed coming the other way.

It is worth knowing that this sailing begins with the temples at 14:00, not at dawn. Anyone who wants Abu Simbel in the early light should take the four-night cruise from Aswan instead.

Abu Simbel on the first afternoon — The four colossal figures of Ramses II, visited at 14:00, with the Sound and Light show optional that evening.
Amada, Derr and Pennut — The oldest building in Nubia and its two neighbours, all in one long afternoon.
Qasr Ibrim from the sun deck — Fifteen minutes of photographs of a fortress nobody walks to on this route.
Kalabsha on the last morning — A relocated temple complex beside the High Dam, on the way back into Aswan.

LIFE ON BOARD

Everything you need, on the Nile.

Sun deck
Air-conditioned cabins
Onboard dining
Lounge
Housekeeping service
Guest assistance

THE RIVER, DAY BY DAY

A journey worth taking slowly.

3 Nights / 4 Days - Abu Simbel to Aswan

Abu Simbel → Aswan 3 nights

3 Nights / 4 Days - Abu Simbel to Aswan

Day01

Abu Simbel

Board at Abu Simbel and visit the Great Temples

Check-in is at 13:00 and lunch is served at 13:30. You go ashore at 14:00 to the Great Temples of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II between roughly 1264 and 1244 BC: the Great Temple guarded by four colossal seated figures, and the small temple of Nefertari a short walk away. Tea is at 16:00 and dinner at 21:00. The Sound and Light show is available at 20:00 if you would like it. The first night is at Abu Simbel.

Overnight: Abu Simbel
Meals included: Lunch, tea and dinner on board

Day02

Qasr Ibrim and Amada

A fortress from the deck, then the oldest temple in Nubia

The boat sails at 07:30 and breakfast is served at 08:00. At 11:30 there are fifteen minutes of photographs of Qasr Ibrim from the sun deck. Lunch is taken on board, and at 16:30 you go ashore at Amada, where the rock-cut temple of Thutmose III stands alongside the temple of Derr and the Tomb of Pennut. The boat sails on to Wadi el-Sebua at 18:30 for a short crew presentation at 19:15, a Nubian show at 21:30 and the second night.

Overnight: Wadi el-Sebua
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner on board

Day03

Wadi el-Sebua and Aswan

The valley of the lions, then back to Aswan

Breakfast at 07:30 and the temples of Wadi el-Sebua at 08:00, approached through the avenue of lion-headed sphinxes that gives the site its name. The boat is under way again at 09:00 and spends the rest of the day on the run north to Aswan, with lunch and dinner on board. The third night is moored in Aswan.

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

Day04

Aswan

Check out, then Kalabsha

Breakfast at 07:00 and check-out at 08:00. At 09:00 you visit the temple of Kalabsha, fifty kilometres south of Aswan, before being transferred back into the city. The cruise ends in Aswan.

Meals included: Breakfast on board

Make this journey yours.Choose this itinerary ↗

PART OF YOUR JOURNEY

Included & not included

A clear view of what your journey covers and what to plan separately.

YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES

Included

Assistance from our personnel throughout the cruise and at every excursion
All transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle
Full-board accommodation aboard a Lake Nasser houseboat 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

PLAN SEPARATELYWhat is not included

Anything not named in the itinerary
Gratuities
The optional Sound and Light show at Abu Simbel
Personal expenses

BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

A few things worth knowing.

Sailing day

This cruise departs every Friday and finishes on the following Monday. The four-night version runs the opposite way, departing Aswan on Mondays.

Pickup and drop-off

You assemble in Abu Simbel, 3.5 hours from Aswan by road, and the cruise ends in Aswan with transfers included either side.

Timing on day one

The Great Temples are visited at 14:00 on the first afternoon, not at sunrise. If early light at Abu Simbel matters to you, take the four-night cruise instead.

The boat

The same full-board Lake Nasser houseboat as the four-night sail: shaded decks, air-conditioned cabins and en-suite facilities.

Child Policy

Child rates and age bands vary by journey and travel date. Please send each child’s age at the time of travel; we will confirm the applicable per-person child price, rooming and any required documents before booking.

Why is the cruise three nights one way and four the other? +

The same route takes a day longer southbound because the boat spends a night at Amada and a full day at Abu Simbel. Coming north, that day is compressed and the cruise finishes in Aswan.

Can I see the Sound and Light show at Abu Simbel? +

Yes, optionally, on the evening of the first day at 20:00. It is not included in the price and needs to be arranged in advance.

What is included on the last day? +

Breakfast and the visit to Kalabsha. There is no cruise cabin that night, so anything you need from the room should be packed the night before.

What is the child policy for this Nile journey? +

PLAN YOUR NILE JOURNEY

Prices by group size

USD · per person

All prices start from the amount shown and are per person for the entire sailing. Group size includes adults and children. Choose your departure date to confirm availability and the final total.

3 Nights / 4 Days - Abu Simbel to Aswan

Travel dates: 01 Oct 2026 — 01 Oct 2027

3 Nights / 4 Days - Abu Simbel to Aswan — USD per person for the entire sailing
Travellers	Starts from · per person
1 travellersSolo	Price USD 1,400.00starts from · per person Child starts from: USD 700.00 · per child
2–4 travellersSmall group	Price USD 1,400.00starts from · per person Child starts from: USD 700.00 · per child
5–8 travellersFriends & family	Price USD 1,400.00starts from · per person Child starts from: USD 700.00 · per child
9–16 travellersGroup	Price USD 1,400.00starts from · per person Child starts from: USD 700.00 · per child
17–40 travellersLarge group	Price USD 1,400.00starts from · per person Child starts from: USD 700.00 · per child