Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel
Private Nile cruise
Three itineraries of 6 to 9 days between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, with an Egyptologist guide just for you. Compare them, then let us build yours together.
By Mostafa Awad, French-speaking guideUpdated on
In brief
Our Nile cruises are private trips: an Egyptologist guide, a vehicle and a driver just for you, ashore and at every stop. Each option starts with Cairo and its pyramids, then boards between Luxor and Aswan.
- Lengths: 6, 7 or 9 days, Cairo included
- Sailing: 3 to 4 nights between Luxor and Aswan
- Temples: Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae
- Private Egyptologist guide in your language
- Domestic flights and entrance fees included
- On quotation, adapted to your dates
Our Nile cruises
Three private itineraries, all adaptable to your dates and pace.
Our cruises at a glance
| Cruise | Length | Stops | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nile Cruise, 6 days | 6 days / 5 nights | Cairo, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor | A first trip to Egypt in a short time |
| Nile Cruise, 7 days | 7 days / 6 nights | Cairo, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan, Abu Simbel | Seeing Abu Simbel and sailing for four nights |
| Nile & Red Sea, 9 days | 9 days / 8 nights | Cairo, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor, Hurghada or Marsa Alam | Ending at the beach, as a couple or a family |
Which Nile cruise should you choose?
The 6 day cruise is the most direct: two days in Cairo, then three nights on board from Aswan to Luxor, with Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. The 7 day cruise sails the other way, from Luxor to Aswan, with four nights full board and a finale at Abu Simbel. The 9 day option takes the 6 day cruise and adds two all-inclusive nights on the Red Sea.
If you keep only one criterion in mind, look at Abu Simbel: only the 7 day option includes it. In the other two, it remains available as an option from Aswan.
What is a private Nile cruise?
Private means your guide, your vehicle and your driver are yours alone. At each stop, your Egyptologist guide waits for you with your vehicle: no group of forty, no timetable set by a coach. You can leave before opening time to avoid the crowds, stay longer in a tomb, or cut a visit short when the heat rises.
What does the price of our cruises include?
Our prices include accommodation, full board on board for the 7 and 9 day options, lunches during visits, domestic flights, private air-conditioned transport, the Egyptologist guide and entrance fees for every site on the programme. Tips, dinners in Cairo and optional activities, such as the hot air balloon in Luxor, remain at your expense.
- Included: domestic flights, entrance fees, guide, private transport
- Included: full board on board (7 and 9 days)
- Not included: tips and dinners in Cairo
- Optional: hot air balloon, Nubian village, Abu Simbel
Can the cruise itinerary be adapted?
Yes, each option is a starting point. We adjust the dates, the number of nights in Cairo, the hotel level and the pace of visits, and we add Abu Simbel, an extra night in Aswan or a Red Sea extension if you wish.
How do you book your Nile cruise?
Send us your dates, the number of travellers and the option you like, through the form or on WhatsApp. An advisor replies within 24 hours with a detailed itinerary and a free, no-obligation quote. Cancellation is free up to 72 hours before departure.
Frequently asked questions
Should you do a Nile cruise?
It is the heart of a first trip to Egypt. In four or five nights between Luxor and Aswan you take in Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae without ever repacking, and you watch riverbanks go by that the road never shows. The boat becomes a hotel that moves.
Should you start your cruise in Luxor or in Aswan?
We advise starting in Luxor. The densest sites, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, are better tackled at the start of the trip, and you finish in Aswan, the gentler of the two, where the Abu Simbel excursion begins. Both directions visit exactly the same temples: most of the time it is your flights that decide.
Are your trips really private?
Every trip we run is private: your Egyptologist guide, your air conditioned vehicle and your driver, for you alone. You leave at the time that suits you, you linger where you want to and you follow no umbrella and no group timetable. In a country this dense, that changes everything.
Can a trip be customised?
That is the whole idea. Every itinerary published on this site is a starting point: we adjust the dates, the length, the hotel category, the pace of the visits and the add ons such as Abu Simbel or the Red Sea. Tell us what you want to see and we build the programme around it.
Is a Nile cruise suitable for children?
It is the format we recommend most often to families: a single room to unpack for four nights, while the temples come to you. Between visits the ship offers a pool, a deck and meals at fixed times. Ask for connecting cabins when you book, as their number is limited.
How do you visit Abu Simbel from Aswan?
Two options: about three hours by road, with a pre-dawn start, or a short hour by plane. Either way, allow a full day and arrive early, before the groups. The excursion is best decided when booking rather than once you are there, and it slots in naturally at the end of a cruise.
Your tailor-made cruise
Tell us your dates and wishes: an advisor will reply with an itinerary and a free quote.
Request a quote
