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A traditional felucca under sail on the Nile at Luxor with palms and hills on the far bank

Nile cruises

Sail the Nile between Luxor and Aswan

Before or after your ocean cruise, spend a few days on the river that made Egypt. We help you choose the boat, the route and the dates, and plan the transfers around your ship.

Plan My Nile CruiseDahabiya programmes

Luxor, Egypt · Photo: Anthony Chen

Why a Nile cruise

Most of ancient Egypt's great temples stand on the banks of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan. A river cruise lets you see them in order, with your cabin travelling alongside you, and with quiet hours on deck between the visits.

A shore excursion from Safaga gives you a single long day in Luxor. A Nile cruise turns that into several unhurried days: Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, then Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan, without packing and unpacking.

Massive carved sandstone columns at Karnak Temple in Luxor under a blue sky

Two ways to sail

  • Classic Nile cruise boat

    Multi-deck river boats with a restaurant, sun deck and pool. They follow the established Luxor–Aswan schedule and include guided visits along the way.

    • Usually 3, 4 or 7 nights
    • Wide choice of dates
    • Good value for the sites included

  • Dahabiya

    A traditional sailing boat with a handful of cabins. Dahabiyas moor at quieter spots and islands that the larger boats pass by, at a slower and more personal pace.

    • Usually 4 to 5 nights
    • Small groups, or the whole boat for your party
    • Sailing when the wind allows

Our dahabiyas

Four sailing boats built by hand in Esna, sailing the stretch of the Nile between Esna and Aswan. The smallest carries eight guests and the largest twenty.

Dahabiya programmes

The four programmes sailed by our dahabiyas between Esna, Luxor and Aswan. Each boat’s page shows which routes it sails.

  • 5 days, 4 nights

    Esna to Aswan

    The core sailing stretch, without the road days. Four nights on board. From €890 per person sharing a double.

    1. Esna
    2. El Kab
    3. Edfu
    4. Gebel el-Silsila
    5. Kom Ombo
    6. Aswan

  • 4 days, 3 nights

    Aswan to Esna

    The same river northbound, running with the current. Three nights on board. From €670 per person sharing a double.

    1. Aswan
    2. Kom Ombo
    3. Gebel el-Silsila
    4. Edfu
    5. Esna

  • 7 days, 6 nights

    Luxor and Aswan

    The sailing route with both ends of the story: Thebes at the start, Nubia at the end. Price on request.

    1. Luxor: Karnak and Luxor Temple
    2. The West Bank, then Esna
    3. El Kab and Edfu
    4. Kom Ombo
    5. Aswan

  • Exclusive booking

    Private charter

    Take a whole dahabiya, for eight to twenty guests, on your own dates and route, at your own pace. Price on request.

    1. Choose your boat
    2. Set your own dates
    3. Shape the route, with extensions to Cairo or Abu Simbel

Boats, cabins, dates, inclusions and prices are confirmed in writing with your quote.

What you see along the river

  • Luxor

    Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut.

  • Edfu

    The Temple of Horus, one of the best preserved temples in Egypt.

  • Kom Ombo

    A double temple on a bend of the river, dedicated to Sobek and Horus.

  • Aswan

    The Temple of Philae, the High Dam, and felucca sails around the islands.

Combining it with your ocean cruise

Many guests add a Nile cruise before boarding or after leaving their ship. Luxor is about 3 to 3.5 hours by road from Safaga, and Cairo is a short flight from Luxor and Aswan.

Tell us your ship, your embarkation or disembarkation port and your dates, and we will suggest a Nile cruise that connects comfortably, with private transfers at each end.

Plan My Nile Cruise
  • Guests of Narmer Tours among the columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak
    Karnak Temple, Luxor
  • The terraced Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut set against the cliffs of Luxor's West Bank
    Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor, Egypt
  • Guests of Narmer Tours in the courts of Medinet Habu
    Medinet Habu, Luxor West Bank

Nile cruise questions

Can I do a Nile cruise during a cruise port call?

Not usually. A Nile cruise lasts several nights, so it fits before or after your ocean cruise. During a single port call, a day trip to Luxor from Safaga is the realistic option.

Which is better, a cruise boat or a dahabiya?

It depends on your pace. Cruise boats offer more facilities and dates; dahabiyas are smaller, quieter and moor in places the large boats cannot. We can describe both for your dates.

Are guides included?

Guided visits to the main sites are normally part of a Nile cruise programme. Guides in Italian or Spanish can be requested, and what is included is confirmed with your quote.

Plan your Nile cruise

Tell us your dates and how you would like to travel. We reply with suitable boats and a quote. An enquiry is not a booking.

Plan My Nile Cruise