Overview
This 4 Night Nile Cruise takes you from Luxor to Aswan in five days on a Nile cruise ship. You stay in an en-suite, air-conditioned cabin on full board, and a private Egyptologist guides you through Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. Abu Simbel is available as an optional tour.
The price starts from 1,025 USD per person, and we reply within 24 hours.
A Nile cruise ship sailing on the Nile.
What Your 4 Night Nile Cruise Includes
You get four nights aboard in an en-suite, air-conditioned cabin, full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner), a private Egyptologist for every visit, the entrance fees for the sites in the itinerary and a private transfer to the ship in Luxor. Flights, drinks on board, gratuities, personal expenses and the optional Abu Simbel tour are not included. Sailing the classic Luxor-to-Aswan direction, you explore the Theban temples, Edfu, Kom Ombo and the island temple of Philae. Looking at other options? Compare the 3-night Nile cruise or the 5-night dahabiya cruise from Luxor to Aswan, a smaller sailing boat.
Your Days on the Nile
Luxor: Karnak and Luxor Temple
After boarding, visit Karnak’s sacred precinct, as on the Karnak and Luxor Temple tour, and see Luxor Temple lit up after dark.
Carved reliefs among the ruins at Karnak Temple.
Luxor West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi
Cross to the Theban necropolis, as on the Valley of the Kings tour, then visit the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. In the afternoon the ship sails south to Edfu for the night.
The Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.
Painted hieroglyphs inside a tomb on Luxor’s West Bank.
Edfu and Kom Ombo
Visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, and the double temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to Sobek and Horus, before the ship continues to Aswan for the night.
The Temple of Horus at Edfu.
The double temple of Kom Ombo on the Nile.
Aswan: Philae and the High Dam
In Aswan, take a motorboat to Philae Temple on Agilkia Island and visit the Aswan High Dam, then spend the night on board in Aswan.
The island temple of Philae near Aswan.
Optional: Abu Simbel
The colossal rock temples of Abu Simbel, built by Ramesses II, are about 280 km from Aswan by road. The optional tour starts around 5:00 AM, and the start time is flexible. It is not included in the price; see the Abu Simbel tour from Aswan and ask us for details.
Why Book a Private Egyptologist
With a private Egyptologist, the pace of each visit follows your interests rather than a shared schedule. Evenings on deck, sunrise over the river and full board on the ship let you focus on the temples.
Practical Notes
Bring a hat, sunscreen, light layers for cool evenings on deck and comfortable shoes for temple visits. Cabins are en-suite with air conditioning, and all meals are served on board. Drinks on board are not included. The optional Abu Simbel tour starts very early in the morning.
Sailing over the holidays? See how Christmas Eve on a Nile cruise feels, then read our Christmas and New Year in Egypt guide before you pick your dates.
Why Book Private with El Sultan?
The ship carries other guests. Everything you do off the ship is private to you.
- A private Egyptologist on every visit — Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae, with briefings during the cruise.
- A private transfer in Luxor — we take you to the ship, so the cruise starts without stress.
- Clear pricing — from 1,025 USD per person, with four nights in an en-suite cabin, full board and the entrance fees included. Flights, drinks, gratuities and personal expenses are not.
- Abu Simbel on request — the optional Abu Simbel tour can be added. Ask us and we will arrange it.
- Fast replies — we reply within 24 hours, and you are one WhatsApp message away before, during and after your trip.
Itinerary
Your Egyptologist meets you in Luxor and you transfer privately to the ship. After you check in to your en-suite, air-conditioned cabin, you visit Karnak Temple in the afternoon. Karnak is the vast temple complex on the East Bank, with its pylons, courtyards and great columned halls, and your guide explains how it grew over many centuries. In the evening you see Luxor Temple lit up after dark. Dinner and overnight on board.
In the morning you cross the Nile to the West Bank, the ancient Theban necropolis. You visit the Valley of the Kings, where the standard ticket covers three tombs of your choice from those open that day, and your Egyptologist recommends which to see. Next comes the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, built in terraces against the cliffs, and the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues on the plain. In the afternoon the ship sails south to Edfu. Overnight on board in Edfu.
The ship is moored at Edfu, where you visit the Temple of Horus, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, with a massive entrance pylon and a large open courtyard. The ship then sails on to Kom Ombo, where the temple on the riverbank is unusual because it is a double temple, dedicated to the gods Sobek and Horus and divided into two matching halves. Your Egyptologist explains the carvings and the stories behind them. The ship continues to Aswan. Overnight on board in Aswan.
In Aswan you take a motorboat to Philae Temple, the temple of the goddess Isis, on Agilkia Island. The temple was moved there in the 1970s, block by block, when the Aswan High Dam raised the water level and would otherwise have flooded its original island. Your Egyptologist guides you through the colonnades and the sanctuary. You then visit the Aswan High Dam, the large dam on the Nile that created Lake Nasser. Overnight on board in Aswan.
Breakfast on board and check-out from the ship in Aswan in the morning. If you wish, you can add an optional Abu Simbel excursion by road. Abu Simbel is about 280 km south of Aswan, and the drive takes roughly 3 to 3.5 hours each way. The excursion starts around 5:00 AM, and the start time is flexible. You visit the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the smaller Temple of Nefertari, then drive back to Aswan. The excursion is not included in the price; ask us for details and the price.
Included & Excluded
Included
- 4 nights on a Nile cruise ship in an en-suite, air-conditioned cabin
- Full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Private Egyptologist for all visits
- Entrance fees for the sites in the itinerary
- Private transfer to the ship in Luxor on Day 1
Excluded
- Flights
- Drinks on board
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Extra tomb tickets in the Valley of the Kings
- Optional Abu Simbel tour
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days and nights is the 4 Night Nile Cruise?
It is a 5-day, 4-night journey on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan, with guided temple visits and nights aboard. Abu Simbel is an optional tour and is not included in the price.
Does the 4 Night Nile Cruise include Abu Simbel?
No. Abu Simbel is an optional tour on the last morning and is not included in the price. Ask us for details and the price, and we will add it to your booking.
Which temples and sites are included?
The route covers Karnak and Luxor temples, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the double temple of Kom Ombo, Philae Temple and the Aswan High Dam.
What is included and what is not?
Included: four nights in an en-suite, air-conditioned cabin, full board, a private Egyptologist, entrance fees for the sites in the itinerary and a private transfer to the ship in Luxor. Not included: flights, drinks on board, gratuities, personal expenses, extra tomb tickets in the Valley of the Kings and the optional Abu Simbel tour. We reply within 24 hours.
Can I extend my trip?
Yes. We can arrange Cairo or Red Sea extensions. Just let our team know.
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