Nice Tours · Aswan to Luxor, flights from Cairo
Nice Tours flies you from Cairo to Aswan, puts you on a 5-star ship for three nights downstream to Luxor, and flies you back. Pick it if you want the real multi-day cruise in the least time, with Abu Simbel and a sunrise balloon over Luxor squeezed in.
No standard cruise ship sails out of Cairo. The multi-day Nile cruise runs between Aswan and Luxor, several hundred kilometres south, so a "from Cairo" package starts with a flight. This is the shortest real version. Day 1 flies you to Aswan (about 1.5 hours), day 4 flies you home from Luxor, and in between you spend three nights on a 5-star ship sailing downstream with full board.
The days are packed. Day 1 covers the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae temple by motorboat before you board. Day 2 starts around 4 am with a breakfast box and a van ride to Abu Simbel, about 300 km by road (Wikipedia), then Kom Ombo in the afternoon, a double temple to Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the Elder (more on Kom Ombo). Day 3 is Edfu by horse carriage, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt (Temple of Edfu). Day 4 opens with a sunrise balloon over Luxor, then the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon, Karnak and Luxor Temple before the flight back. You'll be tired.
Now the price. It covers the flights, the ship, full board, transfers, the Edfu carriage and an English-speaking guide. It does not cover entrance tickets, tips or any drinks, water included. The tickets add up: Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings are two of the dearest entries for a foreign adult on the official lists (Abu Simbel, Valley of the Kings), and the itinerary has several more ticketed temples. If you'd rather pay once, the 8-day tour includes entrance fees.
Early hotel pickup and a flight of about 1.5 hours. A private guide and driver take you to the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae temple by motorboat, then you board the ship for lunch and dinner.
Start around 4 am with a breakfast box. An air-conditioned van takes your group to Abu Simbel, about 4 hours each way. Back on board for lunch, then the ship sails to Kom Ombo temple.
A horse carriage to the Temple of Horus at Edfu. Lunch and an afternoon of sailing, then the last dinner on board.
Early check-out and a sunrise hot air balloon. Then the Valley of the Kings (3 tombs), Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon, Karnak and Luxor Temple, a flight to Cairo and a driver to your hotel.
★★★★★Nice Tours is a very well organized operator, something not common in Egypt.
★★★★★[...] incredibly kind, thoughtful, and knowledgeable.
★★★★★Heba was a great tour guide in Aswan; very helpful and always nice with us.
★★★★★Mary was kind to us, I highly recommend her, and hope to see her one day in France.
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Not this one, and not the standard ones. The ships sail between Aswan and Luxor, so the package flies you to Aswan on day 1 and back from Luxor on day 4. Cairo to Aswan sailings exist only as rare specialist trips; see our Cairo to Luxor guide.
Entrance tickets, all drinks (water included) and tips. Guides in languages other than English cost extra. Flights, the ship with full board, transfers, the balloon and the Edfu carriage are included.
For the highlights, yes: 3 nights is the standard downstream sailing from Aswan to Luxor, and this package adds Abu Simbel and a balloon. You trade rest for coverage. The upstream direction, Luxor to Aswan, usually takes 4 nights.
Around 4 am on day 2, with a breakfast box. The temples are about 4 hours away by road, and you're back on the ship for lunch.
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Fly from Cairo to Aswan, sail three nights to Luxor past Kom Ombo and Edfu, ride a sunrise balloon and fly back.
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