Cairo and Nile Cruise Tours to Luxor and Aswan by Sleeping Train

Egypt rewards a well-planned route. This eight-day trip links Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, and the Nile by sleeper train and private vehicle, so you cover a lot without arranging each transfer yourself. I like the smart north-to-south plan, especially the chance to see the Giza pyramids, sail for three nights, and return to Cairo by train.

I also like the mix of famous monuments and slower moments, such as a felucca ride in Aswan, tea during sunset, and an evening walk through Khan Al-Khalili. The main drawback is the pace: you spend two nights on trains and several days with long sightseeing blocks, while entrance fees are listed as excluded, despite the itinerary pages saying admission is included. Confirm that point before paying.

Key points to know before booking

• Two overnight sleeper trains connect Cairo with Aswan and Luxor with Cairo, saving hotel nights but requiring comfort with train travel.
• Three nights on a five-star Nile cruise include breakfast, lunch, and dinner as the ship moves between Aswan and Luxor.
• The classic Egyptian sights arrive in one package, from Giza and Saqqara to Philae, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, and Luxor Temple.
• A private tour format means only your own group participates, with pickup and air-conditioned transport arranged.
• The itinerary is tightly packed, with sightseeing in Cairo, a train departure on Day 2, and a second train departure after the Luxor West Bank visit.
• The listed price is $1,200 per person, with Cairo hotels, cruise meals, sleeper trains, lunches, breakfasts, dinners, and guided touring included.

Why this route works from Cairo to Upper Egypt

The route gives you a strong first look at Egypt before moving south. You begin with Cairo’s pyramids and museums, then shift to Upper Egypt, where the Nile cruise makes the temples easier to reach.

I like this structure because the cruise becomes more than a hotel on water. It gives you a fixed base for Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, and Luxor, while your guide and vehicle handle the shore visits.

The tour lasts about eight days and begins with airport pickup. An EZ Tour Egypt leader meets you, helps with the Egypt visa process, and takes you to your Cairo hotel. The published start time is 8:00 a.m., but your exact pickup details should be confirmed before arrival.

The tour is private, so you are not joining a large mixed group for every activity. That can make a real difference during a busy Cairo day, especially when you need to keep moving between Giza, Saqqara, Memphis, lunch, and the train station.

Day 1: Airport arrival and Cairo hotel

The first day is simple but useful. You are met at the airport, helped with the Egypt visa, and transferred to your Cairo hotel.

There is no major sightseeing listed for this day, which is sensible after an international flight. Use the time to rest, organize your luggage, and prepare for an early start.

Two nights in Cairo on bed and breakfast are included. The tour also supplies an air-conditioned vehicle and a bottle of mineral water for each person.

Day 2: Giza, Saqqara, Memphis, and the first sleeper train

Day 2 delivers the big Cairo sights. After breakfast, you visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Valley Temple, with lunch during the tour.

The Giza pyramids are the headline attraction for good reason. They are the only surviving wonder of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, and seeing them in person gives the rest of the trip a useful sense of scale. Your time here is listed as about three hours, including the pyramid area, Sphinx, and Valley Temple.

The visit then continues to Saqqara and Memphis. This is a strong addition because it puts Giza into a wider story of ancient Egypt rather than treating the pyramids as a single isolated stop.

Saqqara is associated with Egypt’s step pyramid, while Memphis was an important ancient capital. The supplied schedule does not give separate time estimates for each site, so expect the day to move at a steady pace.

After sightseeing and lunch, you transfer to Giza train station for the first sleeper train, bound for Aswan. The train is described as first class, but you should still think of it as an efficient overnight journey, not a hotel room on rails.

A sleeper train saves a hotel night and gets you far south without losing a full day to a road transfer. The tradeoff is that you will want a small overnight bag, while larger luggage may be less convenient in a train compartment.

Day 3: Arriving in Aswan and slowing down on the Nile

After arriving in Aswan, you meet your guide and transfer to the five-star Nile cruise for check-in. Lunch is served on board, followed by an Aswan outing.

The day description mentions an Aswan Botanical Garden stop, while the main activity is described as a Nile felucca ride. Confirm the exact order and inclusions with EZ Tour Egypt, since the two descriptions do not match perfectly.

The felucca is a traditional sailing boat, and this is one of the gentler parts of the tour. After the overnight train and Cairo’s busy monuments, time on the river gives you a chance to sit, watch the shoreline, and get used to the slower rhythm of Upper Egypt.

Later, you have free time in Aswan’s bazaars before returning to the cruise for dinner. The free evening is valuable because the main sightseeing days leave little spare time.

The cruise includes three nights with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Drinks are not included, so budget separately for anything you order on board.

Day 4: Philae, the High Dam, and Kom Ombo

Day 4 begins with the Temple of Philae and the High Dam. Philae is dedicated to Isis and is one of the most memorable temple visits in the Aswan area.

The site is especially meaningful because the temple complex was moved when the region was affected by the construction of the High Dam. You do not need to be an ancient Egypt specialist to appreciate the setting and the care taken to preserve the temple.

The High Dam, called Al-Sadd al-Ali in the itinerary, gives you a modern counterpoint to the ancient sites. It helps explain how Egypt manages the Nile, which has shaped settlement, farming, transport, and religion for thousands of years.

Back on the ship, you sail toward Kom Ombo and have tea during sunset. This is exactly the sort of small pause that keeps the tour from becoming one long chain of temple visits.

At Kom Ombo, you visit the temple before sailing toward Edfu. The temple is unusual because it is dedicated to two gods, and its riverside setting makes the stop feel distinct from Philae.

The evening includes a Galabia Party and an oriental dinner, with an overnight stay in Edfu. These onboard events add a light social element, though you can skip them if you need an early night.

Day 5: Edfu Temple, Esna Lock, Karnak, and Luxor Temple

The morning visit is to Edfu Temple, dedicated to Horus. It is described as the best-preserved temple in Egypt, and the two-hour visit gives you enough time to appreciate its carvings and large entrance rather than simply stepping off the ship for a quick photograph.

The cruise then sails to Esna, where you see the Esna lock, described in the itinerary as Esnaa Hawis. Watching a cruise ship pass through a lock can be an unexpectedly interesting part of Nile travel because it shows the river as working infrastructure, not only as a scenic backdrop.

Once in Luxor, the schedule turns to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. Karnak is the largest temple complex in Egypt, and its long construction period helps explain why it feels more like an entire sacred district than one building.

Give yourself time to look up and around. Columns, courtyards, pylons, and carved surfaces can blur together when you are tired, so a guide is particularly useful here.

Luxor Temple has a different feel from Karnak. It is more compact and urban, and the visit makes a good evening counterpart to the vast scale of Karnak.

This is one of the fullest days of the trip. You visit Edfu, travel through Esna, arrive in Luxor, and see two major temples, so expect a long schedule with little unplanned time.

Day 6: The Valley of the Kings and the second sleeper train

Day 6 focuses on Luxor’s West Bank. You visit the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon, and Hatshepsut Temple during a tour listed at about five hours.

The Valley of the Kings is the emotional high point for many visitors. Instead of grand open courtyards, you enter tombs cut into the hills, where the decoration survives inside protected chambers. The number of tombs open can vary, and the tour information does not specify which ones are included.

The Colossi of Memnon make a short but useful stop. These giant statues are easy to photograph and help you picture the scale of monumental royal building.

Hatshepsut Temple provides a striking change from the tombs. Its terraces and broad lines sit against the cliffs, and the setting makes clear why this part of Luxor needs more than a quick drive-by.

After the West Bank visit, you return to the cruise and take a sleeper train to Cairo that night. This back-to-back schedule is efficient, but it is also the point at which fatigue may catch up with you.

If you value maximum sightseeing and do not mind overnight transport, the arrangement works well. If you sleep poorly on trains, you should weigh this carefully before booking, since the following Cairo day begins with more sightseeing.

Day 7: Cairo’s citadel, Coptic Cairo, and Khan Al-Khalili

After returning to Cairo, the tour visits Salah El-Din Citadel and the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. The citadel gives you a broad view over parts of Cairo and introduces a later period of Egyptian history after the pharaohs.

The Alabaster Mosque is the main architectural highlight here. Its pale interior and large domes make a clear contrast with the ancient temples seen farther south.

The route continues to Coptic Cairo and the religious center of Old Cairo. This broadens the trip beyond ancient Egypt and shows that Cairo’s story includes Islamic, Christian, and older layers.

The final shopping stop is Khan Al-Khalili Bazaar, followed by a walk on Al Moez Street. You can use this time for souvenirs, gifts, and a last look at central Cairo.

The day is listed at about five hours, though shopping time can make the total outing feel longer. The guide can help you make the most of the stop, especially if you want to shop without losing the group’s schedule.

That evening, you check into a Cairo hotel for the final night. This hotel night is included with breakfast.

What the $1,200 price covers

At $1,200 per person, this is not a budget trip, but it includes a large amount of transport and sightseeing. You receive two nights in Cairo, three nights on a five-star Nile cruise, two first-class sleeper train journeys, private touring, an air-conditioned vehicle, and many meals.

Included meals are listed as six breakfasts, six lunches, and five dinners. Cruise accommodation includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while drinks are excluded.

The biggest value comes from coordination. You do not need to arrange the Cairo to Aswan train, the cruise, the Luxor to Cairo train, hotel transfers, or the main sightseeing drives yourself.

There is one important money question to settle. The itinerary marks admission tickets as included at individual stops, but the exclusions say entrance fees to all sites are not included. Ask for a written answer about pyramid, temple, museum, tomb, and other entry fees before booking.

International flights are not included. You should also allow extra money for drinks, personal purchases, and souvenirs at Khan Al-Khalili.

Who will enjoy this tour most

I would choose this trip if you want Egypt’s major sights in one organized route and like the idea of traveling by train and riverboat. It suits people who prefer a private group, scheduled transfers, and a guide rather than independent transport planning.

It is also a good fit if you want variety. In eight days, you see pyramids, tombs, temples, a dam, bazaars, religious sites, a traditional felucca, and two different forms of overnight travel.

I would think twice if you need slow mornings or private hotel nights every evening. The two sleeper trains are practical, but they are not the same as sleeping in a Cairo or Luxor hotel.

The only detailed service praise supplied for the tour highlights care from airport pickup through final airport transfer, along with local restaurant visits and a guide named Phoebe. That suggests the personal coordination is a major strength, but you should still confirm who your assigned guide will be.

Cancellation terms are fairly strict close to departure. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least six full days before the start time, a 50 percent refund if you cancel two to six days ahead, and no refund for cancellations less than two days before departure. Poor weather may lead to a different date or a full refund.

Should you book the Cairo and Nile cruise route?

Book it if you want a high-coverage Egypt itinerary with private touring, two sleeper trains, and a three-night Nile cruise built into one price. The route includes the essential Cairo and Upper Egypt sights, and it avoids the work of coordinating several complicated transfers.

Do not book it without clarifying the entrance-fee contradiction. Also consider your tolerance for overnight trains and full sightseeing days.

For the right kind of visitor, the combination is appealing: pyramids first, temples by river, tombs in Luxor, and Cairo’s old quarters at the end. It is a busy introduction to Egypt, but the movement itself is part of the story.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately eight days, from airport arrival and Cairo transfer on Day 1 through airport departure on Day 8.

What cities and sites are included?

The route includes Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Memphis, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, and Luxor. Major sites include the Giza pyramids, Sphinx, Valley Temple, Philae Temple, High Dam, Kom Ombo Temple, Edfu Temple, Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, the Colossi of Memnon, Salah El-Din Citadel, Coptic Cairo, Khan Al-Khalili, and Al Moez Street.

Are the sleeper trains included?

Yes. First-class sleeper train travel is included from Cairo to Aswan and from Luxor to Cairo.

How many nights are spent on the Nile cruise?

The tour includes three nights on board a five-star Nile cruise, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Are hotel stays in Cairo included?

Yes. Two nights in Cairo accommodation with bed and breakfast are included.

Are drinks included with the meals?

No. Drinks are listed as an exclusion.

Are entrance fees included?

The supplied information is inconsistent. Individual itinerary stops are marked as including admission, but the exclusions say entrance fees to all sites are not included. Confirm this directly with EZ Tour Egypt before booking.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. It is a private activity, and only your group participates. Pickup is offered, and the tour uses an air-conditioned vehicle.