Amazing 2 Nights Nile Cruise From Aswan To Luxor including Tours and Abu Simbel

Three days, four temples, one river. This Aswan to Luxor Nile cruise packs Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor’s West Bank into a short, well-organized trip. I like the early Abu Simbel visit and the easy hotel, airport, or train-station transfers, which remove much of the transport hassle from a busy part of Egypt.

I also like that the $550 price includes two nights on a 5-star ship, all listed meals, guides, and ground transport. The main drawback is the pace: Abu Simbel begins around 4:30 in the morning, and the final day includes several major sights before drop-off. Entrance fees, drinks, Wi-Fi, tips, and optional tours cost extra.

Key things to know before booking

• Abu Simbel begins at about 4:30 a.m. and uses shared bus or minibus transport from Aswan.
• The cruise includes two nights and six meals, starting with lunch on day one and ending with breakfast on day three.
• Kom Ombo and Edfu are visited during the sailing route, so you see major temples without arranging separate road transfers.
• The final morning covers the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and Colossi of Memnon.
• Entrance fees are not included and must be paid by card at the sights.
• The maximum group size is 20, with an English-speaking Egyptology guide included.

What this three-day Nile cruise is really like

This is a sightseeing-heavy Nile cruise rather than a slow, stay-on-the-ship holiday. You use the boat as your moving hotel, sailing between Aswan and Luxor while the included guide and transfers take care of the complicated parts on shore.

The route works well because the temples are spaced along the river. Instead of unpacking at several hotels, you return to the same ship after each visit. That makes the trip efficient, though not always restful. You will have early starts, set meal times, temple visits, and sailing deadlines.

The experience is limited to about three days, with two nights aboard a 5-star cruise ship. The group can reach 20 people, so you should expect an organized tour rather than a private, flexible day out. For a first visit to Upper Egypt, that structure is useful. You get a clear route and an English-speaking Egyptology guide without having to arrange every transfer yourself.

Abu Simbel at sunrise, an early but worthwhile start

Your first morning begins around 4:30 a.m. with pickup from your Aswan hotel. The Abu Simbel trip is shared, using a bus or minibus, and the drive takes much of the morning. The return to Aswan is planned for about 1:30 p.m., when you collect your luggage and transfer to the cruise ship.

The temples are the biggest reason to accept that early alarm. Ramesses II ordered the main rock-cut temple, while the nearby temple honors Queen Nefertari. Their huge seated figures and carefully carved interiors are unlike the river temples farther north.

There is a practical point here: the Abu Simbel admission fee is not included. You also need your passport details, hotel name, and room number in advance for the government permission connected with the visit. Bring a current valid passport on the day of the tour.

The timing is tight. You return from Abu Simbel, pick up your luggage, and board the ship for lunch and check-in. If you prefer slow mornings and plenty of time at each stop, this may feel demanding. If Abu Simbel is high on your Egypt wish list, the effort makes sense.

If bad weather cancels the Abu Simbel trip, the stated refund is $30 per person. That is worth noting because the Abu Simbel portion is a major part of the day, and the weather policy does not describe a full refund for that single section.

Kom Ombo and the crocodile god

After lunch and check-in, the cruise begins sailing toward Kom Ombo at about 2 p.m. The temple visit lasts roughly an hour and a half, followed by dinner aboard the ship and continued sailing toward Edfu for the overnight stop.

Kom Ombo is unusual because it is a dual temple. One side honors Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other is linked with Horus, the falcon god. The divided design gives your guide plenty to explain, and the temple makes a good first shore visit because it is close to the river and fits neatly into the sailing schedule.

The ship’s schedule means you do not need to organize a separate vehicle from Aswan to Kom Ombo. That is one of the strongest practical advantages of this trip. You see the temple as part of the river journey, then return to your cabin and dinner.

The entrance fee is extra, as it is at every major sight on this route. You should also budget for tips to the guide, driver, and cruise crew. Drinks and bottled water are not included, and Wi-Fi is also outside the package.

Edfu’s Temple of Horus and the horse carriage ride

After breakfast on day two, you take a horse carriage with your guide to the Temple of Horus. The visit lasts about two hours. This is one of the best-preserved Egyptian temples, so the walls, reliefs, and overall plan are easier to understand than at many more damaged sites.

The carriage ride is part of the transport arrangement for the visit. Once inside, your guide helps explain the temple’s purpose and the figures carved into its walls. You then return to the ship for lunch before sailing onward to Luxor.

This is where the trip becomes more than a chain of bus rides. You spend part of the day watching the Nile from the deck, with afternoon tea served on the sundeck. The cruise also passes through the Esna lock, a practical piece of river travel that adds variety to the day.

I would treat the sailing time as a welcome pause, not dead time. The first day is long because of Abu Simbel, and the third day is packed with tombs and temples. Sitting on deck between Edfu and Luxor gives you room to rest and watch the river scenery.

The ship reaches Luxor late in the afternoon, where you spend the second night. The program does not describe a dedicated Luxor evening excursion, so you should not expect a long free period for independent sightseeing before the next morning’s West Bank visits.

The Valley of the Kings, with three tombs included

Day three starts with breakfast and checkout. You drive to Luxor’s West Bank and visit the Valley of the Kings, where rulers of the New Kingdom cut tombs into the hills to protect their burials and possessions.

The planned visit includes three open tombs. Your guide recommends which three to enter, since the available tombs can change. This arrangement is practical because the Valley has many tombs, but each one may require a separate ticket or have different opening arrangements. The entrance fees are not included in the cruise price and must be paid by card.

Three tombs is enough for a useful introduction, especially after several days of temple visits. Do not expect to see every famous tomb. The point is to compare the decoration, layout, and condition of the tombs your guide selects.

You should also plan for heat and uneven walking conditions. The supplied information confirms that most people can take part, but it does not promise any special accessibility arrangements. Wear practical shoes and keep your expectations realistic: this is an active sightseeing morning after two nights of scheduled travel.

Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon

The next stop is the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. Its terraces rise against the cliffs, giving it a very different appearance from the underground tombs visited earlier.

Your guide explains Hatshepsut’s story and her relationship with her nephew. That context matters because the temple is not simply a photo stop. Its design and royal story help you understand how Egyptian rulers presented power, legitimacy, and religious authority.

The West Bank portion ends with a photo stop at the gigantic Colossi of Memnon. You should think of this as a brief final look rather than a full guided site visit. The statues are an easy place to stop before lunch and onward transport.

Lunch at a local restaurant is optional and carries an extra charge. Afterward, you can finish at your Luxor hotel, Luxor Airport, or Luxor train station. An optional East Bank visit to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple is also available for an additional fee, but it is not part of the base price.

That optional extension can be useful if you are leaving Luxor soon and have not arranged another sightseeing day. It also makes the final day longer, so I would only add it if your transport schedule allows enough time.

What the $550 price includes, and what it does not

At $550 per person, the value depends on how much of Upper Egypt you want to cover in a short period. The price includes two nights on a 5-star cruise, full board with two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners, an English-speaking Egyptology guide, air-conditioned transfers, hotel or station pickup, and the shared Abu Simbel trip.

That is a substantial bundle. Booking the cruise, Abu Simbel transport, temple visits, and Luxor transfers separately could take more planning, even before you arrange a guide. The ship also gives you a fixed base while you move between Aswan and Luxor.

The advertised price does not include admission tickets. It also excludes water, beverages, Wi-Fi, tips, laundry, personal expenses, and optional tours. This matters because the headline price is not the final amount you will spend.

The price is quoted in U.S. dollars per person and does not apply unchanged during Christmas, New Year, or Easter holidays. Group discounts may be available, though the exact discount is not specified.

The cruise package starts with lunch on day one and ends with breakfast on day three. That wording is important. The early Abu Simbel trip occurs before you board, and the final day’s optional lunch is not part of the included meals.

Transfers, group size, and booking details

Pickup and drop-off are available at a hotel, airport, or train station. Pickup from Aswan West Bank hotels costs an additional $10 per person, and drop-off at hotels on Luxor’s West Bank also costs an additional $10 per person.

The maximum group size is 20. That is large enough for an organized group but smaller than a big coach tour. A group of this size can still affect the pace at temple entrances and during photo stops, so do not expect a private guide’s freedom to linger everywhere.

The English-speaking guide is included. Other languages can be arranged for an extra charge. One helpful contact detail from the booking experience is the agent Heba, who handled questions promptly and helped arrange an alternative cruise when some sailings were canceled because of low passenger numbers during the pandemic. Cruise availability can change, so clear communication before departure is valuable.

Sailing times and the order of visits can change because of river conditions. The operator states that the included sights will still be covered, but possibly in a different order. I would keep the day after arrival in Luxor flexible if possible.

Free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations inside that window are not refunded, and changes are not accepted. If bad weather or an insufficient minimum group cancels the experience, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Who will get the most from this cruise?

I would recommend it most strongly if you want to cover the classic Aswan to Luxor route without arranging several local transfers. It suits first-time visitors who value a guide, included meals, and a fixed schedule.

It also works well for people who consider Abu Simbel essential. The early start is hard, but the tour builds the visit into the same short trip instead of forcing you to arrange a separate return from Aswan.

You may want another option if you prefer private touring, long visits at each temple, or a relaxed cruise with lots of time on board. The early departure, shared Abu Simbel ride, extra entrance fees, and packed final morning all require some energy.

The strongest praise has focused on the ship, organized tours, helpful service, and prompt support from Heba. The high rating of 4.9 from 18 ratings and 100 percent recommendation support the idea that the basic operation is dependable, but you should still read the inclusions carefully.

Should you book this Nile cruise?

Book it if you want a practical, tightly planned introduction to Upper Egypt and accept early mornings and extra on-site costs. The combination of Abu Simbel, a two-night Nile sailing, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Luxor’s West Bank gives you a lot for three days.

I would skip it if you want a private pace or a quiet ship holiday. For everyone else, the $550 package offers solid value when you count the accommodation, meals, guide, transfers, and Abu Simbel transport. Set aside money for entrance fees, drinks, tips, and any East Bank extension, then keep your schedule flexible around the river.

FAQ

How long is the Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor?

The experience lasts about three days and includes two nights aboard the cruise ship.

Is Abu Simbel included in the tour?

Yes. The package includes the shared Abu Simbel trip from Aswan by bus or minibus. The admission fee to Abu Simbel is not included.

What time does the Abu Simbel trip begin?

Pickup from your Aswan hotel is scheduled for around 4:30 a.m.

Which meals are included?

The cruise includes two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners. It starts with lunch on day one and ends with breakfast on day three.

Are entrance fees included?

No. Entrance fees for the listed sights are not included and must be paid by card.

Is a guide included?

Yes. An English-speaking Egyptology guide is included. Other languages are available for an additional charge.

Can I be picked up from an Aswan West Bank hotel?

Yes, with an additional charge of $10 per person.

Can I be dropped off at a Luxor West Bank hotel?

Yes. Drop-off at a Luxor West Bank hotel costs an additional $10 per person.

Can the cruise schedule change?

Yes. Sailing times and the order of visits may change because of conditions on the Nile. The included sights are still planned to be covered, though possibly in a different order.