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

Abu Simbel is the big prize here. You leave Aswan around 4:30 in the morning, reach the enormous rock-cut temples built by Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, then return in time to board your Nile cruise. I like the way this trip combines Egypt’s greatest southern temple with a gentle river journey north.

I also like the full-board setup and the practical transfers from a hotel, airport, or train station. Your cruise includes two nights, six meals, and guided sightseeing at Kom Ombo, Edfu, the Valley of the Kings, and Hatshepsut’s Temple. The possible drawback is the pace: Abu Simbel means a very early start, and entrance fees, drinks, Wi-Fi, tips, and optional Luxor visits cost extra.

Key points to know before booking

• Abu Simbel comes first: Leave Aswan at about 4:30 am for the roughly 9-hour round trip and temple visit.
• Two nights on a 5-star Nile ship: Meals begin with lunch on day one and end with breakfast on day three.
• Four major temple stops: You visit Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Hatshepsut’s Temple, plus the Valley of the Kings.
• Small shared Abu Simbel transfer: The road trip is made with a shared group in a bus or minibus, with the full activity limited to 20 people.
• $550 buys convenience as much as sightseeing: Transfers, guide service, accommodation, meals, and the cruise are included, but admission fees are separate.
• Schedule changes are possible: River conditions may alter sailing times or the order of visits, though the planned sights are still covered.

Why this three-day Nile route works

This experience gives you a neat south-to-north introduction to ancient Egypt. You begin in Aswan, visit Abu Simbel far to the south, then travel by river through Kom Ombo and Edfu before finishing in Luxor. It saves you from arranging several separate transfers and hotel nights.

The route is also well chosen. Abu Simbel provides the grand opening, the temples at Kom Ombo and Edfu break up the cruise, and Luxor supplies the final burst of tombs and royal monuments. You see different kinds of ancient sites rather than repeating the same temple visit.

The cruise itself is not just transport. Between stops, you can sit on the sundeck, watch the Nile banks pass, eat on board, and let the schedule carry you along. That slower rhythm is a welcome change from long road journeys across Egypt.

Still, three days is a short time for this much sightseeing. You will not have long, unplanned stretches in each town. If you prefer to linger over every relief or explore Luxor’s markets and museums, add extra nights before or after the cruise.

Abu Simbel at 4:30 am

Your first morning begins before sunrise. Pickup is scheduled around 4:30 am from your Aswan hotel, followed by the shared drive south to Abu Simbel. The total outing takes about nine hours, including the road journey, temple visit, and return to Aswan.

That early departure is tiring, but it is the practical way to fit Abu Simbel before the cruise check-in. You return to Aswan around 1:30 pm, collect your luggage, and transfer to the ship for lunch.

The temples are cut into the rock and were built for Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari. Their scale is the main event. The facade of the larger temple is designed to impress before you even enter, while the smaller temple honors Nefertari with unusual prominence for an ancient Egyptian queen.

You should bring your passport details and make sure your hotel name and room number are available. Government permission for the Abu Simbel trip requires passport copies and accommodation information. The current passport requirement also applies on the day of the tour.

Admission is not included in the $550 price, and the entrance fees must be paid by card. If bad weather cancels the Abu Simbel trip, the stated refund is $30 per person. That is worth noting because Abu Simbel is the longest and most demanding part of the first day.

Boarding the cruise in Aswan

After returning from Abu Simbel, you board the 5-star cruise ship and have lunch. The ship is on a full-board basis, with two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners included. The cruise begins with lunch on day one and ends with breakfast on day three.

The ship gives you a comfortable base while you move between monuments. You do not need to repack for Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor, and the included meals reduce the number of small decisions during a busy trip.

Do not assume every onboard cost is covered. Water, other drinks, Wi-Fi, laundry, and personal expenses are extra. Tips for the guide, driver, and cruise crew are also not included, so keep some money aside for those.

The ship is scheduled to sail toward Kom Ombo at about 2 pm. This makes the first day feel full, but the route is efficient: Abu Simbel in the morning, lunch and check-in in Aswan, then a temple visit during the afternoon.

Kom Ombo and the crocodile god

At Kom Ombo, you leave the ship to visit the unusual double temple dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god. The dual design gives the site a different character from Abu Simbel. Two sets of religious spaces share one complex, making the layout especially interesting to follow with a guide.

The visit lasts about an hour and a half, including the walk from the cruise area and the guided sightseeing. Afterward, you return to the ship for dinner and continue sailing toward Edfu, where the ship spends the night.

The stop is short, so listen closely to the Egyptology guide rather than trying to inspect every stone alone. This is one of those places where a clear explanation helps you understand why the temple was arranged as it was.

Kom Ombo is also a good reminder that the Nile cruise is partly about timing. The ship’s schedule determines how long you have ashore, and sailing conditions can change both departure times and the order of visits.

Edfu and the Temple of Horus

After breakfast on day two, you take a horse-drawn carriage with your guide to the Temple of Horus. The carriage ride is part of the planned transfer to the site, not an optional add-on listed separately.

Edfu is described as the most complete and best-preserved of the Egyptian temples included on this route. Its condition makes it easier to picture how a large temple complex functioned, and the guide can help you read the carved scenes and religious symbols.

Allow about two hours for the Edfu stop. You then return to the cruise for lunch and an afternoon of sailing toward Luxor.

This is one of the nicest parts of the trip for anyone who enjoys the river itself. You can relax on the deck, watch the Nile scenery, and take afternoon tea on the sundeck. After the early Abu Simbel start and the previous evening’s temple stop, this slower stretch gives you time to rest.

The ship crosses the Esna lock before reaching Luxor late in the afternoon. You spend the second night in Luxor. Since arrival is late, do not plan on fitting a major independent sightseeing program into that evening.

The Valley of the Kings on your final morning

After breakfast, you check out and drive to Luxor’s West Bank. The Valley of the Kings is where rulers of Egypt’s New Kingdom carved tombs into the hills, hoping to protect their burials and treasures.

The tour includes entry to three open tombs. Your guide recommends which three to visit, since the open tombs can vary and not every tomb is available at all times. The visit lasts about an hour and a half.

Three tombs provide a useful introduction, but this is not a full archaeological tour. If you have a strong interest in ancient burial sites, you may want extra time in Luxor to visit more tombs separately, if available and permitted.

The Valley can also be demanding in the heat, particularly after several days of early starts. Wear practical shoes and carry water, noting that drinks are not included in the cruise package. Entrance fees are paid separately by card.

Hatshepsut, Memnon, and the optional East Bank

The next stop is the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. The temple’s terraces and cliff setting make it visually different from the Valley of the Kings, and the guide explains Hatshepsut’s story, including her complicated relationship with her nephew.

You then finish the West Bank portion with a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues. It is a brief stop, but it gives you a chance to photograph one of Luxor’s most recognizable monuments before lunch.

Lunch at a local restaurant is optional. The tour also offers an optional East Bank visit to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple for an additional charge. This can be a useful choice if you are leaving Luxor soon and want to see the city’s most important East Bank sites, but it makes an already packed final day even longer.

At the end, you are transferred to your Luxor hotel, airport, or train station. Drop-off at a hotel on Luxor’s West Bank costs an additional $10 per person.

What the $550 price really covers

At $550 per person, this is not a bare transport package. The price includes two nights on a 5-star cruise, full-board meals, air-conditioned transfers, an English-speaking Egyptology guide, the shared Abu Simbel trip, and final drop-off.

That makes the price reasonable for someone who wants a planned route without arranging hotels, drivers, river transport, and temple visits separately. The value is strongest if you use the included transfers and meals and want to see Abu Simbel without organizing a separate trip from Aswan.

The price is less straightforward once extras are counted. You need to budget for admission to the sights, tips, drinks, Wi-Fi, personal spending, and any optional tour. The East Bank visit in Luxor is not part of the base price.

Prices are quoted in US dollars per person and may not apply during Christmas, New Year, and Easter holidays. Children from five to eleven who travel with one adult are charged as adults, with full payment required.

Guide service and group size

The experience includes an English-speaking Egyptology guide. The supplied information does not name the guide, so you should not expect to request a particular person in advance. The booking contact, Heba, is specifically noted for answering questions quickly and helping arrange an alternative cruise when passenger numbers affected sailing plans.

The maximum group size is 20 people. The Abu Simbel portion is shared in a bus or minibus, while the cruise sightseeing arrangement may vary according to the ship and operating conditions.

A group of up to 20 keeps the cost below a private tour, though it may feel less personal than a smaller arrangement. If you want a private vehicle, a different language, or more individual attention, other languages are available for an added charge and a private option would need to be confirmed separately.

Who should book this cruise

I would choose this trip if you have limited time in southern Egypt and want the main monuments organized in one continuous route. It suits first-time visitors who value convenience, included meals, and a guide who can explain what you are seeing.

It is also a good fit if Abu Simbel is high on your list. The early departure is the price of fitting that distant site into a short Aswan to Luxor journey.

You may want a different plan if you dislike early mornings, shared transport, fixed schedules, or additional entrance costs. It is also not ideal for someone who wants several quiet days on the Nile, since the sightseeing program is tightly packed.

The experience is recommended by 100 percent of the supplied ratings, with a 4.9 score from 18 reviews. One especially useful point is the flexibility shown when cruise operations were affected by low passenger numbers. The contact person arranged another ship with the same route, though you should understand that the exact vessel can change.

Should you book this Aswan to Luxor cruise?

Book it if you want a practical, well-packed route that covers Abu Simbel, two major river temples, and Luxor’s West Bank in three days. The combination of cruise accommodation and guided transfers saves planning time, while the full-board meals make the schedule easier to manage.

Before paying, ask for the current ship name, the exact entrance-fee total, and the expected pickup details. Also confirm any hotel on Aswan’s West Bank or Luxor’s West Bank, since those locations carry a $10 per-person supplement.

For most first-time visitors with only a few days, this is a strong value at $550, provided you are comfortable with the early Abu Simbel start and the extra costs. Cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. If weather or minimum numbers force cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund.

FAQ

How long does the Nile cruise last?

The experience takes about three days and includes two nights aboard a 5-star Nile cruise, traveling from Aswan to Luxor.

Is Abu Simbel included in the itinerary?

Yes. You leave Aswan at about 4:30 am for a shared bus or minibus trip to Abu Simbel, then return around 1:30 pm to board the cruise. Admission fees are not included.

Which meals are included?

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

Are entrance fees included in the price?

No. Entrance fees for the listed sights are separate and must be paid by card.

Can I be picked up or dropped off at a hotel?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are available from hotels, airports, and train stations. Pickup from an Aswan West Bank hotel and drop-off at a Luxor West Bank hotel cost 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 planned sights will still be covered, but not always in the listed order.