Cruising down the Nile River in Egypt was one of the most magical travel experiences of my life. You not only get to see the beauty of the river, but you also get to see how people make use of the riverbank in their daily lives. Here is everything you need to know about taking a Nile River cruise in Egypt.
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Booking a Cruise with a Private Guide
I booked a 3 night/4 day cruise through Luxor and Aswan Travel. They also offered 4 night cruises as well but due to limited time, I chose the shorter option. Luxor and Aswan Travel was one of the few companies in Egypt that quickly responded to my emails and they also offered the best price. Cruises are categorized at different price ranges: standard, deluxe, ultra deluxe, and luxury. I went with the mid-range option of deluxe and was extremely pleased with the ship I chose. You are able to see a list of the available ships in each category so you can choose one that suits you. Luxor and Aswan Travel included airport transfers, daily transportation, and a private guide who stayed on the ship and would get off at the sites with me to give me the history. I would absolutely recommend using Luxor and Aswan Travel for your Nile River cruise in Egypt.
Ramadis II
I specifically chose the Ramadis II for my cruise because even though it was an older ship, it had been recently remodeled. My room was clean and beautifully decorated. I loved having a new room that not many people had stayed in yet. The common areas as well as the rooftop deck and pool were also remodeled. The rooftop deck was by far my favorite spot and I spent so much time up there just watching the world pass me by. The beauty of the Nile River is indescribable.
Food and Drink
Meals were served buffet style and the food was good, but not exceptional. On the last day of the cruise, they offered a full service dinner where you could choose your own meal. All my food was included in the price, but I did have to pay extra for drinks. I was given my bill at the end of the cruise.
Entertainment
Nile River cruises offer traditional Egyptian entertainment at night including dancing. This would take place awhile after dinner and honestly my days were so jam-packed with activities that I ended up going to bed early. Hopefully you will have more energy to enjoy the entertainment on your cruise!
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is an optional add-on, but it is absolutely worth the extra cost. In my opinion, it was one of the top two temples I saw in Egypt. You will have to get up very early in the morning and leave around 4:30. It takes about 2 ½ to 3 hours to get to the site and you will be arriving at the same time as all of the other buses and private tours. However, don’t let this deter you from missing out on this incredible temple.
3 Night vs. 4 Night Cruise
A Nile River cruise in Egypt is either 3 or 4 nights long depending on whether you start from Aswan or Luxor. They both stop at the same sites, it just takes the one from Luxor longer to cruise down the river. If you are looking to have more downtime enjoying the rooftop pool, then I would suggest going with the 4 night cruise. According to my tour guide, you would also get some additional time at Edfu Temple which I wish I would have had. Everything else remains the same.
Daily Itinerary and Sites
When you first arrive in Aswan, you will visit the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, and Philae Temple. You will take a small boat to reach Philae since it is on an island. Even though this was a smaller temple, the scenery was stunning. Plus, there were tons of cats on the island and that makes it even better.
The next morning, you will get up early to travel to Abu Simbel and return to the ship before lunch time. Your cruise will start sailing today and the next stop is Kom Ombo around sunset. I loved seeing this beautiful temple at sunset and lit up at night. Make sure you stop by the museum to see the mummified crocodiles!
You will begin your third day visiting the Edfu Temple and the only transportation here is with a horse and buggy. It’s a very dusty area and it can be disturbing to see how some of the horses are treated by their driver. Luxor and Aswan Travel used a driver who was not cruel. Edfu Temple is huge and this was the one place where I could have used a bit more time, but the ship had to leave in order to make it to Luxor by a certain time. We visited Luxor Temple close to sunset and I really enjoyed it. I had plenty of time to hear about the history and explore the grounds.
The final day of the cruise was my favorite! We went to the West Bank and visited the Colossi of Memnon, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, and Karnak Temple Complex. I’m so glad I avoided looking up too many pictures or videos before traveling so that I could be surprised.
The Valley of the Kings holds the tombs of the pharaohs. There are a total of 11 tombs open to the public and I saw 4 or 5. The tombs are all different depending on the time periods and how their artistry developed. Since the tombs are enclosed, the paintings and carvings are still in really good condition after all of this time. I went into the tombs recommended by my tour guide and he did an excellent job choosing for me. A couple of the tombs only had a couple other people in there.
Hatshepsut was interesting, but definitely one of the places that was lower on my list. The upper floor was completely reconstructed in the 1960s, so it loses some of its authentic charm.
Karnak Temple Complex may be my favorite place that I visited during my time in Egypt. This site is massive and I loved learning about the history of it all. You can see how techniques changed and evolved as it was built over 1,000 years! I really enjoyed having time to wander around and get lost before my transfer to the airport. I honestly could have stayed here for even longer.
Souvenir Speed Boats
You will see some people on small speed boats that tie themselves to the ships and if you don’t know about this ahead of time, it could probably be a bit worrisome to witness. They’re just selling souvenirs, mostly decorative scarves, so head up to the rooftop to buy something or just enjoy watching the process. They launch the item in a bag to customers and customers will put their money in a bag to return to the seller. Even if you are not going to buy anything, this is really entertaining to watch.
Sleeper Train vs. Flight
Should you take a sleeper train or fly to get to your Nile River cruise? I considered both options, but I decided to take a flight immediately after actually reading reviews and seeing videos of the sleeper train. The flight was convenient and cleaner than the experience I would have had on the train.
Travel Items for your Nile River Cruise in Egypt
- Linen pants to help you beat the heat
- Sun hat and cover up for the rooftop pool
- Travelan to avoid GI issues
- Supergoop sunscreen is my favorite face sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Airalo eSIM (your phone must be unlocked)
- Ekta Travel Health Insurance