6 Days Nile Cruise:Luxor,Aswan,Abu Simbel with Train Tickets from Cairo

The great draw here is simple: in six days, you connect Egypt’s two major Nile cities by train and boat, while fitting in Abu Simbel, Philae, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Luxor’s temples. The cruise gives you a moving view of village life and river scenery that you cannot get from a road transfer.

I like the practical all-in-one setup. Your Cairo hotel pickup, train transfers, three nights aboard a five-star cruise, meals, guides, and site visits are arranged together. I also like the guide-led sightseeing, especially when you have someone such as Mohamed Shakour, Osama Ghazaly, Zakarya Saad, or Ismail Haroun bringing the temples and pharaohs into focus.

The main thing to consider is the pace. You travel overnight by train twice, rise around 5 am for Abu Simbel, and pay extra for entrance fees, drinks, tips, and Philae’s motorboat. The included train is first-class air-conditioned seating, not a sleeper, unless you pay more.

Key points to know before booking

• Abu Simbel requires a 5 am start: The temples are the day’s big reward, but the early departure can be tough after an overnight train.
• Three nights are spent aboard the cruise: You get a pool, buffet meals, afternoon tea, evening entertainment, and Nile views while sailing.
• The train is not automatically a sleeping train: First-class seated tickets are included. A sleeper train or flight costs an additional $170 per person.
• The major temple route is covered: Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Valley of the Kings, and more are built into the schedule.
• Several costs remain outside the $780 price: Entrance fees, drinks, onboard Wi-Fi, tips, and the motorboat to Philae are not included.
• The schedule can change: Sailing conditions may reverse the route, but the same main sights are planned.

Why this Nile route works so well

This trip is designed for someone who wants Egypt’s classic Nile itinerary without arranging every hotel, taxi, train, and temple visit alone. You begin in Cairo, travel south to Aswan by train, cruise north to Luxor, then return to Cairo by train.

That route makes geographic sense. Aswan gives you the southern end of the Nile valley, Nubian scenery, and Abu Simbel. The boat then carries you past river villages and fields toward the temple stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu. Luxor finishes the journey with some of Egypt’s largest and most important monuments.

At $780 per person, the price has real value if you use all the included parts. You receive two long-distance train transfers, three nights on the boat, cruise meals, private transfers described as door to door, a guide, and sightseeing in Aswan and Luxor. It is not a bargain once you add entrance tickets, drinks, tips, and optional transport, but it removes much of the planning work.

I would not choose it simply as a relaxing river holiday. This is a busy sightseeing trip with early starts and long transfer days. You are buying access to a large amount of Egypt in a short time, not a slow week on the water.

The first night: Cairo to Aswan by train

Your representative collects you from your Cairo or Giza hotel at about 7 pm, depending on the hotel’s location, and takes you to Giza train station. From there, you board the train to Aswan.

The included ticket is first-class air-conditioned seating. The journey takes place overnight, so do not assume you will have a bed. A sleeper train with dinner or a flight can be arranged for an extra $170 per person.

This distinction matters. An overnight seated train can save money, but it may not give you much sleep before your first sightseeing day. The pickup also deserves careful attention. The schedule is tight, and one delayed transfer could make the station rush stressful. Confirm the pickup time and train details with the tour coordinator before departure.

Once you arrive in Aswan, you meet your local guide and begin sightseeing. If the train arrives very early, the tour may start right away because cruise check-in is normally at noon. That can be useful, since you make better use of the day, but it also means you may be touring before you have had a proper rest.

Aswan’s High Dam and Philae Temple

The Aswan visit begins with the High Dam, a major modern engineering project that changed the Nile’s flow and created Lake Nasser. The stop is brief compared with the temples, but it gives you context for the modern side of Egypt and the changes made to the river.

Philae Temple is the more memorable visit. Dedicated mainly to the goddess Isis, the temple complex was moved to higher ground when the original island was threatened by rising water. Its setting near Aswan is one of the most appealing temple visits on this route.

The motorboat to Philae is not included, so budget for that separately. This is an easy cost to overlook when comparing prices. Once the visit is finished, you return to the cruise for lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and evening entertainment.

You spend the night aboard the ship in Aswan, with the option to disembark. The boat includes a swimming pool, buffet meals, and live entertainment, including an evening disco. The pool is likely to be more useful for cooling off than for serious swimming, but it offers a welcome break between temple visits.

Abu Simbel at dawn

Around 5 am on the next morning, you leave for Abu Simbel. This is the trip’s most demanding excursion and one of its strongest reasons to book.

Abu Simbel’s two temples were built by Ramesses II and moved to higher ground during the creation of Lake Nasser. The entrance is dominated by the enormous seated figures of Ramesses II, while the smaller temple honors Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor.

The early departure is not a minor detail. You may have arrived in Aswan by overnight train, then slept one night on the boat before leaving in the dark. If you want to see Abu Simbel, accept that the schedule will be tiring. If this site is a priority, the effort is worthwhile.

After the visit, you return to the cruise and begin sailing. This is when the boat becomes more than just a place to sleep. From the sun deck, you can watch small boats, riverbank villages, cultivated fields, and scenes associated with both Nubian and Egyptian life.

The changing view is one of the best parts of the trip. Temples are impressive, but the river shows you how settlement still follows the water. Enjoy Egyptian tea on the sun deck as the boat moves north.

Kom Ombo and the river between Aswan and Edfu

The cruise stops at Kom Ombo, home to an unusual double temple. One side honors Sobek, the crocodile-headed god, and the other honors Haroeris, the falcon-headed form of Horus.

The shared layout makes the site easy to understand. Many temples are tied to one main deity or one royal cult. Kom Ombo divides its spaces between two gods, with duplicated halls and sanctuaries. The nearby crocodile museum may also be part of the visit depending on the exact arrangements, but it is not specifically included in the details provided, so confirm before counting on it.

Kom Ombo is often visited near sunset, when the stone takes on warmer color. The timing can make the stop feel different from the morning visits, though the exact sailing schedule depends on river conditions.

After Kom Ombo, the ship sails toward Edfu. Dinner is served onboard, and you spend another night on the boat. This is a good evening to skip the entertainment if you are tired. The cruise includes nightlife, but you do not need to treat every included activity as an obligation.

Edfu Temple and the Esna Lock

Edfu Temple is dedicated to Horus and is among the best-preserved temples in Egypt. Its massive entrance pylons, long processional areas, and carved walls give you a clear sense of how a major temple complex was organized.

A horse-drawn carriage to Edfu Temple is included. That saves you from arranging local transport, though the carriage ride may feel less comfortable for some visitors than a vehicle transfer. It is part of the practical way this port visit is handled.

After breakfast and the temple visit, you return to the boat and sail toward Luxor through Esna. The ship passes through the Esna Lock, a piece of working river infrastructure that adds variety to a day otherwise focused on ancient monuments.

The sailing section is valuable because it breaks up the guided visits. You can sit on the upper deck, take photographs, and watch the Nile valley pass at a slower pace. Bring patience, since river schedules and docking times are not always exact. The operator notes that the route may sometimes run from Luxor to Aswan instead because of sailing conditions. If that happens, the major visits are meant to remain the same in reverse order.

Luxor’s West Bank: tombs, cliffs, and Hatshepsut

After breakfast on the final cruise morning, you disembark and visit Luxor’s West Bank. This is the ancient Theban Necropolis, where more than 60 royal tombs were cut into the hills.

The Valley of the Kings is not one single monument. It is a group of tombs, and the specific tombs open to visitors can change. Your guide explains the setting and the beliefs behind the burial chambers, while you walk through decorated passages and see how much color remains in the walls.

The heat can be strong, and the ground is uneven in places. Wear practical shoes and carry water. Water is not included on the cruise, so keep buying your own supply during the trip.

Next comes the Temple of Hatshepsut, built into the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari. Hatshepsut was one of Egypt’s most important female rulers, and the temple’s broad terraces create a very different visual effect from the enclosed tombs in the valley.

The stop at the Colossi of Memnon is shorter. These two huge seated statues are the remaining pieces of the funerary temple of Amenophis III. It is mainly a photograph stop, but it helps you picture the scale of the complex that once occupied the area.

Luxor’s East Bank and the long return to Cairo

The final major site is Karnak Temple on the East Bank. It is the largest temple complex on the route and deserves time. Its great columns, courtyards, obelisks, and sacred spaces can feel overwhelming, which is why a good guide matters.

Guides such as Mohamed Shakour, Osama Ghazaly, Ahmed, Mohamed Wafa, and Zakarya Saad have been praised for clear explanations, patience, storytelling, and help with photographs. The guide assigned to your group can vary, but you should expect an Egyptologist guide to lead the temple visits.

After the Luxor tour, normally finishing around 4 or 5 pm, a transfer takes you to Luxor train station. You then board the overnight train to Cairo, a journey of about 10 hours.

Again, the included ticket is first-class seated travel unless you pay for a sleeper or flight. The return train can feel especially long after a full day at Karnak and the West Bank. I recommend booking an evening onward departure only if your arrival time is confirmed and you are comfortable with a late or uncertain schedule. The operator specifically recommends an evening departure because the tour ends in Luxor in the late afternoon, but plans should allow room for delays.

On arrival in Cairo, you are picked up and taken to your hotel in Cairo or Giza. That final transfer is useful after a night on the train and means you do not have to find your own taxi at the station.

What the $780 price really covers

The package includes:

• Three nights in a cruise cabin
• Cruise meals from lunch on the first cruise day through breakfast on the last
• First-class air-conditioned train tickets
• Transfers listed in the schedule
• A professional guide
• Abu Simbel
• Aswan sightseeing
• Edfu and Kom Ombo
• Luxor’s East and West Banks
• Horse and carriage transport at Edfu
• Cruise handling fees, taxes, and porter assistance when needed

The main extra costs are important:

• Entrance fees
• Drinks and bottled water
• Tips for guides, drivers, and the cruise crew
• The motorboat to Philae
• Onboard Wi-Fi
• Sleeper train or flight upgrades

The cruise is described as five-star, but boat standards can vary. Some cabins are small but clean and functional, and one cabin may have a limited view. Ask what ship is available and what cabin type you will receive if that matters to you.

Food is included as buffet service. Reports describe the meals as good, with salads and Egyptian dishes available, but tastes and expectations differ. Drinks are extra, and charges can cause confusion, so check your bill before leaving the boat.

Who should book this cruise?

I would recommend it to a first-time visitor who wants the major Nile sights with one point of contact for trains, transfers, boats, and guides. It also suits solo visitors and families who value organized transport and regular assistance.

The private format means only your own group participates, according to the tour details. Group size can still affect the feel of the sightseeing, so ask how many people will be with you before booking. A private arrangement may give you more flexibility, but the itinerary remains busy.

This is less suited to anyone who dislikes early mornings, overnight seated trains, or repeated temple visits. One full day includes Abu Simbel before sailing, and the final Luxor day combines several major sites with a long train journey.

The schedule can be adjusted on request, and another language can be arranged for an additional fee. Children from 6 to 11 sharing with parents are handled under specific room rules, while a child traveling with one adult is treated as an adult for pricing.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the classic Nile route and prefer having the difficult pieces arranged for you. The strongest value comes from the combination of Abu Simbel, three cruise nights, two long-distance train transfers, meals, guides, and hotel transfers.

Before paying, confirm four things: the exact train class, the ship and cabin, the entrance-fee total, and the extra cost of the Philae boat. If you can afford the $170 upgrade, a sleeper train or flight may make the trip much easier, especially after Abu Simbel and Luxor’s long sightseeing days.

The trip is not slow or luxurious in every detail. It is a tightly packed Egyptian highlights tour with some rough edges. For many people, that tradeoff is fair: you see an extraordinary amount of the Nile valley in six days and spend your time looking at temples instead of arranging transport.

FAQ

Is the train ticket from Cairo included?

Yes. First-class air-conditioned seated train tickets are included for the journey from Cairo to Aswan and the return journey from Luxor to Cairo.

Is a sleeper train included?

No. The included ticket is for first-class seated travel. A sleeper train with a bed and dinner, or a flight, is available for an additional $170 per person.

How many nights are spent on the cruise?

The package includes three nights aboard a five-star Nile cruise traveling between Aswan and Luxor.

Is Abu Simbel included?

Yes. The Abu Simbel excursion is included and begins around 5 am on the second cruise day. If poor weather causes the trip to be canceled, the stated refund is $30 per person.

Are entrance fees included?

No. Entrance fees for the archaeological sites are not included in the listed price.

Is transportation to Philae Temple included?

The Aswan visit to Philae is included, but the motorboat to the temple is not. You pay that cost separately.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience begins. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded.