The standard
Nile River
cruise route

Virtually all Nile River cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan (see map).

Three basic
Nile Cruise durations

3 nights

You sail downstream from Aswan to Luxor, stopping along the way to visit the temples of Edfu, Esna, Kom Ombo.

Before the cruise

You fly from Cairo to Aswan and visit the High Dam and Abu Simbel.

After the cruise

You stay in a Luxor Hotel and visit the famous ancient sites of Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, and Hapshepsut Temple. Then you fly back to Cairo.

4 nights

It's like the 3-nighter except in reverse. You sail upstream. And you fly from Cairo to Luxor, and return to Cairo from Aswan, but you see the same famous ancient sites.

It's more relaxing that the 3-nighter because it has one more cruising day. On the otherhand, your boat sails upstream. This slows down your boat and the ride is slightly less smooth.

7 nights

It sails round-trip from Luxor to Aswan. You see the same famous sites seen on 3- and 4-nighters, plus more. And it's the most relaxing of all three options.

Counting the nights

The above figures are for the nights you sleep on the boat. Be aware that some tours count in their Nile cruise lengths the nights you spend ashore in hotels.

Know these
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