Egypt · Cruise & Sailing

4-Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Hot Air Balloon Ride

4 Days Round trip from Manteqet as Sad Al Aali Moderate pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Relax and cruise across the Nile
02 Visit the High Dam and the Isis Temple on Philae Island
03 Admire the Nubian Monuments of Abu Simbel
04 Gaze upon the Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples
05 Navigate the Esna Lock
06 Visit the Luxor and Karnak Temples, connected by the Sphinx Alley
07 Marvel at the ancient Hatshepsut Temple
08 Enjoy a hot air balloon flight over Luxor's West Bank

Sign up for this vacation to explore the famous ancient temples and tombs of Upper Egypt aboard a Nile Cruise. Sail from Aswan to Luxor and visit highlights along the way such as the High Dam, Philae Island, Kom Ombo and Edfu temples, Luxor and Karnak temples, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon. The journey also includes a hot air balloon ride over Luxor's West Bank.

On a hot air balloon, you can imagine yourself on a magic carpet ride over the Theban Mountains, the villages, the desert landscape, and the archaeological sites.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Aswan, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Luxor, Esna, Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser

Languages Arabic, English, German

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Aswan High Dam and Philae Island

Connect with your tour guide, who will pick you up from Aswan railway station or your accommodation in Aswan and transfer you to the Nile Cruise. After lunch on board, visit the highlights of Aswan.
Your first stop will be a modern wonder of technology. Built in the 1950s, the Aswan High Dam brought the Nile's devastating floods to an end, reclaimed more than 100,000 acres of desert land for agriculture, and made further crops possible on an additional 800,000 acres.
Continue by motorboat to Philae Island. After the construction of the Aswan Low Dam, it was completely submerged in the Nile, but with the help of UNESCO, it found a new home on Agilkia Island. The first structure that greets visitors is the iconic Trajan's Kiosk, built in the 2nd century AD by the Roman Emperor Trajan. The main structure on the island is the Temple of Isis, the goddess of health, marriage, motherhood, and wisdom. You will visit the temples and the ancient Nilometer.
At the end of the tour, you will be brought back to your Nile Cruise for the night.

Day 02

Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Cruise to Luxor

An early rise at 03:00 AM and a 3 to 4-hour desert trip bring you to the southernmost archaeological site, the Nubian Monuments of Abu Simbel, where you visit the temples commissioned by Ramses II for himself and his most beloved wife, the Nubian Queen Nefertari. Like the Nubian population, the temples were relocated in the 1960s due to the construction of the High Dam and the creation of the reservoir, Lake Nasser.
Drive back north to Aswan in time for lunch on board while the Nile Cruise is ready to commence.
Enjoy the tranquility of the Nile while cruising towards Kom Ombo, where the famous double temple of Sobek and Horus the Elder awaits you. There are some remarkable scenes on the temple walls that will be explained to you, including the portrayal of a set of surgical instruments that look extraordinarily like the ones we use today. There is also a beautiful depiction of an ancient calendar, showing the hieroglyphic figures for the days of the month and the seasons. At the temple exit, you visit the picturesque museum with its mummified crocodiles.
The cruise continues to Edfu. You visit the Edfu Temple, dedicated to the god Horus. The temple has a pillared hall, two diagonal halls, and a sanctuary surrounded by chapels, containing a beautiful replica of the Holy Bark. The walls provide details of the construction, the religious myths, and the family history of Horus. The temple is nearly intact and is a very good example of an Egyptian/Ptolemaic temple.
Back on board, the cruise continues until you reach the Esna Lock, an interesting feature where you can see how the cruise ships navigate the lock in order to sail through to Luxor, with nighttime arrival.

Day 03

Karnak and Luxor Temples

After breakfast, you visit Karnak Temple, a vast network of temples, hypostyle halls, holy lakes, shrines, statues, and obelisks. Karnak Temple is the second largest religious construction in existence, and you have time to wander around before continuing the morning excursion.
Next is Luxor Temple, elegantly decorating the shores of the Nile. The temple is dedicated to the Rejuvenation of Kingship, and many pharaohs were crowned here and participated in the yearly Opet feast. Karnak and Luxor temples are connected by the recently reopened Sphinx Alley, where excavations are still ongoing.
Drop-off at the cruiser for lunch. You spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 04

Hot Air Balloon and Luxor West Bank

Another early morning check-out takes you to the West Bank of Luxor to board a different means of transportation. On a hot air balloon, you can imagine yourself on a magic carpet ride over the Theban Mountains, the villages, the desert landscape, and the archaeological sites.
With your feet back on the ground, you drive to the ancient Theban Necropolis, starting at the Valley of the Kings. You descend into 3 royal tombs and gaze at the beautiful colours, magnificent paintings, and hieroglyphs.
The next stop is the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, the famous rock-cut temple at Deir El-Bahari. You enter the temple, where your guide translates the exciting stories on the walls about Hatshepsut's divine birth and her trade expedition to the Land of Punt while you admire the fantastic wall decorations.
Last is a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, frozen in time and guarding the ongoing excavations of the Temple of Amenhotep III.
Drop-off at Luxor railway station or your accommodation in Luxor.

Where this trip takes you

Aswan High Dam, Philae Island, Abu Simbel, Valley of the Kings

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Manteqet as Sad Al Aali 7 cities · 4 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Accommodation for 3 nights on a Nile Cruise - full board (food only) from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 4
Transfers in air-conditioned transportation
Shared transfer to and from Abu Simbel
Fully guided tours according to the itinerary
Hot air balloon ride in Luxor
Transfer to the Nile Cruise from Aswan railway station or accommodation in Aswan
Transfer to Luxor railway station or accommodation in Luxor

What's Not Included

Entrance fees for the excursions mentioned in the itinerary are to be arranged with the tour guide
Tips and personal spending
Drinks with meals on the Nile Cruise
Airport transfer in Aswan and Luxor

What to bring

Proof of vaccination/negative PCR test according to the latest requirements of the Egyptian authorities.
Copies of passports need to be sent before this tour starts to obtain all governmental approval for transport between cities.
Comfortable shoes.

Know before you go

Not all temples and tombs are wheelchair accessible.
Balloon rides are not allowed for children and are not recommended for guests with back problems or pregnant women.

Logistics