11-Day Egypt Tour: Cairo, Nile Cruise & Abu Simbel
Three days in Cairo, three nights on a Nile cruise ship, Abu Simbel, then Luxor, Dendera and Abydos. Both domestic flights, hotels, your cruise cabin and an Egyptologist are included.
The short answer
11-Day Egypt Tour: Cairo, Nile Cruise & Abu Simbel is an 11-day, 10-night trip to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel: 4 nights in Cairo, 3 on a Nile cruise and 3 in Luxor. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays or Sundays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at $2,716 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
This is the full classic route, at an unhurried pace. You start with three days in Cairo: a Nile dinner cruise, the Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then Islamic and Coptic Cairo. Then you fly to Aswan and join your Nile cruise ship for three nights. On the way you see Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu, and you make the long early-morning road trip to Abu Simbel.
You leave the ship in Luxor and stay three nights in a hotel. That gives you Luxor Temple, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and a separate day trip to Dendera and Abydos. A flight back to Cairo, a morning among the pyramids of Sakkara and Memphis, and one last night in Cairo finish the trip. We book the flights, transfers, hotels and cruise cabin. You choose the standard of hotel and ship, and the sightseeing stays the same.
What lingers
- 01Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum in one guided day
- 02A Nile dinner cruise with a live show on your first night
- 03Three nights on a Nile cruise ship from Aswan to Luxor, full board
- 04Abu Simbel, reached by an early morning road trip from your ship in Aswan
- 05Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings with your Egyptologist
- 06A separate full-day trip to the temples of Dendera and Abydos
- 07A last night in Cairo, with Sakkara and Memphis before you fly home
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in USD, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom $2,7163★ hotels · well-priced Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsNephtis · Al Nabilatan Luxor · 3 nightsEl Mesala Hotel Luxor | $2,716May–Sep: from $2,438 | |
| Comfortfrom $2,9014★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 3 nightsEmilio · Tower Prestige Luxor · 3 nightsIberotel Luxor by JAZ | $2,901May–Sep: from $2,774 | |
| Classicfrom $3,1965★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSun Times · Nile Dolphin | $3,196May–Sep: from $2,774 | |
| Prestigefrom $3,7365★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta Moon Goddess Luxor · 3 nightsSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor | $3,736May–Sep: from $3,651 | |
| Luxuryfrom $5,8685★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta St. George I · Esmeralda Luxor · 3 nightsHilton Luxor Resort & Spa | $5,868May–Sep: from $4,826 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast · Nile cruise on full board. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
11 Days / 10 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Aswan · Philae Temple · Abu Simbel
- 1
Landing in Cairo, you find a representative waiting at arrivals who drives you to your hotel for a rest. As the sun goes down, a vehicle picks you up and brings you to the river for a two-hour dinner cruise: buffet dinner, a live show and views from the top deck. You are driven back to the hotel afterwards. Timings follow your flight arrival.
- 2
Giza comes first today. With your Egyptologist you stand before the pyramids and the Great Sphinx; give the plateau four to six hours. A lunch table with a view breaks up the day, and the afternoon belongs to the Grand Egyptian Museum. In all it is about eight hours door to door. Entrance fees, an air-conditioned vehicle and bottled water are included.
- 3
The older half of Cairo fills this morning and afternoon, about six hours with a guide and driver. The Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa'i mosques open the route, then you climb to the Citadel and the alabaster Muhammad Ali Mosque. Next you cross to Coptic Cairo for the Hanging Church and Abu Serga, with a lunch stop in Old Cairo. Entrance fees are covered.
Bring a scarf or layers to cover shoulders and knees.
- 4
Today you fly south. A driver takes you to Cairo Airport for the flight to Aswan, where another meets you. Flight times come from the airline, so the sightseeing fits around them. Your Egyptologist then shows you the Unfinished Obelisk, the High Dam and Philae Temple, with entrance fees and transport included. You end the day aboard your Nile cruise ship, with dinner served on board.
- 5
Set an early alarm. The ship stays in Aswan while you ride by road to Abu Simbel, where Ramesses II carved his two great temples above Lake Nasser. Your Egyptologist guide comes along and the entrance fees are paid. You are back in Aswan in the afternoon, with breakfast, lunch and dinner on board. Carry water and a hat, since shade is scarce.
- 6
Two temple stops fill the day as the cruise moves downriver. At Kom Ombo you see a riverbank temple built in two mirrored halves; further on, you visit Edfu. Your Egyptologist is with you, and entrance fees and transport are included. In between, the deck is yours, with palms and farm fields sliding past. All three meals are served on the ship.
- 7
Breakfast is your last meal aboard. Then you step off the ship and head to Luxor Temple and the great Karnak complex, Sacred Lake included, with your Egyptologist. Entrance fees and transport are covered. You are on foot for much of the day with little shade, so pack a hat. Afterwards you check in to your Luxor hotel, home for the next three nights. Lunch and dinner are yours to arrange.
- 8
Luxor's West Bank is today's destination. Your Egyptologist takes you into three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, then on to Hatshepsut's terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Entrance fees and transport are included. Tomb corridors are narrow and the valley is exposed, so an early start and plenty of water help. Lunch and dinner are not included.
- 9
A hotel pickup starts this full day out of Luxor. By air-conditioned vehicle you reach Dendera, whose temple belongs to the goddess Hathor, and then Abydos, famous for the temple of Seti I. An Egyptologist guides both visits. Entrance fees, a local lunch and one bottle of water each are included. Roads between the sites take a while, but the temples are far less crowded than Luxor's.
- 10
After a drive to Luxor Airport you fly to Cairo; the airline fixes the time and the day is built around it. In Cairo a driver collects you for a guided half-day of about five hours at Sakkara and Memphis, with a private Egyptologist and vehicle. Tonight you sleep in Cairo on purpose, so a late domestic flight cannot cost you your journey home.
- 11
Your trip ends today. Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a private drive to Cairo Airport; count on about 90 minutes. Let us know your flight time a few days in advance so we can fix the pickup. Safe travels home.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Four nights in Cairo hotels and three nights in a Luxor hotel, all with breakfast
- Three nights on a Nile cruise ship on full board
- Domestic flights Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo
- All airport, hotel and port transfers
- Nile dinner cruise with an evening show in Cairo
- English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport on the sightseeing days, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- Abu Simbel, Dendera and Abydos, and Sakkara and Memphis excursions
- Lunch on days 2, 3 and 9
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks, and meals other than those stated (lunch and dinner on days 7 and 8)
- Tombs beyond the three included in the Valley of the Kings
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
For Abu Simbel, take a window seat on the sunrise road run and bring a snack for the early start.
- 02
Book your Grand Egyptian Museum time early in the day, then ask your guide to start with the grand staircase.
- 03
At Dendera, look up inside the hypostyle hall for the astronomical ceiling and the famous Hathor-headed columns.
- 04
Bring a light cardigan for the cruise decks, where the evening breeze off the Nile can turn cool.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel and ship standard when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Cairo or Luxor, or a hot-air balloon flight in Luxor.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travelers who want the full classic route in one trip: Cairo, a Nile cruise, Abu Simbel and Luxor. Suited to couples, friends and solo travelers who are comfortable with two flights and several hours of walking on sightseeing days.
Maybe not, if
- Travelers who need step-free access to every site, or who prefer a slow pace in one place. Days 4, 5 and 9 are long.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Cairo, the main Nile temples, Abu Simbel and Luxor with Dendera and Abydos in eleven days
- Both domestic flights and all transfers handled for you
- Three nights in Luxor give it a slower pace after the ship
- A last night in Cairo protects your flight home
Things to Consider
- Early starts and long road days on days 4, 5 and 9
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- Lunch and dinner on days 7 and 8 are not included
Where it fits
A good fit for a first long trip to Egypt that covers the headline sites without rushing. It ends with a night in Cairo, so your flight home is not at the mercy of a domestic delay.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell Cairo, a Nile cruise and Luxor as separate trips. This tour package joins them in eleven days, adds Abu Simbel and a separate Dendera and Abydos day, and books both flights and every transfer. Hotel and ship standard is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
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On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Multi-Day Tour with Nile Cruise
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Luxor hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Aswan · Philae Temple · Abu Simbel · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings · Dendera
- Includes
- 4 nights in Cairo and 3 in Luxor hotels with breakfast · 3 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo · Entrance fees to every listed site · English-speaking Egyptologist guide on sightseeing days · All transfers
- Best for
- First-time visitors · History-focused travelers · Travelers who want Cairo, a Nile cruise, Abu Simbel and Luxor in one trip
- Guide languages
- Arabic · English · French · German · Italian · Spanish
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any required travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any personal medication
- Small day bag
- Light layer for the ship, the vehicle and flights
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and churches
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for evenings on the river and early starts in winter
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child takes a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Flight, cabin and hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room or cabin used, so we give you the exact figure when you tell us the age at booking. Abu Simbel and Dendera and Abydos are long road days, so think about your child's patience for the car.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This tour involves a lot of walking on large archaeological sites, with uneven stone, sand, steps and some narrow tomb passages. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings have long outdoor stretches with little shade, and the Citadel in Cairo involves a climb. Boarding the ship involves steps and a gangway. Abu Simbel and the Dendera and Abydos trip are long days by road. The vehicles are air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us your needs when you book and we will tell you honestly which parts are suitable.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The itinerary uses two domestic flights, a Nile cruise ship and road transfers, and the vehicle type can vary, so we do not claim a carbon saving. Sightseeing is guided by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor, so most of the money you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring refillable water bottles and not to touch painted walls in tombs and temples.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how early you tell us and on the type of trip. Read our current cancellation and refund policy
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Are the domestic flights included?
Yes. The flights from Cairo to Aswan on day 4 and from Luxor to Cairo on day 10 are booked for you and included. Flight times are set by the airline. International flights are not included.02How many nights are on the Nile cruise?
Three nights on a Nile cruise ship, with full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner. You join the ship in Aswan on day 4 and leave it in Luxor on day 7. The other seven nights are in hotels with breakfast.03Which ship and hotels will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we name the ship and hotels for your dates. The sightseeing is the same at every standard.04How long is the Abu Simbel day?
It is a full day. You leave the ship at Aswan early in the morning, drive to Abu Simbel by road and come back in the afternoon. Bring water and a hat, as there is little shade.05Is Dendera and Abydos a long day?
Yes. It is a full day trip from Luxor by road, with a guided visit to each temple and lunch included. Expect time in the vehicle between sites.06Will I make my international flight?
Your domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed domestic flight can cost you the connection. That is why this tour ends with a last night in Cairo. If you change your plans and fly to Cairo and connect the same day, choose a late-evening or night international flight. Take travel insurance that covers missed connections.07What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides, drivers and ship staff, drinks and meals other than those stated, and tombs beyond the three in the Valley of the Kings. Lunch and dinner on days 7 and 8 are also not included.08Is the sightseeing guided?
Yes. An English-speaking Egyptologist guides the Cairo, cruise and Luxor sightseeing, and entrance fees and transport for the listed sites are included.09When is the best time to go?
October to April is cooler and the most comfortable for walking around temples. Summers are hot, especially in Aswan and Luxor, so sightseeing starts early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-107659
At a glance
- Length
- 11 days · 10 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Fri or Sun
- Route
- Cairo → Aswan → Abu Simbel → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Luxor → Cairo
- Nights
- 4 Cairo · 3 Nile cruise · 3 Luxor
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers