9-Day Easter Nile Cruise & Cairo Tour
Arrive Wednesday 24 March 2027 and spend Western Easter Sunday at Karnak. Cairo, a four-night cruise from Luxor to Aswan, your flights and an Egyptologist are all included.
The short answer
9-Day Easter Nile Cruise & Cairo Tour is a 9-day, 8-night trip to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan: 4 nights in Cairo and 4 on a Nile cruise. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at $2,456 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
This is a dated departure built around Western Easter. You land in Cairo on Wednesday 24 March 2027 and leave on Thursday 1 April. Easter Sunday, 28 March, falls on day 5, when you tour Karnak and Luxor Temple in the morning and return to Karnak that evening for the sound and light show.
The first three nights are in Cairo, with the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis on one day and the Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo and Khan El Khalili bazaar on the next. On day 4 you fly to Luxor and join your Nile cruise ship for four nights, sailing south to Aswan. A second flight brings you back to Cairo for one last night, so a late domestic flight cannot cost you your trip home. You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book, and the sightseeing stays the same.
What lingers
- 01Easter Sunday, 28 March 2027, at Karnak and Luxor Temple, then the Karnak sound and light show that evening
- 02Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis in one private guided day
- 03The Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo and the Khan El Khalili bazaar
- 04Four nights on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan, full board
- 05Valley of the Kings with three tombs, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- 06Edfu and Kom Ombo temples, a sunset felucca in Aswan, then Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk
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 $2,4563★ hotels · well-priced Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsNephtis · Magic I | $2,456May–Sep: from $2,224 | |
| Comfortfrom $2,6184★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 4 nightsLady Mary · Tower Prestige | $2,618May–Sep: from $2,432 | |
| Classicfrom $2,9265★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsJaz Crown Jubilee · Stephanie | $2,926May–Sep: from $2,432 | |
| Prestigefrom $3,3945★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsNile Excellence · Nile Serenity | $3,394May–Sep: from $3,186 | |
| Luxuryfrom $5,6245★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSonesta St. George I · Esmeralda | $5,624May–Sep: from $4,270 | |
| Signature Collectionfrom $7,507Iconic heritage vessels · landmark hotels | Cairo · 4 nightsFour Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza Nile Cruise · 4 nightsHistoria | $7,507May–Sep: from $5,916 |
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.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
9 Days / 8 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Coptic Cairo · Islamic Cairo · Luxor
- 1
Wednesday 24 March 2027. Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport, helps with your bags and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free, so you can sleep off the flight and get your bearings before two full days of sightseeing.
- 2
A full private day of about eight hours with your Egyptologist guide, in an air-conditioned vehicle from your hotel door. You start on the Giza Plateau with the pyramids and then the Valley Temple and the Great Sphinx. A drive through the green countryside south of Cairo leads to lunch at a local spot.
In the afternoon you see Saqqara, where the first pyramid rose, and Memphis, the first capital of a united Egypt. The guide, the vehicle and the entrance fees are included.
- 3
Another private day of about eight hours with your Egyptologist. The morning is at the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, then Coptic Cairo, the old Christian quarter and its churches. After a local lunch you walk through Islamic Cairo, the medieval city of mosques and gates, and finish in the Khan El Khalili bazaar. You are driven back to your hotel for a third night in Cairo.
Guide, vehicle and entrance fees to the listed sites are included.
- 4
After breakfast you are driven to Cairo Airport for the flight to Luxor, about one hour. The airline sets the departure time. A driver meets you in Luxor and takes you to the river, where you join your Nile cruise ship, settle into your cabin and have dinner on board. This is your first of four nights on the ship, which stays on full board until you leave it.
- 5
Sunday 28 March 2027 is Western Easter. Your Egyptologist takes you through Karnak, the largest temple complex in Egypt, with its forest of columns and the Sacred Lake, and then to Luxor Temple beside the river. The guide, the entrance fees and the transport are part of your cruise sightseeing. In the evening you go back to Karnak for the sound and light show.
We have not planned any Easter events on board; the day is about the temples.
- 6
Today you cross to the West Bank with your Egyptologist. You stop at the Colossi of Memnon, then enter the Valley of the Kings, where your ticket covers three tombs, and finish at the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. The guide, the entrance fees and the transport are included. You return to the ship for lunch and spend another night on board.
- 7
The ship moves south through the day. With your Egyptologist you visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, and the double temple of Kom Ombo, which stands right on the riverbank. The guide, the entrance fees and the transport are included.
When the ship reaches Aswan, you take a sunset ride in a felucca, the traditional Nile sailboat, and return to the ship for the night.
- 8
After breakfast you check out of the ship. Your Egyptologist shows you Philae Temple on its island, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, with guide, entrance fees and transport included. A driver then takes you to Aswan Airport for the flight to Cairo, about one hour. The sightseeing is arranged around the airline schedule. In Cairo you are met and taken to your hotel for a last night.
- 9
Thursday 1 April 2027. After breakfast you check out and a driver takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight home. We plan the last night in Cairo on purpose: if a domestic flight runs late on day 8, it cannot cost you your international connection.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Four nights in Cairo hotels with breakfast, and four nights on a Nile cruise ship on full board
- Domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo
- All airport, hotel and port transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Two private Cairo days with an English-speaking Egyptologist, and lunch on both
- Nile cruise sightseeing with an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- Karnak sound and light show on day 5
- Sunset felucca ride in Aswan on day 7
- Meet-and-assist at the airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- Abu Simbel (available on request) and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun and Seti I
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Bring a light jacket for the Karnak Sound and Light show; open-air evening seating cools quickly at the end of March.
- 02
In Coptic Cairo, look for the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, and wear flat shoes for the narrow lanes.
- 03
At the Egyptian Museum, ask your guide to pick three or four highlights; trying every gallery in one visit leaves most people exhausted.
- 04
At Edfu, ask your guide to point out the granite falcon statue of Horus standing at the entrance of the temple.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel and ship standard when you book. Ask us about adding Abu Simbel, extra nights in Cairo or Luxor, or other Easter dates.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travelers who want to be in Egypt for Western Easter 2027 and see Cairo, Luxor and Aswan with a guide. Suited to couples, friends, families with older children 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 want a slow pace. Days 2 and 3 each run about eight hours.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Timed for Western Easter, with Easter Sunday at Karnak
- Cairo's main sites plus a four-night Nile cruise in one trip
- Both domestic flights and all transfers handled for you, with a spare night in Cairo at the end
Things to Consider
- Fixed dates: 24 March to 1 April 2027
- Full days on the sightseeing days, and uneven stone with little shade at the major sites
- Abu Simbel is not included
Where it fits
A good fit if your dates are set by Easter, or if you want Cairo plus a Nile cruise in nine days. Abu Simbel is not included, so ask if it is on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Most Nile cruises run to the same weekly pattern all year. This departure is fixed to Easter week, puts Easter Sunday at Karnak and ends with a night in Cairo as a buffer for domestic delays. Hotel and ship standard is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Easter departure with a Nile cruise
- Accommodation
- Cairo hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Coptic Cairo · Islamic Cairo · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan · Philae Temple
- Includes
- 4 nights in Cairo hotels with breakfast · 4 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo · Entrance fees to every listed site · English-speaking Egyptologist on sightseeing days · All transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- Travelers who want to spend Western Easter week in Egypt · First-time visitors · Travelers who want Cairo and a Nile cruise in nine days
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
- A light layer for the ship, the flights and cool evenings
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples, tombs and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and churches
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket or scarf for the river and for the evening sound and light show
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child takes a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. 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.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This tour involves a lot of walking on large archaeological sites and in old city streets, with uneven stone, steps, crowds and some narrow tomb passages. Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Saqqara have long outdoor stretches with little shade. Boarding the ship, the felucca and the boat to Philae involve steps and a gangway. The vehicles are private and 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 tour uses two domestic flights, a Nile cruise ship and private 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, Luxor and Aswan, so most of the money you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle and not to touch painted walls in tombs.
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
01When does this Easter cruise run?
This departure runs from Wednesday 24 March to Thursday 1 April 2027 and is built around Western Easter, which falls on Sunday 28 March 2027. Coptic Orthodox Easter is 2 May 2027 and Sham El-Nessim is 3 May 2027. For those dates, ask us and we will plan a separate departure.02Are the domestic flights included?
Yes. The flights from Cairo to Luxor on day 4 and from Aswan to Cairo on day 8 are booked for you and included. The airline sets the flight times. International flights are not included.03How many nights are on the Nile cruise?
Four nights on board, sailing from Luxor to Aswan, on full board. The other four nights are in Cairo hotels with breakfast: three at the start and one at the end.04Will I make my international flight?
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 night in Cairo: you land from Aswan on day 8 and fly home on day 9. Please book your international flight for day 9 or later, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.05Which cruise 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 itinerary and sightseeing are the same at every standard.06Is Abu Simbel included?
No. This itinerary does not include Abu Simbel. It can be added on request; ask us and we will show you the options and what they change.07Are the guide, entrance fees and transport included?
Yes. On every sightseeing day an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, the entrance fees to the listed sites and the transport are included, in Cairo and on the cruise. Tips and drinks are extra.08Is the sightseeing private?
Your Egyptologist and vehicle are private on the two Cairo days. On the cruise sightseeing days, guiding and transport follow the cruise program, and on the ship you are with the other guests on board.09What is the weather like in late March?
Late March is warm and dry, and usually comfortable for sightseeing, though afternoons in Luxor and Aswan can be hot. Bring a light layer for evenings on the river and for the sound and light show. Easter week can be busy at the main sites, so mornings start early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-404864
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days · 8 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu or Fri
- Route
- Cairo → Luxor → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan → Cairo
- Nights
- 4 Cairo · 4 Nile cruise
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers