Before and after the river
Nile cruise extensions
A Nile cruise sails between Luxor and Aswan. Your flight home almost certainly leaves from Cairo. These short add-ons cover the gap at either end: Cairo and the Pyramids before you board, and the flight north with a hotel night after you dock.
- Cruise route
- Luxor ⇄ Aswan
- Aswan to Cairo
- About 1 h 25 min by air
- Luxor to Cairo
- About 1 hour by air
- Length
- One or two nights
- From
- $154 per person
- Arranged by
- Our own Cairo, Luxor and Aswan offices
The shape of the trip
Where an add-on fits
Read your trip left to right. The cruise is the middle. An add-on goes on whichever end has a gap between the ship and your international flight.
Before you board
Land in Cairo, sleep, and see Giza properly. Then fly south to the ship.
On the river
Three, four or seven nights between Luxor and Aswan, with Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae along the way.
Choose a cruise After you dock
The ship ends in Aswan or Luxor. You still have to get back to Cairo for the flight home.
At either end
3-Day Egypt Short Break: Cairo & Luxor
A three-day Egypt short break for travelers with limited time. It starts with Cairo by night, then a half-day visit to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, a domestic flight to Luxor and a private motorboat ride to Banana Island at sunset. On the last day you tour Karnak Temple with a private licensed Egyptologist and fly back to Cairo for your departure. Two domestic flights, two hotel nights with breakfast and all transfers are included. It is a short, busy trip that gives a first taste of ancient and modern Egypt.
3-Day Cairo & Alexandria Tour
A three-day Egypt tour with two nights in Cairo. Day 2 is a full day trip to Alexandria with its catacombs, the modern library, the Qaitbay Citadel and Montaza Palace gardens. Day 3 covers the Giza Pyramids, the Great Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. A licensed Egyptologist guides both sightseeing days, entrance fees to the listed sites are included, and the airport transfers are arranged for you.
3-Day Luxor Tour from Marsa Alam
A three-day Luxor tour for guests staying in Marsa Alam. A private driver takes you to Luxor by road and back again. You spend two nights in a Luxor hotel, visit Luxor Temple, watch the Karnak Temple sound and light show, explore the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon, and see Luxor Museum. A licensed Egyptologist guides the sightseeing days, and the entrance fees are included.
3-Day Cairo Tour from Sharm El Sheikh
A three-day Cairo tour for travelers staying in Sharm El Sheikh. Domestic flights both ways, two nights in a Cairo hotel, private transfers and a licensed Egyptologist are included. You walk Islamic Cairo, Al-Muizz Street and Khan el-Khalili, spend a full day at the Giza Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, and see the Tutankhamun galleries at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Your Sharm El Sheikh resort stay and your international flights are not part of the tour.
3-Day Luxor & Cairo Tour from Hurghada
A three-day Egypt tour from Hurghada that takes in Luxor and Cairo. A private transfer drives you to Luxor, where you see Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon. A domestic flight takes you to Cairo for the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and a camel ride, then a second flight returns you to Hurghada. A private Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transport and two hotel nights are included.
2-Day Luxor to Cairo Post-Cruise Stay
A two-day, one-night stay in Cairo for travelers finishing a Nile cruise in Luxor. It includes a private transfer in Luxor, a private transfer with airport meet-and-assist in Cairo, one night in a Cairo hotel and breakfast on the morning you leave. There is no guided sightseeing on this stay.
3-Day Luxor to Cairo Post-Cruise Tour with Alexandria
A three-day, two-night stay in Cairo for travelers finishing a Nile cruise in Luxor, built around a 12-hour sightseeing day in Alexandria. It includes private transfers in Luxor and Cairo, two nights in a Cairo hotel, breakfast on days 2 and 3, a licensed Egyptologist, entrance fees to the scheduled Alexandria sites and lunch overlooking the Mediterranean.
Pick by situation
Which one do you need?
Four situations cover almost every cruise guest. Find yours and you have your answer.
- Your flight lands in Cairo the day the cruise starts
Add a night before
Ships board around midday in Luxor or Aswan, and both are a domestic flight south of Cairo. A late arrival or a delayed bag can cost you the first day on the river. One Cairo night is the buffer, and it comes with a morning at Giza.
- You have never seen the Pyramids
Add two nights before
No Nile cruise goes to Giza. The Pyramids are in Cairo, a flight away from where the ships sail. If they are on your list, they have to be added at one end of the cruise.
- Your cruise ends in Aswan and you fly home from Cairo
Add the flight and a night after
The ship puts you on the quay after breakfast. This add-on takes you from the gangway to a Cairo hotel in one booking, so the flight home is a short airport transfer the next day.
- You have a spare day at the end
Add Alexandria after
A guided day in Alexandria, a few hours from Cairo by road. It turns the trip home into two nights and gives you the Mediterranean as well as the Nile.
How we arrange it
How it joins your cruise
You don't book an add-on on its own and hope the times line up. We fit it to the sailing.
- 01
Tell us your cruise and your flights
Send the ship or sailing you have chosen and your international flight times. We don't sell those flights. We plan around them.
- 02
We match the add-on to the sailing
Whether you need it before or after depends on where your ship starts and where it ends. We check the boarding day against the domestic flight times.
- 03
One itinerary, one price
The cruise, the add-on, the transfers and the domestic flight come back together, from the same Cairo desk that booked the ship.
- 04
Someone meets you at each handover
At Cairo airport, at the ship, and on the quay when you dock. You are never left to find a taxi between two bookings.
Common questions
Extensions, answered
What is a Nile cruise extension?
A short add-on at the start or the end of a Nile cruise. It covers what the cruise does not: nights in Cairo, the Pyramids, and the journey between Cairo and the ship in Luxor or Aswan. Ours run one or two nights.
Do I need a night in Cairo before a Nile cruise?
If your international flight lands on the day the ship boards, yes, we recommend it. Cruises board in Luxor or Aswan, a domestic flight south of Cairo, and they sail on schedule. A night in Cairo absorbs a delay and gives you a morning at the Pyramids.
Do Nile cruises include the Pyramids?
No. Nile cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan and visit Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. The Pyramids of Giza are in Cairo. To see them, add Cairo before or after the cruise.
How do I get from Aswan back to Cairo after the cruise?
By air. The flight takes about 1 hour 25 minutes. Our post-cruise add-on includes the transfer from the ship to Aswan airport, the flight, the pickup in Cairo and a hotel night with breakfast.
How much does a Nile cruise extension cost?
Prices on this page currently start from $154 per person, based on two people sharing a room. Each add-on shows its own from-price. International flights are not included.
Can I add Abu Simbel as an extension?
Yes, but it is a day trip from Aswan, not a Cairo add-on. Most guests go by road or by air while the ship is in Aswan. Ask us when you choose the cruise and we will fit it into the sailing.
Are international flights included?
No. We are an Egyptian tour operator and we do not sell international flights. The domestic flight inside Egypt is included wherever an add-on says so.
Plan it with us
Send us your sailing and your flight times
We will tell you which add-on fits, or that you don't need one. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.