Steigenberger Minerva Nile Cruise
A 5-star Nile cruiser with a pool, panoramic river views, full-board dining, and weekly sailings between Luxor and Aswan.
At a glance
- Length
- 4 days · 3 nights
- Embarks
- Mon, Thu
- Board
- Full Board
- Class
- 5-star
The short answer
Steigenberger Minerva Nile Cruise is a five-star Nile cruise vessel arranged by Discovery Tours Egypt.
- Couples·
- Solo traveller·
- Groups·
- Seniors
Snapshot
Good to know
- Destinations
- Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan
What lingers
- 01Sun deck with pool and rooftop-terrace, open for lounging while sailing on the Nile
- 02Lounge bar and indoor seating areas with panoramic windows for river views
- 03Cabins in Standard, Deluxe and Suite classes, many with Nile-view balconies
- 04Shore-excursion program visits Karnak, Luxor Temple, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and the Valley of the Kings
- 05Full board dining from embarkation lunch through disembarkation breakfast, with buffet and plated options
- 06Weekly sailings in both directions between Luxor and Aswan, allowing flexible booking
02Overview
A first look
Morning light moves across the Nile as the Steigenberger Minerva Nile Cruise leaves Luxor, with riverbanks, palms, and village life passing beyond the panoramic windows. Between sailing days, the vessel brings you ashore to see Karnak, Luxor Temple, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and the Valley of the Kings, while the sun deck, pool, and lounge bar give you space to slow down between visits.
Weekly sailings run in both directions between Luxor and Aswan, so we can match the vessel to your wider Egypt plans. Our licensed Egyptian tour operator arranges the booking, shore-excursion coordination, and support from our Egyptologists, with full board served from embarkation lunch through disembarkation breakfast.
Background
The facts
Steigenberger Minerva is a five-star Nile cruise vessel based in Luxor and scheduled on the Luxor–Aswan river corridor. The cruise uses the Nile as its transport route, with embarkation and disembarkation at either Luxor or Aswan depending on the sailing direction. It is designed for travelers who want accommodation, dining, and guided shore excursions combined in one itinerary rather than separate hotel stays and day trips.
The vessel’s public areas typically include a sun deck with a pool, shaded seating, a lounge bar, panoramic-window seating, and a dining room serving full board meals. Cabins are offered in Standard, Deluxe, and Suite categories, and many cabins have Nile views or Nile-view balconies. On a Nile cruise, the experience is centerd on sailing between destinations and visiting monuments during scheduled shore excursions.
The shore-excursion program commonly includes Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Kom Ombo Temple, Philae Temple, and the Valley of the Kings. These sites represent some of Upper Egypt’s best-known Pharaonic and Greco-Roman monuments, reached by road from the vessel’s overnight moorings or docking points. The cruise is usually arranged as a weekly sailing in both directions between Luxor and Aswan.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- This cruise suits adult travelers and older children who are interested in ancient Egyptian history, river scenery, and a more relaxed pace than a land-only itinerary. It is a good fit for couples, small private groups, and first-time visitors who want guided monument visits with accommodation already organized.
The route
Luxor and Aswan
- EdfuThe Temple of Horus
- Kom OmboThe Temple of Sobek
Choose your direction
- Luxor → Aswan4 nightsupstream, against the current
- Aswan → Luxor3 nightsdownstream, with the current
- Round-trip7 nightsreturn to Luxor or Aswan
Both directions
Where this ship sails
This vessel works more than one stretch of the river. The direction changes the order of the temples, the number of nights and which city you fly out of.
On board
Detailed itinerary
Based on embarkation from Aswan and disembarkation in Luxor.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
On property
What's here
- Non-smoking rooms
- Air conditioning
- Swimming pool
- Restaurant
- Wi-Fi
- Garden
- Rooftop terrace
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- ✓ 3/4/ or 7 nights’ deluxe accommodation on full board basis
- ✓ All sightseeing tours with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide
- ✓ Meet & assist service upon arrival & departure
- ✓ All airport and port transfers in air-conditioned vehicles
- ✓ Entrance fees to all listed attractions
- ✓ Complimentary bottle of water per person per day
- ✓ All service charges & taxes
- ✓ Small group tours (maximum 8 participants)
Not included
- ✘ Any additional meals and beverages not specified in the itinerary.
- ✘ Personal expenses, including laundry, minibar, and spa treatments.
- ✘ Tipping for guides, drivers, and cruise staff (optional but recommended).
- ✘ Travel insurance (strongly recommended).
- ✘ Visa fees and international airfare.
Accessibility
Who can join this
The vessel has multiple decks accessed by stairs and shallow gangways; expect steps and uneven surfaces when moving between deck levels and during shore excursions. Cabins are reached by corridor steps on some stairs; elevators are not guaranteed on every Nile cruiser, so please ask us if you require a cabin on a lower deck. Gangways and quay access at smaller landing stages can be narrow and may have a single step up or down. Shore visits often involve cobbled temple forecourts, stone stairways and sandy approaches. We arrange wheelchair-accessible transfers and can request mobility-assist equipment from local partners, but availability varies between cruise operators and ports. If you use a wheelchair, scooter, or have reduced mobility, tell us at booking so we can confirm which vessel, cabin and excursion options are feasible, and so a named representative meets you on arrival to assist.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
We aim to minimise the trip's local environmental and social impact by using modern diesel-hybrid or low-emission coach transfers arranged with local suppliers, and by selecting vessels whose operators follow local waste-handling rules. On-board facilities such as laundry and kitchen run with municipal electricity where available; some vessels use on-board generators while sailing. We contract local Egyptologists and guides, pay entry and guiding fees locally, and buy provisioning from Luxor and Aswan suppliers to support the local economy. Crew and shore-staff are employed by the cruise operator; we choose partners with documented staff contracts and standard working hours. Where possible we encourage guests to bring reusable water bottles and to avoid single-use plastics, and we request that shore-excursion walking groups keep to defined paths at archaeological sites to limit wear on sensitive areas. If you have specific sustainability requirements, tell us at enquiry so we can confirm the current supplier practices for your sailing.
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
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Valid passport with at least six months validity
- Printed or mobile copy of your cruise booking and emergency contact
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip for temple sites
- Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, high SPF sunscreen
- Lightweight rain jacket or wind layer for early mornings
- Reusable water bottle (refillable) and basic hand sanitizer
- Small day pack for shore excursions
- Any personal medication plus a copy of prescriptions
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for hot days
- Long trousers or long skirts and covered shoulders for temple and mosque visits
- A light sweater or jacket for cooler early mornings on deck
- Comfortable closed shoes for archaeological sites and stairs
- Swimwear for the sun deck pool (cover-up for indoor areas)
Children & families
Children 0 to 5.99 years travel free; children 6 to 11.99 years pay 50% of the adult price; children 12 years and older pay the full adult price. Children must share a cabin with their parents, with a maximum of one child per cabin; two or more children require a separate cabin. Cots and rollaway beds depend on the cruise operator and cabin class, so we recommend advising us at booking if you need child bedding. Strollers are useful on the ship but may be awkward on some shore landings with steps; bring a compact stroller for cobbled areas.
Prices by sailing
Prices are per person in USD, from 2 people sharing a double cabin. Each price covers the full sailing, the guided sightseeing programme along the route, and your arrival and departure transfers between the vessel and the local airport or railway station.
| Sailing | October – Aprilcurrent season | May – September | Peak dates18 Dec – 6 Jan, 21 Mar – 4 Apr, 9 Apr – 23 Apr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 nights · Aswan → Luxorembarks Mondays | October – April: from $1,506single cabin $2,243triple cabin $1,506 | May – September: from $1,136single cabin $1,623triple cabin $1,116 | Peak dates: from $1,584single cabin $2,403triple cabin $1,545 |
| 4 nights · Luxor → Aswanembarks Thursdays | October – April: from $1,880single cabin $2,862triple cabin $1,880 | May – September: from $1,386single cabin $2,036triple cabin $1,360 | Peak dates: from $1,984single cabin $3,076triple cabin $1,932 |
| 7 nights · Luxor → Luxorembarks Thursdays | October – April: from $2,998single cabin $4,718triple cabin $2,998 | May – September: from $2,134single cabin $3,271triple cabin $2,088 | Peak dates: from $3,180single cabin $5,091triple cabin $3,089 |
| 7 nights · Aswan → Aswanembarks Mondays | October – April: from $3,019single cabin $4,739triple cabin $3,019 | May – September: from $2,155single cabin $3,292triple cabin $2,109 | Peak dates: from $3,201single cabin $5,112triple cabin $3,110 |
Peak dates: 18 Dec – 6 Jan, 21 Mar – 4 Apr, 9 Apr – 23 Apr. Choose your sailing and date in the booking panel for the exact price.
Cabin allocation
- Nile vessels do not have interconnecting cabins.
- Book early and we will ask the vessel to place your party together — usually adjacent, or directly opposite.
- Cabin numbers are confirmed by the vessel at check-in.
Indicative rates only – pricing and cabins fluctuate. Please enquire for live rates on your specific dates.
Add before or after your cruise
The ship sails between Luxor and Aswan. The Pyramids, and most flights home, are in Cairo. These short add-ons join the two.
If plans change
Cancellation
- More than 30 days
- 75% refund, or 100% as credit for future travel
- 15–30 days
- 50% refund, or 75% as credit
- 7–14 days
- 25% refund, or 50% as credit
- 2–6 days
- No refund; 25% as credit
- Under 48 hours or no-show
- No refund or credit
Notice is counted from your arrival in Egypt. Some vessels have their own terms; if yours does, we tell you before any payment is made.Read our full cancellation and refund policy
Location
On the map
Product ID: CRU-NIL-238574
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