The Oberoi Philae Nile Cruise
A five-star Nile cruiser with panoramic river views, private balconies, full-board dining, and a lounge bar on the sun deck.
At a glance
- Length
- 5 days · 4 nights
- Embarks
- Tue, Wed, Sat
- Board
- Full Board
- Class
- 5-star
The short answer
The Oberoi Philae Nile Cruise is a five-star Nile cruise vessel arranged by Discovery Tours Egypt.
Snapshot
Good to know
- Destinations
- Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan
What lingers
- 01Four-day Nile cruise aboard MS The Oberoi Phiale between Luxor and Aswan; daily shore excursions included.
- 02Shore visits include Luxor West Bank (Valley of the Kings) and Karnak Temple; timed to avoid mid-afternoon heat.
- 03Aswan calls include Philae Temple visits and the Unfinished Obelisk; transfers and embarkation arranged by our team.
- 04Egyptologist-led excursions, not mass coach tours–quiet monument access and contextual onsite Q&A with our guide.
- 05Premium tomb entrances (Tutankhamun, Seti I) and pyramid interiors cost extra; standard site fees included.
02Overview
A first look
Morning light moves across the Nile as The Oberoi Philae leaves its mooring, with riverbank palms, fishing boats, and village sounds passing beyond your panoramic window. On the sun deck, you can watch the landscape change while the crew prepares lunch, then settle into the lounge bar as the river narrows toward Upper Egypt.
Shore excursions bring you onto ancient stone at Karnak Temple, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and the Valley of the Kings, with sailing days creating a measured rhythm between visits. We carefully select and arrange the vessel, full-board meals, cabin, and Egyptologist-led sightseeing through our licensed Egyptian tour operator team, so the practical details are handled before embarkation.
Background
The facts
The Oberoi Philae Nile Cruise is a five-star Nile river vessel used for sailings between Luxor and Aswan. Embarkation and disembarkation take place at the two main river ports, and the vessel sails weekly in both directions between them. The cruise program is built around river travel with organized shore excursions rather than independent sightseeing.
Typical excursion stops on the route include Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple on the Luxor side, plus Edfu Temple of Horus, Kom Ombo, Philae Temple, and the Valley of the Kings. These sites represent different periods of ancient Egyptian history, from New Kingdom royal mortuary architecture at the Valley of the Kings to Ptolemaic and Roman-period temple construction at Philae and Kom Ombo. The journey follows the Nile corridor through Upper Egypt, where river transport has historically linked settlement, agriculture, and trade.
Cabins are offered in Standard, Deluxe, and Suite categories, with Nile-view windows or private balconies depending on grade. Daily housekeeping is included, and the ship has a sun deck, a lounge bar, and a restaurant serving full-board meals from lunch on embarkation day through breakfast on disembarkation day. Because this is a river vessel and not a hotel-based tour, time is divided between sailing, meals, and shore excursions.
Discovery Tours Egypt arranges the cruise as part of a broader Egypt travel itinerary. The vessel itself is owned and operated by a third-party cruise line, while DTE handles the booking and itinerary coordination for travelers who want a hotel-standard sailing experience on the Nile.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- This cruise suits travelers who want a structured Upper Egypt river journey with guided sightseeing and hotel-style service while sailing. It is especially suitable for couples, mature travelers, and first-time visitors who prefer a cabin, restaurant dining, and organized shore excursions over independent travel.
The route
Aswan and Luxor
- Kom OmboThe Temple of Sobek
- EdfuThe Temple of Horus
Choose your direction
- Aswan → Luxor3 nightsdownstream, with the current
- Luxor → Aswan4 nightsupstream, against the current
- Round-trip7 nightsreturn to Aswan or Luxor
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
- 5
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Full board meals: lunch on embarkation day through breakfast on disembarkation day
- Cabin accommodation graded by class (Standard, Deluxe, Suite)
- Daily cabin housekeeping
- On-board facilities: sun deck, lounge bar, restaurant
- Organized shore-excursion program while sailing between Luxor and Aswan
Not included
- Drinks beyond bottled water with meals
- Gratuities for crew and Egyptologists
- Entrance fees for premium sites such as pyramid interiors or premium tombs unless stated
- International flights and airport taxes
- Single-supplement charges for sole occupancy of a cabin
Accessibility
Who can join this
The vessel has steps between decks, narrow gangways and uneven stone at many shore-excursion sites, so guests should expect moderate physical demands. Onboard, cabins are reached by staircases on some boats; elevators are not guaranteed. Shore excursions include uneven temple floors, cobbles, and steps into tombs; wheelchair access at Karnak, Luxor Temple and Kom Ombo is limited and dependent on local pier conditions. We can arrange assistance on arrival at Luxor International Airport and meet-and-assist to the embarkation gangway, but we cannot promise full wheelchair transferability onboard. If you use a wheelchair, need an electric mobility aid, or have limited stamina, tell us before booking so we can assess vessel assignment and shore-excursion suitability. We can supply a step-assist at embarkation when possible and brief your Egyptologist about reduced-walking alternatives, but some temple visits require short walks on uneven ground and steps.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
We arrange carefully selected five-star Nile cruisers that generally run twin-diesel engines typical for river vessels, and we ask suppliers to use low-sulfur fuel where available. Transfers on the ground to embarkation points are with modern air-conditioned coaches; smaller boats used for shore landings are locally owned and licensed. We contract locally based Egyptologists and crew, which channels income into Luxor and Aswan communities. Onboard catering sources fresh produce from regional markets in Luxor and Aswan when possible, reducing refrigerated transport. We request that cruise partners operate a linen-reuse program and segregate recyclable waste on board; compliance varies by vessel, so we record each supplier's practices and favor those with formal waste-management procedures. If sustainability requirements are important to you, we can share current supplier practices for the specific sailing at booking.
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 and any visas
- Sunhat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen SPF30 or higher
- Comfortable walking shoes with grip
- Reusable water bottle (refillable)
- Light rain jacket for sudden showers
- Any personal medication plus copies of prescriptions
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable daytime clothing
- Covered shoulders and knees for temples and mosques
- A warmer layer for cool evenings on deck
- Closed shoes for temple and tomb visits
- Smart-casual outfit for restaurant evenings
Children & families
Children 0 to 5.99 years travel free; children 6 to 11.99 years pay 50% of the adult fare; children 12 years and older pay the full adult price. Children must share a cabin with their parents, maximum one child per cabin; two or more children require their own cabin. Strollers are practical on board but can be difficult on some shore landings where gangways and small boats are used. High chairs and child-specific equipment vary by vessel; we will request them if needed but cannot guarantee availability until confirmed with the assigned cruise partner.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 nights · Luxor → Aswanembarks Tuesdays and Saturdays | October – April: from $4,948single cabin $8,068 | May – September: from $4,116single cabin $5,676 | Peak dates: from $6,378single cabin $10,512 |
| 4 nights · Aswan → Luxorembarks Tuesdays and Saturdays | October – April: from $4,948single cabin $8,068 | May – September: from $4,116single cabin $5,676 | Peak dates: from $6,378single cabin $10,512 |
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
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Where does MS The Oberoi Phiale board and disembark?
Boarding and disembarkation depend on the cruise direction; commonly the embarkation city is Luxor or Aswan. We confirm the exact port, pier, and your meeting point on your booking voucher and final travel documents. If you need airport or city transfers, we arrange private cars and meet-and-greet on request.02What is included in the MS The Oberoi Phiale 4-day cruise price?
The cruise price usually covers cabin accommodation, main meals aboard, crew services, and scheduled onboard facilities. Shore excursions, optional guided tours, premium alcoholic beverages, and gratuities are commonly extra unless stated otherwise. Standard site entrance fees for included tours are normally covered; premium tombs and pyramid interiors remain excluded unless explicitly booked.03Can we book private shore excursions from MS The Oberoi Phiale?
Yes – we arrange private shore excursions and licensed Egyptologist guides for MS The Oberoi Phiale guests. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator we book private guides, vehicles, and necessary landing permits; we do not place clients on large coach tours. Book excursions before travel to secure preferred times; last-minute shore bookings depend on availability and port schedules.04Are meals, dietary requests, and drinks provided on board?
Main meals are provided on board, and the ship can accommodate most special-diet requests with advance notice. Please notify us of allergies or strict dietary needs as early as possible so the galley can prepare. Soft drinks and selected wines or spirits are typically charged separately; we will confirm beverage inclusions on booking.05Is there Wi‑Fi, mobile signal, and electricity on MS The Oberoi Phiale?
MS The Oberoi Phiale offers onboard Wi‑Fi and power outlets, but satellite and mobile signal can be intermittent away from shore. We recommend carrying a universal adapter and downloading offline maps before travel; purchasing an Egyptian SIM at the airport gives the most reliable mobile data. If you require continuous high-bandwidth access for work, tell us before booking and we will advise connectivity options.06What should I pack for a 4-day Nile cruise on MS The Oberoi Phiale?
Pack for strong daytime sun, cool evenings, and walking on uneven ancient stone. Bring a sun hat, high-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, comfortable closed shoes, a light jacket for evenings, and a small daypack. Carry photocopies of your passport and visas, prescription medications, and modest clothing for temple or mosque visits (shoulders and knees covered).
Product ID: CRU-NIL-044757
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