Blue Shadow Nile Cruise
A 5-star Nile cruiser with panoramic cabins, a sun deck, lounge bar, full-board dining, and weekly sailings between Luxor and Aswan.
At a glance
- Length
- 4 days · 3 nights
- Embarks
- Wed, Sat
- Board
- Full Board
- Class
- 5-star
Snapshot
Good to know
- Destinations
- Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan
02Overview
A first look
The Nile moves quietly past the sun deck as the riverbank shifts from date palms to desert cliffs. On Blue Shadow Nile Cruise, sailing days invite time in the lounge bar or dining room, while the panoramic windows and Nile-view balconies keep the landscape present from your cabin.
Our Egyptologists turn each shore excursion into a readable scene, from Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple to Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and the Valley of the Kings. The vessel sails weekly in both directions between Luxor and Aswan, allowing you to choose the embarkation port that fits your plans. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we arrange the sailing and confirm your cabin, embarkation details, and excursion schedule before you travel.
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 round-trip embarkation from Luxor. On 7-night round-trips each site is visited once.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Bundled in
- Pool
- Sun Deck
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Spa center
- Massage room
- Boutique
- Laundry
- WiFi (in public areas)
- Internet corner
- Library
- Reception
- Main lounge bar
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
This cruise requires moderate physical mobility. Embarkation and disembarkation involve gangways and steps; some cabins are reached by staircases rather than lifts. Shore excursions include uneven ancient stone, loose sand, stepped temple entrances and painted tomb ramps at the Valley of the Kings; many sites have stairs with no handrail. Wheelchair users can travel with advance notice, but fully step-free access on board is limited and accessible cabins are not always available. Please tell us about mobility needs before booking so we can confirm cabin allocation, arrange a meet-and-assist at the airport and advise which excursions are practicable.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
We work with cruise partners that operate river vessels using low-sulfur marine diesel and standard wastewater treatment systems on board; fuel and engine choices are set by the cruise line, not by us. On shore excursions the coaches are modern, air-conditioned vehicles hired locally. We prioritise suppliers who separate onboard waste, offer linen-reuse programs, and source fresh produce and meat from markets and farms in Luxor and Aswan. Egyptologists and excursion staff are locally employed, and a portion of excursion fees supports site guides and community services in the towns visited. If you have a specific sustainability concern, tell us at enquiry so we can share supplier policies and recent examples of local sourcing.
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 a photocopy kept separately
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sunscreen SPF 30 or higher and a wide-brim hat
- Reusable water bottle (refillable on board)
- Lightweight daypack for excursions
- Personal medications and a small first-aid kit
- Power adapter (Type C/E) and phone charger
What to wear
- Lightweight, loose-fitting clothing for hot days
- A light jacket or shawl for cooler evenings on deck
- Covered shoulders and knees when visiting temples and mosques
- Comfortable closed shoes for uneven archaeological sites
- Swimwear for the vessel pool, plus a cover-up for public areas
Children & families
Children 0–5.99 years travel free; children 6–11.99 years pay 50% of the adult fare; children 12 years and over 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 when folded, but bring a compact model for excursions because archaeological sites often have stairs and uneven surfaces. High chairs and infant equipment are limited on Nile cruisers; request them at booking and we will confirm availability with the 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 |
|---|---|
| 3 nights · Aswan → Luxorembarks Wednesdays | October – April: from $921single cabin $1,249 |
| 4 nights · Luxor → Aswanembarks Saturdays | October – April: from $1,100single cabin $1,536 |
| 7 nights · Luxor → Luxorembarks Saturdays | October – April: from $1,633single cabin $2,398 |
| 7 nights · Aswan → Aswanembarks Wednesdays | October – April: from $1,654single cabin $2,419 |
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-744700
You Might Also Like
Nile7 Nights
A Sarah Nile Cruise
A Sarah Nile Cruise is a 5-star Nile cruiser arranged for sailing between Luxor and Aswan, with shore excursions at major ancient sites along the river. The program covers Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and the Valley of the Kings. On board, guests have a cabin, full board from lunch on embarkation through breakfast on disembarkation, plus access to a swimming pool, sun deck, restaurant, bar, lounge and Wi-Fi, subject to vessel availability. Sailings operate weekly in both directions. Drinks beyond water with meals, premium tombs, pyramid interiors and gratuities are excluded unless requested.
From $882
Nile7 Nights
LA Sara Nile Cruise
LA Sara Nile Cruise sails between Aswan and Luxor, visiting Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor West Bank, and Luxor East Bank. Departures are Wednesdays from Aswan and Saturdays from Luxor. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and our Egyptologists lead all guided excursions, limited to eight guests. Full-board meals, private air-conditioned transfers, and the site entrance fees listed in the itinerary are included. The boat has panoramic windows, a sun deck, a small pool, and a lounge for evening music and folkloric shows. Unlike many mass-market cruises, our guided visits keep groups small and provide paced time at Edfu and Kom Ombo.
Luxor7 Nights
Tower Prestige Nile Cruise
Board the MS Tower Prestige at Luxor's Nile pier; I meet you on deck and point across the river to Karnak's pylons. We set a steady rhythm: early-morning visits to the West Bank (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon) before the coach tours arrive, an afternoon passage through the Esna lock, and an overnight mooring at Edfu so the Horus Temple receives a proper two-hour visit. Cabins are Classic Nile-cruise scale–roughly 12 m² with en-suite facilities and modest storage–suitable if you pack light. The sun deck gives shaded and open seating; the dining salon serves full-board meals prepared to local taste and timed around excursions. Expect straightforward service from a local crew; the vessel is Classic tier, not a five-star floating resort: there is no spa or gym, Wi‑Fi is patchy, and power can dip briefly when the generator switches. I guide every excursion: I explain the ritual passages at Karnak, point out tomb decoration styles in the Valley, and time our visits so light and crowd levels work to your advantage. Sailing between Luxor and Aswan keeps most travel on daylight hours; you live the riverbank–fishing feluccas, sugarcane fields, village children waving–rather than long overnight crossings. We disembark in Aswan with guided visits to Philae, the High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk. If you prefer more space or luxury amenities, ask about our higher-tier vessels; the MS Tower Prestige is compact, direct, and focused on the monuments.
From $921