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Nile cruise from Luxor: types, inclusions and prices

Last checked: October 2026

Nile cruise ships moored by a palm-lined bank
Nile cruise ships moored by a palm-lined bank

Ships, dahabiyas and feluccas

Types of Nile cruise from Luxor

Cruise ships and luxury cruisers sail between Luxor and Aswan on fixed weekly departures. Nour El Nil’s dahabiya starts at Esna instead, and a felucca takes two days1 to reach Aswan.

Luxor to Aswan trips: 2-3 nights1

Cruise types from Luxor compared
TypeExampleRouteLengthDepartures
Cruise ship
Sonesta Star Goddess
Aswan to Luxor, Luxor to Aswan or a Luxor round trip
3, 4 or 7 nights
Wednesday (3 nights), Saturday (4 and 7 nights)
Luxury cruiser
The Oberoi Philae
–
4 or 6 nights
Tuesday and Saturday
Dahabiya
Nour El Nil
Esna, about 33 miles south of Luxor, to Aswan
5 nights
No sailings June to August
Felucca
–
Luxor to Aswan
2 days
–

Sonesta (operator); Oberoi Hotels (operator); Nour El Nil (operator); Wikivoyage

Which one fits you

  • A short trip: the Sonesta Star Goddess runs a 3-night4 sailing, but it goes from Aswan to Luxor, so you board upriver.
  • Few extras to pay on board: Nour El Nil’s dahabiya price covers entrance fees, an official guide, meals, soft drinks and tips5.
  • Young children: the Oberoi Philae can’t take children under 7, and older children need their own cabin at the normal rate6.
  • Starting in Cairo: look at the long cruises between Cairo and Aswan instead.
  • No time to sail: Luxor and Aswan Travel’s day tour to Edfu and Kom Ombo lasts 12 hours, with about 2 hours7 of driving to Edfu.

Want time in Luxor before or after you sail? Compare where to stay in Luxor and plan your days ashore from things to do in Luxor.

Two feluccas sailing on the Nile at Luxor, with palms and the West Bank hills behind
Two feluccas sailing on the Nile at Luxor, with palms and the West Bank hills behind

A typical Luxor to Aswan route

The Sonesta Star Goddess timetable shows how the temple stops fit around the sailing.

  1. Leave Aswan

    On day 2 the boat sails from Aswan to Kom Ombo at 13:30.

  2. Kom Ombo temple

    The temple visit starts at 17:30. It's dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Har wer (Horus the Elder).

  3. Sail to Edfu

    The boat leaves Kom Ombo for Edfu at 19:00.

  4. Edfu's Horus Temple

    The Horus Temple visit starts at 06:30 on day 3.

  5. On to Luxor

    The boat sails for Luxor at 08:15.

Edfu temple's carved pylon and the columned birth house seen from the walkway above the forecourt
Edfu temple's carved pylon and the columned birth house seen from the walkway above the forecourt

Bookable cruises and sails

Book a cruise or a sunset sail

Each card shows the current price, length and rating. Here’s what sets them apart:

  • Mody Egypt Tours’ package from Luxor to Aswan adds Abu Simbel and a balloon flight to the cruise.
  • Egyptology Travel CO starts with a West Bank tour, then sails through the Esna lock to Edfu and on to Aswan.
  • Not sure you’d enjoy days on deck? A private sunset felucca sail is a short way to find out.
Nile cruise boats moored below Luxor Temple Multi-day tour

5 daysPickup includedFree cancellation

Mody Egypt Tours

4 nights Luxor to Aswan Nile Cruise with Abu Simbel & Air Balloon

4.4 (107 reviews) on Viator, checked October 2026

fromUS$950

See dates on Viator
The twin pylon towers of Edfu temple seen across the paved forecourt, a young palm beside the path Multi-day tour

4 daysPickup includedFree cancellation

Egyptology Travel CO

Luxor: 4 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel

4.6 (132 reviews) on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026

fromUS$690

See dates on GetYourGuide
A single felucca sailing on the blue Nile at Luxor in evening light Tour

2 hoursPickup includedFree cancellation

Alista Tours

Luxor: Private Sunset Felucca Sailing on the Nile

4.9 (405 reviews) on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026

fromUS$29

See dates on GetYourGuide

What agents charge

Cruise prices compared

These are the prices booking agents list for a whole cruise. Check the dates and cabin before you pay.

Oberoi Philae from US$1,6803

  • AAA-listed Luxor to Aswan packagecruise package, for 4-night $310–$615
  • The Oberoi Philae (via Egypt Tours Portal)luxury cruiser, length not stated, per person from US$1,680

Whole-cruise prices listed by booking agents, not nightly rates.

AAA’s page shows a ticket option well below its headline package price, so confirm which one you’re booking. The Egypt Tours Portal price for the Oberoi Philae doesn’t say which length or dates it covers.

If you’d rather compare by the night, Timbuktu Travel lists Sanctuary Sun Boat IV from US$5208 (checked October 2026) per person per night, as part of a tailor-made trip.

Read the small print

What’s included and what isn’t

Inclusions vary more than the prices suggest. Nour El Nil covers crew tips, while Civitatis leaves out drinks.

Tutankhamun's tomb: 12 EUR extra10

Cruise Included Not included
Nour El Nil dahabiya
Entrance fees, official guide, meals, soft drinks, crew and guide tips; transfers from your Luxor hotel and to your Aswan hotel5
Alcohol, airport transfers5
The Oberoi Philae
Meals, return transfers, entrance fees, guide charges9
Not listed
Civitatis, Luxor to Aswan
4 nights’ full board (no lunch on day 5); monument tickets, English-speaking guide, tips10
Drinks; Tutankhamun’s tomb (12 EUR)10
Viking Pharaohs & Pyramids
Onboard meals, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, onboard gratuities11
Not listed

Before you pay

Deposits, cancellation and pickup

Agent packages let you cancel late. The boats themselves want money months ahead and keep more of it if you pull out.

Civitatis: free cancellation to 48 hours10

Seller Payment Cancellation
Civitatis
Not listed
Free up to 48 hours before; no refund later or for no-shows10
AAA-listed package
Not listed
Full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure2
The Oberoi Philae
25% within 7 days of booking; 50% at 180 days before check-in; final 25% at 91 days6
Full refund over 180 days out; 15% at 180 to 121 days; 50% at 120 to 91 days; full price under 90 days6
Nour El Nil
25% non-refundable deposit within 14 days; balance due 60 days before sailing12
Over 60 days out: kept as credit, not refunded; within 60 days: all payments kept12

Civitatis picks up only from hotels and boats on Luxor’s East Bank, usually at about 12 noon10 (checked October 2026). The East Bank also has Luxor Temple, hotels and restaurants1, so the restaurants near Luxor Temple work for a last meal ashore.

The Nile splits Luxor into the East Bank and the West Bank13. If you’re not sure which side your hotel is on, check Luxor’s location and areas on the map. Flying in from Cairo takes about 1 hour1: see flights into Luxor airport.

Awards compared

Which cruise is the most luxurious?

If you go by awards, the Oberoi cruisers come out on top. Scene Traveller reported in July 2026 that the Oberoi Zahra and Oberoi Philae were named Best River Cruise Line in the World at Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards, for the second year running15.

Other awards pick other winners. The World Cruise Awards 2026 gave its best river cruise line title to Pandaw16, which sails in Asia, not on the Nile. For smaller, quieter boats, compare the dahabiya boats.

Seasons on the river

When is the best time for a Nile cruise?

Egypt Tours Plus says peak season runs from November to March17, when temperatures are comfortable for sightseeing. The shoulder months cost less, and summer is too hot for some boats to sail.

Peak season: November to March17

When to cruise from Luxor
  • Peak cruising months November to March
  • Shoulder, better value April to May, September to October
  • Too hot, dahabiyas stop June to August
  • Busiest: dahabiyat.com calls October to April18 the classic Nile season, with warm days and cool evenings.
  • Better value: Egypt Tours Plus says April-May and September-October17 give excellent value. dahabiyat.com finds May and September18 hot but manageable, with fewer people at the temples.
  • Summer: average highs in June, July and August are above 40 °C19, and Nour El Nil doesn’t sail from June to August20.

Questions people ask

Can you do a Nile River cruise from Cairo?

Yes, on a long cruise. Jules Verne's route runs from Aswan via Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor, Denderah and Abydos, reaching Cairo and Giza on days 11-12.

How much does a Nile cruise from Cairo cost?

Viking lists its 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids cruisetour, which visits Luxor and Aswan, from AU$10,995, with onboard meals, drinks with lunch and dinner, and gratuities.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits

Checked against 24 sources · last checked October 2026
  1. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  2. AAA (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  3. Egypt Tours Portal (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  4. Sonesta (operator) · checked October 2026
  5. Nour El Nil (operator) · checked October 2026
  6. Oberoi Hotels (operator) · checked October 2026
  7. luxorandaswan.com (tour company) · checked October 2026
  8. Timbuktu Travel (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  9. Oberoi Hotels (operator) · checked October 2026
  10. Civitatis (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  11. Viking River Cruises Australia (operator) · checked October 2026
  12. Nour El Nil (operator) · checked October 2026
  13. Experience Egypt (official) · checked October 2026
  14. GOV.UK (official) · checked October 2026
  15. Scene Traveller (news) · checked October 2026
  16. Euronews (news) · checked October 2026
  17. Egypt Tours Plus (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  18. dahabiyat.com (operator) · checked October 2026
  19. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  20. Nour El Nil (operator) · checked October 2026
  21. Oberoi Hotels (operator) · checked October 2026
  22. Sonesta (operator) · checked October 2026
  23. egymonuments.gov.eg (official) · checked October 2026
  24. vjv.com (tour company) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 23 October 2026
  • First written