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Nile Valley · Upper Egypt
Sail three nights from Aswan, cruise four nights from Luxor, or cover the whole route in one private day.
Aswan and Luxor tours can look very different on paper. One option is a three-night Nile cruise that starts in Aswan, another is a four-night cruise that begins in Luxor, and the third is a private day tour that drives south by road and returns by train.
The right choice depends on where your journey starts, how much time you have, and whether you would rather sleep aboard a cruise or return to your Luxor hotel at the end of the day.
At Egypt Luxury Trips, we organise all three programmes, each with its own route, meals and inclusions. Below you will find the key differences, a day-by-day outline of every tour and the details worth confirming before you book. Both cruises are described as Nile cruises rather than Dahabiya sailings, so you can choose with the right expectations from the start.
3 nights · 4 days
Aswan to Luxor
Start with Aswan’s monuments, sail past Kom Ombo, Edfu and Esna, and finish on Luxor’s West Bank.
4 nights · 5 days
Luxor to Aswan
Begin with Karnak and the West Bank, then sail south through Edfu and Kom Ombo to Aswan.
About 16 hours
Luxor Aswan Day Tour
Drive south in a private vehicle, see three sites and return to Luxor by first-class seated train.
Aswan and Luxor Tours Compared
This table puts the three Aswan and Luxor tours side by side, so you can see how they differ before reading the full itineraries.
| Tour | Duration | Stay and meals |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Night Nile Cruise Aswan to Luxor | 3 nights / 4 days | Three nights aboard; full board, with breakfast only on the final day |
| 4 Night Nile Cruise Luxor to Aswan | 4 nights / 5 days | Four nights aboard; full board, with breakfast only on the final day |
| Luxor Aswan Day Tour | Approximately 16 hours | Lunch included; no overnight stay |
The two cruise itineraries combine accommodation, onboard meals and guided sightseeing. The day tour brings Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan together in one long excursion from Luxor.
A Note on the Ships
On the three-night cruise, your cabin and guide are private, while the ship carries other passengers. This itinerary does not include a privately chartered vessel. The same Egyptologist accompanies your guided visits along the route.
The four-night programme is also presented as a private Nile cruise itinerary, but exclusive use of the vessel is not stated. Please confirm the vessel arrangements with us when you enquire.
3 Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor
Our three-night Aswan-to-Luxor Nile cruise combines four days of travel and sightseeing, beginning with Aswan’s monuments and ending on Luxor’s West Bank. It is one of the most direct ways to experience Aswan and Luxor tours with accommodation, meals and a guide built into a single programme. If you are still choosing a vessel type, our Nile cruise page shows every cruise we offer between the two cities. For a closer look at the voyage itself, read our guide to the 3 night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor or our overview of the Aswan Luxor tour with three nights on the Nile.
Day 1: Aswan Sightseeing and Embarkation
Begin with the Aswan High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk before visiting Philae Temple, with the motorboat transfer included. You can explore more of these stops on our Philae Temple, High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk tour.
Together they introduce three sides of Aswan: a modern dam, an ancient quarry and an island temple. Your programme also includes embarkation for the three-night cruise. If you would like to see more of the city before sailing, our Aswan city tour and Aswan High Dam tour guides explain each stop in detail.
Day 2: Aswan Leisure and Kom Ombo
The morning is free in Aswan, with time to browse the market. An optional Abu Simbel excursion can be arranged separately before the ship departs. If you would rather spend those free hours on the river, our Aswan Nubian village guide describes a private motorboat trip to Gharb Soheil.
Lunch is served aboard as the cruise heads toward Kom Ombo. After visiting the temple, return to the ship and continue toward Edfu. Tea on the sun deck and dinner aboard complete the day, with an overnight stay near Edfu.
Day 3: Edfu, Esna and Luxor’s East Bank
Travel from the dock to Edfu Temple by horse-drawn carriage, then return to the ship for breakfast.
Continue sailing through Esna toward Luxor. The programme places your arrival by evening, followed by guided visits to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. Afterwards, return aboard for dinner and your final cruise night. Our Karnak and Luxor Temples tour gives a closer look at the East Bank sites.
Day 4: Luxor’s West Bank and Departure
After breakfast and disembarkation, explore the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. See the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple tour for more on these West Bank sites.
Your journey finishes with the included drop-off in Luxor, which completes the Aswan to Luxor route. The itinerary provides for departure to Luxor Airport, the railway station or your next hotel.
What Is Included?
- A private cruise cabin for three nights.
- Full-board meals, with breakfast only on the final day.
- Pickup in Aswan and drop-off in Luxor.
- Embarkation and disembarkation assistance.
- Guided sightseeing at the ten listed sites.
- Motorboat transportation to Philae Temple.
- Horse-carriage transportation to Edfu Temple.
- Local coordination and booking support.
Optional Extras and Exclusions
Optional paid experiences: Abu Simbel, a Nubian Village visit, the Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show and a Luxor hot-air-balloon flight.
Not included: drinks and meals not served aboard, entrance tickets not listed as included, personal expenses, tipping and travel insurance.
This option suits an itinerary that already brings you to Aswan and continues north to Luxor, with three nights of accommodation aboard.
4 Night Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan
Our four-night Luxor-to-Aswan cruise reverses the direction and adds an overnight stay compared with the three-night programme, which makes it a natural fit for Aswan and Luxor tours that start in Luxor. It begins with Luxor’s temples and West Bank monuments before continuing south through Edfu and Kom Ombo to Aswan.
Day 1: Embarkation, Karnak and Luxor Temple
Board the cruise in Luxor and settle into your cabin. After lunch, visit Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple with your Egyptologist guide before returning aboard for dinner.
Day 2: Valley of the Kings and the West Bank
Cross to Luxor’s West Bank for visits to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.
The Valley of the Kings programme includes selected open royal tombs. Extra-fee royal tombs are excluded from the standard package.
Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo
Visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, then continue sailing toward Kom Ombo.
Your programme includes Kom Ombo Temple and the Crocodile Museum, combining guided visits with time travelling along the river.
Day 4: Aswan Sightseeing
Explore the Aswan High Dam and travel by motorboat to Philae Temple. If you want to add more time in the city, our Aswan day tour and Aswan day trip guides cover the same highlights.
The Unfinished Obelisk appears in the package’s inclusion list, although the itinerary describes this visit as dependent on the cruise programme. Confirm its place in your final arrangements when enquiring.
Day 5: Breakfast and Disembarkation
Have breakfast aboard before checking out in Aswan. An optional Abu Simbel visit can be requested separately, either by flight from Aswan or through a private road excursion.
What is included in the 4-night cruise?
- A cruise cabin for four nights.
- Full-board meals, with breakfast only on the final day.
- Embarkation and disembarkation assistance.
- Pickup or meeting arrangements in Luxor.
- The listed guided sightseeing programme.
- Motorboat transportation to Philae Temple.
- Local coordination and booking support.
What is not included?
Exclusions include Abu Simbel, extra-fee royal tombs, entrance tickets not listed as included, drinks and meals not served aboard, personal expenses, tipping and travel insurance.
This cruise is a practical choice when you want to begin in Luxor and finish in Aswan. Because exclusive use of the vessel is not stated, confirm the vessel arrangements before booking.
Luxor Aswan Day Tour: Road South, Train Back
If you want to visit Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan without adding an overnight stay, our private Luxor Aswan Day Tour combines them in approximately 16 hours. Among these Aswan and Luxor tours, it is the only one without an overnight stay.
You travel south in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a private English-speaking Egyptologist guide. The return journey is by first-class seated train, followed by a transfer to your Luxor hotel.
16 hrs
Approximate length of the day
Private
Air-conditioned vehicle and Egyptologist
1st class
Seated train from Aswan to Luxor
Lunch
Included, with bottled water
Early Departure and Edfu Temple
Your day begins with an early pickup from your Luxor hotel.
Travel south to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, where your guide introduces the temple’s courts, columned halls and sanctuary. After the visit, continue by private vehicle toward Kom Ombo. For a stand-alone visit, see our Edfu and Kom Ombo temples tour from Luxor.
Kom Ombo Temple and the Crocodile Museum
Explore Kom Ombo Temple and the nearby Crocodile Museum before continuing to Aswan.
Unlike the cruise itineraries, the journey between these stops takes place by road.
Aswan High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae
In Aswan, visit the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, then take a motorboat to Agilkia Island for Philae Temple. Lunch at a local restaurant and bottled water are included during the day. You can read more about the route in our guide to the Luxor Aswan day tour via Edfu and Kom Ombo, and if one day in Aswan feels too short, our Aswan day tours guide covers private sightseeing options in and around the city.
Return to Luxor by Train
After sightseeing, transfer to Aswan railway station for your first-class seated train journey to Luxor. The tour programme gives an approximate train travel time of three hours.
On arrival, a final transfer returns you to your Luxor hotel.
What Is Included?
- Luxor hotel pickup and return.
- Private air-conditioned road transportation.
- A private English-speaking Egyptologist guide.
- Entrance fees to the listed sites.
- Return motorboat transportation to Philae Temple.
- Lunch and bottled water.
- A first-class seated train ticket from Aswan to Luxor.
- Taxes and service charges.
Additional services or attractions, personal expenses and tipping are excluded.
Expect a substantial day of travel and sightseeing. This option fits travelers who want the listed visits within one excursion and are comfortable with the approximately 16-hour programme.
Which Aswan and Luxor Tour Fits Your Egypt Itinerary?
Choose the 3-night cruise if…
You want to begin in Aswan, spend three nights aboard and finish in Luxor. Its arrangements explicitly include a private cabin and guide aboard a ship shared with other passengers.
Choose the 4-night cruise if…
Your journey starts in Luxor and you want four nights aboard before disembarking in Aswan.
Choose the day tour if…
You want to return to your Luxor hotel without an overnight stay. Its defining arrangement is private road transportation south and a seated train journey back.
For either cruise, review ticket inclusions carefully: the listed exclusions refer to entrance tickets not listed as included. The day tour explicitly includes admission to its listed sites.
Add Abu Simbel, Nubia and Evening Experiences
Several optional paid experiences can be arranged around your Aswan and Luxor tours, depending on the programme you choose:
- Abu Simbel by plane from Aswan or a private Abu Simbel tour by road, which can be requested separately. Our Abu Simbel trip from Aswan guide compares the road and plane options.
- Nubian Village by motorboat for a visit to the villages along the river at Aswan.
- Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show for an evening in Luxor.
- Luxor hot-air-balloon flight over the West Bank at sunrise.
The Abu Simbel visit is not part of the day tour itinerary. If you want to see more of each destination before choosing, our guides to what to do in Aswan and Aswan tourist attractions explain what to expect at each site, and our Luxor travel packages show how longer stays can be arranged.
Both cities also hold places of international heritage value. Luxor sits within the UNESCO-listed Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, and Philae belongs to the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae. Planning a longer trip? See our luxury Egypt tours with Nile cruise or the route from Cairo in Cruise from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan.
More Aswan Guides to Help You Plan
Aswan rewards a slower pace than most stops on the Nile, so it helps to decide early how much time you want to give it. If you are still weighing up the city against other destinations, our guide to how to visit Aswan, Egypt helps you match the city to the right type of tour before you commit to dates.
Abu Simbel is the one excursion that most travellers want to plan carefully, because it sits far to the south of Aswan and is usually a long day. Our tour from Aswan to Abu Simbel and Abu Simbel tour from Aswan by road guides describe the private day trip step by step, while trip to Abu Simbel explains the private tours that leave from Aswan. If you are searching for an Aswan to Abu Simbel cruise, that guide explains how to reach the temples from Aswan, and Abu Simbel to Aswan covers the private road tour for the journey back. Travellers starting in the capital can read about an Abu Simbel tour from Cairo with plane and private road options.
It also helps to know what you are travelling to see. Our guide to Abu Simbel temples facts covers the history and the relocation of the monuments, and the Abu Simbel Sun Festival guide explains the twice-yearly sunrise when light reaches the sanctuary of the Great Temple of Ramses II.
If you would like to combine the cruise with more of Egypt, three guides show how the pieces fit together: the Aswan to Luxor cruise with Abu Simbel tour over four days, the Luxor Aswan tour from Cairo with a four-night Nile cruise, and the longer Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel tour. For travellers who prefer private days on land rather than a ship, our page on Egypt luxury private tours shows what private days in Luxor, Aswan and beyond can look like.
Distance is the last practical question. Our guides to the Luxor Aswan distance and the Aswan to Cairo distance explain travel times and transport options, and visitors on the Red Sea coast can read about an Aswan tour from Hurghada or compare day tours and Nile cruise options from Hurghada before choosing between them.
What Travelers Say About Egypt Luxury Trips
Read recent guest reviews from TripAdvisor before you choose among our Aswan and Luxor tours.
Aswan and Luxor Tours: Frequently Asked Questions
Neither cruise is described as a Dahabiya sailing. The three-night cruise explicitly uses a ship shared with other passengers, so both programmes should be assessed using their stated vessel arrangements.
Both cruises include full-board meals, with breakfast only on the final day. The day tour includes lunch and bottled water.
Abu Simbel is a paid optional addition to the cruise programmes. It is not listed in the Luxor Aswan Day Tour itinerary.
Yes. You return from Aswan by first-class seated train, followed by a transfer to your Luxor hotel.
The day tour includes admission to its listed sites. For either cruise, the exclusions refer to entrance tickets not listed as included, so please review the inclusions carefully.
It depends on where you start. The three-night cruise runs from Aswan to Luxor, while the four-night cruise runs from Luxor to Aswan and adds one more night aboard.
All three tours are listed as price on request. Fill out the enquiry form to request the price and available details for your preferred itinerary and travel dates.
Discuss Your Aswan and Luxor Journey With Egypt Luxury Trips
Whether you prefer three nights cruising from Aswan, four nights beginning in Luxor, or one extensive private day tour, each of our Aswan and Luxor tours offers a different way to connect these destinations.
Fill out the enquiry form with your preferred tour, travel dates and number of travelers. Our Egypt Luxury Trips team can provide more information, clarify the package details and discuss the journey with you. You can also browse all Egypt tours or visit our contact page.
