BudgetDay Trip
Stopover
Cairo Stopover: Pyramids in 24 Hours
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Nile CruiseUltra-Luxury
9 days · 8 nights · Luxor to Aswan
8-Night Premium Dahabiya Long Cruise
Extended dahabiya with Dendera & Abydos
★ 5 · 86 reviews—Private journeyFrom $7090 pp
All tours are private. Your group only — no strangers, no shared coaches, no fixed departures.
Journey highlights
- ★Sail the legendary Nile aboard a deluxe cruise vessel with full board
- ★Visit Karnak and Luxor Temples — the largest religious complex on earth
- ★Explore Valley of the Kings tombs including Tutankhamun's resting place
- ★Marvel at Edfu and Kom Ombo — the best-preserved Ptolemaic temples
- ★Experience Aswan's Philae Temple, High Dam, and Nubian culture
About this journey
This 9-day ultra-luxury nile cruise introduces you to the very best of Luxor to Aswan, crafted by Egypt Stay & Tours' specialists with over 20 years of Egypt expertise. From the moment your private chauffeur greets you at the airport to your final farewell, every detail has been considered. You'll travel with an expert Egyptologist (or local equivalent) who brings ancient history to life, stay in carefully selected ultra-luxury accommodations, and experience moments most travellers miss.
Unlike generic group tours, this itinerary is fully customisable. Add experiences, extend stays, upgrade hotels, or adjust the pace — we tailor every journey to suit your style. With 24/7 in-country support, transparent pricing, and direct relationships with all suppliers (including our own seven hotels in Egypt), you'll experience Egypt the way it should be experienced: seamlessly, authentically, and without compromise.
Egyptologist's note
What this trip really shows you
Eight nights aboard a dahabiya is the slow long version — the route most Victorian and Edwardian travellers actually took before steamboats compressed it. The extra nights translate into longer anchorages, more shore landings (often El Kab, Gebel Silsila, the Saluga and Ghazal islands of the Aswan archipelago), and uninterrupted sailing days where the temples are not the point — the river is.
This is the cruise length recommended for travellers who have already done a standard Nile cruise and now want the slow, reading-on-deck, watching-the-river experience without temple-stop pressure.
Historical context
The Victorian dahabiya season (October to March, the cool months) ran for about six weeks of comfortable sailing. The eight-night modern equivalent compresses the same arc but keeps the rhythm — sail, anchor, walk, swim, sail again. It is the closest contemporary parallel to the routes Edward Lear and Amelia Edwards described.
What you'll experience
- Eight nights aboard with full sailing time — not a city-cruise-city sandwich
- Anchor in the Aswan archipelago for swimming and small-island visits
- Visit El Kab and Gebel Silsila at length, not at speed
- Read on the deck for whole afternoons — there is genuine downtime, not packed touring
- Eat chef-prepared meals matched to the day's sailing rhythm
- Watch the same Nile sunset from the same deck eight evenings in a row
Insider tip from your guide
Bring a hardcover copy of Amelia Edwards's 'A Thousand Miles Up the Nile' (1877) — this is the trip she described, and reading her account of El Kab the morning before you visit it is one of the best small pleasures of this style of travel.
Best for
Repeat Egypt visitors looking for a deeper second tripWriters, readers, slow-travel devoteesCouples without a fixed sightseeing listGuests who want the river itself to be the destination
Day-by-day itinerary
Morning domestic flight to Luxor. Afternoon at Karnak Temple complex — the largest religious site ever built. Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak.
What's included
- ✓Private airport transfers (arrival & departure)
- ✓All accommodation (8 nights) on bed & breakfast basis
- ✓All sightseeing and excursions per itinerary
- ✓Expert local guide
- ✓All entry fees to monuments and sites
- ✓All transportation in private air-conditioned vehicle
- ✓Bottled water during tours
- ✓All taxes and service charges
- ✓24/7 emergency support during your trip
- ✓Lunch on touring days
- ✓Welcome dinner on day 1
- ✓Domestic flights (where included in itinerary)
- ✓VIP fast-track at airports
- ✓All meals (full board)
- ✓Premium 5-star hotel category
- ✓Private guide throughout (no group sharing)
- ✓Champagne welcome at hotel
- ✓Exclusive after-hours site access where available
- ✓Nile cruise accommodation with full board (all meals included)
What's not included
- —International flights to/from your home country
- —Egypt entry visa (USD $25 on arrival or e-visa available)
- —Travel insurance (mandatory — we can recommend providers)
- —Personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, minibar)
- —Optional excursions and activities
- —Tips and gratuities for guides, drivers, and hotel staff (USD $8–12 per person per day suggested)
- —Drinks with meals (unless specifically stated)
- —Anything not specified in 'Inclusions'
Practical information
Practical Information
Best Time to Visit
October to April (cooler weather, peak season)
Departure Dates
Daily departures · Year-round
Languages Available
English, Arabic, German, French, Italian, Spanish (on request)
Physical Rating
Easy to moderate — comfortable for most travellers, some walking on uneven surfaces at sites
Cancellation Policy
Free cancellation up to 90 days before departure. 50% refund 60-89 days. 25% refund 30-59 days. No refund within 30 days. (Special policies apply to Christmas/NYE/peak holiday departures.)
Deposit Required
20% at booking, balance 30 days before departure
Frequently Asked Questions
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