Trade the crowded highways for a wide, slow river and let the Solaris I carry you between Luxor and Aswan at the pace Egypt was meant to be seen. From your cabin window, tamarisk-shaded villages, herons standing in shallow reeds and long ribbons of sugar cane roll gently past, while expertly guided landings bring you face-to-face with the giants of the Nile Valley: the forested columns of Karnak, the painted tombs of the Valley of the Kings, the sun-baked walls of Edfu, the unusual double sanctuary at Kom Ombo, and finally Philae, floating on the calm water above the First Cataract. Between visits, the ship itself becomes a small floating world of shaded lounges, an open sun deck, freshly cooked Egyptian and international dishes, and quiet nights spent watching the stars pool over the palm banks. Book your Solaris I voyage with Daily Pyramids Tours and step aboard a story the river has been telling for five thousand years.
Step aboard the Solaris I and see Upper Egypt the classical way, from the deck of an elegant five-star boat that doubles as your unpacking-free hotel. Offered as either a 3-night or a 4-night sailing between Luxor and Aswan, the journey balances headline sightseeing at the great temple sites with unhurried hours on the river, generous full-board dining and the kind of easy, personal service that makes a Nile cruise feel closer to a small ship than a hotel.
Day 1: Arrival in Aswan – Aswan City Tour
Your representative is waiting the moment you land at Aswan Airport or step out of your hotel, and stays with you throughout the local programme. Settled into a private air-conditioned vehicle, you set off first for the High Dam, the twentieth-century engineering feat that tamed the Nile’s floods, created Lake Nasser and saved a string of Nubian temples from disappearing beneath the water.
From there you visit the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying half-freed in the pink granite quarry where an unlucky crack forced ancient stonecutters to abandon it — an unfiltered window onto how these vast monoliths were shaped by hand.
A motorised felucca then ferries you across to Philae Temple, the island sanctuary of Isis that was famously dismantled and rebuilt block by block on higher Agilkia Island. If time allows, an optional sail around Elephantine Island and the First Cataract reveals the granite islets and swirling currents that make Aswan’s stretch of the Nile so distinctive.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant before you board the Solaris I for check-in, followed by dinner on board and an overnight moored in Aswan.
Meals: Lunch – Dinner
Day 2: Kom Ombo & Sailing to Edfu
After breakfast on board, a private vehicle drives you the roughly 45 km north to Kom Ombo, where you tour one of Egypt’s most unusual temples — a perfectly mirrored double sanctuary sharing its space between Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
You walk its paired hypostyle halls and ritual chambers before stepping into the adjoining Crocodile Museum, where mummified crocodiles unearthed on the site are displayed with striking care.
Lunch is taken at a local restaurant, then you rejoin the ship as it lifts anchor and heads north toward Edfu. The afternoon unfolds slowly on deck, with sugarcane fields, riverside hamlets and pale sandstone cliffs sliding past — the essential landscape of Upper Egypt.
An onboard briefing gets you ready for tomorrow’s temple, and the vessel moors overnight at Edfu.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 3: Edfu Temple & Arrival in Luxor
After breakfast, you clip-clop into Edfu town in a traditional horse-drawn carriage and arrive at the Temple of Horus — arguably the best preserved ancient temple anywhere in Egypt.
Inside its enormous pylons, cavernous halls and finely cut inscriptions retell the mythic battle between Horus and Seth and the priestly rituals of the Ptolemaic era. So much survives that you can move through virtually every original level of the building, right up to its rooftop terraces.
Back on board, the cruise resumes its journey north toward Luxor, with lunch served as the river slides by.
On arrival, you head to Luxor Temple on the East Bank, a monument shaped across the centuries by kings including Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.
Its grand colonnade, wide-open courts and the surviving avenue of sphinxes give you a real sense of the ceremonial heart of ancient Thebes. The ship spends the night moored in Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 4: Luxor West Bank & Departure
After breakfast and disembarkation, you cross to the West Bank of Luxor — the ancient necropolis of Thebes. Your morning begins in the Valley of the Kings, where three royal tombs open their painted corridors, the sacred texts on their walls guiding pharaohs safely into the next world.
You continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, carved dramatically into the cliffs and dedicated to one of the few women ever to rule Egypt as pharaoh.
A final stop brings you to the Colossi of Memnon, two towering seated statues that once flanked the entrance to a long-vanished mortuary temple. Lunch follows before your transfer to Luxor Airport or your hotel for onward travel.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 1: Arrival in Luxor – East Bank Exploration
Your representative meets you at Luxor Airport or the railway station and drives you by private air-conditioned vehicle straight to the Solaris I.
Once you have checked in, sightseeing begins with a guided walk through the Karnak Temple Complex — the largest religious site ever built, extended by pharaoh after pharaoh over more than two thousand years.
From there you continue to Luxor Temple, a New Kingdom masterpiece once joined to Karnak by the great Avenue of Sphinxes.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant before you return to the ship for dinner and an overnight moored in Luxor.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: West Bank of Luxor – Sailing Toward Edfu
After breakfast, you cross to the West Bank of Luxor for a guided exploration of the Valley of the Kings, where more than 60 royal tombs preserve some of the most vivid afterlife imagery to survive from the ancient world.
You continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, an extraordinary terraced sanctuary carved directly into the cliffs for Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh.
A short stop is made at the Colossi of Memnon, the two colossal statues that stand as sole survivors of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple.
Following lunch at a local restaurant, you return to the ship as it casts off and begins sailing south toward Edfu, with the overnight spent on board as the Nile slips by.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
The Solaris I docks at Edfu, where a horse-drawn carriage clatters you into town for a guided visit to the Temple of Horus.
This exceptional Ptolemaic sanctuary, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, is one of the most complete ancient temples anywhere in Egypt.
Back on board, the vessel presses on toward Kom Ombo, whose riverside temple is unusual for being shared equally between Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
Its mirrored plan and dramatic setting on the water’s edge make it one of the most memorable stops on the Nile. Lunch is served on board as sailing continues toward Aswan.
Overnight is spent moored at Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Aswan Highlights and Nile Sailing
The day opens at the High Aswan Dam, a landmark of modern engineering that transformed Egyptian agriculture and water supply by holding back the Nile to create Lake Nasser.
You continue to the Unfinished Obelisk, a huge granite shaft still lying in the quarry where ancient masons abandoned it — a rare unfiltered glimpse into how these monuments were cut from living rock.
A motorboat then carries you across to Philae Island for a guided tour of the Temple of Isis, the Ptolemaic sanctuary painstakingly relocated after the construction of the Aswan Dam.
Lunch is enjoyed at a local restaurant before a traditional felucca sails you around Elephantine Island, offering a wonderfully quiet perspective on Aswan’s granite outcrops and everyday river life.
You return to the ship for your final night on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Departure from Aswan
After breakfast on board, you check out from the Solaris I and a private air-conditioned vehicle transfers you to Aswan Airport or the railway station for your onward journey.
Meals: Breakfast
At Daily Pyramids Tours, all prices are quoted in US Dollars (USD) unless otherwise specified. However, we gladly accept payments in other major currencies such as Euros (EUR), British Pounds (GBP), and more, based on the official daily exchange rate on the payment date.
Our prices reflect current market conditions, seasonal fluctuations, and service availability, so they may change without prior notice. Once a deposit or full payment is received, your booking price is locked in and guaranteed.
What’s Included in Our Packages:
Please check your specific booking confirmation and itinerary for exact inclusions and exclusions.
Holiday Supplement:
A 25% surcharge applies to all Nile Cruises and tour packages booked during Christmas, New Year, and Easter holidays due to peak demand.
To ensure a smooth booking process with Daily Pyramids Tours, our payment terms vary depending on the service type:
After payment, you will receive written confirmation, a tailored itinerary, and travel documents via email. Receipts for all payments will be provided.
We understand plans can change. Our cancellation terms are:
Refunds, when applicable, are processed within 14 business days of receiving your written cancellation notice. Some cruises or hotels may have stricter cancellation policies, which will be clearly communicated in your itinerary.
At Daily Pyramids Tours, we welcome families and offer the following children’s pricing:
Discounts apply only when children share accommodation with two full-paying adults. Note that certain Nile Cruises and luxury hotels may have different policies or restrictions for young children, which will be detailed in your itinerary if relevant.
Some special experiences are optional and not included in standard packages. You may book these in advance or arrange on-site (subject to availability). Examples include:
Optional tours are payable in USD or local currency (EGP). We recommend booking in advance, especially during peak seasons.
While our packages are comprehensive, travelers should budget for:
We advise carrying small amounts of local currency (EGP) for convenience, especially for tipping and shopping at local markets.
Tipping (“baksheesh”) is a customary way to show appreciation for good service in Egypt. Though not mandatory, it is widely appreciated:
Tipping is generally not included in your package price. We recommend carrying small USD or EGP bills for tipping convenience.
Nile cruise pricing shifts with the length of the itinerary, the standard of the vessel and the services included in the fare. As a working benchmark, expect $600 to $900 per person for a 3-4 night sailing on a mid-range to luxury boat, with longer voyages and the most premium ships climbing higher.
The sweet spot for a Nile cruise runs from October to April, when the temperatures are gentle and sightseeing is genuinely pleasant. It is best to steer clear of the peak summer stretch of May to September, when the heat in Upper Egypt can be brutal.
Absolutely — a Nile cruise remains one of the most relaxed and rewarding ways to see Egypt, pairing tranquil hours on the river with expert-led visits to the temples and tombs of Upper Egypt. You unpack once, travel in real comfort, and step into a cultural experience that stays with you.
Swimming directly in the Nile is not advised, mainly because of water quality issues and unpredictable currents. Cruise vessels almost never permit guests to enter the river itself; if you fancy a dip, use the ship’s pool instead.
Daytime dress on board is relaxed and casual — light, breathable fabrics work best in the Egyptian sun. Evenings lean smart casual, especially for dinner and any onboard entertainment. When visiting temples, churches or mosques, cover the shoulders and knees out of respect for the sites.
