Trade the highway for the river aboard the Salima Nile Cruise, a gentle floating base that carries you between Luxor and Aswan at the same easy pace the pharaohs once knew. Each morning brings a new stretch of palm-fringed shore, mud-brick hamlets and lateen-sailed feluccas skimming past your window; each afternoon delivers you ashore to another wonder, from the colossal courts of Karnak to the riverside charm of Edfu and Kom Ombo, with the island sanctuary of Philae completing the picture. Back on board, life slows agreeably. There is room to stretch out on the sun deck, unhurried meals to linger over, and staff who quietly anticipate every need, while the Nile keeps rolling by. Watch the sun sink into the reeds in a wash of copper and rose, and you will understand why travellers have loved this river for centuries. Sail with Daily Pyramids Tours and let Egypt reveal itself, one bend at a time.
Step aboard the Salima Nile Cruise for a journey that pairs Egypt’s greatest ancient sights with the quiet luxury of drifting along its most storied river. Choose from a 3-night or 4-night itinerary running between Luxor and Aswan, and settle into a rhythm that alternates unhurried sailing with expertly guided visits to temples, tombs and Nubian landmarks — comfort, culture and scenery in equal measure.
Day 1: Arrival in Aswan – Aswan City Tour
A member of our team welcomes you at Aswan Airport or your hotel and stays with you throughout the day’s sightseeing. Travelling in a private air-conditioned vehicle, you set out for the High Dam, the twentieth-century feat of engineering that tamed the annual flood, birthed Lake Nasser and helped rescue much of Nubia’s ancient heritage.
From there you continue to the Unfinished Obelisk, still resting in the pink granite quarry where a hidden crack forced the ancient masons to abandon it — a rare, close-up look at how these giants were carved from bedrock.
A motorised felucca then ferries you across the water to Philae Temple, the island sanctuary of Isis that was lifted stone by stone to safer Agilkia Island. If you wish, you can extend the outing with a sail around Elephantine Island and the First Cataract, where the Nile threads between sculpted granite boulders.
Lunch is taken at a local restaurant before you head to the quayside to board your Nile cruise and settle into your cabin. Dinner is served on board, and the first night is spent moored in Aswan.
Meals: Lunch – Dinner
Day 2: Kom Ombo & Sailing to Edfu
After breakfast on board, a private vehicle takes you roughly 45 km north to Kom Ombo, where you visit its unusual double temple — a perfectly mirrored sanctuary shared between Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
You wander through the paired sanctuaries, hypostyle halls and ritual chambers, then step next door to the Crocodile Museum to see the mummified reptiles unearthed in the temple grounds.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you rejoin the ship as it casts off for Edfu. The afternoon slides by against a backdrop of sugarcane fields, riverside villages and honey-coloured sandstone cliffs that mark this stretch of Upper Egypt.
A briefing on board sets you up for the following morning, and the vessel moors overnight at Edfu.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 3: Edfu Temple & Arrival in Luxor
After breakfast, a horse-drawn carriage clip-clops you through Edfu town to the Temple of Horus — the most completely preserved temple that survives from ancient Egypt.
Inside, the towering pylons, cavernous halls and finely cut reliefs recount the mythical duel between Horus and Seth alongside the daily rituals of the Ptolemaic priesthood. So much of the original structure remains that you can still climb to the rooftop terraces.
Returning to the ship, you continue sailing north towards Luxor, with lunch served as the river unwinds beneath you.
On arrival you visit Luxor Temple on the East Bank, a monument shaped over centuries by rulers including Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.
Its stately colonnades, sunlit courts and sphinx-lined avenue evoke the ceremonial heart of ancient Thebes. The cruise ties up overnight 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. Exploration begins in the Valley of the Kings, where three royal tombs open their doors to reveal painted walls and sacred texts written to guide the pharaohs into the afterlife.
You then visit the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, an architectural tour de force rising in terraces against the cliff face and dedicated to one of Egypt’s most powerful female rulers.
A final pause is made at the Colossi of Memnon, the two seated giants that once flanked the entrance to a vast, long-vanished mortuary temple. After lunch, you are transferred to Luxor Airport or your hotel for departure.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 1: Arrival in Luxor – East Bank Exploration
On arrival at Luxor Airport or the railway station, you are greeted by a representative and driven in a private air-conditioned vehicle straight to your Nile cruise vessel.
Once you have checked in, the sightseeing begins with a guided tour of the Karnak Temple Complex, the vast open-air sanctuary that successive pharaohs enlarged over two thousand years to create the largest religious site ever built.
You then move on to Luxor Temple, a New Kingdom masterpiece once linked to Karnak by the ceremonial Avenue of Sphinxes.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant during the day before you return to the ship for dinner and your first 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 visit to the Valley of the Kings, whose sixty-plus royal tombs still shelter some of the most vividly painted afterlife scenes ever created.
You continue on to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, a terraced marvel carved into the cliffs and dedicated to Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh.
A short stop follows at the Colossi of Memnon, the two enormous seated statues that once stood guard before Amenhotep III’s now-vanished mortuary temple.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you return to the vessel as it begins sailing south towards Edfu. The night is spent on board while the ship glides quietly along the Nile.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
The cruise moors at Edfu, where a horse-drawn carriage collects you for the short ride into town and a guided visit to the Temple of Horus.
This extraordinarily well-preserved Ptolemaic sanctuary is dedicated to the falcon-headed Horus and stands as one of the most complete ancient temples anywhere in Egypt.
Once the visit is over, you rejoin the ship as it continues on to Kom Ombo, home to a rare double temple shared between Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
Its perfectly symmetrical layout and its position right on the water’s edge make it one of the most striking temples on the Nile. Lunch is served on board as the ship sails on towards Aswan.
The night is spent moored at Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Aswan Highlights and Nile Sailing
The day opens with a visit to the High Aswan Dam, the twentieth-century landmark that reshaped Egyptian agriculture and water management with the creation of Lake Nasser.
Next comes the Unfinished Obelisk, an enormous piece of granite left half-carved in its quarry and still one of the most vivid windows we have onto ancient stonemasonry.
A motorboat then carries you across to Philae Island for a guided tour of the Temple of Isis, a Ptolemaic sanctuary that was carefully relocated after the building of the Aswan Dam.
Lunch is taken at a local restaurant, followed by a leisurely felucca sail around Elephantine Island — the perfect way to take in Aswan’s granite islands, palm groves and unhurried river life.
You then return to the ship for your final night on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Departure from Aswan
After a final breakfast on board, you check out from the vessel and are driven in a private air-conditioned vehicle 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 depends on how long you sail, the standard of the vessel and what’s bundled into your package. As a general guide, expect to pay from $600 to $900 per person for a 3-4 night sailing on a mid-range to luxury ship. Longer itineraries or top-tier vessels with premium amenities naturally sit above that range.
The sweet spot for a Nile cruise is October to April, when daytime temperatures are pleasant and sightseeing is genuinely comfortable. It is best to steer clear of the peak summer stretch from May to September, when the heat in Upper Egypt can be relentless.
Absolutely. A Nile cruise is one of the most rewarding ways to see Egypt, blending scenic river days with guided visits to some of the world’s most famous temples and tombs. You gain the convenience of unpacking just once, the comfort of a floating hotel, and a cultural experience you simply cannot replicate on land.
Swimming directly in the Nile is not advised because of water quality issues and the river’s strong, unpredictable currents. As a rule, cruise operators do not permit passengers to swim in the river itself.
By day, Nile cruise dress is relaxed and practical — light, breathable fabrics work best in the Egyptian sun. Smart casual is the norm for onboard dinners and evening events, and modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees is expected when you step ashore to visit temples or other religious sites.
