Step aboard the Oberoi Zahra Nile Cruise and discover a wholly different way to travel Egypt’s storied river. Rather than a conventional cruise ship, the Zahra is a boutique floating hotel that pairs contemporary sophistication with the deep hush of the Nile — a sanctuary designed for travellers who want their encounter with ancient Egypt to feel intimate, refined and unhurried. Sailing gracefully between Luxor and Aswan, the vessel is celebrated for its attentive, individually tailored service, its confident modern design and a rhythm of days that leaves ample room for reflection.
The atmosphere onboard is understated yet distinctly luxurious. In place of the ornate flourishes typical of river cruisers, the Zahra opts for clean architectural lines, warm neutral tones and an emphasis on space. Cabins and suites are unusually generous in scale, and many open onto private terraces or expansive picture windows, letting the shifting palette of the Nile — palm groves, ochre cliffs and drowsy riverside villages — pour into every room.
Slip between Luxor and Aswan aboard the Oberoi Zahra, a boutique river vessel where the Nile unwinds in silence past date palms, sunlit dunes and villages that seem lifted from another century. Life onboard settles into a graceful rhythm: mornings on the sun deck with coffee in hand, afternoons of considered dining, and shore excursions to soaring temples, painted tombs and colossal statues, each brought to life by resident Egyptologists. Watch feluccas glide by as the light turns amber, then wake to a new bend in the river. Elegant cabins, genuine Egyptian warmth and a purposefully slow pace make every hour feel effortless. Reserve your Oberoi Zahra journey with Daily Pyramids Tours.
Day 1: Arrival in Aswan – Aswan City Tour
Your journey opens in Aswan, where a representative greets you at the airport or your hotel and remains at your side for the local programme. Travelling in a private air-conditioned vehicle, you set out to see the city’s defining landmarks, beginning at the High Dam — a colossal feat of twentieth-century engineering that tamed the Nile’s annual flood and saved a wealth of Nubian heritage from submersion.
From there, you continue to the Unfinished Obelisk, still resting where it was abandoned in the ancient granite quarry after a fissure appeared in the stone. It remains one of the clearest windows into how the pharaohs’ craftsmen once worked at colossal scale.
A motorised felucca then ferries you across the water to Philae Temple, the graceful island shrine of Isis, painstakingly moved block by block to Agilkia Island to escape the rising waters. If you wish, an optional sail around Elephantine Island and the First Cataract reveals the wild granite scenery that first drew settlers to Aswan.
Lunch is taken at a local restaurant before you transfer to your Nile cruise vessel for check-in. Dinner is served onboard, and you spend the night moored in Aswan.
Meals: Lunch – Dinner
Day 2: Kom Ombo & Sailing to Edfu
After breakfast onboard, a private vehicle carries you roughly 45 km north to Kom Ombo. Here you explore the striking Temple of Kom Ombo, laid out as a perfectly symmetrical double sanctuary honouring Sobek, the crocodile god, alongside Haroeris, a form of Horus.
The tour takes in the mirrored sanctuaries, hypostyle halls and inner ritual chambers, followed by a visit to the Crocodile Museum, where mummified crocodiles unearthed nearby are displayed in atmospheric detail.
Following lunch at a local restaurant, you rejoin the cruise as it sets off downriver toward Edfu. The afternoon drifts by in slow motion, with sugarcane fields, riverside hamlets and sandstone escarpments defining the Upper Egyptian shore.
An onboard briefing prepares you for the next day’s excursion. The vessel spends the night moored at Edfu.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 3: Edfu Temple & Arrival in Luxor
After breakfast, a horse-drawn carriage clatters through Edfu town to deliver you to the Temple of Horus — the most intact ancient temple to survive anywhere in Egypt.
Inside, immense pylons, cavernous halls and finely cut inscriptions unfold the mythic contest between Horus and Seth, alongside the ritual life of the Ptolemaic era. Because the temple has come down to us so nearly whole, you can explore virtually every original level, right up to the roof terraces.
Back aboard, the cruise resumes its northward course toward Luxor. Lunch is served underway.
On arrival, you visit Luxor Temple on the East Bank, a monument shaped over generations by rulers including Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.
Its soaring colonnades, open sunlit courts and processional avenue of sphinxes speak to the ceremonial heart of ancient Thebes. The vessel remains docked in Luxor overnight.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 4: Luxor West Bank & Departure
After breakfast and disembarkation, you cross to the West Bank of Luxor — the vast necropolis of ancient Thebes. Exploration begins in the Valley of the Kings, where three royal tombs preserve luminous wall paintings and sacred texts written to guide the pharaohs into the afterlife.
You continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, a terraced architectural triumph rising against the cliffs and dedicated to one of Egypt’s most formidable female rulers.
A final pause is made at the Colossi of Memnon, the twin sentinels that once flanked the entrance to a vanished mortuary temple. After lunch, you are transferred to Luxor Airport or your hotel for onward travel.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 1: Arrival in Luxor – East Bank Exploration
Your journey begins in Luxor. On arrival at the airport or train station, a representative welcomes you and a private air-conditioned vehicle transfers you directly to your Nile cruise vessel.
Once checked in, exploration opens with a guided walk through the Karnak Temple Complex, the largest religious structure ever raised by human hands, enlarged and embellished by pharaoh after pharaoh over two millennia.
You continue to Luxor Temple, a jewel of the New Kingdom that was once linked ceremonially to Karnak by the celebrated Avenue of Sphinxes.
Lunch is enjoyed at a local restaurant during the day before you return to the vessel for your first overnight in Luxor.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: West Bank of Luxor – Sailing Toward Edfu
After breakfast, you cross to Luxor’s West Bank for a guided visit to the Valley of the Kings, home to more than 60 royal tombs whose painted walls still glow with vivid scenes of the ancient Egyptian afterlife.
The morning continues at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, an architectural marvel set into the cliffside and dedicated to Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh.
A short stop follows at the Colossi of Memnon, the two enormous statues that mark what remains of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you return to the cruise vessel and set sail southward toward Edfu, spending the night onboard as the Nile drifts past your window.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
The cruise reaches Edfu, where a horse-drawn carriage clip-clops through the streets to the Temple of Horus for a guided visit.
Remarkably intact for a Ptolemaic monument, this vast sanctuary is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and stands as one of the most completely preserved temples anywhere in Egypt.
Afterwards you return to the ship as it sails on toward Kom Ombo. There you explore an unusual double temple devoted jointly to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
Its symmetrical plan and dramatic riverside setting make it one of the most singular monuments on the Nile. Lunch is served onboard as the vessel continues toward Aswan.
The night is spent moored in Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Aswan Highlights and Nile Sailing
The day begins at the High Aswan Dam, a landmark of modern engineering whose creation of Lake Nasser transformed Egypt’s water supply and agriculture.
You continue to the Unfinished Obelisk, a huge granite giant abandoned in its quarry after a flaw was found — a rare firsthand glimpse into the stone-carving methods of the ancients.
A motorboat then whisks you to Philae Island for a guided tour of the Temple of Isis, a Ptolemaic sanctuary relocated stone by stone after the dam’s construction threatened its original setting.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant, followed by a traditional felucca sail around Elephantine Island — an unhurried way to take in Aswan’s granite outcrops and gentle riverine life.
You return to the cruise vessel for your final night onboard.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Departure from Aswan
After a leisurely breakfast onboard, you check out of the cruise vessel. A private air-conditioned vehicle transfers you to Aswan Airport or train station to continue 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.
Fares for a Nile cruise depend on the length of the sailing, the calibre of the ship and the services woven into the package. As a general guide, expect to pay somewhere between $600 and $900 per person for a 3-4 night voyage on a mid-range to luxury vessel. Longer itineraries and top-tier ships with more elaborate amenities naturally command higher rates.
The ideal window for a Nile cruise runs from October through April, when temperatures are gentler and sightseeing genuinely enjoyable. The peak summer stretch from May to September is best avoided, as the heat in Upper Egypt can become punishing.
Absolutely. A Nile cruise is one of the most rewarding ways to experience Egypt, combining slow, scenic days on the river with expertly guided visits to legendary temples and royal tombs. It delivers comfort, ease of travel and a wonderfully immersive cultural journey in a single package.
Swimming directly in the Nile is not advised, chiefly because of pollution and unpredictable currents that can pose real safety risks. Cruise operators do not permit guests to swim in the river itself.
Onboard dress is relaxed and comfortable during the day, with light, breathable fabrics best suited to the climate. Smart casual attire works well for evening dinners and social gatherings, while modest clothing — shoulders and knees covered — is recommended when visiting religious or historical sites.
