Slip quietly between Luxor and Aswan aboard the Blue Shadow, a floating retreat where Egypt reveals itself at the calm pace of the river. Days ease from palm-fringed shorelines to shaded temple courts at Karnak, Luxor, Edfu and Kom Ombo, with the island sanctuary of Philae rising serenely from the water. In between, retreat to sunlit decks, watch feluccas drift by on a warm breeze, and enjoy the quiet attentiveness of a crew who make comfort feel effortless. Evenings soften into gold as the desert absorbs the last of the sun. Sail with Daily Pyramids Tours and let this legendary river carry the story to you.
Discover Egypt at its most cinematic aboard the Blue Shadow Nile Cruise, where refined comfort meets deep-rooted history. Airy cabins framed by wide river views, thoughtful cuisine, and welcoming lounges create a floating home as you journey between Upper Egypt’s most storied monuments. It is a rare blend of leisure, culture and quiet adventure, designed to leave a lasting impression from the very first mooring.
Day 1: Arrival in Aswan – Aswan City Tour
Your Egyptian journey begins the moment you land at Aswan Airport or step out of your hotel, where a Daily Pyramids representative is waiting to greet you and remain on hand throughout the day. A private air-conditioned vehicle then sets off across the city, opening with the Aswan High Dam, a modern engineering marvel that reshaped the flow of the Nile and preserved countless Nubian monuments from the rising waters.
Next comes the Unfinished Obelisk, still resting in its ancient granite quarry after a hidden flaw halted the pharaonic stonemasons mid-work. It is a rare, direct look into how the great monoliths of antiquity were carved from living rock.
A motorised felucca then ferries you across the Nile to Philae Temple, the tranquil island shrine of Isis, painstakingly moved stone by stone to Agilkia Island. Time permitting, an optional sail around Elephantine Island and the First Cataract reveals Aswan’s natural rock-studded river.
Lunch is taken at a local restaurant before you board your Nile cruiser for check-in. Dinner is served on board, followed by an overnight stay in Aswan.
Meals: Lunch – Dinner
Day 2: Kom Ombo & Sailing to Edfu
Following breakfast on board, you travel roughly 45 km north from Aswan by private vehicle to reach Kom Ombo. Here you step into one of the most unusual monuments on the Nile: a perfectly symmetrical double temple dedicated jointly to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
Twin sanctuaries, hypostyle halls and ritual chambers are explored in turn. You also visit the adjoining Crocodile Museum, where mummified crocodiles unearthed near the temple are on display.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you rejoin the cruise as it slips north towards Edfu. The afternoon passes gently on deck as sugarcane fields, riverside villages and sandstone cliffs slide past, defining the landscape of Upper Egypt.
An evening briefing on board prepares you for the following day’s excursion. The vessel moors overnight in Edfu.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 3: Edfu Temple & Arrival in Luxor
After breakfast, a traditional horse-drawn carriage clatters into Edfu town, delivering you to the Temple of Horus, the most completely preserved ancient temple anywhere in Egypt.
Beyond its towering pylons lie vast columned halls and finely cut inscriptions telling the mythic struggle of Horus and Seth alongside the ritual life of the Ptolemaic era. Because the temple survived largely intact, nearly every original level, including the roof terraces, can be walked today.
Back on board, the cruise continues northward toward Luxor while lunch is served during the sail.
On arrival, you head to Luxor Temple on the East Bank, a monument shaped over generations by rulers including Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.
Its stately colonnades, open courts and long sphinx-lined avenue evoke the ceremonial heartbeat of ancient Thebes. The cruise remains moored overnight in Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 4: Luxor West Bank & Departure
After breakfast and disembarkation, you cross to the West Bank, the sprawling necropolis of ancient Thebes. Your visit opens in the Valley of the Kings, where three royal tombs are entered in turn, their walls glowing with painted scenes and sacred texts guiding pharaohs into the afterlife.
From there you continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, an architectural triumph rising in terraces against the cliffs and dedicated to one of Egypt’s most influential female rulers.
A final pause is made at the Colossi of Memnon, two enormous seated statues that once guarded the entrance to a 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 train station, a Daily Pyramids representative is on hand to greet you and escort you by private air-conditioned vehicle to your Nile cruise vessel.
Once check-in is complete, your first excursion opens with a guided walk through the Karnak Temple Complex, the largest sacred precinct ever raised, enlarged across two millennia by successive pharaohs.
From there you continue to Luxor Temple, a New Kingdom masterpiece once joined to Karnak by the ceremonial Avenue of Sphinxes.
Lunch is enjoyed at a local restaurant during the day before you return to the ship for your overnight stay in Luxor.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: West Bank of Luxor – Sailing Toward Edfu
After breakfast on board, you cross to the West Bank of Luxor for a guided exploration of the Valley of the Kings, where more than 60 royal tombs shelter vividly painted scenes tracing the ancient Egyptian journey into the afterlife.
The route continues to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, a striking architectural composition carved into the cliffs and dedicated to Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh.
A brief stop is made at the Colossi of Memnon, two immense stone figures marking what remains of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you return to the ship as it casts off south toward Edfu. Overnight is spent on board while sailing along the Nile.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
The cruise reaches Edfu, where a horse-drawn carriage clatters into town to bring you to a guided tour of the Temple of Horus.
This exceptionally intact Ptolemaic monument is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and remains one of the most complete ancient temples anywhere in Egypt.
Returning to the ship, you continue toward Kom Ombo, where an unusual double temple awaits, jointly consecrated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
Its mirror-image plan and quiet riverside setting mark it as one of the most singular temples on the Nile. Lunch is served on board during the sail as the ship carries on toward Aswan.
Overnight on board in Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Aswan Highlights and Nile Sailing
The day begins at the High Aswan Dam, a defining feat of modern engineering that transformed Egypt’s agriculture and water supply by creating the vast Lake Nasser.
You then visit the Unfinished Obelisk, a colossal granite shaft abandoned in its quarry, giving unusual insight into ancient stone-carving techniques.
A motorboat next carries you to Philae Island for a guided visit to the Temple of Isis, a graceful Ptolemaic sanctuary relocated after the construction of the Aswan Dam.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you set out on a classic felucca sail around Elephantine Island, drifting quietly past granite outcrops and glimpses of Nubian river life.
You then return to the ship for your final overnight on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Departure from Aswan
After a leisurely breakfast on board, you check out from the cruise. A private air-conditioned vehicle then transfers you to Aswan Airport or the train 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 sailing, the standard of the ship and the services folded into the package. As a general guide, expect $600 to $900 per person for a 3-4 night voyage aboard a mid-range to luxury vessel. Premium ships and longer itineraries with additional amenities naturally sit higher on the scale.
The Nile is at its most inviting from October to April, when cooler temperatures make temple visits and open-deck sailing genuinely pleasant. The peak summer window from May to September is best avoided, as heat in Upper Egypt can climb to uncomfortable extremes.
Absolutely. A Nile cruise remains one of the most rewarding ways to see Egypt, weaving scenic river passages with unhurried, guided access to the great temples and tombs. The mix of on-board comfort, easy logistics and immersive cultural encounters is hard to match by any other means of travel.
Swimming directly in the Nile is not advised because of water quality concerns and unpredictable currents in certain stretches. As a rule, cruises do not permit swimming from the vessel in the river itself; on-board pools are the safer option.
Daytime dress on a Nile cruise is relaxed and practical, with lightweight, breathable fabrics best suited to the warm climate. Evenings on board lean towards smart casual, particularly for dinner. When visiting temples, churches or other sacred sites, modest clothing that covers the shoulders and knees is recommended.
