Slip your moorings in Luxor or Aswan and let the Mövenpick MS Sun Ray become your unhurried window onto Pharaonic Egypt. Mornings open to reed beds, water buffalo and villages glowing pink in the early light; afternoons drift by from a sun deck where the pool glints and long lunches stretch into tea by the rail. Ashore, seasoned Egyptologists walk you through the forest of columns at Karnak, the painted burial chambers of the West Bank, the graceful riverside sanctuaries of Edfu and Kom Ombo, and the island temple of Philae. It is Egypt at the river’s own tempo — attentive, elegant, and quietly extraordinary. Cast off with Daily Pyramids Tours and let the Nile write the next chapter.
The Mövenpick MS Sun Ray is a polished 5-star riverboat that pairs understated glamour with genuine ease as she traces the storied stretch between Luxor and Aswan. Warm-toned interiors, generously scaled cabins and famously attentive crew set the tone from the moment you step aboard. Expect thoughtful menus that lean equally on Egyptian classics and international favourites, a wide sun deck built for lingering, and a well-paced programme of guided excursions to the most storied sites in the Nile Valley.
Day 1: Arrival in Aswan – Aswan City Tour
A representative meets you at Aswan Airport (or at your hotel) and stays with you throughout the day’s touring. Setting off in a private air-conditioned vehicle, you first pull up at the High Dam, the vast twentieth-century project that redirected the Nile’s flow and rescued a swathe of Nubian monuments from the rising water.
Nearby lies the Unfinished Obelisk, still resting in the granite bedrock that was meant to release it — a fissure ended the work and left behind a rare window onto Pharaonic quarrying techniques.
A short motorised felucca crossing then delivers you to Philae Temple, the island shrine of Isis, painstakingly moved stone by stone to Agilkia Island when the dams threatened its original home. There is also the option to sail around Elephantine Island and the First Cataract for a slower look at Aswan’s boulder-strewn river landscape.
Lunch is taken at a local restaurant, after which you board the cruise vessel 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
Breakfast is served on board before a short private transfer of roughly 45 km north to Kom Ombo. Here you step into the Temple of Kom Ombo, an unusual double sanctuary laid out with perfect symmetry to honour Sobek, the crocodile god, alongside Haroeris, a warrior form of Horus.
You walk through its paired inner shrines, hypostyle halls and ritual chambers before stepping next door to the Crocodile Museum, where mummified crocodiles recovered from the temple grounds are displayed.
Lunch follows at a local restaurant, then you rejoin the ship as she casts off for Edfu. The afternoon slips by from the sun deck as sugarcane fields, riverside hamlets and honey-coloured sandstone cliffs pass by — the classic scenery of Upper Egypt.
An evening briefing prepares you for the next day’s shore visit, and the vessel moors overnight at Edfu.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 3: Edfu Temple & Arrival in Luxor
After breakfast, a horse-drawn carriage clatters through the streets of Edfu town to deliver you to the Temple of Horus — the most complete ancient temple to survive in Egypt.
Beyond the towering pylons lie vast columned halls, sanctuaries and finely cut reliefs that recount the mythic battle between Horus and Seth alongside the temple rituals of the Ptolemaic era. Because so much of the structure remains intact, you can climb through its levels right up to the rooftop terraces.
Back on board, the ship continues north toward Luxor with lunch served during the sail.
On arrival you visit Luxor Temple on the East Bank, a monument shaped over generations by rulers including Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.
Its grand colonnades, open courts and sphinx-lined avenues chart the ceremonial heart of ancient Thebes. The cruise stays moored 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 great necropolis of ancient Thebes. The morning begins in the Valley of the Kings, where three royal tombs open onto brilliantly coloured wall paintings and sacred texts written to guide pharaohs safely into the afterlife.
From there you move on to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, a boldly terraced monument set against the desert cliffs and raised in honour of one of Egypt’s most formidable female rulers.
A final pause is made at the Colossi of Memnon, the two seated giants that once guarded a vast mortuary temple long since lost to the floodplain. After lunch you are transferred to Luxor Airport or your hotel for onward travel.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 1: Arrival in Luxor – East Bank Exploration
A representative greets you at Luxor Airport or the train station and escorts you by private air-conditioned vehicle to your Nile cruise vessel.
Once you have checked in, your Egyptologist leads you into the Karnak Temple Complex, the largest sacred site ever raised in the ancient world, added to across two thousand years by successive pharaohs.
You continue to Luxor Temple, a New Kingdom jewel that was once linked to Karnak by the ceremonial Avenue of Sphinxes.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant during the day before returning to the ship for an overnight stay 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 walk through the Valley of the Kings, home to more than 60 royal tombs whose painted walls still carry the ancient scenes and spells that would guide their owners into the next life.
Your path leads on to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, its cliff-cut terraces raised for Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh and considered one of the finest works of ancient architecture.
A quick stop is made at the Colossi of Memnon, the pair of seated giants that once flanked the entrance to Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple.
Lunch follows at a local restaurant, then you return to the ship as she casts off south toward Edfu. The night is spent on board while the vessel continues along the Nile.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
Arriving at Edfu, a horse-drawn carriage carries you through town to the Temple of Horus for a guided visit.
This Ptolemaic sanctuary, raised in honour of the falcon god Horus, has weathered the millennia remarkably well and stands today as one of the most complete ancient temples anywhere in Egypt.
Back on board, the ship continues on to Kom Ombo. There you tour the striking double temple that was shared between Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, a form of Horus.
Its perfectly mirrored plan and dramatic riverside setting mark it out as one of the most distinctive monuments on the Nile. Lunch is served on board as the ship carries on toward Aswan.
Overnight on board in Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Aswan Highlights and Nile Sailing
The morning opens with a visit to the High Aswan Dam, a landmark of modern engineering whose reservoir — Lake Nasser — reshaped Egypt’s farmland and water supply.
You then travel to the Unfinished Obelisk, an enormous granite shaft left where it lay in the quarry, offering one of the clearest looks anywhere at how ancient stonecutters worked.
A short motorboat ride crosses to Philae Island for a guided visit to the Temple of Isis, the Ptolemaic sanctuary painstakingly relocated after the Aswan Dam was built.
Lunch is taken at a local restaurant before you set out on a traditional felucca sail around Elephantine Island — a slow, quiet perspective on Aswan’s granite outcrops and unhurried river life.
You then return to the cruise vessel for your final night on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Departure from Aswan
Enjoy a final breakfast on board before checking out of the vessel. A private air-conditioned vehicle is on hand to transfer 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.
What you pay for a Nile cruise really depends on how long you sail, which ship you choose and what is bundled into the fare. As a rough guide, a 3-4 night voyage on a mid-range to luxury vessel usually falls somewhere between $600 to $900 per person. Longer itineraries and top-tier ships with more onboard extras will sit above that band.
The most rewarding window for a Nile cruise runs from October to April, when temperatures are gentler and sightseeing genuinely pleasant. It is worth steering clear of the peak summer stretch between May to September, when the heat in Upper Egypt can be intense.
Yes — it is one of the most enjoyable ways to see Egypt. A cruise trades long road transfers for slow river scenery, and pairs comfortable onboard days with expertly guided visits to the temples and tombs that define Upper Egypt. The result is a journey that feels restful and culturally rich in equal measure.
Swimming directly in the Nile is generally discouraged, both for health reasons and because of unpredictable currents. Cruise vessels do not permit river swimming, though most ships offer a sun-deck pool for cooling off on board.
Days on board are relaxed — light, breathable clothing in natural fabrics works best in the Egyptian sun. Evenings tend to lean smart-casual, especially for dinner or the occasional themed night. When visiting temples, tombs or any place of worship, cover shoulders and knees as a mark of respect.
