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8 days
Daily Tour
Unlimited
English, Espanol, Francais, German, italian, polish, Romanian, russian
This 8 days itinerary Nile cruise and Red Sea from Cairo combines a 3-night deluxe Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor, a visit to Abu Simbel’s colossal temples, and 3 nights relaxing on Hurghada’s Red Sea coast — a genuinely balanced trip for travelers who want both ancient Egypt’s temples and proper beach time in a single booking. It suits anyone who’d rather not choose between a cultural cruise and a coastal break, since this itinerary delivers both without requiring two separate trips.
You’ll fly from Cairo to Aswan to board your cruise, sail north through Kom Ombo and Edfu to Luxor while visiting Abu Simbel along the way, then transfer overland to Hurghada for three free days by the sea before returning to Cairo for departure.
Most Egypt itineraries pick one theme — temples or beaches — and this one deliberately does both, back to back, so the cultural intensity of the Nile cruise is followed by genuine downtime on the coast rather than an abrupt flight home. The cruise itself handles a lot of logistics automatically: with the boat as your hotel for three nights, you unpack once and wake up in a new city each morning, from Aswan to Kom Ombo to Edfu to Luxor.
Abu Simbel is included as part of the cruise itinerary rather than a separate add-on trip, which saves the need to arrange it independently. And by ending the trip with three full days in Hurghada, there’s real time to decompress after a demanding first few days of early starts and temple visits — whether that means diving the Red Sea’s coral reefs or just spending a day by the pool.
You'll be picked up from your Cairo hotel and transferred to the airport for a short flight to Aswan. On arrival, you'll board your Nile cruise and have lunch on board before the afternoon's sightseeing begins.
The visit opens at Philae Temple, built to honor the goddess Isis and considered the last major temple constructed in the classical Egyptian architectural style, with construction beginning around 690 BC. From there, you'll see the Aswan High Dam, completed in 1968 and officially inaugurated in 1971, whose reservoir formed Lake Nasser, followed by the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan's Northern Quarries — nearly 42 meters long and estimated at 1,168 tonnes, it cracked before completion and would have been the heaviest single stone the ancient Egyptians ever worked.
At 16:00, you'll sail by felucca around Elephantine Island and visit Lord Kitchener's Island, with an optional two-hour stop at a Nubian village for travelers who'd like to add it. Dinner is served on board, and you'll spend the night moored in Aswan.
After breakfast on board, you'll take an early trip to Abu Simbel. The two temples here — dedicated to Ramses II and Queen Nefertari — were carved into the mountainside on the west bank of the Nile between 1274 and 1244 BC. The Great Temple, fronted by four colossal statues, was officially dedicated to Ra-Harakhty, Amun-Ra, and Ptah, though built above all to glorify Ramses himself. The smaller temple beside it honors Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Both temples were dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt on higher ground during a UNESCO relocation effort widely regarded as one of the organization's greatest preservation achievements.
At 13:00, the cruise sails toward Kom Ombo. The Temple of Kom Ombo sits about 40 km north of Aswan and is dedicated to two deities, Sobek and Horus, dating mainly to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The boat then continues sailing overnight toward Edfu, with dinner served on board.
After breakfast on board, you'll visit Edfu Temple, a large, well-preserved site dedicated to the hawk-god Horus. The current Ptolemaic-era structure was built on the site of a much earlier temple, with construction beginning under Ptolemy III around 246 BC. Its walls carry detailed reliefs depicting the mythological conflict between Horus and Seth, a story likely reenacted annually as a religious drama in ancient times.
The cruise continues sailing to Luxor through the Esna lock, arriving in time to visit Luxor Temple. Built largely under Amenhotep III and completed by Tutankhamun and Ramses II, the temple's first pylon was raised by Ramses II and decorated with scenes from his military campaign at Kadesh. Dinner is served on board, with an overnight stay in Luxor.
For early risers, an optional hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings is available for $120 per person, offering an early-morning view over Luxor and its surrounding mountains before the day's sightseeing begins.
After breakfast on board, you'll visit Luxor's West Bank, starting with the Valley of the Kings, burial ground of Egypt's rulers from the 18th to 20th Dynasty, including tombs connected to Ramses II and the young Tutankhamun. For travelers interested in specific tombs, optional add-ons include Tutankhamun's tomb — the only tomb in the valley discovered nearly intact, found by Howard Carter in 1922 — and the Tomb of Ramesses VI, one of the largest and most elaborately decorated tombs in the valley, originally designed for his predecessor and uncle, Ramses V.
From there, you'll see Hatshepsut Temple, built across three levels connected by broad ramps, and the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues of Amenhotep III carved from quartzite quarried near Cairo and transported some 700 km to Luxor. An optional visit to the Valley of the Queens, home to more than 75 royal tombs including that of Nefertari, is also available for those who'd like to add it.
Lunch is served in Luxor before the drive to Hurghada, where you'll spend the first of three nights.
These three days are entirely free for you to enjoy the Red Sea coast at your own pace. Hurghada's resorts typically offer large swimming pool complexes, long sandy beaches, and all-inclusive food and drink, so total relaxation is easy to come by if that's what you're after.
For more active travelers, an optional scuba diving boat trip is available, giving access to some of the region's coral reefs and marine life, guided by an experienced local dive team. The waters around Hurghada are known for excellent visibility and colorful reef species, including Red Sea clownfish, emperor angelfish, Picasso triggerfish, and moray eels — snorkeling and full-day diving excursions are both commonly available for travelers who'd rather explore independently.
On day 7, after your final free day, you'll be transferred back from your hotel in Hurghada to Cairo, where you'll spend the night before departure.
You'll be picked up from your Cairo hotel for your final departure. Travelers who'd like to extend their stay in Egypt are welcome to get in touch in advance to arrange it.
It's an 8-day, 7-night trip, combining a 3-night Nile cruise, 3 nights in Hurghada, and a final night in Cairo before departure.
Yes, a visit to the Abu Simbel temples is included as part of the cruise itinerary on day two.
Three nights, sailing between Aswan and Luxor with stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu.
Three nights at a 5-star resort on the Red Sea coast.
The cruise portion includes an English-speaking Egyptologist guide for excursions; the Hurghada days are free time for you to spend as you like.
A flight from Cairo to Aswan is included. Other transport is by cruise boat and private vehicle.
Philae Temple, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu Temple, Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Hatshepsut Temple, and the Valley of the Kings.
Yes, an optional balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings is available for $120 per person on day four.
Yes, it's available as an optional add-on, along with the Tomb of Ramesses VI and the Valley of the Queens.
Yes, an optional scuba diving boat trip is available, along with independent snorkeling and diving excursions during your free days.
Meet and assist service, transfers, 3 nights on the Nile cruise, 3 nights in Hurghada, cruise excursions and entrance fees, your Egyptologist guide, the Abu Simbel visit, and the Cairo–Aswan flight.
Any extras beyond the itinerary, drinks at restaurants, and tipping.
Yes — this itinerary is specifically built to combine a full Nile cruise itinerary with dedicated beach time in Hurghada afterward.
Red Sea clownfish, emperor angelfish, Picasso triggerfish, moray eels, and extensive coral reef systems.
Yes, travelers who'd like to extend their stay are encouraged to reach out in advance to arrange it.
The cruise portion involves early starts and a fair amount of walking at temple sites, while the Hurghada days are entirely free time, so the pace varies significantly across the week.
A passport, sun protection, comfortable shoes for temple visits, and swimwear for the Hurghada portion.
A visa isn't mentioned in this itinerary's inclusions, so it's worth confirming requirements separately before booking.
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