With new boats, new itineraries and, of course, Cairo’s dazzling new Grand Egyptian Museum, there has never been a better time to visit Egypt. Yet with an almost overwhelming choice, how do you pick the perfect itinerary? Sue Bryant has the answers…
By far the most popular stretch of the Nile is the section between Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt. All the big-hitters are concentrated here, including the massive Karnak temple complex, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Valleys of the Kings and the Queens, then, as you head south, more temples at Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo and, in Aswan, Philae. Ships operate round-trips from Luxor, or one-way between the two cities.
The majority of itineraries include time in Cairo, all the more alluring now that the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is open. Cairo is also where you will see the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the necropolis of Saqqara.
The vast Karnak temple complex
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It is possible to sail all the way from Cairo to Upper Egypt, a journey of seven nights with stops at lesser-visited temples, including Seti I at Abydos and Hathor at Dendera, before entering the busy stretch between Luxor and Aswan.
Ships cannot sail beyond Aswan — they are stopped by the High Dam, behind which is the vast Lake Nasser. A handful of operators sell cruises on the lake between Aswan and Abu Simbel, among them specialists such as Discover Egypt (discoveregypt.co.uk) — this is worth considering if you’ve covered the Nile and want to experience more.
All itineraries and excursions are accompanied by an accredited Egyptologist.
Where do you fly to?
Flights operate into Cairo international airport, with domestic connections to Luxor (just over an hour’s flight time), Aswan and Abu Simbel in Upper Egypt. You can also bypass the chaos of Cairo, which is not to everybody’s taste, with operators including Tui and easyJet that offer direct flights to Luxor.
Will I always see the Pyramids?
You will only see the Pyramids of Giza if your itinerary includes Cairo: they are located on the Giza plateau, eight miles from the city centre. The newly opened GEM is nearby.
The Pyramids of Giza are eight miles from Cairo’s centre
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How do I lessen my chances of tummy bugs?
There is no reason to assume you will be laid low by the “Pharaoh’s Revenge”, but there are steps you can take that will help avoid it. Use hand sanitiser as often as you need, wash your hands thoroughly before meals and, away from your ship or hotel, avoid salads, peeled fruit and ice cubes in drinks. Pack rehydration salts and Imodium, just in case.
Egypt’s archaeological wonders are a constant — but how you see them is up to you. Here are ten of the best ways to find your own Nile style
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Best for…
Straight to Luxor: Tui River Cruises
Tui has two Nile cruise ships operating between Luxor and Aswan, with the bonus of direct flights from Gatwick and Manchester. Prices are kept low by making some of the excursions paid-for extras, which is smart: you would be amazed at how many people are “templed out” after just one or two sights. Sail round-trip from Luxor on the 144-passenger Tui Bahareya, which has a pool and two restaurants; tours of the temples of Horus at Edfu and Kom Ombo are included.
Details Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £1,399pp, including flights, drinks, crew tips and two excursions, departing from Luxor on March 24 (tui.co.uk)
The Nile plus Alexandria: AmaWaterways
See more of Egypt on this new itinerary from AmaWaterways, which bolts Alexandria and an extra night in Cairo onto its 11-night Secrets of Egypt and the Nile itinerary. You will start with three nights in Cairo, including visits to the Pyramids and the GEM, followed by a seven-night cruise round-trip from Luxor on the 82-passenger AmaLilia, one of the most luxurious boats on the river. Then there are two nights at the swish Four Seasons Hotel in Alexandria, with tours of the Roman antiquities, the catacombs, the 15th-century Citadel of Qaitbay and Wadi el Natrun, one of Egypt’s most sacred Coptic pilgrimage sites.
Details Eleven nights from £4,623pp, including flights, four nights with selected meals in Cairo, seven nights’ full board on AmaLilia, drinks with meals on the ship and all activities, departing from Cairo on June 8. The Alexandria extension costs from £1,153pp, including all activities and some meals (amawaterways.co.uk)
Romantics: Titan Travel
There’s a wonderful sense of romance to travelling the Nile by dahabiya, the regal two-masted sailing boats used to ferry nobles and VIPs along the river in the 19th century. The wood-panelled Queen Farida carries just 16 and is small enough to tie up at sandy islands along the Nile for on-deck barbecues and nights under the stars. This ten-night tour with Titan Travel gives you three nights in Cairo and two in Luxor, as well as five on the dahabiya. Trips to Howard Carter’s house in Luxor and the stone quarries at Gebel el-Silsila are included, as well as visits to all the big temples and archaeological sites.
Details Ten nights from £4,946pp, including flights, five nights in hotels with most meals, five all-inclusive on the dahabiya, excursions and a return airport chauffeur service in the UK, departing on April 14 (titantravel.co.uk)
Agatha Christie fans: Original Travel
SS Sudan is said to have provided inspiration for the novel Death on the Nile
MILAN SZYPURA/HAYTHAM-REA
It was on board the belle époque SS Sudan in 1933 that Agatha Christie is said to have found the inspiration for Death on the Nile. Indeed, the vintage paddle steamer featured in the 1978 film with Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot, as well as the 2004 TV series starring David Suchet. You can relive the heady days of early-20th-century Egypt exploration on a five-night cruise between Luxor and Aswan in the Edwardian splendour of this venerable ship, bookended by hotel stays in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.
Details Nine nights from £5,200pp, including flights, four nights’ B&B in hotels, five full board on the ship and excursions while on the cruise, with various departure dates (originaltravel.co.uk)
The long Nile cruise: Riviera Travel
Lazy days on the river, drifting past farming villages, rippling dunes and banks lined with date palms, are just as big an attraction as the temples you will see on this 14-night voyage from Cairo to Aswan on the MS Mövenpick Darakum. Sights along the way include the 4,000-year-old tombs at Beni Hasan, set high above the Nile, and the temples of Seti I at Abydos and Hathor at Dendera. Temples and tombs come thick and fast on the Luxor to Aswan sector, ending with a dreamy sunset sail in a felucca at Aswan.
Details Fourteen nights’ full board from £5,699pp, including flights and 20 excursions, departing on May 14 (rivieratravel.co.uk)
Sybarites: Abercrombie & Kent
Abercrombie & Kent’s art deco-inspired Sun Boat IV, carrying just 80 passengers, is an extremely comfortable way to explore Upper Egypt. You will spend four nights on board as part of this nine-night Egypt and the Nile itinerary, sailing one way between Luxor and Aswan, with time to bask by the pool on the teak sundeck. There’s a day trip to Abu Simbel included too. The big plus of this package is your base in Cairo, at the historic Marriott Mena House, right in the shadow of the Pyramids, and the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza in the city centre, with feluccas zipping back and forth on the river in front of you.
Details Nine nights from £8,640pp, including domestic flights, five nights’ half board in Cairo and four full board on Sun Boat IV, tips and excursions, departing on May 13 (abercrombiekent.com). Fly to Cairo
Families: Uniworld
River Tosca has a pool on deck
UNIWORLD RIVER CRUISES
There is masses for families to enjoy in Egypt, from thrilling temples and creepy tombs to camels, feluccas and, on this Generations tour with Uniworld, sandboarding on the dunes at Aswan (£20pp). A variety of activities is laid on during the seven-night cruise section of the itinerary, sailing round-trip from Luxor, including a football match with the crew and local children, a visit to a riverside village, cycling along the Nile and a tour of the wheelhouse with the captain. The all-suites River Tosca has a pool on deck too.
Details Eleven nights’ from £5,959pp, including flights, four nights’ B&B in Cairo, seven all-inclusive on board River Tosca, most excursions and crew tips, departing on December 12 (uniworld.com)
Cultural immersion: Wild Frontiers
A cultural take on the Nile comes in the form of this nine-night Slow Boat to Aswan adventure with Wild Frontiers, which combines hotel stays with a four-night cruise on a dahabiya sailing boat. You will visit Howard Carter’s house in Luxor and see the Karnak temple complex at sunrise before the crowds arrive. There’s a tour of the ancient sandstone quarries at Gebel el-Silsila, where the stone was cut for Karnak, and you’ll take a stroll through local farming villages. A highlight of the itinerary is an overnight at Abu Simbel.
Details Nine nights from £3,495pp, including daily breakfast, eight lunches and dinners, four nights in hotels, one in a guesthouse and four on a dahabiya, plus all activities, departing on November 2 (wildfrontierstravel.com). Fly to Luxor
Cosseting: Viking
Viking is one of the biggest operators on the Nile — by 2027 it will have 12 ships there, the vast majority done out in the line’s signature Scandi-chic style. The new Viking Ptah has a light-filled library and a gorgeous pool deck with an infinity plunge pool overlooking the river. Choose the Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary if you like the idea of a serene environment with pretty well everything included. You will still have to haggle for that fridge magnet, though.
Details Eleven nights from £7,395pp, including flights, four nights in Cairo with some meals, and seven full board on the ship including drinks with meals, excursions and tips, departing on December 10 (vikingrivercruises.co.uk)
New and affordable: Travelmarvel
The cityscape of Cairo
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The Australian-owned Travelmarvel is the new kid on the Nile, launching the 124-passenger Travelmarvel Sirius in September 2026, with contemporary design, a smart pool deck and two places to eat, including an alfresco café on the upper deck. You will have a full seven days sailing round-trip from Luxor and, unusually, there’s a private charter flight to Abu Simbel included, for which other lines would charge upwards of £350pp.
Details Ten nights from £3,695pp, including flights, three nights in Cairo with some meals and seven full board on the ship, including drinks with meals, tips and most excursions, departing from Cairo on September 5 (travelmarvel.com)
Worth splashing out for…
Most Nile cruises include a decent range of excursions, including entrance to the main temples and the Valley of the Kings. But budget for these extras and your experience will be all the richer.
Abu Simbel
The Temples of Abu Simbel are usually offered as a day trip from Luxor or Aswan. It’s worth the extra price tag to marvel at the sheer drama of the towering statues built by Ramses II in the 13th century BC. The entire complex was painstakingly moved from its original site in the 1960s to avoid its being lost under the waters of Lake Nasser, formed with the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Expect to pay about £350pp for a day trip.
Hot-air ballooning over Luxor
Drifting over the Nile in a hot-air balloon at sunrise is magical, with the emerald ribbon of the river snaking across the ochre of the desert. Balloon trips cost £90-£150pp.
Tutankhamun’s tomb
On any given day your entry ticket to the Valley of the Kings will give you access to three of the 63-odd tombs there, depending which are open at the time. But it’s worth paying the £11pp supplement to add tomb KV62, where Tutankhamun and his unimaginable riches were found by Howard Carter in 1922. Although all the treasures, including the famous gold mask, are in the GEM, the mummy of the young king is still present.
