6 Days Cruise Aswan to Luxor, Abu Simbel&Sleeper Train Round-trip

Egypt rewards a well-planned northbound route. I like that this trip joins the major sights between Aswan and Luxor with a three-night Nile cruise, and I also like the useful door-to-door transport between Cairo hotels, train stations, and the ship. The ancient temples are the main prize, but watching daily life along the Nile from the sundeck gives the trip a more human scale.

I also appreciate the careful handling by Heba Haggag, who stays in contact and pays close attention to arrangements. The main drawback is the long travel time: the train can take 12 to 14 hours, and the Abu Simbel outing begins around 4:30 in the morning. You should also check the train details closely, since the tour description refers to a sleeper train while the included services specify first-class sitting tickets, with a sleeper upgrade available for an extra fee.

Key points to know before booking

• Abu Simbel requires an early start: You leave Aswan at about 4:30 a.m. and spend roughly three hours each way on the road.
• The cruise covers Aswan to Luxor: Three nights on a five-star ship include meals from lunch on arrival through breakfast at checkout.
• The Cairo train arrangement needs clarification: The package includes round-trip first-class sitting train tickets, while a sleeping berth costs extra.
• Temple entrance fees are separate: Bring a card for most sites, plus cash for the High Dam and Philae motorboat.
• Evenings include entertainment: Depending on the cruise schedule, expect folkloric performances, belly dancing, a galabiya party, Nubian entertainment, or a disco.
• The group is limited to 20 people: Abu Simbel is handled in a shared bus or minibus, rather than as a fully private excursion.

What the $950 price really covers

At $950 per person, this is not a simple sightseeing package. You are paying for a connected six-day route that combines Cairo transfers, rail travel, a full-board cruise, guided temple visits, Abu Simbel transport, and the final transfer back to your hotel.

The cruise is the strongest part of the value. Three nights of accommodation, meals, transfers, and an English-speaking Egyptology guide are included. You do not have to arrange separate transport from Aswan to Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor, which removes much of the practical work from a first visit to southern Egypt.

Still, the headline price is not the complete trip cost. Entrance tickets to the listed sites are extra, as are drinks, WiFi on the ship, laundry, optional tours, tips, and the Philae motorboat. The High Dam admission is also paid separately in cash. The package description says most entrance fees must be paid by card, so carry both a payment card and some Egyptian cash.

The train detail deserves special attention. The main description presents an overnight Watania sleeping train with dinner and breakfast, but the included section says first-class sitting tickets are included and that a sleeping ticket can be arranged for an additional charge. Ask for the exact class and berth before paying. A seated overnight ride can be a very different experience from a private sleeping compartment.

A child rate applies only when the child shares with two paying adults. A child aged 6 to 11 traveling with one adult is treated as an adult for pricing. Solo visitors should also note that booking one person means paying for a single room, while three people sharing receive a triple room.

Cairo to Aswan: beginning with a long rail night

The first evening is simple. A driver collects you from your Cairo or Giza hotel and takes you to the station for the overnight train to Aswan. Dinner and breakfast are included, and the journey usually lasts between 12 and 14 hours.

This rail ride saves a domestic flight and lets you connect Cairo with the southern Nile in one booking. It also comes with a cost: you lose a night to transport, and comfort depends heavily on whether your ticket is seated or sleeping. If you value rest, ask about the upgrade before the journey begins.

You should provide your Cairo or Giza hotel name and address in advance. The same door-to-door system is used at the end, when a driver meets you at the Cairo or Giza station with a sign showing your name.

Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple

On arrival in Aswan, your guide meets you at the railway station and transfers you by air-conditioned vehicle to the ship. Cruise check-in is scheduled before lunch, with lunch served on board.

If your train reaches Aswan early, the sightseeing may begin right away instead of leaving you waiting until the ship opens its rooms at noon. That is sensible, but it also means your first day can feel full after the overnight ride.

The High Dam gives you a modern Egyptian perspective before the ancient sites take over. Completed in 1960, it was built to control flooding and generate electricity. The stop is brief, about 45 minutes, and the admission cost is not included.

Next comes Philae Temple, reached by a small motorboat. The temple honors Isis and combines Egyptian, Greek, and Roman elements. Its island setting makes the boat ride part of the visit, not just a transfer.

The boat is not included in the tour price, so budget for it in cash. The temple visit lasts about 90 minutes, followed by dinner, a folkloric show, and your first night on the ship in Aswan.

The cruise meal plan begins with lunch on the first day and ends with breakfast on the final morning. Drinks are not included. One especially useful detail from the trip feedback is that the food and restaurant service received strong praise, while the lack of included drinks was seen as a small reduction in mealtime convenience.

The early road to Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel is the day’s major event, but it demands stamina. Pickup is around 4:30 a.m., followed by a roughly three-hour drive south through the desert. The return journey brings the total excursion to about eight hours.

You visit the rock-cut temples built for Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari. Their scale and setting make this one of the most powerful stops in southern Egypt, and the long road is the price of seeing them from Aswan.

The trip is shared with a small group in a bus or minibus, with an English-speaking guide. It is not a leisurely private outing. You will need to accept an early departure, extended road time, and a quick turnaround back at the cruise.

The schedule aims to return you around noon for lunch. In the afternoon, the ship begins sailing north toward Kom Ombo. This is a good example of the tour’s efficient design: one demanding morning, then a quieter afternoon on the river.

If bad weather cancels Abu Simbel, the stated refund is $30 per person. That is useful to know, though it also shows that the tour price includes much more than this one excursion.

Kom Ombo at sunset and Edfu by horse carriage

The ship reaches Kom Ombo late in the afternoon. The temple is unusual because it is dedicated to two gods, Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god.

The one-hour visit is compact, but the dual design gives your guide plenty to explain. Afterward, you return to the ship for dinner and continue sailing to Edfu, where the vessel spends the night.

The next morning, breakfast is followed by a horse carriage ride to the Temple of Horus. The carriage connects the ship with the temple and adds a traditional local transport element, though some people may find the ride less comfortable than a standard vehicle.

Horus is considered one of Egypt’s best-preserved temples, so this stop rewards careful attention to walls, columns, and inscriptions. The visit lasts about two hours, including the carriage arrangement and guided touring.

Back on the ship, the pace changes. You can sit on the deck, watch the Nile Valley pass by, and cross the Esna Lock. Lunch and afternoon tea are served on board while the ship continues toward Luxor.

This sailing time is one of the most valuable parts of the trip. You are not simply moving between monuments. You get a view of the river, agricultural land, villages, and everyday life along the waterway. The ship’s deck also gives you a needed pause after several early starts.

Luxor Temple after dark

The ship reaches Luxor in the late afternoon. You then visit Luxor Temple on the East Bank, with dinner and a belly dancing show back on board afterward.

Luxor Temple is a fine evening stop because the lighting changes the feel of its columns and open spaces. Your guide also points out the layers of Egyptian, Christian, and Islamic use connected with the site.

The visit takes about 90 minutes. It is not a full evening in Luxor, but the timing makes good use of the final cruise night. Additional entertainment may include a galabiya party, Nubian show, disco, or other performances, depending on the ship’s program.

You spend the night in Luxor before checking out the next morning. Since drinks and WiFi are excluded, ask the crew about current charges before ordering or connecting. Prices can vary by ship and sailing conditions.

The West Bank: kings, queens, and giant statues

After breakfast, you check out and drive to the West Bank. The first major stop is the Valley of the Kings, where New Kingdom pharaohs cut tombs into the hills to protect royal burials and possessions.

The visit lasts about 90 minutes. Entrance arrangements for the tombs are separate from the tour price, so confirm which tickets are included at the time of entry. The guide can explain the purpose of the tombs and the reasons royal burial moved away from visible pyramids.

The Temple of Hatshepsut follows. Built at Deir El Bahari, it is tied to one of Egypt’s most notable female rulers. The guide explains how Hatshepsut ruled as a solo female pharaoh, adding a useful political story to the stone terraces and broad courtyards.

You then stop for photographs at the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues. The stop is brief, but it gives you a clear scale reference before returning to the East Bank.

Lunch at a local restaurant is optional. Since it is not part of the included meal plan, ask about the price before sitting down. The ship’s full-board arrangement ends with breakfast, so lunch on this final sightseeing day needs separate planning.

Karnak and the final train north

The final temple is Karnak, one of the largest religious complexes in Egypt. Its construction continued for roughly 2,000 years and covers about 63 acres.

Allow about 90 minutes for the guided visit. Even with that time, Karnak can feel enormous. Your guide helps make sense of the columns, avenues, halls, and additions from different rulers, rather than leaving you to wander through a vast site without a plan.

After Karnak, you transfer to Luxor railway station for the overnight journey back to Cairo. The route is efficient, but the timing makes this another demanding day. You will have checked out, toured both sides of Luxor, visited Karnak, and then boarded a night train.

The next morning, a driver meets you at the Cairo or Giza station and transfers you to your hotel. Airport and New Administrative Capital transfers are available for extra charges, but they are not part of the standard hotel transfer.

Cruise comfort, meals, and evening shows

The ship is described as five-star, with three nights on full board. You check in with lunch and check out after breakfast, so the meal plan is clear and useful.

The included schedule provides five dinners, four breakfasts, and three lunches. That covers the cruise and train-related food listed in the package, but it does not cover all meals outside that structure. The optional lunch in Luxor and all drinks require separate payment.

The food and restaurant service received especially strong praise. That matters on a cruise, where meals are a regular part of the day and a poor dining setup can affect the whole trip. You should still budget for beverages, since they are excluded and were the clearest dining-related complaint.

Night entertainment keeps the ship from feeling like a floating hotel with nothing to do after dinner. You may see folkloric dancing, belly dancing, a galabiya party, Nubian music, or a disco. The exact program can change, so treat it as a pleasant extra rather than a guaranteed performance.

Timing, group size, and guide support

The maximum group size is 20 people, which keeps the guided visits more manageable than a large coach tour. Abu Simbel is specifically shared, so that part may involve a different small group and vehicle.

The English-speaking Egyptology guide is included throughout the main sightseeing. Other languages can be arranged for an extra fee. The company also provides air-conditioned vehicles for transfers, which is important during the longer road sections.

Heba Haggag receives especially warm praise for quick replies, careful coordination, and attention from the first booking contact through the trip. That kind of communication is useful here because the schedule includes trains, a ship, several transfers, shared transport, and possible changes caused by Nile sailing conditions.

The order of activities may change if river conditions affect sailing times. The planned sites are still intended to be covered, but not always in the exact sequence shown. You should keep some flexibility in your expectations.

Who should book this Nile route?

I would choose this trip if you want the major southern Egypt sights arranged in one package and do not want to manage separate trains, transfers, cruise reservations, and guides. It suits first-time visitors who want Cairo linked with Aswan, Abu Simbel, Luxor, and the temples between them.

It also works well for people who value a river cruise but do not want to spend a full week on board. Three nights gives you the key sailing sections while keeping the total trip to about six days.

I would be more cautious if you need slow mornings, private touring, or guaranteed sleeper cabins at the advertised price. The early Abu Simbel departure and two overnight train journeys make this a busy schedule. You should also ask for a written breakdown of entrance tickets, train class, cabin type, drink charges, and gratuities before confirming.

The free cancellation policy allows cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted and are not refunded.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want maximum sightseeing with minimal planning and can handle early mornings, long train rides, and extra costs for tickets and drinks. The combination of Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, the West Bank, and Karnak gives you a strong introduction to southern Egypt.

Skip it if a seated overnight train would ruin your trip, or if you prefer private transport and a slower timetable. Before booking, confirm the sleeper upgrade, ask exactly which entrance fees are payable, and set aside money for the Philae boat, drinks, tips, and the optional Luxor lunch.

FAQ

How long does the train journey from Cairo to Aswan take?

The overnight train from Cairo to Aswan takes about 12 to 14 hours. The return journey from Luxor to Cairo is also overnight.

Is a sleeping train ticket included?

The tour description refers to a Watania sleeping train, but the included services specify round-trip first-class sitting tickets. A sleeping ticket can be arranged for an extra charge, so confirm your ticket type before booking.

Are entrance fees included?

No. Entrance fees for the listed sightseeing stops are separate. Most fees must be paid by card, while the High Dam and the motorboat to Philae require cash.

Is Abu Simbel included?

Transport to Abu Simbel and an English-speaking guide are included. The trip is shared in a bus or minibus, begins around 4:30 a.m., and takes about eight hours in total. If bad weather cancels it, the stated refund is $30 per person.

What meals are included?

The cruise includes full board, beginning with lunch and ending with breakfast. The listed package includes five dinners, four breakfasts, and three lunches. Drinks are not included.

Can I be picked up from Cairo Airport or the New Administrative Capital?

Airport or Cairo Airport hotel transfers are available for an additional $10 per person. Pickup or drop-off from the New Administrative Capital costs an additional $15 per person.