Nile in Style: Aswan to Luxor
Three nights on the river between Aswan and Luxor, with Kom Ombo and Edfu unlocked along the way — the classic cruise, privately guided.
What does Nile in Style: Aswan to Luxor include, and what does it cost?
Nile in Style: Aswan to Luxor is a private 4-day, 3-night journey through Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu and Luxor, from €820 per person. It includes a private Egyptologist guide throughout; 3-night full-board Nile cruise, Aswan to Luxor; all shore excursions as private visits with your own guide; and all entrance fees to sites and monuments. International flights are not included.
Overview
Two hundred kilometres of river separate Aswan from Luxor, and for three thousand years this was Egypt's highway of kings. This journey covers it the only way it should be covered: slowly, by water. You board in Aswan after visiting the island Temple of Philae and the High Dam, then sail north with stops at Kom Ombo — the twin temple shared by the crocodile god Sobek and Horus the Elder — and Edfu, the best-preserved temple in Egypt. The cruise ends in Luxor with a full private programme across both banks: Karnak and Luxor Temple on the east, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's terraces on the west. Your Egyptologist sails with you, so every stop is guided privately even though the vessel itself is shared.
Itinerary
Aswan — Philae, the High Dam & embarkation
- Private meet in Aswan and morning visit to the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk
- Motorboat to the island Temple of Philae, sanctuary of Isis
- Board your cruise ship before lunch; afternoon at leisure on the sundeck
Kom Ombo & Edfu
- Morning sail to Kom Ombo and its twin temple above the riverbank
- Continue to Edfu — the Temple of Horus, the most complete in Egypt
- Evening on board as the ship moors below the temple town
The Esna lock & arrival in Luxor
- Pass through the Esna lock as the valley widens toward Thebes
- Afternoon arrival in Luxor; optional evening visit to Luxor Temple illuminated
- Final night on board
Luxor — both banks & disembarkation
- Karnak's great hypostyle hall with your Egyptologist
- Cross to the West Bank — Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut
- Disembark and transfer to your Luxor hotel, station or airport
Included & not included
Included
- Private Egyptologist guide throughout
- 3-night full-board Nile cruise, Aswan to Luxor
- All shore excursions as private visits with your own guide
- All entrance fees to sites and monuments
- Lunch on each touring day
- Private air-conditioned transfers
- Hotel pickup & drop-off
- Bottled water every day
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Tipping (gratuities)
- Personal expenses
- Optional extras — Abu Simbel, camel rides, dinner cruise, drinks
Comfort & pace
Good to know
Is the cruise itself private?
The ship is shared with other guests; your sightseeing is not. Every shore excursion runs privately with your own Egyptologist and vehicle, and your cabin is of course your own.
Can this cruise be upgraded to a dahabiya?
Yes. A private dahabiya — a traditional sailing vessel for your party alone — covers the same route over four to five nights. Availability is limited, so ask early; we will quote it alongside the standard cruise.
How do I get to Aswan for embarkation?
Most guests fly from Cairo (1 hr 15 min) or take the overnight sleeper train. We arrange either as an add-on, timed to the ship's boarding window.
How demanding is Nile in Style: Aswan to Luxor?
The walking on Nile in Style: Aswan to Luxor is moderate, as on any journey built around monuments. Nights: On the Nile cruise for all three nights. There are no long drives. There are no pre-dawn starts.
Is this journey right for you?
- Travellers who would rather see four things properly than twelve badly
- Anyone who wants a licensed Egyptologist beside them, not a headset and a flag
- Couples and families for whom pace, comfort and privacy decide whether a trip works
- Visitors marking something — a honeymoon, an anniversary, a milestone birthday
- Anyone looking for the lowest price on Egypt — we are not the cheapest and do not try to be
- Coach tours, shared group departures and itineraries sold by the seat
- Hostels, dormitories and hop-on backpacking routes
- Travellers who would rather organise the logistics themselves
What this journey is, without exception
Every operator in Egypt uses the word luxury. These are the specifics behind ours — checkable before you pay for anything.
A licensed Egyptologist, not a guide
Every journey is led by a guide licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism with a degree in Egyptology. They are with you at the monuments, not waiting in the car park — and they are yours for the day, answering your questions rather than reciting to forty people.
Your party only
No shared coaches. No fixed departure dates. No strangers on your itinerary. If you are two people, the vehicle, the guide and the pace belong to two people.
Built around you, then written down
We design the itinerary from your interests and your dates — not from a catalogue page. You receive it in writing before anything is paid, and it changes as often as you want it to until it is right.
One price, itemised
The quote lists what is included and what is not, line by line, before you commit. Your Egyptologist, private air-conditioned transfers and lunch on touring days are inside the price on every journey, and entrance fees are inside it on every multi-day one. Where something sits outside — monument tickets on a day tour, for instance — it is named on the page you are reading, at the rate the ticket office charges, not discovered at the end.
Reachable while you travel
You have a direct line to the people who planned your journey for the whole time you are in Egypt — not a call centre, and not a number that stops answering after the deposit clears.
Time protected, not filled
A day with four sites crammed into it is a cheaper day to sell and a worse day to live. We plan around light, heat and crowds — the Valley of the Kings at opening, the Egyptian Museum when the coaches have gone — and we leave the afternoon alone.
On price, plainly
Kemet sits at the upper end of the Egyptian market and we are comfortable saying so. A private Egyptologist for a week costs what it costs; so does a car that is yours alone and a room that faces the river rather than the car park. What we will not do is quote low, then recover the difference through optional extras, shopping stops and an itinerary that quietly turns into a group. Every price on this site is a per-person starting point for a private journey, and the written quote that follows is the price you pay.
Moments from this journey
Preparation reading
Guides to help you prepare for this journey.
Egypt Travel Guide
Everything you need to plan a trip to Egypt — visa requirements, the best time to go, getting around, top destinations, culture and practical essentials.
Best Time to Visit Egypt
Egypt's best travel season is October to April, when Nile Valley temperatures are mild and monuments are comfortable to explore. Here is what to expect season by season and destination by destination.
Getting Around Egypt
How to travel between Egypt's cities and sites — domestic flights, the sleeper train, Nile cruises, the Cairo Metro, taxis and private transfers explained.
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Talk to a local expert
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