Do you want to sail the legendary waters of the Nile but don't know where to start? Choosing and booking the best Nile cruise in Egypt can be a headache, we know. What are the boats like? Is it worth paying more for the luxury cruise? Are the excursions the same? Is the Civitatis Nile cruise any good? Am I going to be bored stiff?
Don't panic : in this post we are going to tell you about our experience on the Nile cruise and we will try to help you decide what best suits your tastes. Read until the end and you will have no doubts about this great trip (or so we hope hehe).
We liked it so much that we repeated the trip and did the cruise twice , so we have fresh and updated information 🙂
⭐ An alternative is to opt for this 8-day all-inclusive tour (even tips). This is what we did on our second trip and we thoroughly enjoyed the Nile cruise. Here we tell you about our experience on a complete tour of Egypt (day by day).
Nile Cruise: Everything you need to know
The Nile is one of the most important rivers in the world, the longest in Africa and the second longest in the world, with a length of 6,650 kilometers. It has been a source of life and culture for the Egyptians for centuries. Sailing for a few days along this legendary waterway, floating slowly on its waters, seeing how life develops on both sides, visiting ancient temples, contemplating the sunrises and sunsets from the deck... for us it is highly recommended, in fact it was the best experience we had on the trip : a cruise in Egypt is something you will NEVER forget, so do not hesitate to do it.
Ok, you're convinced. But what is the best Nile cruise ? How to choose? Which one to book? Ah, my friend, that's the big question.
Let's take a closer look! Ready to set sail?
1. What is a Nile cruise?
The truth is that every travel package to Egypt offered by agencies includes a few days of cruising on the Nile . What exactly is it? Put like that, it may seem like something very touristy and far from a real trip, and in part it is true, because the river is filled with these 80s cruises loaded with foreigners. However, even so, it is still a special experience. VERY special.
During the 3-4 day Nile cruise you will sail along the legendary waters of Egypt's mother river and visit ancient temples .
Sounds good, right?
› Which itinerary is better? From Luxor to Aswan or vice versa?
At this point a big question arises: Is it better to start in Luxor or Aswan ?
We did it from Luxor to Aswan and the truth is that this is what we recommend: finishing the Nile cruise by visiting Abu Simbel is the icing on the cake ! Although you will most likely have to get up very early: we woke up at 1.30am and were already there at 5am, before dawn (from Aswan it is about a 3-hour bus ride through the desert).
Doing it the other way around means that the cruise lasts one day less and the visits are concentrated in less time.
2. What is the best time to take a Nile cruise in Egypt?
Both times we enjoyed the Nile cruise, we went in December and it seemed like a great time of year: during the day it is warm, but not oppressive. However, in the mornings and evenings a warm coat or jumper is almost mandatory.
So, in general terms, we can say that the best time to cruise the Nile would be between November and February . In the other months, and especially in summer, it is not unusual for temperatures to reach almost 50 degrees and nobody likes to get scorched, right?
3. Where to book a Nile Cruise
If you are not travelling with an agency package from Spain, you have two options when booking your Nile cruise: online or at the port . Our recommendation is online!
We were told that it can be quite an odyssey to do it at the port, between commission agents and scammers. Civitatis sells cruises with Dunas Travel , the local agency with which we traveled the first time and our experience, apart from the cons that we tell you below, was very positive. Something that was repeated on the second trip, when we did the 8-day all-inclusive tour of Egypt .
→ Top tip: It is best to book the cruise that includes Abu Simbel , this way the excursion will cost you less than if you book it later.
Nile Cruise Prices (2024)
| Category | Abu Simbel | Price per adult | Children from 6 to 11 years old | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5* standard | No | 593€ | 355€ | more info |
| 5* standard with Abu Simbel | Yeah | 630€ | 362€ | ↑ |
| 5* superior | No | 604€ | 378€ | ↑ |
| 5* superior with Abu Simbel | Yeah | 660€ | 396€ | ↑ |
4. What are the boats that sail the Nile like: types of cruises
One of the main questions we get is about boats. What are they like? Are they very old? Are they all the same? Is it worth paying the high price?
In summary, we could say that Nile cruises are divided into 3 categories:
- Luxury cruises (5-star luxury): These cruises offer high-quality accommodation and, in general, better food.
- Mid-range cruises (5-star luxury): These cruises offer good value for money, the facilities are not as luxurious but they are mid-high range.
- Budget Cruises (Standard 5 Star): These cruises offer a more affordable option, although the facilities are somewhat more dated.
› Our boat:
We were assigned to the Miss Egypt, which was a standard 5-star hotel but was actually better than we expected (we had read a bit about everything). We went through the reception rooms of several cruise ships and, in general, they are all very similar (you would have to see the rooms and the food service).
It had 5 floors:
- In the one below (1) is the restaurant ,
- On the main (2) the reception and a few rooms,
- The 3rd floor was just for rooms (that's where we were),
- The 4th was used as a bar where shows and parties were held at night (as well as more rooms)
- And on the 5th floor is the deck , with a bar , swimming pool , jacuzzi and tables and sun loungers where you can sunbathe and watch life go by on the Nile.
› Is it worth paying for the upgrade?
In our opinion, no, it is not worth paying the upgrade, but here everyone has their priorities: considering that most of the time you will be visiting temples, enjoying the deck, eating or sleeping, well, for us it was not worth paying the extra price since, after all, in the cabin you spend very little free time and you will use it almost exclusively to sleep.
5. What are the cabins like?
The cabins on the Nile cruise ships are larger than we imagined, although the bed can be a bit tight for tall people (not our case haha).
You can choose between rooms with one double bed or two single beds , and they have a bathroom (with a fairly large shower and massage jets), a refrigerator, a small table with chairs, a flat-screen TV, air conditioning, a hair dryer and, most importantly, a large window that opens from which you can enjoy the views while sailing (all rooms have one).
Recommendation: It is best to try to be on the highest floor (third or fourth) and as far forward as possible on the boat (the smaller numbers), in order to be away from the engines, which can sometimes be a bit noisy.
6. Cruise meals
There are 4 meals a day on the Nile cruise: breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. All meals are included in the packages except for drinks, but don't worry, your budget won't go through the roof because of this. Below is a photo of the menu (as you can see, the prices are correct considering where you are). 1€ = 33LE
- Breakfast is buffet style and includes hot and savoury dishes, cold dishes, sweets, eggs, cereals and fruit. There are also juices (bad ones , the powdered kind), coffee and tea. It is served from 7am. In case you have to get up early, they will give you a bag with water, juice, a few rolls, jam, olives, fruit and sweets.
- Lunch is served at 1pm and consists of an open buffet with dishes of beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, salads, cheeses, pasta and a wide variety of desserts.
- At 4pm they serve coffee and tea with biscuits on the deck . It's great to go because that's when the views are most amazing... stay until sunset, it's sooo worth it!
- Dinner is at 8pm and offers the same options as lunch, there is always a chicken dish, a beef dish, a fish dish and a vegetable dish. There is also a salad buffet, a couple of hot soups and a dessert buffet (obviously the dishes are different from those at lunchtime although the same ingredients are often reused and we think that's great).
In general, the quality of the food is not that great, but there is a lot of variety, so you will always find something to your liking. So, you can be sure that you will not go hungry during the Nile cruise.
› Beware of the curse of Tutankhamun
We don't know if it was because of the food or the water (we brushed our teeth with tap water) but our first time sailing the waters of the Nile we got quite sick to our stomachs, and so did a few others in the group. Take Fortasec and Primperan with you in case the "Pharaoh's revenge" falls on you XD
The curse did not surprise us, because even though we were travelling for 3 months in India and eating in places of dubious hygiene (to use a euphemism hehe) we did not get sick and we already thought we had stomachs of steel. Well no. Buuuut the second time there was no curse of Tutankhagon… luckily!
7. What to visit during the Nile cruise
Most Nile cruises include the same visits, and luckily so, since throughout the days of navigation you will see some authentic historical and architectural wonders. The stops are these:
- In Luxor we visited: Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Menmon.
- In Edfu: the temple of Edfu.
- At Kom Ombo : the Kom Ombo temple.
- In Aswan : Abu Simbel and the temple of Philae.
⭐ In this post we talk in more detail about the best temples in Egypt , be sure to read it to deepen your knowledge of each temple.
› Excursion to Abu Simbel
The Abu Simbel excursion is not always included, it depends on the package you book. As we mentioned before, it is best to try to get it included since the excursion is expensive: it is 300 km from Aswan! If your cruise does not include it, they will probably offer it to you during the trip, but at quite high prices.
Is Abu Simbel worth visiting?
Yes, yes, yes. The early start was brutal: we woke up at 1.30 am and after about 3 hours of traveling through the desert (we all brought our pillows to sleep on, so we didn't even see the desert), we were the first to enter the temple at night, practically alone, and we saw the sunrise there... it was brutal. Curiously, the second time we also entered first 😉 it seems we are lucky hehe.
Come on, for us it is one of the best things about the Nile cruise, don't think twice!
› Optional excursions during the Nile cruise:
During the cruise we were given the option to sign up for some optional excursions. We are sharing them with you so you can get an idea of what they offer:
- Luxor night tour , but since it was done in a horse-drawn carriage we decided NOT to sign up (2024 update: on our second cruise we did do the tour, but without a horse-drawn carriage. If you let us know in advance they can replace the horse-drawn carriage with a taxi).
- We didn't do the Nubian village tour in Aswan either, as it included a camel ride and a visit to a house with crocodiles as "pets."
- Aswan night tour, we did take this one, it consisted of a bus tour with stops at a mosque, a Coptic church, a spice shop (we had been told it was a market, ahem) and a stop at a cafe where we had tea and smoked shisha (included in the price).
- Balloon flight in Luxor , we did it on our own, after returning from the cruise, but it can also be included in the packages. It is also not expensive: info and booking of the balloon ride in Luxor .
8. Are there many people on Nile cruises?
When we went, in the middle of the high season, there were 3 groups on the cruise. Ours was about 15 people , another one was about the same and another one was smaller. There were almost more people, including waiters, cleaning staff and guides than passengers. We were very lucky with the group we got, there was a good vibe and the people were very nice... the truth is that that makes a lot of difference.
Following the attacks in Egypt and the Covid pandemic, tourism fell significantly but has now recovered.
As for the excursions, there are many groups at the same time, but only in one temple did we feel like there were too many tourists at the same time: Kom Ombo . But there is a reason: it is famous for watching the sunset , so we were all in the same place at the same time.
9. How Nile Cruise Tips Work
General gratuities are already included in the rates you will have to pay upon arrival (if you travel with an agency package). It is not a bad idea to leave a tip for the waiter who has served you every day or the housekeeping staff if you think they deserve it.
What is not included here is the amount of tips for the guide who accompanies you each day. We read somewhere that it is between 5 and 10€ per person per day. All the members of our group decided to give him a single envelope with everyone's tips. This is quite personal and depends on how he has worked hard (both in the explanations, as well as in the level of involvement with the group, problem solving, etc.).
Note: If you book the 8-day package in Egypt with Civitatis , tips will already be included (but it doesn't hurt to leave something for the waiter at your table or the cleaning staff).
10. Our experience on the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan: the good and the bad
Finally, we are going to tell you about our most sincere experience taking the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan (4 nights) .
As always, there are good things and others that are not so good… In general, we believe that taking a cruise on the Nile in Egypt is very much worth it, and when it comes to weighing things up, the pros outweigh the cons. Let's look at them one by one:
› Nile Cruise Pros: The Best
Let's start with the good things about the experience:
- Price . If you calculate that the price of the cruise includes all meals, accommodation, tickets, guided tours in Spanish, transfers… it turns out to be a very, very good price!
- Transfers : By having all the visits booked and the transfers included, you will avoid having to worry about haggling and finding someone to take you to your destination.
- Guides : Something that surprised us a lot was that in the temples there was no possibility of hiring local guides, as for example you can do in all the archaeological sites in Mexico. If you want to visit the temples of Egypt with a guide, you will have to arrange to find one beforehand. In short, having a guide included was a luxury (and one less problem).
- Sailing : Just sailing along one of the most legendary rivers in the world makes a Nile cruise worth it!
› Cons of Nile Cruise: The Worst
Let's look at the bad things or the ones that left us a bit cold:
- Quick visits : This is what we liked least, having fixed schedules to follow and many visits in the same day… In several temples we had very little free time and of course, that takes away a lot of the charm of the visits.
- Guide : This is a matter of luck. We actually had a bad time on our first cruise: the guide didn't seem very motivated and, luckily, before the trip we had read a lot about the history of the country and the temples we would visit. Of course we learned things from him, but not as much as we would have liked. The second time we took the Nile cruise we were luckier 😉
- Silly stops : 20 minutes free at the Karnak Temple, but on the way to the Valley of the Kings we stopped at a craft shop for more than half an hour, laziness. For us this was a weak-weak point.
- We also didn't like that, during the night tour of Aswan, we were told that we would stop at a spice market and the market turned out to be a shop (called Karefur haha). It's also true that you learn new things there and it's another experience. And I got a taste of the perfume museum (museum = shop) and now I'm as perfumed as Cleopatra.
More tips and advice for your Nile cruise
Here are a few recommendations that we would have liked to know before taking the Nile cruise.
- If, like us, you are travelling in winter, bring light clothing but also something warm (jacket or sweatshirt).
- Bring a book with you: there are hours of browsing where you will enjoy being entertained with pages full of adventures and stories. We recommend Infinity in a Reed by Irene Vallejo and The Egyptians by Isaac Asimov.
- Booking your Nile cruise in advance , especially if you are travelling during the high season, seems to us to be one of the best tips.
- Wear comfortable shoes or sandals : you will be standing and walking a lot during the excursions, so comfortable shoes are better than cute ones.
- Don't worry about the dead hours: there is always something to do, especially at night: a costume party , belly dancing , whirling dervishes . Although we were dying of sleep, were sick and had to get up early, so we missed most of them. We are such dullards !
- Do you suffer from seasickness ? You can rest easy: you won't even notice the boat moving.
This is our experience on what for us has been the best cruise on the Nile . Of course, ours hehe. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to leave us a comment. We know that a trip like this has many unknowns, but the most important thing is that it will be an unforgettable experience, one of the best things you can experience in Egypt .
