And while leafing through all the glossy photo books you so often find in souvenir shops of Egypt, I couldn’t help noticing how often the same handful of places kept resurfacing… Cairo with its museums and pyramids, Luxor with its temples and tombs, Aswan with its ancient structures of Abu Simbel, and tying many of these places together, a Nile cruise drifting along the river.
But among all these, the Nile cruise being on almost every list (and finding myself on it) made perfect sense, because for thousands of years, the Nile was Egypt’s original highway, long before roads or railways connected these places. Even today, one of the most popular ways to travel between the ancient cities and temples is still by a Nile river cruise, floating through the stretch of river between Luxor and Aswan where many of Egypt’s greatest icons lie. So, I decided to give it a chance.
The Ships
The boats themselves are surprisingly very similar. Think of a large cruise ship, then shrink it down to river size. Typically there are a few dozen cabins, a single dining room where everyone gathers for meals, and a top deck with lounge chairs, a small pool, and a bar where people end up watching the land drift past. In other words, a floating hotel of sorts…
From the outside they look a bit blocky, like a four-storey building gently gliding along the water, while the captain stands at the wheel up front looking out over the river.
The Route
Most travellers on their Egypt tours, either take an Aswan to Luxor cruise or the reverse, a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, both covering essentially the same stretch of river. North of Luxor, there are far fewer cruise itineraries today due to logistics and security concerns, so between these two cities the Nile becomes a steady procession of white riverboats moving slowly through landscapes that don’t seem to have changed much in centuries.
The Journey
My little Nile journey began in Aswan. After exploring the graceful Philae Temple, seeing the engineering scale of the Aswan High Dam, and standing beside the enormous Unfinished Obelisk, I finally boarded the cruise that would carry me along the river for the next few days…
From there the routine settled in: temple visits in the morning, sailing through the afternoon, and evenings spent somewhere on the top deck watching the beautiful Nile pass by.
One morning began especially early with a visit to the remarkable Abu Simbel Temples, monumental statues carved directly into the cliffs by Ramses II. Later, back on board, the ship continued sailing toward Kom Ombo Temple, a temple uniquely dedicated to two gods; Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the Elder.
The following day brought another highlight at the impressive Temple of Horus at Edfu, reached in the traditional way by horse carriage through the small town streets before stepping into one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt!
If you're exploring ideas, this guide to the best things to see and do in Egypt offers a deeper look at the experiences that make a journey through the country so memorable!
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The Experience
My favourite memory of the Nile river cruise will always be standing on the top deck in the late afternoons, that peaceful hour before sunset, riverbanks sliding past with palm groves, farmers tending narrow strips of fertile land, the occasional fishing boat drifting along the water. I loved it because it’s all scenes that feel beautifully back in time, as if life along the Nile has barely changed since the temples themselves were built. And that my fellow globetrotters, in many ways, is the beauty of a Nile cruise…
Dreaming already? Connect with travel experts at Cox & Kings to start planning your dream Egypt holiday today.
The Fitting Journey
Many travellers start their Egypt journey in Cairo and later continue south for a Nile cruise from Cairo, the best way to join a Nile river cruise from Cairo as it links the pyramids with the temples of Upper Egypt. And after spending a few days sailing here during that stretch, it’s easy to see why the journey remains such a popular part of the whole Egyptian experience.
It’s a journey that lets you follow the same river that connected Egypt’s greatest cities for thousands of years. So, if this sounds like the kind of Egypt tour you’re looking for, the Nile Cruise & Culture Holiday by Cox & Kings brings together Cairo’s pyramids, a scenic three-day Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor and more!
