Nile cruise is the highlight of my two-month trip to Egypt. Ancient ruins, the pastoral landscape from the cabin window, mouth-watering local cuisine — you can get all of this even on a backpacker’s budget. In this article, I will tell you how to find a cheap Nile cruise.
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How to find a budget Nile Cruise
I started looking for a Nile cruise long before I arrived in Egypt. The prices I found online were pretty steep, starting from 200$ per person per night.
However, after some legwork, I booked a 2-night, two-person cruise for a total cost of 180$. That’s just 45$ per person per night. A whopping 75% discount from the original quote! Well, 77,2% to be precise.
So, how did I do it?
The cheapest way to book a cruise is to go directly to the port. This way you will skip a middle man and get the best Nile cruise deal.
Aswan and Luxor are two main ports for the Nile cruise. I went to Aswan because it is not as busy as Luxor.
Cruise ships are constantly functioning as a hotel. On certain days they sail between Luxor and Aswan. Make sure you book the cabin on sailing dates.
Most cruise ships have similar interiors and provide high-quality service. The average price is 45-55$ per person per night. It includes accommodation and three buffet-style meals a day.
Some people in the port might offer you help finding the best Nile cruise. Keep in mind that they don’t do it for free. Anyways, they can save you a lot of time.
Another way to book a cheap Nile cruise is to ask the owner of your hotel to help you. They usually get a discount from the cruise companies. I can recommend the “David hostel” in Aswan. David went out of his way to make my Nile cruise come true. And he did not charge me anything extra!
Why do we see such a range of prices on the Internet? Travel agencies negotiate cabins on the cruise ship and then add their services such as guide, entrance tickets, transport, additional excursions. Each with a markup.
The most common cruise between Luxor and Aswan only takes two days. So why do travel agencies offer 3 and 5 days tours? It means you will stay on a cruise ship in port for extra nights, and visit Aswan and Luxor with a guide. You can save money by moving to a cheap hotel and exploring those sights on your own.
Where to book a cheap Nile cruise online?
Many travelers come to Egypt for a short stay. Not everyone has the opportunity to come to Aswan or Luxor and find a good deal on the spot.
I found several cruises on the Viator website with good reviews that can be booked online. As you can see, they include only the bare minimum: a transfer to the port and two nights on an all-inclusive ship. You will have to pay entrance fees to the sights, and you will explore them without a guide. Just like we did.
There are several other options on that website, that are even cheaper but they don’t have any reviews. Be careful booking them, because Egypt is famous for it’s scammers.
There are few offers online for the lake Nasser cruise. This route have always been more expensive, because there are only few companies who are allowed to travel this way.
2-days felucca trip from Aswan to Kom Ombo:
What Nile cruise route should I choose?
Aswan to Luxor
Although the ships run along the entire Nile, you are likely to find an inexpensive cruise on the route between Luxor and Aswan. During this cruise you will visit temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu.
Aswan to Abu Simbel
This cruise passes along Lake Nasser, which emerged after the construction of the Aswan Dam. Only a few companies offer this itinerary, so the prices are pretty steep. The cruise includes the visit of the ruins of Amada and Wadi el-Sebuah.
Cairo to Luxor
This cruise takes from 9 to 11 nights. The itinerary includes visiting the pyramid of Meidum, the ruins of Tel el Amarna, Tuna el Gebel, the temple of Seti I in Abydos, and the temple of Dendera in Qena. This cruise is a unique find for history buffs. Unfortunately, only a handful of cruise companies offer this itinerary.
Itinerary for the Aswan to Luxor Nile Cruise
First day
- Check-in until 12:00
- Lunch at 13:30
- The ship departs at 14:00 (we left the port at 15:00)
- Tea and coffee on the upper deck at 16:30 (sunset time)
- Visit Kom Ombo temple from 18:00 to 19:30
- The ship departs at 20:00
- Dinner at 20:00
- The evening program varies. You can get a live music show or a dance party.
- Overnight at the port of Edfu.
Second day
- Coffee and tea at 6:00 – 6:30
- Visit Edfu temple from 6:30 to 8:00. The temple opens at 7:00.
- Breakfast at 8:00
- Lunch at 13:00
- Dinner at 19:30
- Evening program at the bar.
- Overnight in the port of Luxor.
Third day
- Breakfast at 8:00 and check out.
How much did we pay for the Nile cruise
Our Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor in mid-December of 2021 cost us 180$.
This price included:
- Accommodation in a second-class cabin for two people;
- Full board;
- Entertainment program in the evening.
Not included:
- Entrance tickets to the temples;
- Transportation (a short trip by motorbike to the Edfu temple);
- All drinks.
Good news! You are allowed to bring on board whatever you want, including alcohol. I took a kettle with me to make the tea during the day. They served free coffee in the morning. A bottle of wine at the bar costs 300 EGP, a cup of espresso – 40 EGP.
Additional costs of our trip:
- 23$ (180 EGP per person) – two tickets to the temple of Edfu;
- 18$ (140 EGP per person) – two tickets to the temple of Kom Ombo;
- 2.5$ (40 EGP) – a trip to the temple of Edfu and back with a tuk-tuk waiting.
Our experience
If I needed to describe Egypt in only one word, it would be overwhelming. Trade is in full swing on the streets from the very morning. Each merchant tried to attract our attention on the way to the port.
“Hello, my friend. Where are you from?”
“Taxi, my friend. Cheap price. Where are you going?”
“You want a carriage? Only five pounds»
“Tax! Tax!”
“My friend, you want to see my shop? It’s free. Maybe later?”
Their voices merged with the ear-splitting claxons, dust, exhaust gasses, and the fragrance of horseshit. Crossing a road in Egypt becomes an extreme sport, because there are only four streetlights in the whole country, and all of them are on the Tahrir square in Cairo. But there is a local trick you must learn. I call it a Magic Hand. Locals fearlessly cut through the traffic with the raised hand, and cars miraculously bypass them without slowing down.
Couple more steps and we found refuge under the wing of our cruise ship. Suddenly the coming silence muffled the clamor. An elegantly dressed receptionist scanned our passports and handed us the key. It happened! We escaped from the pandemonium of Egypt for two days, and at the same time remained in its historical heart.
The room was above our expectations. It had floor-to-ceiling windows, a fridge, and even a bathtub. We opened a bottle of wine, and it felt like our cruise on the second-longest river in the world began.
After wine, it’s time to dine. So we went down to the restaurant. During these two days, I stuffed my face with the most delicious Egyptian foods: molokhia soup, koshary, hummus, and all kinds of eastern sweets.
The cruise ship also had a large upper deck with a turquoise swimming pool. We had an evening tea there and admired the sunset. I imagined myself like a queen Nefertiti lounging on the chaise.
Meanwhile, the ship arrived at Kom Ombo.
Kom Ombo Temple
I have never been to an ancient temple at night time. Mysterious lights animated the old ruins of Kom Ombo. We got one hour and a half to explore the temple. So we skipped the organized groups and dived into the darkness.
Local vendors pounced on us at the pier. One waved a traditional Bedouin scarf at me, like a toreador in a ring. Then he got closer and nicely asked me to touch the material. As soon as I did, the vendor dropped the other end of the scarf. It helplessly hung in my hand. The vendor refused to take it back and started expressive Arabic bargaining.
A few minutes later a chubby boy pulled a green bracelet on my wrist, and deftly twisted a fishing hook that served as a fastener. Soon Paul got his bracelet with a blue scarab on it. We both knew that it was a trick, but we wanted to see what was coming. Children surrounded us on the way back from the temple and asked for money in exchange for the gift. Gifts are never free in Egypt.
Interesting facts about Kom Ombo temple
The majestic temple of Kom Ombo was built in the Ptolemaic era, after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great.
It is dedicated to two deities at once. The left side of the temple is occupied by the crocodile god Sebek, and the right side is a home for the falcon god Gor. Neither the Greeks nor the Romans tried to impose their religion on the Egyptians. They continued to honor local cults and build new temples. The Romans even depicted the god Sebek on their coins.
Archeologists discovered over 300 mummies of crocodiles near the temple. You can see some of them in the Crocodile Museum in Kom Ombo. Unfortunately, we did not have time for it.
Temple of Edfu
The next day we woke up very early to see the second largest temple in Egypt.
Walking from the pier to the ticket office takes about 20 minutes. We took a round-trip on a motorbike for just 40 Egyptian pounds. This ride was fun itself. Our driver played his favorite song, while we were watching the everyday life of Edfu.
We had less than an hour to visit the temple. It was very disappointing because Edfu deserves at least 2-3 hours.
Interesting facts about the Edfu temple
The Edfu temple was built between 237 and 57 BC. It is one of the latest temples in the country.
Edfu was dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus. To the ancient Egyptians, he was one of the most important deities. He was the son of Osiris and Isis, the divine child of the holy family triad. The pharaohs of Egypt were associated with Horus since the pharaoh was considered to be the earthly embodiment of the god.
The main hall of the Edfu temple is surrounded by dozens of small rooms with extensive wall carvings. Perfectly preserved hieroglyphs are especially valued by Egyptologists, as they contain texts of myths, hymns, recipes for incense and ointments, and important dates of the Egyptian religious calendar.
Sailing through Esna
Back on the cruise ship, we sailed along the Nile for the rest of the day. I admired the view of the sleepy Nile banks with a golden haze, while Paul took a nap.
Suddenly a mysterious object flew through the window. It was intriguing so I examined it. Inside I found a cheap material with a mediocre painting on it. We were in the middle of a wide river, and no orthodox explanation to this could be found… Until I looked out the window. A young man was staring at me from the boat. He cranked up his siren: “Cheap price! My friend! Ten dollars!” Other passengers looked out with curiosity. Nevertheless, I tossed the package back, but he continued bombarding the window with scarves and tunics. And although I didn’t buy anything, I adored this offbeat marketing move.
The moral of this story is simple: even if you are in your room, Egyptian vendors will always find a way to bother you.
The rest of the day passed without surprises. Stewards entertained us with brainteasers, and the cook kept me excited with his delicious masterpieces. We skipped a dancing party at night because the solitude of this trip was much more appreciated. The next day we had to come back to the business and annoyance of Egypt.
Is the Nile cruise worth it?
Overall, we really enjoyed the trip.
What was good about it:
- Service, kitchen, room are worth the money.
- The food was delicious and included some local meals, that you must try while in Egypt.
- Sightseeing makes the trip memorable.
Drawbacks:
- The inflexibility of the cruise is the main disadvantage. We had very little time to visit the temples.
- It gets too crowded on sight because all the cruises arrive at once.
- Sailing felucca instead of the classic cruise ship will add more adventure to the trip.
Alternatives to the Nile cruise
Try the felucca instead
Feluccas are wind-powered Egyptian sailboats, like those that navigate the Nile for centuries. You will see a lot of those in Aswan and Luxor.
Usually, the felucca sail from Aswan to Luxor takes 3-4 days.
What you need to know about sailing a felucca:
- You will sleep on the boat with the captain and his assistant.
- There are no showers or toilets on feluccas.
- Sailing time will depend on the weather.
- You will get to see less-visited sights, for example, the temple of Horemheb, Gebel al-Silsil, the temple of Khnum in Esna. You also can explore Edfu and Kom Ombo without crowds.
- Take food and drinks with you. The captain will prepare you simple meals on a gas burner.
- The crew will expect a fat tip at the end of the trip. Just doing your job for an agreed price in Egypt is not a thing.
- Discuss all the details on the shore, and it is better to write them down.
Go luxury on Dahabiya cruise
Dahabiya is a sailing and rowing vessel that looks like a breed of felucca and a cruise ship. Europeans traveled on dahabiyas on the Nile in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Dahabiya has fewer rooms, a luxurious interior, and exceptional service. The number of passengers on board does not exceed 20 people. They explore temples and tombs others don’t see, visit idyllic islands on the Nile and avoid the crowds. The downside of dahabiya cruise is the price.
Whichever way you choose, the Nile cruise is a wonderfully relaxing experience. If I ever come back to Egypt, I would love to take a long Nile cruise from Cairo.
Can you please give me the name email etc for the nile cruise? How big was the boat? We are 16 ladies😉🥰😍
Hello! You can ask at the David’s hostel in Aswan or better go to the port directly. Cruises work as hotels when they are not sailing, so you can walk in to the reception and get a good deal. All cruises cost pretty much the same, but the problem is the middleman who make a huge commission on them. So you want to avoid the agency.
Hi, thanks for the tip, the cruises are really quite expensive online! Is it possible to score a cruise on the same day of departure or do we need to book far in advance?
Hi! It is possible to get on the cruise the same day, unless its a big holiday like a New Years Eve. Our cruise was almost empty in the beginning of December last year
Thx so much.
So interesting and helpful.
What are you paying roughly for the dhabniyya cruise please, if you book direct
Hello! Sorry, i didnt ask around for dhabniya cruises, because they were not on our budget even with a good discount.
Hi!
Is there a way of finding out in advance is on a specific day the cruise will be sailing? As we are on a pretty tight schedule.
Would you know the company/name of the cruise you joined?
Thanks!
Cheap cruises don’t have their own website. So its hard to tell when each of then is sailing in November. But you can text any company to check the dates, usually all the cruises leaving at the same days of the week. Seems like now it is Friday for Aswan, and Monday for Luxor.
The best way to book it is to do it personally in the port, or ask someone from Aswan or Luxor to do it for you. Owner of David hostel in Aswan helped me to book a cheap and good cruise (I stayed at his hostel for a few nights as well). In Luxor the cheapest hostel is Bob Marley, owner was really nice too. Any other hotel can help you with it, but they might add a commission. Very important is to mention that you only want 2 night cruise, which means you will check-in early in the morning in Aswan and wont spend any extra nights in the port. Also don’t take any guides. This is what makes the cruise price ridiculously expensive.
Thanks a lot. Super helpful. Wish you all the best in your trip.
Thank you! Enjoy your Egypt trip 😊
This was hilarious! My dad and I laughed our butts off while planning for our Nile Cruise (especially at the 4 stop lights/magic hand part). Thanks for being informative and entertaining all at once. Will make sure to hit up David!
Thank you! I am glad you liked it:) Enjoy your trip, Egypt is a very special country (and requires a little of bit of sense of humour sometimes).
thank you so much for sharing your experience through this excellent text. The best I found on the net. Between laughter and the despair of thinking about what awaits me, when you mention the pitfalls of selling and approaching, I laughed and almost cried. haha ha We will have a tight schedule in the South, with only a few days left and I am worried about not being able to fit in a cruise, which I believe is essential for mental health reasons after spending a few days in the region. haha ha If you know any more details regarding the cruise contact, I would be very grateful if you could share. Thanks again for sharing your experience with us.
Hey, thanks for your very clear tips and recommendations! I was struggling to find out information about the Nile cruise on online, and just have soooo many question marks on my head and got all the answers from your posting! Thanks a lot and hope you enjoy this wonderful experiences as always! 🙂
Thank you very much 🥰 I am glad I could help
Can you tell on the cheap cruise do they take you back to point on start or you make own way back
Thanks
Hey Jamie! You have to make your own way back on any cruise (unless the agency you booking with will offer you a transfer to the starting point, but I’ve never heard of it). The most common way to travel between Luxor and Aswan is by train, but private transfers also available.
Thanks for your reply and all the handy tips really helpful going next week so really appreciated
You are welcome 🤗
Wow, this is sooooo helpful! Really appreciate!
May I ask a question, if we still want to book a (3 nights) Cruise with a guide (as you said, Egypt is a little bit special, and we do want to have a ‘quiet’ travel with no vendors) should I still go to port to book directly? – will that be much cheaper than the online price?
Thank you!
Hey! Thank you:)
The cruise companies don’t provide the guide. So you will have to find a guide somewhere else (or ask on the boat for recommendation). In this case its better to find a deal online or if you want, personally in Luxor through your hotel. Just be careful, if someone will sell you cruises to you on the street, as pretty much everyone there is a “guide” 🙂
Which Budget hotel would you recommend in Luxor?
How many days should I spend in Luxor?
I will stay in David hostel in Ashwan
I stayed in Bob Marley Peace hostel near the train station in Luxor. Very nice people and good breakfast. I would recommend at least 3 days.
My itinerary:
1. Valley of the kings + Hatshepsut temple + in the evening Luxor museum and felucca ride (i rented a car, but you can get a taxi driver who will bring you to the valleys).
2. Karnak Temple + Luxor Temple (now can walk on Sphinx Alley to connect both temples) + mummification museum
3. The rest of the west bank of the Nile: Medinet Habu temple, and one of the valleys: Workers, Tombs of Nobles or Valley of the Queens (but this one i recommend only if you are planning to see an expensive Nefertari tomb for 1400 EGP, other tombs are not that impressive). OR
4. Alternatively, you can get a tour or a driver to Dendera and Abidos temples. The first one is very beautiful.
This is so helpful! Thanks so much.
We are a family of 6 people (2 adults and 4 kids) so will definitely try and go direct to the ship in Aswan in an attempt to keep costs down. It sounds great to do but could easily be way too expensive for us.
Would you recommend on doing that on the Friday morning of departure in Aswan or the day before?
This is the best article so far, giving very clear information of the Nile Cruise adventure.
We booked two nights at David’s Hostel and wanted to know if we could contact David via email or whatsapp in advance, to arrange a Nile Cruise in those days we are going to be in Aswan.
Thank you so much!
Hey! I am happy that my article was helpful. You can contact David by his instagram – https://instagram.com/davidhostelaswan
Hi!
We/re off to luxor for 6 days and heading to Aswan by train on the 2nd december hoping to get a nice 2 nights/ 3 days cruise to bring us back to Luxor and then bus back to hurghada to take flight back to Luton on the 6th december.. Could you recommend a good cheap boat cruise name from aswan to Luxor? much appreciate this blog. thanks
Wow, thats a tight schedule to book anything at the port. I would recommend you to book something in advance. For example, you can contact your hotel in Luxor or Aswan and ask them to book smth for you (they will charge you a small commission). I booked mine through the David hostel in Aswan.
There is no difference in the cruise ships, and most of them dont have any website to book directly. They offer the same price, same schedule, and the same service. So you just need to find a way to pre-book it (can be through you hotel, as I said, or one of the links mentioned in my article – they are affiliate though and I never used those companies myself, but many people do). You obviously can try to get something at the port, but you will be at risk that no boats will leave that or next day. They have a strange schedule, and all of them leave on the certain days of the week.
Hello, this was very helpful (just like everyone else has mentioned) 🙂
I was wondering, I am in my late 20’s, female, and will travel alone – would you recommend a tour guide for this or would it still be okay to travel how you and your partner did (book at the port, no guide)?
Hey! Glad you liked my article. I traveled to Egypt alone first (also in my late 20s), then my husband joined me on the cruise. I didn’t have any problems, except the regular tourist hassle – it is very intense in Luxor. But as a woman I always felt safe, even at night at Cairo. Egyptian men are very respectful, which surprised me a lot. Obviously you should be careful and aware anywhere you go.
I dont know your travel experience, but if you never been to the countries where tourist hassle is huge, you might feel overwhelmed in Egypt. I would recommend you to book a cruise through your hostel / hotel (I mentioned David Hostel in Aswan is the great and cheap option to do so). They will help you to avoid the annoying sellers at the port, for a small commission. More expensive your hotel, more commission you would pay 🙂 You dont need any guide for this cruise, because the attractions are very close to the port and it is a safe place. On the cruise they provide excellent service, no one will bother you.