Egypt’s ancient wonders sit scattered along a single river, and a Nile cruise holiday is simply the most natural way to see them. Rather than flying between cities or driving for hours between sites, you sail past them instead, spending a week aboard a 5-star cruise between Luxor and Aswan, waking up each morning beside whatever the day’s temple or tomb happens to be.
That structure shapes the whole holiday. The stretch of river between Luxor and Aswan carries a concentration of temples and tombs found nowhere else in Egypt, and every visit is guided by a PhD-qualified, English-speaking Egyptologist who can tell you what you are actually looking at, which, on a wall of hieroglyphs, is the difference between a photograph and an afternoon you remember.
We have specialised in Egypt for over 30 years, and the Nile cruise sits at the heart of everything we sell, with prices starting from £1,895 per person. Classic Holidays, when selling travel arrangements, is a trading name of Co-op Travel Services Ltd and an Accredited Body Member of the Co-operative Travel Consortium. Our UK team answers the phone 7 days a week and will talk through dates, boats, and board basis before you commit to anything.
You can now combine your cruise with a visit to Cairo’s spectacular Grand Egyptian Museum, recently opened beside the Pyramids and home to the complete Tutankhamun collection.
Every Classic Holidays Nile cruise includes return flights from the UK with airport tax, fuel supplement, and baggage fees; all transfers in Egypt; your cruise on a full-board basis; and 11 guided excursions with entrance fees covered. Every cabin on both ships sits on the upper or middle deck and has a French balcony at no extra charge, which is worth saying plainly, as on many Nile itineraries a balcony is priced as an upgrade.
All meals on board are part of the package. If you would rather not think about drinks either, an all-inclusive upgrade adds local drinks throughout your time on the boat. Your Egyptologist-guide accompanies the excursions from start to finish, and our teams in the UK and Egypt are contactable 24 hours a day while you are travelling.
Two things sit outside the price, and it is better to know now than later. You will need a tourist visa, which UK passport holders can buy online before travelling or on arrival, depending on the airport.
Looking ahead: our special Egypt Solar Eclipse 2027 tour pairs a Nile cruise aboard the MS Royal Princess with the total solar eclipse over Luxor on 2 August 2027. Full details and online booking are now available.
Our Nile cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan, and the 7-night itinerary covers the full route in both directions with all 11 excursions included. Luxor gives you Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, then the west bank for the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Temple of Medinet Habu, and the Colossi of Memnon. As the boat moves south, you stop at Kom Ombo, which sits directly on the riverbank and is best seen in the late afternoon light. Aswan brings the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, a boat trip around Elephantine Island, and the Temple of Philae on its island.
The rhythm of the week settles quickly. Mornings are for excursions, taken early while the temperature is still reasonable. The boat sails through the middle of the day, which is when the Nile does the thing people come for: villages, palm groves, egrets, farmers tending fields that have been worked the same way for generations. Afternoons are yours, on the sundeck or by the pool, and evenings bring dinner and often a galabeya night or a Nubian show.
A shorter option exists if you have less time. The Essence of Egypt Tour runs a 4-night cruise with 7 guided excursions, paired with 3 nights in Cairo. It covers the highlights rather than the full route, and it suits travellers who want the Pyramids and the Nile inside a single week.
A luxury Nile cruise should be judged on the things you actually use: where your cabin sits, whether it has a balcony, what the food is like, and who is guiding you. Our vessels are 5-star and hold an Intertek Cristal food hygiene certificate, which is independent reassurance that counts for more on a river boat than almost anywhere else; every cabin comes with a French balcony at no extra charge, and every excursion is led by a PhD-qualified Egyptologist rather than a general tour representative.
The all-inclusive question comes up constantly, so here is the plain version. Every cruise is full board as standard, meaning all meals on board are included. All-inclusive is an upgrade that adds local drinks, and on our Treasures of Egypt, Jewels of Egypt, and Magical Egypt tours it extends to an all-inclusive Red Sea resort stay as well. Neither option changes the excursions or the guiding, which are included either way.
A Nile cruise and stay pairs the 7-night cruise with a hotel stay elsewhere in Egypt, most often in Cairo for the Pyramids or on the Red Sea for the beach. It is the most popular way our guests book, because it solves the one genuine limitation of a cruise-only trip: the Pyramids are not on the river.
Cairo is the usual choice. Staying there gives you Giza, the Sphinx, Saqqara, Memphis, and the Grand Egyptian Museum beside the Pyramids, now home to the complete Tutankhamun collection. Our Classic Egypt Tour pairs the cruise with 3 nights in Cairo; a 2-night version is also available, and you can browse the properties we use on our Cairo hotels page.
The alternatives are worth knowing. A stay in Luxor keeps you among the temples and lets you go back to the West Bank at your own pace. A Red Sea stay in Hurghada, El Gouna, or Sharm El Sheikh gives you a week of beach and diving after the cruise, usually all-inclusive. Which one suits you is a conversation, not a form, and it is the kind of thing our team sorts out in a 5-minute phone call.
For excursions, wear loose, breathable cotton or linen in light colours, with a sun hat, sunglasses, and comfortable closed-toe shoes for uneven archaeological sites. Cover your shoulders and knees when visiting religious sites. On board, dress is smart-casual, with a thin layer for cooler evenings between November and February, and slightly smarter attire for the captain’s dinner. See our packing tips for a Nile cruise guide for the full checklist.
A typical day starts early with breakfast as the boat moors at the first site, followed by a guided excursion with your Egyptologist-guide. Afternoons are for sailing, relaxing on the sundeck or by the pool, with afternoon tea before dinner. Evenings often bring onboard entertainment such as a galabeya night or Nubian show. Read our typical day on a Nile cruise guide or our first-timer’s guide to a Nile cruise for more.
Your Nile cruise is fully inclusive: return flights with airport tax, fuel supplement, and baggage; all transfers in Egypt; a 5-star cruise holding an Intertek Cristal food hygiene certificate, with a French balcony in every cabin; all meals on board (all-inclusive drinks available as an upgrade); 11 guided excursions with entrance fees and a PhD-qualified Egyptologist-guide; any Cairo or Red Sea hotel stays; and 24-hour UK and Egypt support. Every booking is ABTA and ATOL protected, with no hidden extras. See our 11 free excursions and no hidden extras guide for the full breakdown.
Yes, UK passport holders need a tourist visa. If flying into or connecting through Cairo, buy your QR code visa online at visaonarrival.gov.eg or via the official app (US$36pp, card payment only), or at the airport’s self-service machines; this option is available at Cairo International only. Flying direct into Luxor or Hurghada, buy at the airport visa booth (US$30.00, cash in US dollars) or from our representative for £30.00 cash. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of arrival in Egypt, with one blank page.
Consult NHS Fit for Travel or TravelHealthPro for the latest advice, typically covering hepatitis A, tetanus, and sometimes typhoid, alongside routine UK boosters including polio, and hepatitis B or rabies for some travellers. Speak to your GP or a travel clinic 6 to 8 weeks before departure. There is no malaria risk in Egypt, but bilharzia is present in the river, so do not swim or paddle in fresh water. During your trip, drink bottled or filtered water, use high-factor sun protection, and apply insect repellent in the evenings. Our 24-hour Egypt team is on hand if you need assistance.
Our 7-night cruise is the most popular option, covering the full Luxor-to-Aswan route with all 11 excursions, and features in eight of our tours, including the Classic Egypt, Wonders of Egypt, and Magical Egypt tours. The 4-night option on the Essence of Egypt Tour focuses on the highlights with 7 excursions, paired with 3 nights in Cairo, which is why it prices above some of our longer cruise-only itineraries. Our 14-night holidays combine the 7-night cruise with extra stays in Cairo, the Red Sea, or Luxor. See our 4, 7 or 14 Nights: How Long Should a Nile Cruise Be? guide for help choosing.
Your cruise includes 11 guided excursions (7 on the Essence of Egypt Tour) with a PhD-qualified Egyptologist-guide and all entrance fees covered. On a typical 7-night cruise, these cover Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Temple of Medinet Habu, and the Colossi of Memnon in Luxor; Kom Ombo en route; and the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, a boat trip around Elephantine Island, and the Temple of Philae in Aswan. Optional Cairo excursions cover the Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara, Memphis, and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Yes, this is one of our most popular package types. Many guests extend their cruise with a Cairo hotel stay to see the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara, Memphis, and the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the complete Tutankhamun collection. Our Classic Egypt Tour pairs a 7-night cruise with 3 nights in Cairo (2 nights also available), our Wonders of Egypt Tour pairs it with 2 nights, and the Essence of Egypt Tour combines a shorter 4-night cruise with 3 nights in Cairo. Cairo excursions are optional extras at preferential rates.
Yes, we run regular special offers and a rolling deal of the day across our most popular packages. As these change frequently, the easiest way to check current availability is to speak with one of our travel consultants directly. You can request a tailored quotation online or call our UK team on 0800 041 8400.
Yes. Every Nile cruise can be booked full board or all inclusive, with the all-inclusive upgrade adding local drinks throughout your stay. Our Treasures of Egypt, Jewels of Egypt, and Magical Egypt tours pair an all-inclusive cruise with an all-inclusive Red Sea stay, ideal for a worry-free culture-and-beach holiday. See our no-hidden-extras 7-night cruise guide for full inclusions.
A 7-night Nile cruise starts from £1,895 per person, including return UK flights, transfers, full board, and 11 guided excursions. Longer itineraries cost more: a cruise with 3 nights in Cairo starts from £2,495, and 14-night holidays combining the cruise with Luxor or the Red Sea start from £2,285. Your travel month, trip length, and board basis affect the price most, so a free, no-obligation quotation gives the most accurate figure.
Both our ships, the MS Royal Princess and MS Classic Blue Shadow IV, are 5-star and hold an Intertek Cristal food hygiene certificate. Every cabin sits on the upper or middle deck with a French balcony at no extra charge, and each boat has a pool and sundeck. Dining is full board as standard, with an all-inclusive drinks upgrade available, and every excursion is led by a PhD-qualified, English-speaking Egyptologist-guide.
Yes. Our 7-night cruise is available on its own from £1,895 per person, sailing between Luxor and Aswan with return flights, transfers, full board, and 11 guided excursions included. You fly into Luxor, join the boat, and fly home at the end of the week, with no hotel nights either side. It suits travellers who have already seen Cairo, or who prefer just the temples and the river. We can price adding Cairo or the Red Sea later if you’d like to compare.
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Classic Holidays when selling travel arrangements is a trading name of Co-op Travel Services Ltd. Classic Holidays is an Accredited Body Member of Co-operative Travel Consortium. (ABTA P7508, ATOL 12904).
Your Financial Protection: Book with Confidence. Classic Holidays is a Member of ABTA. ABTA and ABTA Members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist when things don’t go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.
All of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme but ATOL protection does not apply to non-flight holiday and travel services offered on this website. Classic Holidays will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk
