The Nile: Cairo, the pyramids, Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Aswan on one trip.
Every Nile cruise is really an Egypt tour with a river ship in the middle: three or four nights in Cairo for the pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, a flight to Luxor, then a week on the water between Luxor and Aswan past Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae, with Abu Simbel as a day trip. The ships are small, every excursion comes with an Egyptologist, and the whole trip runs 10 to 12 nights. Every Nile program from Viking, AmaWaterways, Uniworld, Avalon, Scenic, Tauck and Lindblad is here, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. Call 1-800-444-1560 and a river cruise expert prices the lines against each other for your dates.
Three ways to do the Nile
Pick an option and the list below filters to it.
Cairo plus the Luxor to Aswan cruise
- Three or four nights in Cairo, flights to Luxor and back, a week on the river
- Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and Abu Simbel
- Every line sells it this way, so the widest choice of dates
Best for: first trip to Egypt, history, a once-in-a-lifetime itinerary
Luxor to Aswan without the Cairo nights
- Join the ship in Luxor if you have done Cairo or are coming from elsewhere
- Shorter and cheaper; the same temples and the same guides
- Fewer departures; most lines bundle the Cairo stay
Best for: repeat visitors, travelers combining Egypt with Jordan or Israel
Egypt plus Jordan or the Red Sea
- Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea added before or after the cruise
- Viking and Uniworld sell 14 to 16 night combinations
- The Grand Egyptian Museum day on the longer Cairo stays
Best for: two weeks away, bucket-list travelers
Nile river cruise deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Nile program from every river line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra; below them, every departure with full sorting by line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Nile program
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Pick your starting point
Each button filters the list above.
Which line for the Nile?
Every line is on the list above. Our one-line take on each, with a link to its deals page.
When to go
The Nile sails year-round, but Egypt is a winter destination. Match the month to the heat.
Nile river cruise questions we answer every day
Where does a Nile cruise go?
Between Luxor and Aswan: Karnak and Luxor temples, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut’s temple, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae at Aswan, with a flight or drive to Abu Simbel. Nearly every program adds three or four nights in Cairo for Giza, Saqqara and the museums.
How long is a Nile cruise?
About 10 to 12 nights in all: 3 or 4 in Cairo, 7 on the river, sometimes with an extra Luxor or Aswan hotel night. River-only sailings run 4 to 7 nights.
Is it safe?
The major river lines have sailed the Nile continuously for years with security escorts where required and guides on every excursion. We watch the State Department advisories and tell you the line’s policy before you book.
Is Abu Simbel included?
On most programs, yes, as a flight or a long drive from Aswan. We confirm whether it is included or an optional excursion on the exact departure you choose.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. International flights, visas, gratuities where not included and optional excursions are extra. Flights inside Egypt are usually included.
Do you have other exotic rivers?
Yes: the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia, and every river on our river cruises page.
Talk to a Nile river cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and we price every Nile line side by side, with taxes and port fees included and the Cairo nights, internal flights and Abu Simbel worked out. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.