Egypt Tour Package to Cairo and Nile Cruise

Egypt’s great advantage is scale: this 8-day Cairo and Nile program lets you see the pyramids, ancient capitals, major temples, and royal tombs without piecing together trains, transfers, hotels, and cruise cabins yourself. You start and finish in Cairo, travel south by sleeper train, and cruise north from Aswan to Luxor.

I like the private sightseeing format, since your own guide and vehicle can keep the day moving at a sensible pace. I also like the mix of transport: a 5-star hotel, a full-board Nile ship, and trains instead of extra domestic flights. The main drawback is the pace. You cover a huge amount of Egypt, and two nights on a sleeper train can be less restful than hotel nights.

Key points to know before booking

• Giza, Saqqara, and Memphis in one long Cairo day: You see Egypt’s best-known pyramid complex along with the Step Pyramid and an ancient capital.
• Three nights on a full-board Nile cruise: The ship links Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor while your meals and sightseeing follow one plan.
• Sleeper trains replace flights: This is a practical and lower-emission way to connect Cairo with southern Egypt, though overnight rail travel may feel basic.
• Private guides and included admission: An English-speaking guide accompanies the sightseeing, with entrance tickets included at the listed stops.
• Strong help with airport and trip logistics: Airport representatives such as Amir have assisted with arrival procedures, visa steps, and transfers on other company-run trips.
• A well-reviewed operating team: The overall rating is 4.8 from 98 ratings, with 96 percent recommending the experience.

Why this route works for a first Egypt trip

This package is built around the classic Egypt route, but it avoids the usual problem of arranging each segment separately. Cairo gives you the pyramids and major museums. The southern portion adds the great temple corridor along the Nile, ending with Luxor’s tombs and sanctuaries.

You also receive meet-and-greet service at Cairo International Airport and a transfer to your hotel. That matters if you arrive tired, late, or unsure how airport procedures work. The company has assigned airport representatives, including Amir on other Egypt programs, to help with immigration and visa steps.

The tour is private, meaning only your group participates in the sightseeing portion. That gives you more control than a large coach tour, although the fixed cruise and train schedules still shape each day.

The price is $1,650 per person, excluding international airfare and personal spending. For eight days, that includes two hotel nights with breakfast, three cruise nights with full board, two sleeper-train nights with half board, guides, entrance tickets, transfers, and listed taxes and service charges. I consider that a fair package price for a visitor who values convenience, though you should compare the exact hotel and ship names before paying.

Day 1: A soft landing in Cairo

Your trip begins at Cairo International Airport, where a Maestro Online Travel representative meets you and assists with airport procedures. You then transfer to your Cairo hotel, receive a welcome drink, and have free time to rest.

That first evening is deliberately light. After an international flight, this is useful rather than wasteful. Optional tours may be offered, but I would treat them as extras and save your energy for the next morning.

The hotel stay is listed as 5-star, with daily breakfast. The exact property is not named in the information provided, so ask for the hotel name and neighborhood before booking if location matters to you.

Day 2: The pyramids, Saqqara, and the overnight train

After breakfast, you meet your private guide for a long sightseeing day. The main event is the Giza Necropolis, home to the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, and the famous Sphinx area.

The included guide is important here. The Giza plateau is enormous, and a good guide helps you understand how the monuments fit together rather than simply pointing out the largest stones. Entrance tickets are included, but optional pyramid interiors or other add-ons may not be covered, so confirm before agreeing to anything extra.

Lunch is included at a good-quality restaurant, followed by Saqqara. Here you see the Step Pyramid of Djoser, generally recognized as Egypt’s first pyramid and a major step in the development of pyramid building. The monument feels different from Giza, with a broader archaeological setting and less familiar profile.

You then visit Memphis, described in the program as Egypt’s first capital after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. It is an important stop for context, since it connects the grand monuments to the early political structure of ancient Egypt.

The day ends with shopping in Giza before you transfer to the station for the sleeper train to Aswan. Dinner and the overnight berth are included on a half-board basis. This is a long day, listed at about eight hours before the train, so do not expect a relaxed evening. Pack a small overnight bag, keep medication and valuables with you, and leave the larger luggage easy to identify.

Day 3: Aswan, the High Dam, and Philae

Breakfast is served on board the train before arrival in Aswan. Your guide meets you at the station and transfers you to the Nile cruise ship for embarkation, planned before lunch at about 11 a.m.

After lunch on board, the sightseeing begins with the Aswan High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the Temple of Philae. These three stops provide a useful introduction to both modern and ancient Egypt.

The High Dam shows the scale of modern engineering on the Nile. The Unfinished Obelisk offers a look at ancient stoneworking, including how a huge monument could be cut from the bedrock. Philae is the day’s highlight for many people. Dedicated mainly to Isis, the temple complex was relocated to higher ground after the construction of the dam, a detail that makes the site especially interesting.

You return to the ship for dinner and spend the night in Aswan. The cruise is listed as 5-star and full board, which means meals are part of the package throughout the three-night sailing. Exact ship facilities, cabin views, and entertainment are not specified, so ask about them if those details affect your choice.

Day 4: Kom Ombo and the rhythm of the river

The ship sails toward Kom Ombo after breakfast. Lunch is served on board, followed by a visit to the unusual temple shared by two gods, Sobek and Haroeris.

Kom Ombo is memorable because of its paired design and double dedication. Sobek, the crocodile god, is associated with the Nile and fertility, while Haroeris is a form of Horus. Your guide can help you read the reliefs and understand why one complex served two divine traditions.

After the visit, the ship continues toward Edfu. Dinner and the overnight stay are on board. The sightseeing time is listed at about four hours, so this is one of the easier days compared with Cairo and Luxor.

Cruising gives you something a road transfer cannot: time to watch the riverbanks pass without changing hotels. Still, a Nile cruise is not completely quiet or private. Boats may line up at docks, and the ship schedule controls your time at each temple.

Day 5: Edfu’s Temple of Horus

After breakfast, you visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu. This is one of the best-preserved major temples in Egypt, and its scale makes an immediate impression.

The stop is especially useful after Kom Ombo because the two temples feel different. Kom Ombo is unusual for its double dedication, while Edfu presents a more unified temple complex centered on Horus. The guide’s explanation helps you notice the carved walls, ceremonial spaces, and large entrance structures.

You return to the ship for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner as the vessel sails to Luxor. You spend the night in Luxor. This day is listed at about four hours, leaving some breathing room before the demanding final sightseeing day.

Day 6: The Valley of the Kings and Luxor’s monumental East Bank

After breakfast, you check out and visit Luxor’s West Bank. The program includes the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon.

The Valley of the Kings is not one single monument but a burial area with a selection of open tombs. Your entrance ticket covers the included sightseeing, but specific tomb access can vary and may require an additional ticket. The ground can be uneven, and the heat can be intense, so sturdy shoes, water, and a hat are sensible.

Hatshepsut’s temple is set against the cliffs and has broad terraces that make its design easy to understand from a distance. The Colossi of Memnon provide a brief photo stop and a reminder of the enormous scale of the temples that once occupied the West Bank.

You then cross to the East Bank for Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. Karnak is a vast religious complex, while Luxor Temple is more compact and closely tied to the city. Seeing both in one afternoon gives you a strong sense of how Luxor functioned as a major ceremonial center.

There is free time before the transfer to Luxor station. That evening, you board the sleeper train back to Cairo, with dinner and the overnight journey included. This is an ambitious day followed by another night in transit. If you prefer comfort over coverage, ask if the return train can be changed to a hotel night or a flight, though the listed package is designed around rail travel.

Day 7: Cairo’s museum, citadel, and market lanes

After breakfast on the train, you arrive in Cairo and transfer to your hotel. You then meet your guide for another private sightseeing day, starting with the Egyptian Museum.

The museum visit gives you a useful indoor counterpoint to the open-air monuments. You can expect a major collection of Egyptian antiquities, though the information provided does not specify which galleries or displays are included. Ask your guide to focus on a few important pieces rather than trying to absorb everything at once.

Lunch is included during the tour. Afterward, you visit the Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, also called the Alabaster Mosque. The citadel adds a later chapter to your understanding of Cairo, while the mosque is known for its prominent interior stonework and broad city views.

The final stop is Khan El Khalili, Cairo’s traditional bazaar district. This is the place for a walk, a drink, small gifts, and a lesson in bargaining. Shopping is included in the schedule, but purchases are your responsibility. You may also encounter stops designed for shopping, so tell your guide clearly if you want more monument time and less retail time.

The day is listed at about six hours. After two sleeper-train nights and a full Luxor day, that length is manageable, but you may want a quiet final evening at the hotel.

Guides, service, and the human side of the trip

The strongest theme in the supplied customer accounts is organization. Names that appear in company programs include Nesma, Amir, Ahmed Hamed, Ali, Yasser, Doaa, and a guide nicknamed Elvis. You should not assume one of these people will lead your exact departure, but the repeated pattern is clear: the company uses a network of guides, drivers, and airport representatives rather than one single escort for the entire trip.

Ahmed Hamed is specifically praised for making Cairo feel safer and easier to understand. Ali is noted for strong guiding and good included lunches. Yasser has helped a wheelchair user through difficult sites, including uneven desert ground and tomb access. These examples suggest that it is worth stating your needs early, especially dietary requirements, language preferences, mobility concerns, and the pace you want.

The program may use a multilingual guide. English-speaking guiding is included, but guide assignments can change. Most people can participate, yet the physical demands are real: walking at Giza, standing in temples, dealing with uneven surfaces, and boarding trains and cruise ships.

What the $1,650 price really covers

This price is most attractive if you would otherwise book a package of separate services. Cairo accommodation, three cruise nights, two sleeper-train nights, meals, airport assistance, sightseeing, guides, entrance tickets, and transfers all add up quickly.

The cruise is full board, while the train nights are half board. Cairo includes breakfast and some lunches are listed in the sightseeing schedule. Personal expenses, shopping, drinks outside the stated meal plan, and international airfare are not included.

The largest value is time saved. Egypt’s major sights are spread far apart, and the package handles the Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo connections. The tradeoff is less freedom to change plans, especially once the cruise and train reservations are set.

Also note that the booking is non-refundable and cannot be amended for any reason. That makes travel insurance and careful flight planning sensible, although the supplied terms do not state whether insurance is included.

Who should book this Egypt package

I would recommend it to a first-time Egypt visitor who wants the main sights in one organized trip and does not want to negotiate every transfer independently. It also suits couples, families, and small private groups that value having their own guide.

The package is less suitable if you want long, unhurried museum visits, several free days in Cairo, or a quiet luxury holiday. The schedule is intensive, and the sleeper trains are a practical choice rather than a pampering one.

Families should note that a child rate applies only when the child shares with two paying adults, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Vegetarian meals are available if requested at booking, and you should give the company any dietary requirements at that time.

Should you book it?

Book this package if your priority is maximum coverage with minimum planning. You will see Egypt’s essential monuments, sleep on a Nile ship, and have airport, rail, and sightseeing arrangements handled in one plan.

I would ask three questions before paying: Which Cairo hotel and cruise ship will be used? What sleeper-train cabin arrangement is included? Which optional tomb or pyramid tickets cost extra? If the answers suit you, $1,650 is a solid value for a tightly scheduled first visit.

FAQ

How long is the Egypt Cairo and Nile cruise package?

The package lasts approximately eight days, beginning with airport pickup in Cairo and ending with a transfer to Cairo International Airport.

What cities and sites are included?

The route includes Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Memphis, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor. Listed sights include the Giza Pyramids, Step Pyramid, Memphis, High Dam, Temple of Philae, Kom Ombo Temple, Temple of Horus, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Saladin, Mosque of Muhammad Ali, and Khan El Khalili.

Are hotels and the Nile cruise included?

Yes. The package includes two nights in a 5-star Cairo hotel with daily breakfast and three nights on a 5-star Nile cruise with full board.

Are sleeper-train journeys included?

Yes. Two nights on board the sleeping train are included on a half-board basis, covering the journeys between Cairo and Aswan and between Luxor and Cairo.

Is airport pickup provided?

Yes. Meet-and-greet service is provided upon arrival and departure, with pickup and transfers beginning at Cairo International Airport.

Are entrance tickets included?

Yes. Sightseeing entrance tickets listed in the itinerary are included. The supplied information does not specify whether optional access to individual pyramid or tomb interiors is covered.

Is a guide included?

Yes. An English-speaking guide is included for the listed sightseeing. The guide may be multilingual, and the tour is private for your group.

What is not included in the price?

International airfare to and from Egypt and personal expenses are not included. The package is also non-refundable and cannot be changed after booking.