Nile Cruise Packages Departing Soma bay
5-Day Nile Cruise from Soma Bay
A 5-day Nile Cruise from Soma Bay takes you into Upper Egypt, visiting Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan in one organised route. After your transfer from Soma Bay to Luxor, you board the cruise ship and settle into an easier rhythm: temples ashore, river views between visits, and meals and downtime on board. It is a practical way to see the archaeological sites between Luxor and Aswan without changing hotels each night.
Luxor has the largest concentration of ancient sights. On the East Bank, you visit Karnak Temple, where avenues, courtyards and huge columns show the scale of the religious centre built up over centuries. Luxor Temple feels different, with its processional layout and carved walls close to the modern city. A guide explains the buildings, rulers and religious ceremonies, helping the details stay clear during a full sightseeing day.
The West Bank is quieter and more open. At the Valley of the Kings, you enter selected tombs cut into the desert hills, with painted scenes still visible in chambers built for New Kingdom pharaohs. The nearby Valley of the Queens offers another view of royal burial customs, while the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut rises from the limestone cliffs in broad terraces. You also stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two large seated statues that have faced the West Bank for centuries.
After the ship leaves Luxor, the cruise becomes part of the day. Through the window, cultivated fields, palm trees, villages and dry desert pass slowly by while you read, rest or sit on deck. Shore visits follow the ship’s sailing schedule, with our team handling the transfers and guided touring. The pace works well for travellers who want substantial sightseeing and a comfortable place to return to between excursions.
At Edfu, a short transfer takes you to the well-preserved Temple of Horus, one of Egypt’s clearest examples of a Ptolemaic temple. With a guide, the carved entrance and large inner halls are easy to understand. Later, at Kom Ombo, the temple’s unusual double design reflects its dedication to two gods. Its riverside position and reliefs, including ancient medical instruments, give you plenty to look at before you return to the ship.
Aswan is the final setting for visits to the Aswan Dam and Philae Temple. The dam shows how the Nile is managed today and how Lake Nasser was created, while Philae sits on an island reached by motorboat. The temple complex was moved to higher ground during the dam project; its courtyards, columns and reliefs remain largely intact. Aswan usually feels less hurried than Luxor, leaving more time to take in the river landscape around the sightseeing.
We recommend this trip for travellers who want to see the main temples and tombs along one organised route, including families and first-time visitors to Egypt who prefer help with transfers and sightseeing logistics. Some visits involve uneven ground, steps, heat and walking between monuments, so the itinerary is less suitable for anyone who needs full accessibility or finds long touring days difficult. Our team can explain the expected walking and help you prepare for each stop.
The cruise includes accommodation, meals on board and a licensed Egyptologist guide for the scheduled visits, with transport between Soma Bay, Luxor and the cruise programme arranged as part of the tour. The optional Abu Simbel excursion is separate from the standard sightseeing and may involve an early departure from Aswan. Comfortable walking shoes, sun protection and a refillable water bottle will help during the temple visits; bring your passport or required travel documents for the transfer and cruise check-in.
Full-board meals on the cruise ship
Transport during excursions by air-conditioned vehicle
Visits to the monuments listed in the itinerary
Accommodation on a Nile cruise ship for 4 nights
Transfer to Luxor for cruise embarkation
Motorboat transfer to Philae Temple
Pickup and return transfer from Soma Bay
Licensed Egyptologist guide during scheduled sightseeing
Optional Abu Simbel excursion
Entrance fees not stated as included in the booking details
Any services not listed under includes
Gratuities for guides, drivers and cruise staff
Drinks and personal expenses
A light layer for the cruise deck and air-conditioned areas
Refillable water bottle
Passport or required travel documents
Personal medication and essential toiletries
Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
Sun hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen
Light clothing suitable for warm weather and modest temple visits
Small day bag for shore excursions
A 5-day Nile Cruise departing from Soma Bay generally includes your cruise cabin, onboard meals, transfers between Soma Bay and the ship, and guided visits to major sites such as Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae Temple and the Aswan Dam; exact inclusions are confirmed in your booking details.
Our team will also clarify which entrance fees, guide services and optional experiences are covered before you travel.
The five-day itinerary combines relaxed time on the river with scheduled sightseeing, so you can explore the remarkable archaeological heritage stretching between Luxor and Aswan without changing hotels each night.
The usual order includes Luxor's East Bank, the West Bank with the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, then sailing stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo before Aswan. You will take in Egypt's most celebrated landmark sites while cruising between visits.
Our team arranges a road transfer from your Soma Bay accommodation to the cruise embarkation point in Luxor, with the exact pickup time and meeting instructions confirmed before departure.
The transfer takes several hours and may begin early to fit the ship's sailing schedule; please provide accurate hotel details when booking and keep your phone available on the travel day. Return transfer arrangements are explained with your itinerary.
The cruise can suit families, but sightseeing involves walking across uneven ground, steps, exposed areas and sometimes steep access between the vehicle, riverbank and boat, so mobility needs should be discussed with our team before booking.
Children usually enjoy the boat journey and temples, while visits to the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut can be tiring in the heat. We can advise whether the planned pace fits your group.
Pack light, breathable clothing, comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, a hat, sunglasses, a reusable water bottle and a light layer for cooler evenings on the river; modest clothing is appropriate when visiting temples and local communities.
Bring your passport, required travel documents, personal medication and any mobility aids you use. Good footwear matters for the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon and other archaeological sites.
Abu Simbel is an optional excursion that can usually be added to the Aswan part of the itinerary, subject to the sailing schedule, transport arrangements and the conditions shown at booking.
Cancellation terms depend on the date of travel and the services reserved, so review the booking conditions before confirming. Our team will explain the optional Abu Simbel arrangements and any separate cost or timing clearly in advance.
Your unforgettable Egypt journey starts with a booking you can trust.
* Available on selected tours. Flights, cruises and special bookings may have different cancellation policies.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before activity starts
If you choose to pay online, a secure payment link can be provided after booking. For assistance or alternative payment options, please contact us via WhatsApp.
All our tour operators are licensed and verified by Egyptian tourism authorities.
Learn more about our licensed partners →Free cancellation up to 24 hours before activity starts
If you choose to pay online, a secure payment link can be provided after booking. For assistance or alternative payment options, please contact us via WhatsApp.
All our tour operators are licensed and verified by Egyptian tourism authorities.
Learn more about our licensed partners →
Your Itinerary
Our team collects you from Soma Bay for the road transfer to Luxor, where you board the cruise ship and settle into your cabin. The journey takes you inland from the Red Sea coast towards the Nile Valley, with time to relax after arrival and have lunch on board according to the ship’s schedule.
In the afternoon, visit Karnak Temple, beginning with the avenue and open courts before entering the Great Hypostyle Hall. Your guide explains how successive pharaohs expanded the complex over many centuries. Continue to Luxor Temple, where columns, statues and later Roman-era details show how the site changed over time. Returning to the ship, you can enjoy dinner and watch the riverbank pass as the vessel prepares for its first night on the Nile.
After breakfast, cross to the West Bank for a morning among the royal burial sites of ancient Thebes. The visit to the Valley of the Kings usually includes entry to selected open tombs, where painted walls preserve scenes connected with the pharaoh’s journey into the afterlife. Tomb access can vary, and your guide will explain what is open on the day.
Continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, built against the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari. Its broad terraces and surviving reliefs tell the story of Egypt’s female pharaoh and her reign. The final stop is the Colossi of Memnon, two large seated figures beside the ancient approach to the Theban temples. Return to the ship for lunch, then begin sailing south. The afternoon is free for quiet time on deck or in the lounge as the landscape changes from city to farmland.
After breakfast, leave the ship for Edfu Temple, reached by a short local transfer from the mooring area. The well-preserved temple is dedicated to Horus and retains its monumental gateway, courtyards and inner rooms. Inside, your guide points out the carved scenes of royal rituals and the detailed inscriptions that make the site especially easy to understand.
Return to the ship for lunch and continue sailing towards Kom Ombo. Later, visit the temple shared by Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the Elder. Its unusual double layout gives the complex two sanctuaries, two sets of courts and a clear central axis. The nearby museum contains preserved crocodile mummies and helps explain the local cult. Back on board, the cruise continues south towards Aswan, with the evening free to rest after a full day of archaeological visits.
Arrive in Aswan and begin the day with a boat ride across the water to Philae Temple, located on an island after the original site was moved during the construction of the High Dam. The approach by boat gives you a clear view of the pylons and columns before you walk through the courtyards. Reliefs dedicated to Isis and other deities remain visible across the complex.
Continue to the Aswan Dam, where your guide explains how the project changed flood control, agriculture and the shape of the Nile south of the dam. Depending on the cruise schedule, there may be time for a relaxed boat ride or a short walk near the waterfront before returning to the ship. This is the final full day on board, so the afternoon can be spent on deck, enjoying the river scenery and preparing luggage for departure.
After breakfast, leave the ship in Aswan and complete the check-out arrangements. Travellers who choose the optional Abu Simbel excursion travel by road to the temples in the early part of the day. The site contains the rock-cut temples of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, with enormous seated figures outside and richly carved chambers within. The visit requires several hours on the road, so it is best planned around your onward transfer and departure arrangements.
Travellers not joining the optional excursion can leave Aswan after disembarkation, with our team arranging the agreed transfer to the next point on your itinerary. If you do visit Abu Simbel, return to Aswan after the sightseeing stop before continuing onwards. Keep your passport, medication and essential items with you during the transfer, and follow the guide’s instructions about meeting points and luggage.