8-Day Budget Egypt Holiday: Cairo & Nile Cruise
Simple hotels, a 5-star Nile cruise ship, both internal flights, an Egyptologist and every entry ticket, planned to keep the cost sensible.
The short answer
8-Day Budget Egypt Holiday: Cairo & Nile Cruise is an 8-day, 7-night trip to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan: 4 nights in Cairo and 3 on a Nile cruise. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide and transfers. Prices start at £1,656 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Seeing Egypt well does not mean paying for a grand hotel. On this holiday the sightseeing is just what you would get on our pricier trips; the saving comes from the rooms. You sleep in simple, comfortable Cairo hotels and spend three nights on a Nile cruise ship. All Nile cruise ships are 5-star, and this holiday is offered on the two most affordable standards.
Cairo comes first, with two nights and a day at the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. You then fly south to Aswan and sail to Luxor, calling at Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. An internal flight returns you to Cairo for a visit to Saqqara and an evening felucca on the Nile, and then you fly home.
What lingers
- 01The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, all in one guided day
- 02Three nights aboard a 5-star Nile cruise ship between Aswan and Luxor, full board
- 03Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk on the first afternoon
- 04The temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu, then Karnak and Luxor Temple
- 05The Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- 06An evening horse-drawn carriage in Luxor, Saqqara, and a felucca at sunset on the Nile
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom £1,6563★ hotels · well-priced Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsMagic I | £1,656May–Sep: from £1,542 | |
| Comfortfrom £1,7564★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 3 nightsRoyal Elite · Emilio | £1,756May–Sep: from £1,648 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast · Nile cruise on full board. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
8 Days / 7 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Aswan · Philae Temple · High Dam
- 1
A driver is waiting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel, a drive of around an hour. There is nothing else on the plan for today, so you can put your feet up after the flight and be fresh for the pyramids. You spend the first night in Cairo.
- 2
Your hotel pick-up begins a day of around eight hours. An English-speaking Egyptologist leads you round the Giza Plateau, from the Great Pyramids to the Sphinx, and lunch comes with a view. After lunch you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the Tutankhamun collection and the huge royal statues. Guide, entry fees and vehicle are all included.
You then go back to the hotel for a second night in Cairo.
- 3
After breakfast you are driven to Cairo Airport for the flight to Aswan, at a time set by the airline. A second driver meets you on arrival and the sightseeing starts at once: the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, which still lies half-cut in its quarry, and Isis's temple at Philae on its island. Then you go aboard your Nile cruise ship, find your cabin and have dinner on board.
Your guide, tickets and transport are included, and it is a full afternoon.
- 4
Through the day the ship makes its way north. At Kom Ombo you go ashore to a temple shared by the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus, standing right on the river bank. Later comes the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the best preserved in the country. Your Egyptologist, the tickets and the transport to each temple are all included.
In between, you can sit on deck and watch the palms and fields go by.
- 5
At Luxor your Egyptologist leads you round Luxor Temple and on to Karnak, Egypt's largest temple complex, where you also see the Sacred Lake. Guide, tickets and transport are included. After dark there is a private horse-drawn carriage ride, past a local market and Luxor Temple under its night lights. Your third night is aboard the ship.
- 6
Once you have had breakfast you leave the ship and head over to the West Bank. The Valley of the Kings comes first, with entry to three tombs, followed by Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Your Egyptologist, the tickets and the transport are included. You are then driven to Luxor Airport for the flight to Cairo and met on arrival for the drive to your hotel.
This is a long day, and the flight time comes from the airline's schedule.
- 7
Saqqara is the morning's outing: a half-day tour of the ancient cemetery of Memphis, with your Egyptologist, the entry tickets and the vehicle all included. After that the day is your own. Towards sunset you step aboard a felucca, one of the traditional sailing boats, for a ride along the Nile in Cairo.
We have kept this last day in Cairo on purpose, as a safety window in case a domestic flight runs late.
- 8
Have breakfast, check out and meet your driver for the run to Cairo Airport. The transfer is timed to put you at the airport about 90 minutes before your flight, and a representative helps with the luggage. That is the end of your holiday.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Four nights in Cairo hotels with breakfast, and three nights on a 5-star Nile cruise ship, full board
- Internal flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Luxor to Cairo
- Every airport, hotel and port transfer, by air-conditioned vehicle
- An English-speaking Egyptologist on the sightseeing days
- Entry fees to each site on the itinerary, including three tombs at the Valley of the Kings
- Lunch on the Giza day, plus the Nile cruise sightseeing package
- A half-day tour of Saqqara and a sunset felucca ride
- A private evening horse-drawn carriage ride in Luxor
- Meet and assist at the airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- The Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks, and meals other than those stated
- The inside of the Khufu pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's and Seti I's
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Take the Luxor horse carriage once you have finished at Karnak; the evening market is buzzing and Luxor Temple is lit up beautifully.
- 02
Spot the carved surgical tools on the wall at Kom Ombo; it is a smaller temple than Edfu, so there is time to look around.
- 03
Bring a shawl or thin jacket for Saqqara, as the area around the Step Pyramid is open to the wind late in the trip.
- 04
Have a drink of water before going into the Valley of the Kings; the tombs are warm and facilities are a walk away.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Ask us about adding Abu Simbel, extra nights in Luxor or Cairo, or a hot-air balloon flight over Luxor. Hotel and cabin are offered at the two most affordable standards only.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want the classic Egypt route, Cairo plus a Nile cruise, at a sensible cost. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with simple hotels and don't mind two flights and plenty of walking on sightseeing days.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who want top-end hotels. This holiday is offered at the two simplest standards only.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the main Nile temples and Saqqara in eight days
- The same sightseeing as higher-standard holidays, with the saving in the rooms
- Three nights on a 5-star ship, so no packing and unpacking between Aswan and Luxor
Things to Consider
- Hotels and cabins are at the simplest standards
- Long days on days 2, 3 and 6, with uneven stone and little shade
- Abu Simbel is not included
Where it fits
A good first trip to Egypt for anyone watching the pennies. Abu Simbel is not included, so add it if it is on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many cheap Egypt holidays save money by cutting sites or the guide. This one keeps the full sightseeing and the Egyptologist and saves on the rooms instead: simple hotels and a standard cabin on a 5-star ship. Both flights and every transfer are booked for you.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Good-value guided multi-day holiday with a Nile cruise
- Accommodation
- Simple Cairo hotels and a 5-star Nile cruise ship, offered at the two most affordable standards
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Aswan · Philae Temple · High Dam · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings · Saqqara
- Includes
- 4 nights in Cairo hotels with breakfast · 3 nights on a 5-star Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo · Entry fees to every listed site · English-speaking Egyptologist on sightseeing days · All transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- First-time visitors watching their budget · Travellers who would rather spend on sights than on rooms · Couples, friends and solo travellers wanting the pyramids and a Nile cruise in eight days
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any visa or travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with a good grip
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Reusable water bottle
- Any medication you take
- Small rucksack for the sites
- A warm layer for the ship, the felucca and flights
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes for the sun
- Closed shoes for temples and rough ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees for mosques and temples
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for winter evenings on the river
Children & families
Children are welcome. Each child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate whatever the age. Entry tickets are free for under-sixes and full price from six. Hotel and cabin costs depend on the child's age and the room or cabin used, so we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age when booking.
Accessibility
Who can join this
There is a good deal of walking on this holiday, over large archaeological sites with uneven stone, sand, steps and a few narrow tomb passages. The Valley of the Kings and Karnak have long open stretches with little shade. Getting aboard the ship and out to Philae means steps and a gangway, and the felucca has no step-free access. Our vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us what you need when you book and we will say frankly which parts will work for you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday uses two internal flights, a Nile cruise ship and private road transfers, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Your Egyptologists are local and the services are arranged through suppliers in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor, so a fair share of what you spend stays in those places. The felucca is a traditional sailing boat. Please bring a refillable water bottle and keep your hands off painted tomb walls.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01What makes this a budget holiday?
The sightseeing matches our higher-standard holidays. What costs less is the accommodation: simple, comfortable hotels in Cairo and a standard cabin on a Nile cruise ship. It is offered at the two most affordable standards only.02Will the cruise ship be any good?
It will. Every Nile cruise ship is 5-star. On this holiday you have the simplest cabin standard, and we tell you which ship it is for your dates when you book.03Are the internal flights included?
Yes. Cairo to Aswan on day 3 and Luxor to Cairo on day 6 are booked for you and included. International flights are not. The airline sets the flight times.04How many nights do we spend on the Nile?
Three, from Aswan to Luxor, on full board. The other four nights are in Cairo hotels with breakfast.05Do I pay extra for the guide and the entry tickets?
No. An English-speaking Egyptologist, the entry fees and the transport are included on sightseeing days, with three tombs at the Valley of the Kings. The inside of the Khufu pyramid and premium tombs are extra.06Will I be sure of catching my flight home?
Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed internal flight could cost you the onward connection. For that reason this holiday keeps day 7 in Cairo. If you change the plan and have to fly into Cairo and connect on the same day, pick a late-evening or night flight home. Do take travel insurance that covers missed connections.07Does it include Abu Simbel?
It does not. Abu Simbel is not on this itinerary, though we can talk you through adding it to a longer holiday.08Is the sightseeing private?
Your Egyptologist and driver are just for you in Cairo and Luxor. On the ship you share with the other guests.09When should I travel?
October to April is cooler and kinder for temple walking. Summer is very hot, above all in Luxor and Aswan, so the days start early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-220922
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days · 7 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed or Sat
- Route
- Cairo → Aswan → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Luxor → Cairo
- Nights
- 4 Cairo · 3 Nile cruise
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, transfers