9-Day Easter Nile Cruise & Cairo Holiday
Fly in on 24 March 2027 and be at Karnak on Easter Sunday. Cairo, a four-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, both internal flights and an Egyptologist are included.
The short answer
9-Day Easter Nile Cruise & Cairo Holiday is a 9-day, 8-night trip to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan: 4 nights in Cairo and 4 on a Nile cruise. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,815 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Easter week is a good time to be in Egypt, and this departure is planned around it. You arrive in Cairo on Wednesday 24 March 2027 and fly home on Thursday 1 April. Easter Sunday, 28 March, is day 5: Karnak and Luxor Temple in the morning, then back to Karnak after dark for the sound and light show.
You begin with three nights in Cairo. One day takes in Giza, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis; the next covers the Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo and the Khan El Khalili bazaar. On day 4 you fly to Luxor and join your cruise ship for four nights, heading upriver to Aswan. A second flight returns you to Cairo for a final night, so a late internal flight does not put your journey home at risk. You pick the standard of hotel and ship at booking, and the sightseeing is the same whichever you choose.
What lingers
- 01Easter Sunday, 28 March 2027, at Karnak and Luxor Temple, with the Karnak sound and light show that evening
- 02The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis in a single private day
- 03The Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo and the Khan El Khalili bazaar
- 04Four nights aboard a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan, full board
- 05The Valley of the Kings with three tombs, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- 06Edfu and Kom Ombo temples, a felucca at sunset in Aswan, then Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk
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 £1,8153★ hotels · well-priced Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsNephtis · Magic I | £1,815May–Sep: from £1,644 | |
| Comfortfrom £1,9354★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 4 nightsLady Mary · Tower Prestige | £1,935May–Sep: from £1,798 | |
| Classicfrom £2,1635★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsJaz Crown Jubilee · Stephanie | £2,163May–Sep: from £1,798 | |
| Prestigefrom £2,5095★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsNile Excellence · Nile Serenity | £2,509May–Sep: from £2,355 | |
| Luxuryfrom £4,1575★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSonesta St. George I · Esmeralda | £4,157May–Sep: from £3,156 | |
| Signature Collectionfrom £5,549Iconic heritage vessels · landmark hotels | Cairo · 4 nightsFour Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza Nile Cruise · 4 nightsHistoria | £5,549May–Sep: from £4,373 |
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
9 Days / 8 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Coptic Cairo · Islamic Cairo · Luxor
- 1
Wednesday 24 March 2027. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport, looks after your luggage and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours. Most people sleep, unpack and find their feet before the two full sightseeing days that follow.
- 2
A full private day of around eight hours with your Egyptologist guide, travelling by air-conditioned vehicle from your hotel. You begin on the Giza Plateau with the pyramids, the Valley Temple and the Great Sphinx. A drive through the farmland south of Cairo brings you to lunch at a local restaurant.
The afternoon is for Saqqara, home of the first pyramid, and Memphis, the first capital of united Egypt. Guide, vehicle and entrance fees are all included.
- 3
A second private day of around eight hours with your Egyptologist. You spend the morning in the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, then move on to Coptic Cairo, the old Christian quarter with its churches. After lunch at a local restaurant you walk through Islamic Cairo, the medieval city of mosques and gateways, and end in the lanes of the Khan El Khalili bazaar.
You are driven back to your hotel for a third night. Guide, vehicle and entrance fees to the listed sites are included.
- 4
After breakfast a driver takes you to Cairo Airport for the flight south to Luxor, which takes about an hour; the airline sets the time. In Luxor you are met and driven to the river, where you join your Nile cruise ship, find your cabin and have dinner on board. It is the first of four nights afloat, and meals on the ship are full board until you leave it.
- 5
Sunday 28 March 2027 is Western Easter Day. With your Egyptologist you walk through Karnak, Egypt's largest temple complex, among its forest of columns and beside the Sacred Lake, before visiting Luxor Temple near the river. Guide, entrance fees and transport come with your cruise sightseeing. After dark you return to Karnak for the sound and light show.
No special Easter events are planned on board; the day belongs to the temples.
- 6
This morning you cross the river to the West Bank with your Egyptologist. First come the Colossi of Memnon, then the Valley of the Kings, where your ticket admits you to three tombs, and last the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included. You are back on the ship for lunch, and spend a further night aboard.
- 7
The ship makes its way upriver during the day. Your Egyptologist guides you around the Temple of Horus at Edfu, among the best-preserved temples in Egypt, and the twin temple of Kom Ombo on its bend of the river bank. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included.
Once the ship reaches Aswan, you board a felucca, the traditional Nile sailing boat, for a ride at sunset, then go back to the ship for the night.
- 8
After breakfast you leave the ship. Your Egyptologist takes you to Philae Temple on its island, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk; guide, entrance fees and transport are included. A driver then takes you to Aswan Airport for the flight to Cairo, which lasts about an hour. The sightseeing is arranged around the airline's schedule.
You are met in Cairo and taken to your hotel for a final night.
- 9
Thursday 1 April 2027. After breakfast you check out and a driver takes you to Cairo Airport for the flight home. The final night in Cairo is deliberate. Should an internal flight be delayed on day 8, you still have a full buffer before your international departure.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Four nights in Cairo hotels with breakfast, and four nights aboard a Nile cruise ship on full board
- Internal flights from Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan to Cairo
- All airport, hotel and quayside transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Two private days in Cairo with an English-speaking Egyptologist, with lunch on both
- Nile cruise sightseeing with an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- The Karnak sound and light show on day 5
- A sunset felucca ride in Aswan on day 7
- Meet and assist at the airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- Abu Simbel (available on request) and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's and Seti I's
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Wear a warm layer for the Karnak Sound and Light evening, as seating is outdoors and late March nights turn cool.
- 02
Walk Coptic Cairo in comfortable flat shoes and look out for the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue along its lanes.
- 03
Let your guide choose a handful of favourites at the Egyptian Museum rather than rushing every gallery in a single visit.
- 04
At the Temple of Horus in Edfu, find the big granite falcon beside the doorway, one of the temple's most photographed figures.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book. Ask us about adding Abu Simbel, extra nights in Cairo or Luxor, or other Easter dates.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want to be in Egypt for Western Easter 2027 and see Cairo, Luxor and Aswan with a guide. Suits couples, friends, families with older children and solo travellers who are happy with two flights and several hours of walking on sightseeing days.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who prefer a slow pace. Days 2 and 3 each last about eight hours.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Planned around Western Easter, with Easter Sunday at Karnak
- Cairo's main sights and a four-night Nile cruise in a single trip
- Both internal flights and all transfers arranged, with a spare night in Cairo at the end
Things to Consider
- Fixed dates: 24 March to 1 April 2027
- Full days of sightseeing, with uneven stone and little shade at the major sites
- Abu Simbel is not included
Where it fits
A good fit if Easter sets your dates, or if you want Cairo and a Nile cruise within nine days. Abu Simbel is not included, so ask if it is on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Most Nile cruises follow the same weekly pattern all year round. This departure is fixed to Easter week, spends Easter Sunday at Karnak and ends with a night in Cairo as a buffer against internal delays. The standard of hotel and ship is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Easter departure with a Nile cruise
- Accommodation
- Cairo hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Coptic Cairo · Islamic Cairo · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan · Philae Temple
- Includes
- 4 nights in Cairo hotels with breakfast · 4 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo · Entrance fees to every listed site · English-speaking Egyptologist on sightseeing days · All transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- Anyone who would like to spend Western Easter week in Egypt · First-time visitors · Those wanting Cairo and a Nile cruise within nine 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 good grip
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- Small day bag
- A light layer for the ship, the flights and cooler evenings
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples, tombs and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and churches
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket or scarf for the river and the evening sound and light show
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel and cabin prices 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 at booking.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking around large archaeological sites and through old city streets, on uneven stone, with steps, crowds and some narrow tomb passages. Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Saqqara have long open stretches with little shade. Getting aboard the ship, the felucca and the boat to Philae involves steps and a gangway. 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 honestly which parts suit 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. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle and to keep their hands off the painted walls in tombs.
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
01When does this Easter cruise run?
This departure runs from Wednesday 24 March to Thursday 1 April 2027, around Western Easter on Sunday 28 March 2027. Coptic Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May 2027 and Sham El-Nessim on 3 May 2027. If those dates suit you better, ask and we will plan a separate departure.02Are the internal flights included?
Yes. The flights from Cairo to Luxor on day 4 and from Aswan to Cairo on day 8 are booked for you and are included. Flight times are set by the airline. International flights are not included.03How many nights do we spend on the Nile?
Four nights on board, between Luxor and Aswan, on full board. The other four nights are in Cairo hotels with breakfast: three at the start and one at the end.04Will I make my international flight?
Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed internal flight could cost you your connection. For that reason the holiday finishes with a night in Cairo: you arrive from Aswan on day 8 and fly home on day 9. Book your international flight for day 9 or later, and make sure your travel insurance covers missed connections.05Which ship and which hotels will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the ship and hotels for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are identical at every standard.06Does the holiday include Abu Simbel?
No. Abu Simbel is not part of this itinerary. It can be added on request; ask us and we will talk you through the options and what they change.07Are the guide, entrance fees and transport included?
Yes. On every sightseeing day, in Cairo and on the cruise, you have an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, the entrance fees to the listed sites and the transport. Tips and drinks are extra.08Is the sightseeing private?
Your Egyptologist and vehicle are yours alone on the two Cairo days. On the cruise sightseeing days, guiding and transport follow the cruise programme, and aboard the ship you are with the other guests.09What is the weather like in late March?
Late March is warm and dry and generally comfortable for sightseeing, although afternoons in Luxor and Aswan can be hot. Pack a light layer for evenings on the river and for the sound and light show. Easter week can be busy at the main sites, so days begin early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-404864
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days · 8 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu or Fri
- Route
- Cairo → Luxor → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan → Cairo
- Nights
- 4 Cairo · 4 Nile cruise
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers