Egypt Discovery

Egypt Holidays · Style

Nile and Lake Nasser Cruise Holidays

Two cruises, one holiday: the classic Nile river run and the Lake Nasser sailing back to back, with the changeover at Aswan handled as a single booking. The river leg covers the dynastic temples between Luxor and Aswan – Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae. The lake leg crosses the water the High Dam created to reach the Nubian rescue temples UNESCO moved stone by stone in the 1960s, ending at Abu Simbel by boat at dawn. Most returning travellers regard the Lake Nasser half as the more atmospheric of the two, and seeing both in sequence is the most complete way to sail Egypt's waters. We arrange the two ships, the Aswan changeover and the High Dam port transfer so it reads as one trip.

2 matching holidays

The shape

What is a nile and lake nasser Egypt holiday?

A Nile and Lake Nasser holiday pairs a three- or four-night Luxor–Aswan river cruise with a three- to four-night Lake Nasser cruise, joined at Aswan. The river leg sails the dynastic temples; the lake leg sails the Nubian rescue temples – Kalabsha, Wadi El Seboua, Amada, Qasr Ibrim – and ends at Abu Simbel by boat. It is the complete two-cruise itinerary, usually ten to twelve days with Cairo added, for travellers who want the whole river and the whole lake.

River first, then the lake

How the two-cruise holiday runs

  1. Days 1–4Nile river cruiseLuxor to Aswan aboard a 5-star ship: Karnak, the West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae.
  2. Day 5Aswan changeoverDisembark the river ship; transfer to the High Dam port and board the Lake Nasser vessel after lunch.
  3. Days 6–7Lake NasserKalabsha, Wadi El Seboua and Amada – the Nubian rescue temples – sailing south across the lake.
  4. Day 8Abu SimbelMoored off the great temple for dawn, the facade lit by the first sun off the lake, then disembark.

Add two nights in Cairo at the start for the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum and the holiday becomes the full ten- to twelve-day Egypt itinerary.

  1. 5-Day Abu Simbel and Lake Nasser Cruise from Aswan | DTEBudget

    5-Day Abu Simbel and Lake Nasser Cruise from Aswan | DTE

    Nile (cruise route)

    This five-day cruise begins in Aswan and follows the Lake Nasser and Nile sections towards Abu Simbel. Four nights are arranged aboard a 5-star cruise ship with full-board meals, guided visits and transfers by modern air-conditioned vehicle. Your Egyptologist accompanies visits to Kalabsha Temple, Wadi El Seboua, Amada, Derr and the Tomb of Pennut, with a photo stop at Kasr Ibrim from the sundeck. The final morning ends after breakfast and check-out. Unlike a direct Abu Simbel excursion, this itinerary gives you time to see several relocated Nubian monuments along the lake. Discovery Tours Egypt is a licensed Egyptian tour operator coordinating the arrangements on the ground.

    From £5605 Days
  2. Deluxe Abu Simbel Nile Cruise

    Deluxe Abu Simbel Nile Cruise

    Lake Nasser

    Board in Aswan for a four-night Nile cruise visiting Abu Simbel and river sights between Aswan and Abu Simbel. The vessel provides full-board accommodation and daily guided visits led by our Egyptologists. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator, and we organise transfers, shore excursions and on-board arrangements. We schedule more time at the principal temples rather than fitting in many short calls in one day. Unlike coach day trips from Aswan, this overnight cruise offers the chance to see Abu Simbel when fewer coaches have arrived. Entrance fees for sights between Aswan and Abu Simbel are arranged locally as set out in the itinerary. Service charges and taxes are included in the cruise price; optional gratuities and premium-site extras are not included.

    On request4 Days

Practical questions

What clients ask about this style of holiday.

  1. 01What is the difference between the Nile and Lake Nasser cruises?

    The Nile river cruise sails the Luxor–Aswan stretch of the river and visits the dynastic temples. The Lake Nasser cruise sails the lake the High Dam created and visits the Nubian rescue temples UNESCO relocated in the 1960s – Kalabsha, Wadi El Seboua, Amada, Qasr Ibrim and Abu Simbel. Different water, different temples, only three ships on the lake.

  2. 02How long do I need for both cruises?

    Eight days covers a four-night river cruise and a three-night lake cruise with the Aswan changeover. Add two nights in Cairo at the start and it becomes a ten- to twelve-day holiday that takes in the Pyramids as well – the most complete Egypt itinerary we book.

  3. 03How does the changeover at Aswan work?

    You disembark the river ship at Aswan in the morning and we transfer you to the High Dam port to board the Lake Nasser vessel after lunch the same day. It is a short transfer handled by our Aswan office, with the luggage moved for you. No wasted night between the two.

  4. 04Is two cruises too much of the same thing?

    No – they feel quite different. The river is busy, green-banked and lined with towns; the lake is wide, empty and silent, with the temples appearing out of open water. Travellers who expect repetition almost always say the Lake Nasser half was the surprise of the trip.

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From the Cairo desk

Found the shape. Now make it yours.

Every Egypt holiday we sell is tailor-made – your dates, your party, your pace. Send a short brief or talk to the Cairo desk direct. Replies inside one working day.

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– Suhaila & the Cairo team · 38 years · 6 offices · IATA #90255546