Either side of the cruise
Nile cruise extensions
The cruise covers the river between Luxor and Aswan, and nothing north of it. Most flights from the UK arrive in Cairo and leave from Cairo. An extension fills in the days either side: a Cairo stay with the Pyramids on the way out, or the flight back up from Aswan and a hotel on the way home.
- Where cruises sail
- Luxor ⇄ Aswan
- Aswan–Cairo flight
- Roughly 1 h 25 min
- Luxor–Cairo flight
- Roughly 1 hour
- Extra nights
- One or two
- Price
- From £245 per person
- Organised by
- Our Cairo, Luxor and Aswan teams
How the holiday fits together
Before, during and after
Think of the holiday in three parts. The middle part is the ship. An extension belongs at whichever end leaves you with a day to fill or a flight to catch.
Before you sail
Arrive in Cairo, have a proper night's sleep and spend a morning at Giza. The flight south to the ship comes after.
The cruise
Three, four or seven nights on the Nile, calling at Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae.
Compare Nile cruises After you disembark
Your cruise finishes in Aswan or Luxor. The flight home goes from Cairo, so there is one more leg to arrange.
Start with your flights
Which extension suits your flights?
Look at when you land and when you leave. One of these four will be you.
- You land in Cairo on the day of embarkation
A night beforehand
Embarkation is around midday in Luxor or Aswan, and you still have a domestic flight to make from Cairo. If your flight from the UK runs late, the ship will not wait. A night in Cairo first takes the pressure off, and you see Giza the next morning.
- The Pyramids are the reason you are coming
Two nights beforehand
People are often surprised by this: the Pyramids are not on any Nile cruise. Giza is on the edge of Cairo, more than 300 miles north of Luxor. You will need to build them in at the start or the end.
- You disembark in Aswan and fly home from Cairo
The flight and a night afterwards
You leave the ship after breakfast. We take you to Aswan airport, fly you to Cairo and settle you into a hotel, which leaves only a short drive to the airport the following day.
- You have a day in hand before the flight home
Alexandria afterwards
Spend it on the coast. Alexandria is around three hours from Cairo by road, and the guided day makes the stay two nights. It is a different Egypt from the one you have just sailed through.
What happens once you ask
How an extension is added
An extension is fitted round your cruise dates and your flights. We do the fitting.
- 01
Send us the cruise and the flight times
Tell us which sailing you want and when your flights land and leave. We do not sell international flights, so book those with an ATOL holder and we will work to them.
- 02
We work out which end needs it
That comes down to where the ship starts and finishes. We check embarkation day against the internal flight timetable before suggesting anything.
- 03
You get a single itinerary
Cruise, extension, transfers and internal flight are confirmed together, with one total and one person to speak to in our Cairo office.
- 04
You are met at every change
On arrival in Cairo, at the ship, and on the quayside when you disembark. Nobody is left looking for a taxi in between.
Questions we are asked
Nile cruise extensions: your questions
What does a Nile cruise extension include?
It depends on the end. Before the cruise it is a Cairo hotel, a guided visit to the Pyramids and your transfers. After the cruise it is the journey from Aswan back to Cairo, an airport transfer and one or two hotel nights.
Should I stay in Cairo before joining a Nile cruise?
We would, if you are flying from the UK on the same day the ship sails. You have to change in Cairo for Luxor or Aswan, and a delay on the first flight can mean missing embarkation. A night in Cairo removes that risk.
Will I see the Pyramids on a Nile cruise?
No. The cruise is between Luxor and Aswan, in the south. The Pyramids are at Giza, beside Cairo, in the north. Add a Cairo extension to see them.
How do I get back to Cairo when the cruise ends in Aswan?
You fly. It takes roughly 1 hour 25 minutes. Our post-cruise extension covers the car from the ship, the flight, the meeting service in Cairo and a hotel with breakfast.
What does an extension cost?
Prices on this page currently start from £245 per person, with two sharing a room. Each extension shows its own from-price. Flights from the UK are not part of it.
Are extensions ATOL protected?
No. We are an Egyptian tour operator, licensed in Egypt, and we do not sell flights from the UK, so we do not hold an ATOL. Book your international flights with an ATOL holder and we will arrange everything on the ground.
Can Abu Simbel be an extension?
It is better treated as an excursion. Abu Simbel is reached from Aswan, by road or a short flight, on a day when the ship is moored there. Mention it when you book the cruise.
Not booked the cruise yet?
Choose the cruise first
Luxor to Aswan
Four nights, finishing in Aswan. This is the direction that most often needs an extension afterwards.
Aswan to Luxor
Three nights, finishing in Luxor, about an hour's flight from Cairo.
Holidays with Cairo built in
Egypt holidays that already combine Cairo, the cruise and the internal flights.
Talk it through
Tell us your sailing and your flights
We will say which extension you need. Sometimes the answer is none. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.