Planning the Ultimate Egyptian Adventure: Nile Cruise Tips
The Nile River is one of the most famous places in the world.
And there is no better way to see Egypt than by floating down the river, stopping as the most iconic and breathtaking ancient sites along the way.
Choosing to cruise allows you to chill and take in the amazing views from the roof deck as you pass villages, farms, feluccas, and gorgeous desert landscapes.
Read this to discover all the tips and tricks to make the most of your ultimate Egyptian adventure on a Nile cruise.
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Can you cruise the Nile River?
Yes! And in fact, cruising the Nile is the ultimate way to see Egypt. Without the cruise, it would be very difficult to access some of these monuments and you would be spending a ton of time in the car.
Cruising the Nile is not only a more efficient way to sightsee Egypt, it is stress-free as well. The tours are set and the food is prepared for you; all you need to do is show up and lay on the roof deck ordering drinks from the waiter.
Most cruises begin in Aswan and cruise north to Luxor. The Nile River is dammed just south of Aswan so you obviously cannot cruise that way. However if you really wanted to, there are some cruises that sail around Nasser Lake, the reservoir created by the dam.
How do you select a Nile cruise? Read these 5 important tips to choose the best Nile cruise.
Nile Cruise Tips
The Best Month for a Nile Cruise
Summers in Egypt can be brutal, averaging temperatures over 100 F. If you don’t want to wither away in the desert heat, November through March is the ideal time to do a Nile River cruise.
The winter months however, are also the high season for tourism due to the ideal weather conditions. Braving the heat and going in the summer (May to September) can mean discounted cruises and tours, as well as less crowds overall.
I personally think the fall and spring months, October-November and March-April, are the best months to do a Nile Cruise. It’s still on the warm side, but being on the river feels much cooler, and many of the tours actually take place in the mornings and evenings.
We did our cruise in the middle of November and it was colder than I expected, but not cold enough to need a jacket or anything. And our last day of sightseeing in Luxor ended up being quite hot. I usually wore pants and a sweater at night, and a shirt with a light scarf during the day.
If you plan to visit any other parts of Egypt, like the Red Sea, spring and fall are the ideal times there as well.
Planning to digital nomad in Egypt? Check out these coworking spaces in Dahab!
What to Pack for a Nile Cruise
The biggest piece of advice I can give here: layers.
The way the tour itinerary is set up, mornings and evenings are the prime times for visiting the historic sites, while the afternoons are spent cruising down the Nile.
Especially if you choose the winter months to do the cruise, mornings and evenings get pretty chilly. Chilling on the roof deck on a sunny afternoon on the river can get brisk as well if the wind picks up, and I found the inside of the boat and our room to be a very cold (I think that was partially user-error as we couldn’t figure out the AC).
In contrast, the summers can be extremely hot. So even if it’s nice out in the mornings, you’ll want to make sure you can remove layers during the afternoon.
Some other important things to pack include a swimming suit (for the roof deck pool), mosquito repellent, and a hat.
Myth: You must dress very conservatively in Egypt
Egypt is a predominately Muslim and conservative society. However in these highly touristic areas, there is no expectation to dress overly conservative. I wore a crop top around Luxor when one hot day and no one batted an eye.
You may choose to dress more ‘covered up’ regardless to stay warm in the winter months, but there’s no need to go out of your way to dress a certain way, especially if it’s hot out.
Can you Work Remote on a Nile Cruise?
Working remote from the roof deck of a Nile River cruise sounds dreamy. Unfortunately it might just stay a dream. In our experience on a Nile cruise, the WIFI situation is not ideal for working.
WIFI is not free on the cruise ships; you can purchase 1 or 2 gigs at a time at the reception desk. Not only is it pretty pricey – 2 gigs for $8 – but the WIFI was only usable on one deck of the ship. It didn’t reach our room, the dining room, or the roof deck.
If we ever did want to use the WIFI, we had to go to the lounge and it was still quite slow. It wouldn’t be a bad place to get some work done since it was practically deserted during the day. But it’s a shame you can’t sit on the roof deck taking in the views as you cruise down the Nile.
I’ve head that some ships don’t even have WIFI, but I can’t imagine that being the case in 2023.
There is quite a bit on down time between sightseeing tours if you really need to get something done. But if you require a lot of WIFI or need super reliable speeds, it’s best to just take time off and get off the grid for a few days.
Are Nile River Cruises Safe?
As a guest on a Nile Cruise, not only are you catered to the entire time with 5 star service, but you are shepherded around Egypt by a trained and experienced tour guide.
Of course some guides are more trustworthy than others, but on my Nile Cruise I felt very safe and trusted my guide completely. He would give us little tips and tricks at every stop, and even told us how to avoid scams.
If you are off by yourself, the only real ‘danger’ is falling into a tourist scam where the main objective is getting your money. Tourists naturally look like walking dollar signs. Some common traps many tourists fall into include:
- Offering to take your picture, then demanding payment after.
- Someone besides your tour guide telling you about the history or location, or offering to show you something.
- Giving you something to hold or for ‘free’ (nothing is free).
- Charging you way too much for souvenirs – always haggle the price down.
- People saying “I know your tour guide” or “I’m a cook on your cruise ship”, etc… beware!
- Merchants striking up a conversation with you and asking you a bunch of questions to trap you so you’ll buy something.
Not everyone in Egypt is trying to scam you, of course, but the ones that do all hang out near these highly touristic areas. My best tactic is to act oblivious and unobservant if anyone tries to interact with me or show me anything.
I just keep walking, smile vaguely, don’t make eye contact, act like I didn’t hear them, and continue on my very important mission that doesn’t involve them.
Almost like dad who is distracted thinking about work and only partially notices his kids are trying to get his attention. Many times I don’t even respond verbally because the language you speak can be used to get your attention even more.
One more “scam” to be aware of happens when the cruise goes through the locks. A bunch of little souvenir pirates will swarm the boat selling all kinds of things. If you want to partake, do it only for the story.
It’s actually really funny how they throw things up to the roof deck from their little boats while yelling at you. But the things they sell are way overpriced and you can buy exact same items pretty much everywhere else, including the cruise ship gift shop, for less.
Nile Cruise Planning Tips: Before & After the Cruise
Before the Cruise
Assuming you choose the Aswan to Luxor itinerary, the start of the cruise obviously begins in Aswan. There are two options in this scenario: either stay in Aswan prior to the cruise, or fly into Aswan that morning.
Aswan is a pretty cool place and the Nubian people are known as the most chill and kind in Egypt. Most noticeably, they don’t harass you when you walk by their little stands selling trinkets and souvenirs.
Staying at a Nubian guest house on the banks of the Nile is an incredible experience, and many offer half or full board. Staying in Aswan also gives you the opportunity to visit Abu Simbel if it’s not already worked into your tour package.
If you come to Aswan for several days, you can even visit one of the famous Nubian villages or ride a felucca at sunset. Another great way to see the wonders of Aswan is to take free walking tour from a local guide!
Flying into Aswan the day of is also a good option for those short on time. Most tour operators offer pick ups straight from the airport to the cruise. Although most cruises claim to ‘start’ around noon, the cruise actually stays docked in Aswan the first night and doesn’t set sail until day 2.
Be sure to get your flight to Aswan in advance if this is your plan as the flights coming in for the cruise tend to sell out.
After the Cruise
Similar to the situation before the cruise, after the cruise you can either fly out that same day, or stay in Luxor. The cruise tour shows you the main attractions in Luxor, but there is still a ton to see including the hot air balloon, Valley of the Queens, the Luxor Museum, and a free walking tour of Luxor.
If you’d prefer to fly out as soon as possible, I’d recommend choosing an evening flight. Depending on how quickly the cruise gets to Luxor on Day 3, Karnak may get pushed to Day 4 which makes for a pretty long day. This happened to us and I believe we finished for the day around 4pm.
I’d rather have to wait around for a later flight than have to rush through the tour or stress about making it to the airport on time. There are tons of Luxor to Cairo flights, but if you want your choice of time, it’s best to book as soon as possible.
If time allows, staying one night in Luxor and flying out the next day is the best option in my opinion. That way you can experience Luxor a bit more and not stress about getting to the airport after the cruise and tours. Be sure to stay in a hotel with a rooftop!
Plan Your Nile Cruise
Now that you are armed with these Nile Cruise tips and tricks, it’s time to start planning! Discover even more about the Nile cruise itinerary, and what is the best Nile Cruise.
Jack and I went on this 4-Day 3-Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor & Abu Simbel and had the most amazing experience. I highly recommend!
