Nile cruise from Luxor: three, four or five days – which one suits you?
Updated October 7, 2026 · 6 min read
For most people the 4-day Nile cruise with guided tours and Abu Simbel is the right choice: from €468.56 per person, and with 4.6 stars from 130 reviews it is the best-rated of the five cruises in this comparison. The cheapest is the 3-day Nile cruise to Aswan with a private guide from €417.77 per person (4.3 stars, 165 reviews). If a balloon ride has to be part of the trip, you need one of the two cruises that mention it – and with the most-reviewed one you have to accept a weaker rating, more on that below.
Five cruises compared
| Tour | Duration | From price (per person) | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day Nile cruise to Aswan with hot-air balloon ride | 3 nights, listed as 4 days | €589.69 | 3.8 from 305 reviews | Anyone who wants balloon and ship in one booking |
| 3-day Nile cruise to Aswan with private guide | 3 days | €417.77 | 4.3 from 165 reviews | Anyone short of time and budget who wants their own guide |
| 4-day Nile cruise with guided tours and Abu Simbel | 4 days | €468.56 | 4.6 from 130 reviews | Most people: temples and Abu Simbel at a middle length |
| 5-day Nile cruise to Aswan with balloon ride | 5 days | €614.62 | 4.1 from 183 reviews | Anyone who wants balloon, Abu Simbel and a full programme |
| 5-day Nile cruise with guided tours and Abu Simbel | 5 days, 4 nights | €563.21 | 4.4 from 66 reviews | Anyone planning time on board and no balloon |
What “from” means here
The “from” price applies to the cheapest cabin and date option. Which cabin and which date that is gets decided on the booking page: you choose the travel day and the option there, and the price changes with your selection. So expect to pay at least the amount shown, not exactly that. All five cruises are priced per person.
What the descriptions leave out matters just as much. Meals, how you get to Abu Simbel (flight or coach), cabin equipment and the journey back from Aswan are not mentioned in any of the five. Ask the operator before booking, or read the list of inclusions on the booking page.
Three days with a balloon ride: much booked, weakly rated
The 3-day Nile cruise to Aswan with hot-air balloon ride has 305 reviews, the most of the five, and at 3.8 stars the weakest rating. Why, neither the description nor the figures say; the guests’ comments on the booking page will tell you better than I could guess. What is stated: a 5-star ship, temple visits with a guide and a balloon ride at sunrise. The description does not mention Abu Simbel. And the length: the title speaks of three days, the description of three nights, the duration entry of four days. Clarify the exact schedule beforehand.
Check prices and dates for the 3-day Nile cruise with balloon ride
Three days with a private guide: the cheapest
The cruise with a private guide is the cheapest at from €417.77 and has 4.3 stars from 165 reviews. The description names the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Abu Simbel – a dense programme for three days. How that fits into the time, and which ship category is behind it, the text does not say; ask. A balloon ride is not mentioned.
Check prices and dates for the 3-day Nile cruise with private guide
Four days with Abu Simbel: the solid middle way
The 4-day cruise sails between Luxor and Aswan, visits Edfu and Kom Ombo according to the description and includes a horse-and-carriage ride. Abu Simbel is in the title, and the tours are guided. With 4.6 stars it has the best rating of the five, though from only 130 reviews, a smaller base than the 3-day cruise with the balloon. A balloon is not mentioned, nor are the ship category or the meals.
Check prices and dates for the 4-day Nile cruise
Five days with a balloon ride: the biggest package
The 5-day cruise with balloon ride promises, according to its description, “all the must-see wonders of Luxor and Aswan”, including the hot-air balloon and Abu Simbel. At from €614.62 it is the most expensive and has 4.1 stars from 183 reviews. For comparison, the 3-day cruise with a balloon costs from €589.69. The gap between the two “from” prices is small next to two extra days – if the balloon is a must anyway, the longer cruise gives better value, provided the schedule works. Cabins and dates decide in the end.
Five days without a balloon: time on the ship
The 5-day cruise with Abu Simbel has four nights on a 5-star ship, and the description stresses the time to enjoy the facilities on board. It costs from €563.21 with 4.4 stars, but only 66 reviews – the smallest base of the five. A balloon is not mentioned.
When the extra cost is not worth it
A longer programme only pays off if you want the time on board. If you mainly want Edfu, Kom Ombo and Abu Simbel, you do not need five days; four are enough, and the only added value the 5-day cruise without a balloon names is the time on board. If you are working to a fixed budget, the cruise with a private guide comes out cheaper. And the two cruises with a balloon are only worth their price if you really want the balloon ride; their “from” prices are higher than those of the other three. More on the balloon in the comparison of Luxor balloon offers; whether your travel month fits is covered in the best time to visit Luxor.
There are also cruises in the opposite direction: the 4-day, 3-night Nile cruise with a hot-air balloon starts in Aswan, not Luxor, so it does not belong in this comparison. More departures from Luxor are on the page Nile cruises from Luxor.
Our recommendation
Take the 4-day Nile cruise with guided tours and Abu Simbel from €468.56 if you have no fixed idea yet: best rating of the five, Abu Simbel in the title, temples with a guide. If budget is the yardstick, take the cruise with a private guide from €417.77. If you want the balloon ride, more speaks for the 5-day cruise (4.1 stars) than for the 3-day cruise at 3.8 stars. The 3-day cruise with a balloon is not for anyone who values a good rating more than the balloon.
