Nile Cruise and Hot Air Balloon Packages: The 11 Best

1.4-Days Nile Cruise From Aswan To Luxor including Abu Simbel and Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,142 reviews · from $349Our pick

Sail from Aswan to Luxor aboard a three-night Nile cruise, with guided visits to Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings. An English-speaking Egyptologist, often Mohamed Gobran or Saber, leads the visits. The pace is brisk, and entrance tickets, drinks, and cruise Wi-Fi cost extra.

“Our cruise was cancelled the day before the scheduled day which almost ruined our Egypt vacation. Luckily for us we had booked an extra day in Luxor so we were able to book on the cruise leaving the next day and still catch our plane home. TRead more”

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2.4-Days Nile Cruise From Aswan To Luxor including Abu Simbel and Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 509 reviews · from $320Best value

Cruise from Aswan to Luxor aboard a full-board 5-star Nile ship, with an Egyptologist guide, Abu Simbel by road, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, and a sunrise balloon ride. Guides such as Mohamed Gobran, Mahmoud, and Ahmed Shawky Ali have earned strong praise, but entrance fees and drinks cost extra.

“The experience was awesome, and the guide very nice ! So much to see, a bit tired but it was amazing… We are just disappointed about the cancellation of the hot air balloon, due to bad weather, but a part from that, no regret at all !”

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3.3-Night Nile Cruise to Aswan and Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 297 reviews · 4 days · from $1,100

You will spend three nights on a full-board Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, with private transfers, English-speaking guides, a felucca ride, and a sunrise balloon flight. The program includes Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Abu Simbel. Guides may include Asma, Hassan, Ahmed Anwar, or Doaa.

“River cruise on the Nile was a great experience. The temples of ancient Egypt are phenomenal. The guides were dedicated and professional. Arwa from Nice Tours had taken care of the logistics and was supportive throughout the tour.”

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4.5-Day Nile Cruise to Aswan with Balloon Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 168 reviews · 5 days · from $1,200

Spend five days moving from Luxor to Aswan by Nile cruise, with Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Abu Simbel, a felucca ride, and a hot air balloon flight. You will have different guides along the route, including highly praised names such as Amr, Heba, Gabriel, and Mustafa. Expect full days, early starts, and some cruise-quality variation.

“We recently completed a 5-day Nile cruise and tours with Nice Tours, and overall, it was an enjoyable experience. Daily coordination and instructions were generally clear, although there were some variations and delays. Mohra was a supportive contact throughout, addressing questions and resolving issues as they came up. The experience could be enhanced by sharing cruise and room details in advance to ensure guests receive the room category they paid for; as a couple that paid for a deluxe room, we were assigned a standard twin room, and attention to such details would help ensure customer comfort. A 24/7 working contact number for emergencies would also be helpful. All in…”

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5.4-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Balloon Flight

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 112 reviews · 4 days · from $1,300

Fly from Cairo to Aswan, tour Philae and Abu Simbel, then sail north aboard a full-board Nile cruise. You’ll visit Kom Ombo, Edfu, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Karnak, and Luxor Temple, with a sunrise balloon flight over Luxor. Guides may include Mary, Ahmed, Mido, or other multilingual local experts.

“The Tour went really well. Nice Tours took good care of us. Everything was coordinated well. Nice Tour coordinator Zeinab is easy to reach and she gave us all the information in a timely manner. They are also always checking up on us. They are easy to contact. Shout out to our tour guide Ahmed Majid who is very good in explaining the sites History. The cruise ship was also a very nice experience, everyone was polite and really accommodating. This Tour is brillant! I think this is the best way to see Egypt.”

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6.3-Day Nile Cruise with Hot Air Balloon & Flights

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 71 reviews · 4 days · from $1,300

Fly from Cairo to Luxor, rise over ancient temples in a sunrise hot-air balloon, then cruise south to Aswan. You’ll visit the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Abu Simbel with guides such as Ayman, Hassan, Khaled, and Ahmed. Flights, transfers, meals, hotel, and cruise lodging are included, but entrance fees and drinks cost extra.

“This was an excellent trip, really well arranged, communication by Mohra was faultless, she was always responsive, kind and helpful. The guides spoke really good English. The arrangements all went according to plan, the starts were early, but to be honest they were early because its very hot later on in the day and you can have a sleep in the afternoon at the heat of the day. The temples were breathtaking and the balloon trip was just awesome-I would highly recommend.”

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7.4-Days 3-Night Nile Cruise with Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 53 reviews · 4 days · from $456

Spend 4 days and 3 nights aboard a full-board Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, with an Egyptologist guide such as Ahmed Shawky Ali or Mohamed Gobran. Visit Abu Simbel, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, and Hatshepsut’s temple, then rise before dawn for a 30 to 45-minute balloon flight over Luxor.

“We absolutely loved our trip. We saw so much and the guides (Mohammed in Aswan and Ahmed in Luxor) were very knowledgeable and great with time keeping. Early starts but we felt it was worth it to see the sights. Food was really good and plentiful, you pay extra for drinks which were approximately €2 (could pay cash or card). There is also request $15 tip (cash) for the crew which was fine by us but would be good to know amount in advance. Cabins had comfortable beds and lovely view from the roof deck of the boat. Overall a memorable experience and would recommend if you need to do…”

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8.4-Day 3-Night Nile Cruise with Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · 4 days · from $1,000

You spend three nights on a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, with visits to the High Dam, Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor’s major temples. The final morning brings a sunrise hot air balloon flight. English guiding is included, with Spanish, German, French, and Arabic available.

“I got a private guide who named Andro is very knowledgeable and considerate. He’s very helpful and made my day. I am so grateful for him. I also got a private driver. Everything is excellent and exceeding my expectations.”

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9.7-Night Luxury Nile River Cruise & Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · from $900

Spend seven nights on a five-star Nile cruise from Luxor, with stops at the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Aswan, Abu Simbel, and a Nubian village. A sunrise hot-air balloon flight over Luxor, meals, transfers, private transport, and an English-speaking Egyptologist are included. Guides may include Mary, Ayman, Asma Saber, or other company staff.

“I had excellent adventure with Safa the tour guide. The tour was very Informative. We reallly enjoyed our trip to Luxor.”

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10.5-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 19 reviews · 5 days · from $1,300

Sail from Aswan to Luxor for four nights aboard a 5-star Nile cruise, with an English-speaking Egyptologist, private transfers, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor’s temples, and a hot air balloon flight. Guides such as Fidia and Ahmed Sony have earned warm praise, but recent guests also report serious problems with cabin bookings, timing, and communication.

“Ahmed sony was a very friendly and knowlegable guide with a lot of humor. it was educational and fun”

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11.3 Days Nile River Cruise & Hot Air Balloon Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 18 reviews · 3 days · from $520

Travel from Aswan to Luxor aboard a five-star Nile cruise with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Kom Ombo and Edfu. You will enjoy meals, a horse and carriage ride, and an early hot air balloon flight over Luxor’s ancient monuments. Guide Samy is available on some departures, while guide Manal has helped guests handle local tipping problems.

“Such a wonderful trip with fine price and friendly staff. After booking, the staff keep in touch with us at any time, so we don't have to worry about the whole tour. The Nile river is very beautiful, the cruise is nice, we spent three wonderful days here. Especially Guide Samy, he gave us a tour of Aswan, quite experienced and helpful, what he offered us is way more than a guide, He is kind, warm, and patient. We shall never forget him.”

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