2-Week Nile Cruises
Ever thought about exploring Roman catacombs in Alexandria, strolling along the seafront corniche, then discovering Giza's ancient pyramids? Alexandria, Ancient Egypt and Nile cruising delivers comprehensive Egyptian history. Tour the Grand Egyptian Museum's treasures, cruise the Nile visiting iconic temples carved from stone. Thirteen days from Mediterranean coast to Upper Egypt shows you Egypt's full timeline from Ptolemaic to Pharaonic periods.
Insider tips: Recommended 2-week Nile itineraries
Compiled by
MelissaNile travel expert at TourRadar
12 Days in Egypt, incl. Cairo and Luxor
This 12-day route spans 6 Egyptian cities along the Nile, featuring 7 nights cruising from Luxor to Aswan. The Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, and Karnak Temple complex in Luxor await. Philae Temple and High Dam in Aswan complement traditional felucca sailing and high tea at historic Old Cataract Hotel.
- Days 1-2
Cairo & Luxor
Begin your trip in Cairo and take an evening to adjust to the time zone. Book a hotel near the Nile in Zamalek or Garden City for convenient access to sites. On Day 2, take a morning flight to Luxor (1 hour) and visit the vast Karnak Temple complex. A fellow traveler shares: "Get to Karnak early before the intense midday heat sets in. The Hypostyle Hall's 134 columns are most photogenic in morning light."
- Days 3-4
Nile Cruise to Aswan
Start your Nile cruise heading south. Visit the Temple of Hathor at Dendera and continue to Edfu. Watch the ship pass through the Esna Lock from the deck. In Aswan, visit the High Dam and unfinished obelisk. Wear light breathable clothes since deck temperatures often reach 100°F (38°C).
- Days 5-6
Aswan & Philae
Take a morning boat to the Temple of Isis on Philae Island, which was moved piece by piece when the Aswan Dam was built. You can opt for the Abu Simbel trip but prepare for a 4am departure. Have afternoon tea at the Old Cataract Hotel with Nile views. Take a felucca boat ride for sunset photos.
- Days 7-8
Return Cruise to Luxor
Stop at Kom Ombo temple, unique for honoring both the crocodile god Sobek and falcon god Horus. Enjoy downtime between sites. Watch for Luxor Temple lit up along the river bank as you approach the city.
- Days 9-10
Valley of the Kings & Cairo
Start early at the Valley of the Kings to beat crowds and heat. One visitor notes: "Bring cash for the extra fee to see King Tut's tomb - it's worth it." Back in Cairo, explore the Citadel and Mohammed Ali Mosque. Visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum to see Tutankhamun's artifacts.
- Days 11-12
Pyramids & Departure
End your trip at the pyramids. Visit Saqqara's Step Pyramid first, then the Great Pyramids of Giza. Go early morning or late afternoon for better photos and fewer people. Buy separate tickets to enter the pyramids. Book afternoon flights home since Cairo morning traffic can be unpredictable.
14 Day Egypt Itinerary, incl. Cairo and Luxor
The 14-day Nile expedition features a 5-star cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Witness Abu Simbel temples, Philae Temple, Kom Ombo, and Edfu, showcasing the river's most significant archaeological sites and ancient temples.
- Days 1-4
Cairo & Alexandria
Start in Cairo to adjust to the time zone. One traveler shared: "Get to the pyramids early - Khaled our guide timed everything perfectly to avoid the biggest crowds." Begin with a full day at the Giza pyramid complex and Saqqara. Visit the step pyramid at Saqqara first to understand the historical context before seeing the Great Pyramids. Plan a day trip to Alexandria (3 hours each way) to explore the Roman catacombs and new library. Back in Cairo, spend a morning at the Egyptian Museum. Visit early because the King Tut exhibits get very crowded later. In the afternoon when it's cooler, visit the Hanging Church and Coptic Cairo.
- Days 5-7
Aswan & Abu Simbel
Book a morning flight to Aswan to start your Nile cruise portion. Visit the High Dam and take a boat to Philae Temple. The next day requires a 4 AM start to Abu Simbel. The 3-hour drive is long but seeing these massive temples before the heat is essential. A recent visitor noted: "Abu Simbel was awe-inspiring - absolutely don't skip this even though it's an early wake-up call."
- Days 8-10
Nile Cruise to Luxor
Cruise north with stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu temples. The Edfu temple is particularly well-preserved. Take the horse carriage ride there for some local flavor. In Luxor, visit the temple at night when it's cooler and beautifully lit. Spend a full day on the West Bank starting with Valley of the Kings in the morning. Follow with Queen Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Visit the massive Karnak Temple complex in late afternoon.
- Days 11-13
Red Sea Resort Break
Drive 4 hours to Hurghada for beach time. Take a snorkeling trip to Orange Bay to see coral reefs. Try the sunset desert safari with quad bikes and Bedouin dinner on your second day after getting some rest. The Red Sea offers excellent swimming and snorkeling conditions with clear water.
- Day 14
Return to Cairo
Take a morning flight back to Cairo to avoid common afternoon delays. Spend your final day in Islamic Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar before departing.
14 Day Egypt Itinerary, incl. Cairo and Luxor
The 14-day Nile adventure highlights a 3-night luxury cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Marvel at 6 major temples including Philae, Kom Ombo, and Edfu. The route leads through Valley of Kings and Karnak Temple before reaching Red Sea coast.
- Days 1-3
Cairo & Alexandria
Arrive in Cairo and check into your hotel near Giza or downtown. On day 2, start early at Saqqara's Step Pyramid, followed by the famous Giza pyramids complex. One traveler shared: "The pyramids are best visited in the morning before the intense heat and crowds arrive." Take a day trip to Alexandria on day 3 to see Greco-Roman ruins, catacombs, and the modern library. Remember to carry small Egyptian pounds for bathroom stops.
- Days 4-5
Cairo to Aswan
Visit the Egyptian Museum at 9 AM to see Tutankhamun's treasures before the crowds arrive. After exploring Coptic Cairo's churches, take the overnight sleeper train to Aswan (12-14 hours). Once in Aswan, start your Nile cruise and visit the High Dam and beautiful Philae Temple. Bring motion sickness medication for the boat ride to Philae.
- Days 6-7
Abu Simbel & Nile Cruise
Getting up at 4 AM for Abu Simbel pays off. After the 3-hour desert drive, you'll see one of Egypt's most spectacular monuments. Return to your cruise and visit Kom Ombo's unique double temple to learn about ancient Egyptian medicine. The next day, take a horse carriage to Edfu Temple, the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt, before sailing through Esna Lock to Luxor.
- Days 8-9
Luxor
Start early in the Valley of the Kings to avoid peak heat. Wear good walking shoes and pack water, as the tomb steps are steep and there's no shade. Visit Queen Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon before crossing to the East Bank. Karnak Temple is huge, so consider hiring a guide to explain its 134 columns and hieroglyphics.
- Days 10-12
Red Sea Break
Take a 4-hour drive to Hurghada for three relaxing days by the Red Sea. You can go quad biking in the desert, ride camels, or snorkel at Giftun Island's coral reefs. Go snorkeling in the morning for the best water visibility.
- Days 13-14
Final Cairo Days
Take a 1-hour flight back to Cairo. Spend time shopping at Khan el-Khalili bazaar or visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Hotels near Giza offer pyramid views, but downtown locations are closer to restaurants. Book evening flights on day 14 to make the most of your last day.
Nile 14 Day Tour Packages You'll Love
Splendours of Egypt (Small Groups)
Explore Egypt from Cairo: 14-Days 13-Nights Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise and Red Sea
Marvels of Egypt:14-Day 13-Night to Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise, and Red Sea with Sleeper Train and Flight
Alexandria, Ancient Egypt & Nile Cruising - 13 days
Egypt Family Adventure Sahara Desert, Nile Cruise and Hurghada
Best of Turkey, Egypt & Jordan (Istanbul/Cappadocia/Cairo/Nile cruise/Petra)All flights included
Golden Egypt tour: 14 Day luxury (Cairo GEM & Alexandria & White desert & Nile cruise & Hurghada)
Egypt to Petra: 14-Day Tour with GEM, Nile Cruise, White Desert, Jordan ( Domestic flight And International flights from Egypt to Jordan )
Budget 14 Days Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise & El Bahariya Oasis, Sharm (GEM Museum Visit)
Egyptian Highlights W/Full Board Nile Cruise
What people love about 2-week Nile river cruises
We took the 14 night and 13 day tour of Egypt in March 2025. This was the best tour so far we have been on. I would like to thank Heba Haggag of gift tours for all her care and planning of the tour. Without her I don’t know how we would have managed! She made sure of the timing of the optional tours, the drivers and the excellent tour guides. It was basically a private tour for my husband and I as it was only the 2 of us and then only 2 tours where there were 3 and 4 more people along with the tours. All flights were well timed and the seat classes were good. Our accomadations were clean and the hotels treated us well. Our drivers for the tours were all pleasant. Just one suggestion, the driver that met us at the airport when you first get to Cairo should acknowledge himself as the tour driver, and meet you in the airport, or explain exactly where he is. Khaled was our first tour guide for Cairo and was just excellent! Very knowledgeable, never rushing and answering all our questions politely. Nothing asked wasn’t answered. Our main driver was Ahmed and if I could suggest to slow down a little when driving, I understand the driving is a little crazy in Cairo!!! The first optional tour was a boat/dinner tour with belly dancing and turin dancing that was really enjoyable and the buffet meal was really good! We then had a very pleasant and safe driver named Mohamed take us and a family to Sakura, Khaled gave us the tour and really explained we,,. Told us about people there that would try to talk you into, pictures and dress up for camel photos, which we fell for!!! The museum with the displays of King Tut was bang one, could of stayed a few days just wandering around it! So many tourists but Khaled managed to show us things before the crowds would be there in droves! In fact everything that he showed us was done so we wouldn’t be with so many people. We decided not to go to Alexandria and Khaled was fine with that and planned for other sights to see. Khaled was always very close by to help us with market sellers and such and explain anything needed. After an excellent 5 days we were taken by air to Aswan. Nice flight and met our second guide Zakarya, again very knowledgeable and pleasant. Took us on a few sights before checking in on our Nile cruise ship Crown Emperor. Very nice older boat, but staff very kind and helpful! Again driver to Abu Simel was a good driver, and Abu Simel amazing! Also another couple optional tours on the water. Landed in Luxor to still more tours that were so interesting with Zakarya, including the Edfu temple. Off the boat after 3 days and taken to our other hotel for 2 days. I would highly recommend the hot air balloon ride over the valley of Kings, awe inspiring!! A needed day off from tours but we did want to stay busy! Heba called us daily to ask how everything was going and how the guides were doing 😘 And lastly our final drive to Hurghada for 3 days of rest and relaxation! The Red Sea was wonderful to sit in a lounge chair and soak up the rays!!! Hurghada is quite the resort town. Flew from Hurghada to Cairo, picked up by a driver and taken to last hotel for the night. Nice rest before leaving and flying home! This was a busy trip but an amazing trip. Learned soooo much!! Only negatives we had were many many people smoke and was almost too much for non smokers! Ramadan was on while we were here and must have been hard to explain so much pleasantly with fasting all day. I’m sure some of our questions were eye rolling for the guides but it never seemed too much. Again would like to thank Heba for her guidance and such pleasant answers! I would suggest Khaled and Zakarya as very pleasant and professional guides. The whole trip was very safe and never felt nervous in any way! Thank you, thank you 🙏
Explore Egypt from Cairo: 14-Days 13-Nights Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise and Red Sea
- Marvels of Egypt:14-Day 13-Night to Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise, and Red Sea with Sleeper Train and Flight
There were some parts of the tour that were very good and others that were poor. The communication and organisation done by Heba was fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble and we are glad she was the organiser of this tour. The tour itself was great and we had a great time. Some of the guides wanted to change the itinerary and in some cases it felt like they just wanted to get the day done and get home. The guide we had in Cairo day 1 was great but the subsequent guide told us the Coptic churches weren't worth going to so we missed out on them even though they were on the schedule. The guide we had on the cruise and in Luxor was full of knowledge and made sure that we saw everything we wanted to, he was fantastic. The accommodation in Hurghada was poor with a very outdated room at a resort that looked great but was only 2 stars. All other accommodation on the tour was wonderful and the cruise was just as we imagined it would be.
- Golden Egypt tour: 14 Day luxury (Cairo GEM & Alexandria & White desert & Nile cruise & Hurghada)
Very nice, friendly and knowledgeable guide (Ihab)who went the extramile to accomodate almost all of our requests. We highly recommend this company tour and Ihab if you are planning to come to this beautiful country.
