The 15 Best Nile Cruise and Balloon Packages in Egypt

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

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

Cruise from Aswan to Luxor aboard a full-board five-star Nile ship, with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide. You’ll visit Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, and Karnak, plus take a sunrise hot-air balloon ride. Mohamed Gobran, Saber, and Mahmoud are among the guides assigned to recent groups.

“We had a good overall experience on our Nile cruise. For the price we paid, it was definitely worth it — especially considering there are much more expensive options out there. This cruise gave us a comfortable, affordable way to explore Egypt’s ancient sites without overspending. Some things to keep in mind: • Location: If you’re staying on the west side of Aswan, you’ll likely pay an extra fee for pickup. It’s better to book accommodation near the train station or airport on the east side, where pickup is included. • Food: Meals were good overall, but note that you’ll only get one full breakfast onboard. On the mornings of…”

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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

Spend three nights aboard a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, with an Egyptologist guide, Abu Simbel by road, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, and a sunrise hot-air balloon ride. The pace is brisk, entrance fees are extra, and guide quality can vary by departure.

“Great service on the cruise, with fresh and clean food. Our tour guide Mahmoud explains a lot history of Egypt and temples, it is worth to join in.”

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3.3-Night Nile Cruise to Aswan and Hot Air Balloon

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

Spend 3 nights on a full-board Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, with private transfers, temple visits, a felucca ride, and a sunrise hot air balloon flight. Guides such as Asma, Hassan, Ahmed Anwar, and Arwa have earned praise for clear explanations and careful support. Abu Simbel brings a long final-day drive, and entry fees and drinks cost extra.

“Arwa was always helpful 24/7! The activity was amazing! Since I’m a solo traveler, I had private tours the whole time which is really cool! Thanks guys for an unbelievable experience!”

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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, and Abu Simbel. You also get a sunrise balloon ride, felucca trip, meals, transfers, and Egyptologist guides. Guides such as Amr, Heba, Ahmed, and Mustafa have earned special praise, though ship quality can vary.

“The trip was extremely well organised, Zeinab was extremely responsive over WhatsApp and our tour guides, Paul and Samar Helmet were very knowledgeable. Highlight was definitely the sunrise balloon ride. Only negatives were the extortionate price of drinks on the boat (TiYi), a medium bottle of water was 8x the price of what we were paying for a large bottle of water off the boat. This was even worse if you wanted an alcoholic drink. Then also the pool on the boat, definitely could have done with a deep clean. The staff on the boat were super attentive, helpful and welcoming”

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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, visit Philae and Abu Simbel, then cruise north to Luxor with stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu. Your final morning brings a sunrise balloon flight over the Nile Valley, followed by the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Karnak, and Luxor Temple. Guides may include Mary, Ahmed, Mido, or Heba.

“I really enjoyed discovering Egypt and the cruise overall was a memorable experience. The activities, especially the hot air balloon, were amazing and I truly recommend them. The service staff onboard were kind and attentive, which I appreciated a lot. However, the cruise itself could have been cleaner – I found a bug in my room, and the food unfortunately upset my stomach. Communication with Nice Tour was not always smooth, but when I had an issue it was resolved fairly quickly. In the end, despite a few downsides, the overall experience was unique and beautiful, and I would still recommend it to others who want to enjoy the Nile…”

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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 by hot-air balloon over Luxor at sunrise, then cruise two nights to Aswan. You’ll visit the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Abu Simbel with local guides such as Ayman, Hassan, and Ahmed. Flights, transfers, a 4-star hotel, and full-board cruise meals are included.

“From Luxor to Aswan variety of activities were planned very carefully and methodically. Excellent experience Guides were all knowledgeable and friendly Excellent coordination by Mohra. This can be done without Mohra's coordination.”

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

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

Spend three nights aboard a five-star Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, with an Egyptologist guide, Abu Simbel, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor’s temples, and a 30 to 45-minute sunrise balloon flight. Guides including Ahmed Shawky Ali, Mohamed Gobran, and Mahmud are praised for clear explanations and careful timing.

“very rich program and knowledgeable guides. Quite challenging the program in terms of timings, very busy the days”

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

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

Spend three nights aboard a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, with guided visits to Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Luxor’s major sights. Guides such as Ahmed Sony, Andro, Heba, and Mido have earned praise for clear storytelling. The final morning brings a sunrise balloon flight, but expect early starts and entrance fees paid separately.

“Was a really good option to know Egypt and it's gorgeous temples Will reccomend it, yes! what I don't like it: the timing for the temples is short, I don't know if longer duration cruices will allow you to stay longer in the temples but will be good”

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9.3-Day Nile Cruise to Aswan with Balloon Ride

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 43 reviews · 3 days · from $750

Travel from Luxor to Aswan in three busy days, starting with a hot-air balloon ride and West Bank tombs, then sailing by 5-star cruise to Edfu and Kom Ombo. Your private Egyptologist explains the temples, and a pre-dawn drive reaches Abu Simbel. Guides may include Mina Habib, Manel, Emad Elsmaky, or Mustafa.

“Mina Habib,Manel and Emad elsmaky They were our guides. Special people, very knowledgeable and helpful in every way. Mina was truly very kind and helpful, while Emad was very, very friendly. Highly recommended, and you'll be lucky to have them as your guides. The tour it’s fantastic the food not bad and the people very very kind.”

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10.7-Night Luxury Nile River Cruise & Hot Air Balloon

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

Spend seven nights aboard a five-star Nile cruise from Luxor, with Egyptologist guides, a sunrise hot-air balloon flight, Abu Simbel, Philae, Karnak, Luxor Temple, and a Nubian village visit. Guides such as Ayman, Asma Saber, George, and Remon have been praised for clear explanations and flexible service. Entrance fees are extra.

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11.5-Day Nile Cruise to Luxor with Hot Air Balloon

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

Cruise from Aswan to Luxor for four nights on a 5-star ship, with an English-speaking Egyptologist, private transfers, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor’s temples, and a hot air balloon ride. You receive meals and a private Nile-view cabin, but entry fees, drinks, and some airport transfers cost extra.

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

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12.3 Days Nile River Cruise & Hot Air Balloon Ride

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

Sail from Aswan to Luxor aboard a five-star Nile cruise, stopping at Kom Ombo and Edfu with an English-speaking guide. You’ll enjoy meals, a horse-and-carriage ride, and an early hot-air balloon flight over Luxor’s ancient monuments. Guide Samy has earned special praise for his kindness and clear explanations.

“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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13.6-Day Nile Cruise to Aswan with Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 14 reviews · 6 days · from $1,100

Travel south from Luxor to Aswan on a 5-star Nile cruise with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, sunrise balloon ride, felucca sail, Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, a Nubian village, and Abu Simbel. The program suits first-time Egypt visitors who want major sights handled in one trip.

“Super séjour sur le bateau avec un équipage aux petits soins et très professionnel. Le buffet était bon et varié. La chambre spacieuse et agréable. Concernant les activités tout a été honoré, les premières étaient individuelles et très appréciées, le temple d’Edfu, Abu Simbel se sont fait en groupe et moins appréciées avec des transports inconfortables : 4 dans une calèche de dos à ne rien voir, et 25 dans un minibus sans place pendant 8h compliqué. Les guides ont étés très sympas, surtout à Louxor. Enfin il ne faut pas être trop organisés car le programme varie du jour au lendemain avec parfois des informations tardives mais c’est l’organisation…”

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14.3-Day Nile Cruise to Aswan & Hot Air Balloon

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 12 reviews · 3 days · from $1,200

Travel from Hurghada to Luxor and Aswan on a fast-paced three-day trip with a hot air balloon ride, private Egyptologist-led tours, two nights aboard a Nile cruise, Edfu and Kom Ombo, and Abu Simbel. Guides may include Hamdy or Isaac, with chauffeur Wael noted for careful support. Choose Aswan or Hurghada drop-off.

“départ un peu chaotique avec difficulté à avoir l’horaire du pickup. Une fois pris en charge après 1h de route depuis Hurghada, on a du faire demi-tour pour aller chercher un papier pour la police oublié par le chauffeur… on est arrivé vers 4:00 à Louxor et nous avons été oubliés pour le ballon. j’ai du les contacter et qqn est enfin venu nous chercher 1h30 après. Lever de soleil raté. Heureusement, ensuite, tout le reste s’est bien passé.”

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15.4-Day Nile Cruise to Aswan with Balloon Ride

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 6 reviews · 4 days · from $860

Travel from Luxor to Aswan aboard a three-night Nile cruise, with Luxor Temple, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Abu Simbel. A pre-dawn hot-air-balloon ride is included, along with private transfers and an English-speaking guide. Andrew, Mido, and Malak are named contacts associated with the tour, but guide assignments can vary.

“Andrew and Mido and Malak made our experience absolutely excellent from start to finish. I traveled with my son, and from the very first contact everything was clear, well organized and handled with great professionalism — something that truly matters when traveling in a destination like Egypt. All transfers were punctual and smooth, and they were always attentive, kind and willing to help. The guides were knowledgeable and passionate about Egyptian history, and the explanations during the visits in Luxor were engaging and easy to follow, even for my son, which made the experience even more special. The Nile cruise was perfectly organized, schedules were respected and the team was…”

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