Self-Launched 3-Day Nile Cruise & Ancient Temples: Aswan to Luxor
3 days · Egypt (Nile Valley: Aswan to Luxor)
Egypt Gift Tours charges £560
No-markup version: ~£250 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Egypt Gift Tours' 3-day Aswan-to-Luxor Nile cruise. Instead of a fully guided 5-star deluxe cruise package, you book a budget-friendly 2-night felucca or low-cost Nile cruise (or, cheaper still, travel overland by train/minibus and sleep in hostels in Aswan, Edfu and Luxor), arrange your own guides or join small shared tours via GetYourGuide, and pay temple entry fees yourself. You'll see the same headline sights — Philae, the High Dam, Kom Ombo, Edfu's Temple of Horus, Luxor and Karnak temples, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon — for roughly a third of the tour price. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Aswan: High Dam, Philae Temple & sail toward Kom Ombo
Aswan / Kom Ombo
Start early in Aswan. Book a shared taxi or local driver (agree the price first, ~£12-18 for the half-day) to the High Dam (entry ~£2), then take a public motorboat across to Philae Temple (~£3 boat + ~£7 entry, payable in EGP cash). If you want a guide, book a half-day Aswan highlights tour on GetYourGuide (~£20-25) instead of a private guide. In the early afternoon board your pre-booked budget Nile cruise or shared fellucca/Motorboat sailing south-north toward Kom Ombo — 2-night Aswan-Luxor cruises on 3-4 star boats can be booked directly with local operators or via Klook from ~£110-160 pp sharing a twin cabin, including full board. Late afternoon stop at Kom Ombo (dual temple of Sobek and Horus, entry ~£6), best seen at sunset when the tour groups thin out. Optional evening: Nubian village by motorboat from Aswan (~£15-20 if booked locally, don't pay in USD at tour rates).
🚌Shared taxi/microbus to High Dam & Philae (~£15 total for the group); pre-booked budget Nile cruise Aswan-Luxor (2 nights, from ~£110-160 pp twin share)
🛏Twin-share cabin on a budget/3-star Nile cruise boat (full board) — or, overland alternative: hostel in Aswan (~£12-15)
- →High Dam viewpoint (entry ~£2)
- →Philae Temple by public motorboat (~£10 all-in)
- →Sail toward Kom Ombo
- →Kom Ombo Temple at sunset (~£6 entry)
- →Optional: Nubian Village boat trip (~£18)
Edfu Temple of Horus, Esna Lock & Luxor Temple by night
Edfu / Esna / Luxor
Breakfast on board, then take a shared horse carriage (caleche) from the boat landing to the Temple of Horus at Edfu (~£3-4 per person; negotiate before you get in, and confirm the price is for the whole carriage not per person). Temple entry ~£7. Back on board for lunch as the boat transits the Esna Lock — a slow, buzzy spectacle with local traders rowing out to the boat. If you're doing the overland version, take the morning minibus or train from Aswan to Edfu (~£3-5, 1.5-2 hrs), visit the temple, then continue by train to Luxor (~£4-6, 1.5 hrs). Arrive Luxor in the late afternoon and walk Luxor Temple on the East Bank yourself (~£7 entry) — go around sunset when it's lit and cooler. Optional add-ons: hot air balloon at dawn over Luxor (~£65-85 booked locally or via GetYourGuide, vs. £100+ tour rates) or an Abu Simbel day trip if you're flexing the schedule (shared minibus ~£45-55 pp). Evenings: cheap koshari dinner in Luxor (~£2-3).
🚌Shared horse carriage to Edfu Temple (~£4); boat through Esna Lock (included); overland alternative: Aswan-Edfu train/minibus ~£4, Edfu-Luxor train ~£5
🛏Second night on board the cruise boat — or hostel/guesthouse in Luxor West Bank (~£12-18)
- →Edfu Temple of Horus (~£7 entry)
- →Esna Lock transit from the sundeck
- →Luxor Temple at sunset (~£7 entry)
- →Optional: Luxor hot air balloon (~£75)
- →Optional: Abu Simbel shared day trip (~£50)
West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & Karnak
Luxor
Check out early and cross the Nile by public ferry (~£0.30) or take a shared microbus to the West Bank. Agree a half-day shared taxi with other travellers (~£15-20 for the vehicle, 4 people) covering the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahari and a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Valley of the Kings entry ~£14 (includes 3 tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb is extra ~£10, Ramesses V/VI extra ~£3). Hatshepsut temple ~£7. Return to the East Bank and finish at Karnak Temple (~£10 entry) — allow 1.5-2 hours for the hypostyle hall. If you want a guide for the day, a shared small-group West Bank tour on GetYourGuide runs ~£25-35 pp including transport. Finish mid-afternoon with a cheap lunch (~£3) before your onward train or flight. Entrance fees are cash/card at each site — budget ~£45 total for Day 3 entries and bring small EGP notes.
🚌Public Nile ferry to West Bank (~£0.30); shared taxi for West Bank circuit (~£5 pp split 4 ways); microbus back to East Bank (~£0.50)
🛏None included (onward travel day) — budget ~£15 if you stay an extra night in Luxor
- →Valley of the Kings (~£14 entry)
- →Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (~£7 entry)
- →Colossi of Memnon photo stop (free)
- →Karnak Temple (~£10 entry)
- →Optional: shared guided West Bank tour via GetYourGuide (~£30)
Self-launched vs. Egypt Gift Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Gift Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£250 | £560 |
| Duration | 3 days | 3 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £310 per person (55%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Egypt Gift Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£250
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched 3-Day Nile Cruise & Ancient Temples: Aswan to Luxor cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £250 per person for 3 days in Egypt (Nile Valley: Aswan to Luxor). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Egypt Gift Tours?+
Yes — Egypt Gift Tours charges around £560 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £250 — a saving of roughly £310 (55%) per person.
How long is the Egypt (Nile Valley: Aswan to Luxor) trip?+
This itinerary runs 3 days, covering 3 day-by-day stops through Egypt (Nile Valley: Aswan to Luxor).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through Egypt (Nile Valley: Aswan to Luxor), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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