Travelling for us is less of an itinerary and more of a winging it situation. A $44 CAD per person flight landed us in Aswan (878 km south of Cairo). From here, we needed to figure out what to do next. This place has all the hustle and bustle with lots to see and do from the Philae temple, the two dams, elephantine island and the Bedouin villages, day trip to Abu Simbel, sailing tour in a felucca, as well as just walking around taking it all in. The list is long and can be exhausting in the extreme southern Egyptian temperatures. While relaxing on our rooftop patio from Elephantine Island we noticed all the cruise ships coming and going nearly daily. We though, that looks like a great way to see the Nile and a few temples all the while winding up at our next destination of Luxor.

These boats are all inclusive, which includes the room, three meals per day with an afternoon snack (no drinks, not even water), as well as transport and a guide to the attractions at designated stops. It can also include entry to the attractions depending on how much you want to spend. For us, we chose the most inexpensive package that didn’t include entry fees. This also ended up benefiting us when one of our girls got sick and only one of us could go to the Temple of Horus in Edfu.

So, how did we go about getting on one of these ships?

First, we looked it up online to get a better idea of what kind of cost we would be looking at. Most websites were stating prices around the $110 – $150 US per person per night. We then set out to walk the streets and find a way to get on one. This option not only cuts out the middle man but also gives you face to face bartering along with an opportunity to tour the boat you may be spending the next few days on.

When you first step out into the streets of Aswan you are bombarded with people asking you if you want a taxi ride, felucca (boat ride), and or horse and carriage ride. Even politely saying no thanks doesn’t really shake them. But, once we got through that we started walking the promenade along the Nile’s edge. Here the cruise ships were stacked three deep and were lined up for kilometres. While we would stop to gaze at the different boats we were approached by a man in a yellow shirt who asked if we wanted to go on one. He then made a phone call. Monty (tour operator), who also just happened to be walking by, came right over to talk with us and describe the ships available. We then talked prices and asked for a tour of the cruise boat. He kindly taxied us there and we then bartered more about the price. He said he couldn’t budge on that boat we were on but there was a different company he could get us a less expensive deal.

So how much exactly did we end up paying?

The cost worked out to $55 US per day per person with our two girls (4) being free as long as no extra beds were required. We agreed and would get on the ship the following morning. and paid. These cruises all have a similar schedule but leave on different days and times. We had several options on which day we wanted to leave as well as how many nights we wanted to spend on the boat. While we chose the four days / three nights package, our particular ship wouldn’t be leaving until the following afternoon. We chose this as we wanted to tour Philae temple which was to be included in our package along with all our meals. The itinerary can include what ever tours in Aswan you agree to, tour of Kom Ombo Temple in Kom Ombo, Temple of Horus in Edfu, what ever temples in Luxor you agree to and transportation from your hotel in Aswan to your hotel in Luxor. Temple entrance fees were not included in our package but if you wanted them included then you might want to figure out if it’s worth the extra cost upfront versus paying yourself. We didn’t even ask how much extra this would be.

All of these large cruise ships come equipped with a roof top sundeck pool. Some are much more elaborate than others but all in all it’s a very nice feature, although while cruising the wind can be quite chilly, especially when in the water. The lower floor on our boat consisted of the dining area and staff accommodation. Second floor, at which you enter the boat, housed the entrance lobby and seating area. Third floor contained a lounge area for entertaining and the fourth floor was the sun deck. The guest accommodation was located on the second and third floors.

As the boats are fairly slim all of the rooms come with an amazing river view. While our particular ship didn’t have a balcony, it did have a large opening window with a wide sill and a railing on the outside to sit on to enjoy the scenery and fresh air. Luckily enough we were on the left side by chance which displayed breathtaking sunsets as we cruised north down the Nile.

So, if you want to go on an inexpensive cruise on the Nile here in Egypt then don’t book online ahead of time, instead arrive at the beginning city you want to cruise from and go for a walk down by the cruise ships.

Our first day in Cairo we were told to never trust anyone. While a bit skeptical about this whole transaction we trusted our gut on this one and it worked out.

Here is the contact for Monty should you find yourself in Aswan wanting to get on a cruise ship. We take no responsibility or liability for this contact. We are merely sharing it in case you would like to use him to get a great deal with in Aswan.

Montasser (Monty) Mohamed – tour operator/guide

WhatsApp: 00201025111063

Email: monty1974@hotmail.com