Egypt Short Breaks Itinerary: What to See in 3, 4, or 5 Days
November 19, 2025
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about Egypt Short Breaks Itinerary: What to See in 3, 4, or 5 Days
From:
$620
4.9
Tour Details
| Duration |
4 Days / 3 Nights |
|---|---|
| Tour Location |
Abu Simbel / Amada / Wadi El Seboua / Kalabsha / Aswan |
| Tour Type |
Daily Tour |
| Pickup |
Abu Simbel Airport or Your Hotel |
4 Day Lake Nasser Cruise Abu Simbel to Aswan Journey
This is the only 4-day cruise on Lake Nasser, sailing from the UNESCO rock temples of Abu Simbel south to Aswan's Philae Island, a 300-kilometre passage through submerged Nubia that no standard Nile itinerary reaches. Boarding begins in Abu Simbel; disembarkation is in Aswan, with a private transfer to your hotel or the airport on the final morning. Travelers interested in exploring more itineraries, view all our Lake Nasser cruises.
The cruise covers seven distinct sites across four days: the twin rock temples of Ramses II and Nefertari at Abu Simbel on day one; a morning deck view of the inaccessible fortress of Kasr Ibrim, followed by landings at Amada Temple (18th Dynasty, in its original Nubian location), the rock-cut Temple of Derr, and the Tomb of Pennut on day two; the avenue of sphinxes at Wadi El Seboua on day three; and Kalabsha Temple the largest freestanding Nubian structure surviving in Lower Nubia — before the final transfer on day four. All entrance fees, three nights of full-board accommodation on a 5-star lake vessel, and a private Egyptologist guide are included throughout. To compare similar short journeys, browse all 4-day Egypt itineraries.
Why Book This Tour
- The only 4-day Lake Nasser cruise sailing from Abu Simbel to Aswan.
- Visit Abu Simbel, Kasr Ibrim, Amada, Wadi El Seboua, and Kalabsha in one journey.
- Private Egyptologist guide for all sightseeing and excursions.
- 3 nights aboard a 5-star Lake Nasser cruise with full-board meals.
- Private air-conditioned transfers throughout the tour.
- Includes the rare water-only view of Kasr Ibrim from the ship.
- Affordable prices without compromising on quality or service.
- All taxes and service charges are included with 24/7 Tripidays support.
Included
- Meet and assist with the Tripidays representative at hotel or the airport
- Private Egyptologist guide for all site visits
- All transfers are by modern private A/C vehicles
- 3 nights aboard a 5-star Lake Nasser cruise vessel
- Entrance fees to attractions are mentioned in the itinerary
- Meals are provided as mentioned in the itinerary
- One bottled water on all excursions
- Our assistance during your stay
- All Taxes and Charges
Excluded
- International flights to Egypt
- Personal expenses (souvenirs, extra meals, etc.)
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Travel Insurance
- Egypt Entry Visa
- Sound & Light Show at Abu Simbel (optional paid add-on)
Highlights
Attractions
- Abu Simbel Temple
- Amada Temple
- Derr Temple
- Tomb of Pennut
- Wadi El Seboua
- Kasr Ibrim
- Kalabsha Temple
Itinerary
Your Tripidays representative meets you at Abu Simbel Airport or your hotel and transfers you directly to the lake vessel for check-in. The 4 day lake nasser cruise to Abu Simbel begins at the waterline.
Abu Simbel Temples
You enter the forecourt and the scale registers before your guide says a word, four seated colossi of Ramses II, each 20 metres high, cut from a single sandstone cliff. Your guide will point out the solar alignment: twice a year, a shaft of light travels 60 metres into the mountain and illuminates the sanctuary figures — a feat of ancient engineering that the UNESCO relocation team had to recalculate precisely when they moved the entire structure 65 metres uphill in the 1960s.
Sound & Light Show ( Optional )
After dark, the temples are lit against the desert sky and narrated in the language of your choice, a worthwhile add-on if you want the site without the afternoon crowds.
Meals
Lunch and Dinner on board
The vessel sails north through the night. You wake on the lake, already moving toward the sites of day two — no transfers, no coaches, no wasted hours.
Kasr Ibrim
From the sundeck, you'll watch a promontory of mudbrick towers and cathedral arches rise from the water — Kasr Ibrim, the only Nubian site not relocated before the Aswan Dam flooded the valley, now permanently marooned on an island. Your guide explains the site's compressed biography: Pharaonic fortress, Roman garrison, Coptic cathedral, Ottoman mosque — four civilisations layered on the same rock, visible from the rail.
Amada Temple
Arrive at Amada Temple, one of the oldest and best-preserved temples in Nubia, dating back to the 18th Dynasty. Unlike many relocated monuments, this temple remains in its original location, allowing you to experience it in its authentic setting.
Temple of Derr
You walk into a cliff face. Derr is rock-cut, carved directly into the sandstone hillside during the reign of Ramses II, which means there is no freestanding structure, only chambers receding into the mountain. Your guide will contrast it with Abu Simbel: same pharaoh, same construction method, far fewer visitors.
Tomb of Pennut
Your guide leads you into a burial chamber that belonged not to a king but to a Nubian administrator Pennut, viceroy of Wawat under Ramses VI, whose tomb walls record scenes of tribute presentation, banquets, and the afterlife journey of a high official rather than royal propaganda.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The vessel arrives at Wadi El Seboua as breakfast is served. No transfer is needed; the landing stage is beside the temple complex.
Wadi El Seboua
You approach along a processional avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, the sight that gives Wadi El Seboua its name, "Valley of the Lions." Your guide will explain the temple's double identity: built by Ramses II as a monument to Amun, later converted by early Christians who plastered over the pharaonic reliefs and painted saints in their place, meaning you can see both layers in the same chamber.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The vessel reaches Aswan overnight. Final breakfast is served on board before check-out; a private air-conditioned vehicle is waiting dockside for your onward transfer.
Kalabsha Temple
Your final stop is the largest freestanding Nubian temple in Lower Nubia — Kalabsha, built in 30 BC on the orders of Augustus and dedicated to Mandulis, the Lower Nubian sun god. Your guide will point out the Roman-era construction details that distinguish it from every Pharaonic monument visited over the previous three days: Latin proportions, Egyptian decoration, a building that sits exactly on the cultural boundary it was designed to govern.
Meals
Breakfast
Notes:
* You can let us know if you'd like to customize your tour itinerary to meet your needs. We value your input and aim to accommodate your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tour includes three nights full-board on a 5-star Lake Nasser cruise vessel, a private Egyptologist guide for all site visits, entrance fees to Abu Simbel, Amada, Derr, Tomb of Pennut, Wadi El Seboua, and Kalabsha, and private transfers from Abu Simbel Airport on day one and to Aswan on day four. Taxes and service charges are covered; international flights, visa, and tips are not.
This is the only 4-day cruise on Lake Nasser, sailing between the UNESCO rock temples of Abu Simbel and Aswan's Philae — a route that covers seven Nubian monuments, several of them accessible only by water, that no standard Nile itinerary includes. If you are considering the overland alternative, you can compare it directly: visit Abu Simbel by flight from Cairo instead.
Lake Nasser is the reservoir created by the Aswan High Dam, completed in 1971. At 500 kilometres long, it is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and submerges the entire region of Lower Nubia, displacing the ancient monuments that line this cruise route. The lake is the only way to reach sites like Kasr Ibrim, which was not relocated, and to see the Nubian temples in their repositioned settings along the shoreline. For travellers who want to explore the Nile valley by a classic motor cruiser from Aswan instead, see our Nile cruise departing from Aswan.
The vessel boards at Abu Simbel and sails north across Lake Nasser over four days, stopping at Kasr Ibrim and Amada on day two, Wadi El Seboua on day three, and Kalabsha near Aswan on the morning of day four. All nights are spent aboard — there are no hotel stays mid-cruise and no road transfers between sites; the ship is both transport and accommodation throughout.
What to Pack
Hat
Backpack
Comfy Shoes
Powerbank
Medical Kit
Comfy Clothes
Sunglasses & Sunscreen
Personal Hygiene Products
Valid Passport For 6 Months
Tour Locations
Tour Prices
From Jan 2026 to Apr 2026
- Solo $1145
- 2 - 4 Pax $795
- 5 - 8 Pax $780
- 9 - 16 Pax $765
From May 2026 to Sep 2026
- Solo $995
- 2 - 4 Pax $660
- 5 - 8 Pax $640
- 9 - 16 Pax $620
From Oct 2026 to Dec 2026
- Solo $1335
- 2 - 4 Pax $850
- 5 - 8 Pax $840
- 9 - 16 Pax $810
Xmas 21 Dec - 7 Jan Easter 29 Mar - 11 Apr
- Solo $1575
- 2 - 4 Pax $1050
- 5 - 8 Pax $995
- 9 - 16 Pax $980
Cruises:
Movenpick Prince Abbas – Steigenberger Omar el Khayam cruise
From:
$620
4.9
