| 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 |
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.
Only on this route
The only 4 day cruise on Lake Nasser, sailing between the UNESCO rock temples of Abu Simbel and Aswan's Philae the route that reaches every major Nubian monument saved from the High Dam flood.
Arc I · Nubian Lake Heritage
Abu Simbel and northern Nubian temples unfold along Lake Nasser
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Arc II · Temples Toward Aswan
Wadi El Seboua and Kalabsha lead the journey into Aswan
The vessel arrives at Wadi El Seboua as breakfast is served. No transfer is needed; the landing stage is beside the temple complex.
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.
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.
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.
Breakfast
* 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.
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.
Prices shown include your hotel stay by default. Switch off to see tour-only pricing if you're arranging your own accommodation.
Xmas window: 21 Dec – 7 Jan / Easter window: 29 Mar – 11 Apr
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All things you should know before visiting Egypt & Beyond
Tripidays Egypt Tours has been offering an exceptional range of Egypt tours, vacation packages, Nile cruises, day trips, and shore excursions tailored to meet the diverse interests of travelers worldwide for over 45 years.
