Luxury EgyptThe 12 Day Egypt Tour With Nile Cruise, Flights and Abu Simbel
This 12 day Egypt tour from Egypt For Americans is the most expensive listing in this comparison of luxury Egypt tours, at $6,527 per person. It buys a private land and river journey from Cairo through Fayoum, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel, then back to Cairo and on to Alexandria. Eleven nights of 5-star accommodation, both domestic flights, 30 entrance fees, an Egyptologist at every included site and all meals are in the price. The listing does not name the hotels or the ship. All sales are final. This page sets out what that money actually buys, what it leaves out, and which travellers should pick a different tour on luxury Egypt tours instead.
About This Tour
Egypt For Americans runs this as a private 12-day land and river journey with a licensed English-speaking Egyptologist at all included sightseeing and a travel consultant from the operator's US office escorting the trip. The route starts in Cairo with the Giza pyramids and the early pyramid sites, adds a day trip to Qaroon Lake in Fayoum, then flies to Luxor for Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple. You sail to Aswan, visit Abu Simbel, fly back to Cairo for museums and Islamic and Christian monuments, and finish with Alexandria. The listing does not name the end city, but the sightseeing closes in Alexandria.
The package is broad. It includes 11 nights of 5-star accommodation across hotels and the Nile cruise ship, 30 sightseeing and entrance fees, breakfast, lunch and dinner, bottled water during sightseeing, Wi-Fi on board and 24/7 emergency assistance. What it does not state is as important: no hotel or ship names, no cruise night count, and no refund at all once you book.
$6,527 per person, all fees and taxes included. International flights, the Egypt visa, gratuities and personal expenses are extra.
12 days, 11 nights. The listing does not say how many of those nights are on the Nile cruise.
Hotel pickup in Cairo is included. The pickup time is not stated. There is no stated meeting point.
Private group. A licensed English-speaking Egyptologist guides all included sightseeing, with a travel consultant from the US office escorting.
11 nights of 5-star accommodation across hotels and the Nile cruise ship. Neither the hotels nor the ship are named, and the ship class is not stated.
Domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo are included. Abu Simbel is included, as is the Fayoum day trip and Alexandria.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, plus bottled water during sightseeing. Other drinks are not stated as included.
International flights, the Egypt entry visa, gratuities, personal expenses and anything not in the itinerary.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations. The operator can cancel for bad weather.
Check Dates and Availability
Viator shows live dates and starting times for this tour. Note before you check that every sale is final with no refund, so confirm your international flights first.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, coverage and cancellation at a glance
This 12 day Egypt tour costs $6,527 per person and covers 11 nights of 5-star accommodation, both domestic flights, 30 entrance fees, an Egyptologist and all meals, with no refund once booked.
Key takeaways
- It is the most expensive tour compared here. A similar Luxor to Aswan route with Abu Simbel and free cancellation is on the 10-day Ultimate Egypt Nile Cruise with Abu Simbel.
- Eight private days with flights, a 3-night cruise and a balloon ride cost far less, see the 8-day Egypt Highlights with Balloon.
- Prefer 4 cruise nights at a lower price? Look at the 8-day private Egypt Nile cruise with flights.
- The full comparison of all listings sits on the Egypt luxury tours homepage.
What the Price Actually Covers
The inclusion list on this listing is long, so here is what the $6,527 buys and what you still pay for yourself.
Included, Line by Line
The operator lists private transportation with Wi-Fi on board, a licensed English-speaking Egyptologist at all included sightseeing, 11 nights of 5-star accommodation, all fees and taxes, 30 sightseeing and entrance fees as mentioned in the itinerary, domestic flight tickets Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo, breakfast, lunch and dinner, bottled water during sightseeing, and 24/7 on-call emergency assistance from the local office. A travel consultant from the US office also escorts the trip. Entrance fees and all meals are both stated as included.
What the listing does not give you is equally real. No hotel or ship name appears anywhere, and the cruise night count is not stated. You cannot check the property on a review site before paying $6,527. Ask the operator for the hotel and ship names in writing before you book.
On the day you will still pay for the Egypt entry visa, listed by the UK FCDO at US$30 cash on arrival, while a Gulf News report gives US$45 after a fee rise, gratuities, drinks beyond bottled water, personal expenses and international flights.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels and cruise | Yes | 11 nights of 5-star stays, names not stated, cruise nights not stated |
| Domestic flights | Yes | Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo |
| Entrance tickets | Yes | 30 sightseeing and entrance fees per the itinerary, not itemised in the listing |
| Abu Simbel | Yes | Included as part of the Aswan programme |
| Balloon over Luxor | Not stated | The listing does not mention it |
| Meals and drinks | Partly | Breakfast, lunch, dinner and bottled water. Other drinks not stated |
| Visa and tips | No | Egypt visa and gratuities are excluded |
| Cancellation | No refund | All sales are final, operator can cancel for bad weather |
Sources: UK FCDO travel advice: Egypt, Wikipedia: Egypt
Blue Lake Qarun meeting the desert in the Fayoum oasis. Photo: Shema abdelnaser, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing describes the route but gives no clock times, so this follows the stated order of the itinerary.
Cairo Arrival and the Pyramids
Pickup from your Cairo hotel is included, the time is not stated, and the listing shows starting times only when you check availability. The first days cover the Giza Pyramids and, per the description, the early attempts at pyramid building, so the plateau plus the older pyramid fields. Nights here are in a 5-star hotel that the listing does not name.
The Viator listing adds that infants sit on an adult's lap and that transport options are wheelchair accessible.
Fayoum Day Trip
A day trip leaves Cairo for Qaroon Lake in Fayoum, about 65 miles (105 km) from Cairo per Rough Guides. The operator describes farms, lakes and ancient whale bones on this outing. The listing does not say where you sleep that night.
Fly to Luxor and the West Bank
The domestic flight from Cairo to Luxor takes about 1 to 1.5 hours per Rough Guides. Luxor Airport (LXR) lies about 6 km east of downtown. Sightseeing here covers Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple, with the Egyptologist leading.
The listing requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness.
The Nile Cruise to Aswan
You then set sail for Aswan, a Luxor to Aswan road distance of about 214 km per Rome2Rio and about 220 km per Wikipedia. The ship is a Nile cruise ship whose class and name are not stated, and the number of cruise nights is not stated either. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
The listing says Wi-Fi on board without saying whether that means the vehicle or the ship.
Abu Simbel and the Flight Back
From Aswan the itinerary reaches Abu Simbel, where the four seated colossi on the Great Temple facade stand 20 m (66 ft) tall. Aswan sits roughly 230 km from Abu Simbel per Wikipedia, though other sources give 280 to 290 km, so this is a long transfer. After the cruise the itinerary flies from Aswan back to Cairo.
Cairo Museums and Alexandria, and the End
The final stretch returns to Cairo for museums, Islamic and Christian monuments, then heads to the Mediterranean for Alexandria, 140 miles (225 km) from Cairo per Rough Guides. The listing names no return point or end time. Since the sightseeing finishes in Alexandria, confirm with the operator if you fly or drive back and where drop-off happens before you book connecting travel.
A 12-Day Egypt Itinerary with Abu Simbel and Siwa
A 12-day Egypt route through Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel with notes on each stop. Third-party video by Go Global with Sibu. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
Three things rule people out here, and each has a clear alternative on this site.
Anyone Who Might Need to Cancel
This is the hard one. All sales are final, no refund is available for cancellations, and the operator can also cancel for bad weather. Most listings compared here offer free cancellation up to 24 hours or 6 days before.
If you cannot accept a total loss, book the 10-day Ultimate Egypt Nile Cruise with Abu Simbel, which carries free cancellation 6 days out and covers a similar route for $4,700 per person plus a $25 checkout charge that Viator adds. General travel insurance is worth considering for any non-refundable trip, though policies vary.
Travellers Watching the Budget
At $6,527 this is the most expensive listing here. Eight private days with flights, a full-board cruise and a Luxor balloon ride cost $1,808 on the 8-day Egypt Highlights with Balloon, and the 8-day Cairo Aswan Luxor private tour at $1,800 has 285 reviews. What the extra money buys here is length, Alexandria, Fayoum, all meals and 30 covered entrance fees, not a named property.
Travellers Who Need to Verify the Product
No hotel name, no ship name, no cruise night count and no stated end city appear on the listing. If you want named 5-star hotels and itemised terms, the 9-day Egypt Sleeper Train Tour names its hotels, though it is shared rather than private. The 8-day private Egypt Nile cruise with flights states 4 cruise nights and carries free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Physical Demands
The listing requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Valley of the Kings tombs have steep, low corridors, Luxor's average summer highs pass 41 C, and the Abu Simbel transfer is long. It is wheelchair accessible and transport options are wheelchair accessible.
Viator lists child pricing from 3 to 11 and adult pricing from 21 to 90, which are price bands, not age limits.
The terraced Temple of Hatshepsut set against the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
You start in Cairo, and the tour leaves a few well-known sites outside the itinerary that you can reach yourself.
Reaching Cairo
The tour includes hotel pickup in Cairo, the time is not stated, so time your international arrival the day before day one to be safe. If you came independently, Cairo to Luxor flies in about 1 to 1.5 hours per Rough Guides, with Rome2Rio showing 3h13m door to door, and Cairo to Aswan at 3h48m door to door with about 1h25m in the air. The overnight sleeper train runs 8 to 10 hours to Luxor and Aswan per Rough Guides, while Rome2Rio lists 10h45m to Luxor and 14h15m to Aswan.
The Cairo to Luxor road distance is about 637 km per Rome2Rio and about 670 km per Wikipedia, too far to drive and sightsee in a day.
Before the Tour: the Grand Egyptian Museum and Saqqara
The listing covers the Giza Pyramids and early pyramid sites, but does not state that it enters the Grand Egyptian Museum, which stands about 2 km from the Giza pyramid complex and holds over 100,000 artefacts. Foreign adult tickets are reported at EGP 1,450 in a 2026 visitor guide and EGP 1,000 during the 2024 trial period, so check at the gate. Read the Grand Egyptian Museum guide before you go.
Saqqara, about 30 km south of Cairo per Wikipedia and 40 km per Rough Guides, holds the Step Pyramid of Djoser and fits easily before day one, as the pyramids of Giza tour guide explains.
What the Tour Skips
Saqqara is not on the stated route, and neither is the Red Sea. Hurghada beach days appear on several shorter listings instead. The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, at EGP 550 for foreign adults per the ministry price list, may or may not be one of the 30 covered fees, so ask.
Alexandria closes the tour, so budget any extra Mediterranean nights yourself.
Itinerary Day by Day
The listing describes the route without clock times, so steps below follow the stated order, with distances from the cited sources.
-
Start
Cairo and the pyramids
Hotel pickup in Cairo is included. The first days cover the Giza Pyramids and the early pyramid-building sites, guided by the Egyptologist, with nights in a 5-star hotel the listing does not name.
-
Day trip
Fayoum and Qaroon Lake
A day trip runs to Qaroon Lake in Fayoum, about 65 miles (105 km) from Cairo per Rough Guides, to see farms, lakes and ancient whale bones.
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Mid-trip
Fly to Luxor
The domestic flight from Cairo to Luxor takes about 1 to 1.5 hours per Rough Guides. Sightseeing covers Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple.
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Cruise nights
Sail to Aswan
You set sail from Luxor toward Aswan, about 214 km by road per Rome2Rio and 220 km per Wikipedia. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. The ship name, class and cruise night count are not stated.
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Cruise leg
Abu Simbel
From Aswan the itinerary reaches Abu Simbel, roughly 230 km away per Wikipedia and 280 km or more per other sources, where the Great Temple facade colossi stand 20 m tall. The tour then flies Aswan to Cairo, a flight of about 1h25m in the air per Rome2Rio.
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Last days
Cairo museums and Alexandria
Back in Cairo, the itinerary covers museums and Islamic and Christian monuments, then Alexandria, 140 miles (225 km) from Cairo per Rough Guides. The listing states no return point or end time.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of what this listing does well and where it falls short.
What we genuinely like
- The inclusion list is the broadest here: 30 entrance fees, both domestic flights, all meals, Wi-Fi on board, a licensed Egyptologist and 11 nights of 5-star accommodation.
- It is fully private, with a US-office travel consultant escorting alongside the local Egyptologist.
- Abu Simbel, Fayoum and Alexandria are all in one 12-day route, which no shorter listing here matches.
- It is wheelchair accessible, including the transport options, and carries 24/7 emergency assistance.
The honest downsides
- All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations, unlike most other listings compared here.
- No hotel name, ship name, cruise night count or end city is stated, so you cannot verify the 5-star claim before paying.
- At $6,527 per person it is the most expensive tour on the site, against $4,700 for the next most expensive listing.
- The rating rests on 16 reviews, a small sample, so the 5.0 score carries little weight.
- Drinks beyond bottled water, the visa, gratuities and international flights are all extra.
Who it's NOT for: Not for anyone who might need to cancel, or who wants named hotels and a named ship before paying over $6,500 per person.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this 12 day Egypt tour cost?
It is $6,527 per person including all fees and taxes, with international flights, the visa and gratuities extra. Compare it with the 10-day Ultimate Egypt Nile Cruise with Abu Simbel at $4,700 plus a $25 checkout charge that Viator adds.
Does the price include the Nile cruise and domestic flights?
Yes, 11 nights of 5-star accommodation across hotels and the cruise ship are included, along with flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo. For a shorter private option see the 8-day Cairo Aswan Luxor private tour.
Can I cancel this tour if my plans change?
No, all sales are final and no refund is available for cancellations, though the operator can cancel for bad weather. Listings with free cancellation are listed on the luxury Egypt tours comparison.
Is Abu Simbel included in this 12 day Egypt tour?
Yes, Abu Simbel is on the itinerary after the cruise reaches Aswan. The Abu Simbel guide covers the temples in detail, including the 20 m colossi.
What is not included in the price?
International flights, the Egypt entry visa, gratuities, personal expenses and anything not in the itinerary. The page on the best time to visit Egypt covers seasonal costs and crowds.
Do I need a visa for this tour?
Yes, the Egypt entry visa is excluded, and the FCDO lists the on-arrival visa at US$30 cash, while a Gulf News report says US$45 after a fee rise. The is it safe to travel to Egypt guide covers entry practicalities.
How many nights are spent on the Nile cruise?
The listing does not state the cruise night count, only 11 total nights of 5-star accommodation. If four cruise nights matter to you, look at the 8-day private Egypt Nile cruise with flights.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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