Nile Cruise



Met expectations



Brilliant trip to see as much as possible in 7 full days. Tiring because of very full days and early and very early starts.



This trip includes all the well know sites you could want. Egypt is absolutely amazing and you won't be disappointed with what you see. Each attraction you visit is unique and an amazement. The accommodation is lovely and food good. Be prepared for early mornings, eg some were 2.30am! Also be prepared for lots of steps, and to fit in a lot in one day. It is exhausting but well worth it, perhaps just book a day or two to recover when you get home!



This tour packs a lot into 7 days. It does mean some very early starts, but they are necessary to get the most out of the available time and appreciate the scale, volume and age of Egyptian monuments and artefacts. The itinerary does still factor in downtime to enjoy the sundeck on the boat and at the hotel in Aswan. We did the optional tour to Abu Simbel, which was another early start, but worth it to see the scale of the monument and what happened to it after the Aswan Dam was built. All accommodation was comfortable and the range and quality of food on offer was far greater than expected.



Early mornings & long days but we’ll worth the effort. Enthusiastic & knowledgeable guide. A great introduction to all Egypt has to offer - history, pyramids, temples and more. Beautiful scenery while cruising along the Nile. Highly recommend!



Just returned from the Nile Cruise trip. And what a trip, visited some amazing sites, with my highlight being the tomb of Tutankhamun. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, full of historic stories but his 'people' skills could have been better. The trip is full on with many early starts but worth the lack of sleep for the breath taking sites. Would recommend booking an extra day/s at the end to chill and relax in Aswan. Overall I would recommend this trip.



Really great trip, Galal was a fantastic guide. Lots of early mornings so I felt like I needed another holiday when I got home but we covered and saw so much over the course of a week



Our guide Naiel was amazing - kind, patient, very well-informed and keen to impart his knowledge and enthusiasm. The sights were of course, spectacular and the cruise boat was well appointed and spacious, with excellent choice and quality of food. The additional trip to Abu Simbel was well worthwhile.



This initially was a challenging trip with many early mornings and long days. It would have demanded some commitment. But I feel privileged to have witnessed the tombs and temples of Egypt with a very experienced guide who demonstrated her love for her historical past



This was an excellent trip, full of extraordinary sights. We were able to see many of the most impressive sites in Cairo and the Upper Nile. Hotel accommodation was of a high standard and the cruise ship was good. We had an outstanding guide and a friendly and interesting group of people. When I had an accident in the temple at Edfu the response from our guide, from Exodus, and from the personnel on the cruise ship was incredibly supportive. The guide's knowledge of first aid was much appreciated. We have a few reservations: we found the early starts made sight-seeing rather tiring after very little sleep. The 7am briefing on the first morning seemed unnecessary, for example, after a late arrival the night before and the two hour time difference. We didn't think the trip should be described as 'leisurely': there was a lot of standing in queues at both airports and sites and this was especially exhausting in conjunction with the early starts. Also, while we realise that Exodus doesn't control the entertainment on the cruise ship, we would have preferred informational talks and preparation for the following day's events to the party games and belly dancer. We would also have liked to have had more Egyptian food.



I loved this trip overall. It was pretty full on from the start in Cairo and I wondered whether I would last the pace. It was more relaxed although still busy once on the cruise, and was great having some downtime on the deck between trips. The trips were really interesting and we learned a lot about ancient up to modern Egypt ….. still getting my head around all the Gods! It surprised me just how many tourists were around when we visited. Our group plus Rania our group leader got on really well which was lovely, although we had 19 which is higher than my previous Exodus trips.



I very much enjoyed the trip but the word 'leisurely' is completely misleading. Fortunately I'd read the reviews first. A couple of things that could have been improved: (1) the Abu Simbel trip. We left the boat at 4am, drove 4.5 hrs (not 3.5), spent 2 hrs at the temples and then drove 4.5 hrs back for 'lunch' at 3pm. We had no free time at the temples. It would have been much nicer to have time for a coffee, a walk by the lake or a look at the souvenir stalls, then got back for dinnertime. The breakfast boxes were enormous and would have lasted all day. (2) Day 7: we left the hotel at 7am, visited Philae Temple, Aswan Dam, the stone quarry and a perfume shop, again returning to the hotel for a very late lunch. It would have been much better to have lunch after the dam visit, either at the hotel or from boxes. We felt in a permanent state of hunger and exhaustion!



Fantastic holiday with an outstanding guide, although the booking process left a lot to be desired.



This was a fantastic introduction to Egypt - in just 8 days we saw a huge amount and learnt a lot about the country, particularly the history. It was amazing to visit places I'd read about for year. There were a lot of early starts but the payoff was some amazing sites, and then more relaxed afternoons. I loved the four nights we spent on the Nile cruise - the boat was fantastic with great food and loads of space on the sundeck to relax after busy mornings. The other two hotels were fine: we didn't spend much time in the Cairo hotel due to late arrival and early departures, and the Aswan hotel had a great pool area and lots of places to sit and relax, although the rooms felt quite basic.



This trip is a full on adventure through Egyptian history. Expect many early starts to visit some inspiring and amazing places. From pyramids, temples, Pharaohs, God's, obelisks, sphinx, nile cruise, tombs, stories, food and fun, this trip is definitely a highlight of my travels to date.



Our guide was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable, professional, kind and accommodating. The sites and organization of the trip was excellent. Accommodations were Very Good. Food was Very Good. The only objection or criticism is to build in an opportunity for lunch after 4 to 5 hours of site seeing.



A superb holiday that packs in the highlights of Egypt in a week, with four nights on a Nile riverboat. It starts with the Pyramids and takes in the Cairo Museum and other sights before a short flight to the riverboat at Luxor. For those who haven't sailes down the Nile, this is an adventure in itself. There are stops to visit the valley of the Kings to see the amazing hyieroglyphics in the pharaonic tombs and Tutankhamun's resting place, plus the famous temples at Karnak, Edfu and Kom Ombo, and an optional trip to Abu Simbel. It ends at the amazing Aswan Dam and includes a fun felucca ride. The food and company were great and Andrew the guide was amazing. Highly recommended!



The trip has so much to see that it is a full on week but very worthwhile. The extent of Egyptian history can only really be understood by going on a trip like this but it only scratches the surface.



The trip was certainly full on, and you might want to arrive a day early to settle in. We had two early starts at 3.30am and the rest were around 8am. Accommodation was good and the cabin on the cruise ship was really nice. Breakfast was best and the rest of the meals were good and generous with lots of choice for vegetarians. The itinerary was as the trip notes. We were a group of 15 and gelled well which made the trip even nicer.



A much waited for trip to see everything I had always wanted to see and more, a brilliant small group that got on well from the start, and an amazing guide Ahmed!



What an amazing place! Every excursion was amazing. The iconic views and the history. The guide was lovely and very helpful. The accommodation looked very nice and service was great but the hotels need some work done (in the hotel in Aswan i was locked in my bathroom for over 30 minutes before they were able to get me out). Food in all accommodation was limited especially for vegetarians IF anything is provided at all. Even food that is described as vegetarian contained meat and the staff would lie to your face even when you are pointing at the chicken chunks floating in the soup they will insist its just vegetables. Every day was a struggle to get vegetarian food. It always seemed to contain chicken or ham. So i was having the same conversation every day. And it was just me. There were 4 vegetarians in the group and we all had to the same problem. Even on the flight home. Unlike other Exodus trips i have been on we were left to our own devices for the evening meals. I still don't feel that i experienced Egyptian food. The cruise was everything you'd imagine it to be. The scenery is amazing, the colours so vivid. The entertainment on the boat was a bit hit or miss but again the staff were falling over themselves to help you. Despite the issues with food at meal times i would highly recommend this trip. The guide was very knowledgeable and the scenery and history mind blowing.



Finally, after originally booking when the pandemic wasn't even a thing, we made it to Egypt in February 2022! This is a fabulous, slightly whirlwind, trip covering all the iconic sights in Egypt.....we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We were lucky to have a lovely group who gelled well from the start and an excellent leader who kept us all organised and informed of what we were seeing. This is a leisurely trip when you get to where you are going, ie no hills to climb/no long slogs to places/plenty of time to wander around at your own pace/time 'off' while sailing along the Nile BUT there are a lot of very early starts which cannot be helped as flights need to be caught and sights need to be seen before the sun gets up/places get too busy, and the cruise boat needs to keep to a sailing schedule. The hotels were clean and of a good standard and the cruise boat Esmerelda was clean and comfortable with friendly staff, a good selection of buffet food, and a lovely sun-deck which, surprisingly, didn't get too busy. We were in Egypt during their half-term so that made things a little busier as Egyptian families were taking advantage of their holiday time, there didn't seem to be many tourists from other countries.



A fantastic journey for anyone wishing to immerse themselves into the ancient Egyptian culture.



Overall a great experience and we packed a lot into the holiday. Our leader, Andrew, was excellent and we were fortunate to have a great group of people on our trip. Points to note for future travellers are that day one (Saturday) is all travel. The 2.00pm flight from the UK means that you arrive at the hotel about midnight (local time) then pack a full day in Cairo on the Sunday, leaving at 4.00am (2.00am UK time) on the Monday to fly to Luxor. So at that point everyone was pretty tired. The boat trip (on the Esmerelda) was excellent all round. Really relaxing. The Basma hotel in Aswan for the last two days was a bit disappointing. I would rate it a three star. Not what was billed, but it didn't spoil the holiday. Again for future travellers, it's easy to get your visa at the airport and there are frequent stops at ATM's to get Egyptian pounds if required. In summary, a great trip with particular thanks to Andrew our leader, and to the great group of people we were with. Suggested areas for improvement for Exodus would be the Cairo logistics and flights, and the hotel in Aswan. Otherwise it was a great itinerary and a great experience



From start to finish, I cannot fault this trip. The temples and Ancient Egyptian remains speak for themselves and are stunning. I had no idea that they were so well preserved. But the trip was made especially enjoyable by our super efficient and friendly guide, Sayed. His commentary covered both ancient and modern Egypt, and I have been reading books about Egypt ever since!



The week exceeded my expectations. I had thought a week would give me just a glimpse of Egypt but there was so much more.



Too many superlatives. Exceeded expectations in so many ways. The archaeology the food and comfort and Sayed our fantastic guide with a lovely group of fellow travellers. Bucket list well and truly ticked for Egypt.



This was a full packed trip , informative trip led by Mohammed Tefa whose in depth knowledge, and leadership style made the trip a wonderful experience.



An unforgettable trip, I read as much as could on Egypt, its history, this tour - and was still blown away by so much about the place and this Exodus trip. A very busy nine days, but still plenty of time in the afternoons to recharge. Can't believe what we packed in to such a small amount of time. Very well organised, and absolutely adored our guide Tefa; and particularly pleased with the dynamics of the group I travelled with. Thoroughly enjoyable experience.



Visits to the Pyramids & Sphinx , Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo Temples, Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel. Cruise down the Nile river.



Visits to the Pyramids & Sphinx , Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo Temples, Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel. Cruise down the Nile river.



Egypt is beautiful and the temples, pyramids and other sites you will visit are absolutely amazing, its an experience I will never forget!



I've wanted to visit Egypt for quite sometime and I wasn't disappointed . The Exodus itinerary was perfect for us with the right balance of adventure and good accommodation. Lots of early starts so be prepared to be exhausted at times! We travelled with a fantastic bunch of people and made some great friends, with lots of laughs along the way. The hotels we stayed in were excellent and cruising along the Nile was idyllic, a perfect trip for those wanting both touring and comfort.



Fantastic holiday from start to finish. Very well organized. Fantastic tour guide Ahmed. Nothing was too much trouble. Brilliant fellow travellers. Fun filled packed days. Saw amazing sites. Gina pyramids. Valley of the kings. Etc. Fantastic accommodation. Food really good. Amazing experience. Thank you Exodus and a massive thanks to Ahmed.



A wonderful trip, more than full on. So many must-see sites packed into such a short time. Great organisation with an excellent expert guide. Hotels and cruise ship were very good. Be prepared for some incredibly early starts though.



Premium Nile trip to fulfil a lifetime of wonder



For my chance to see one of the seven wonders, I got a lot more than I bargained for with even more amazing sights



A busy and enjoyable week. With so much to see, all in a week, Tito (leader) kept encouraging us in his inimitable way so that we made the most of our time. There was also, however, some relaxing time on the cruise boat to watch it all sliding past. We were a large (20) and varied group which mixed well. Overall, it was a more enjoyable trip than I was expecting. So, if in doubt, - go for it!



This holiday was wonderful though the first two days were excessively tiring and I'm quite an energetic person! This was because the flight timing plus security clearance plus travel time to our first hotel (incl loss of two hrs)meant we didn't get to our beds until midnight and immediately shifted to very early starts to avoid heat and crowds on day one and to catch a 6am flight on day 2. After that the holiday was just right. It was still busy but calmer and the end of the holiday and cruise gave recovery time. I would suggest ending day 1 after the museum visit..ie .cut out mosque and souk in Cairo. ( Instead go to mosque in Asswan if intro to Islam is wanted and visit the lovely souk there as it was infinitely better...not being so entirely touristy). Alternatively fit Cairo in on the return...as we all changed flights there on our way home...but that might add a day to the holiday which may not suit some.



This trip covered everything anyone with an interest in Egyptology would want to see. Would highly recommend if you want a comprehensive trip covering all the main ancient sites.



A whistlestop tour of the main sites in Egypt



Very culturally inspiring trip, with a considerable variety of points of interest. My grandson, Will, said it all: 'It was awesome; more than I expected'. Our tour guide really had his act together, and kept a close watch on each and every tour member, yet giving them freedom to do their own extra things (like collecting soil samples and geocaching). One big thing I did learn about the aristocracy of the distant past. The top 1% of societies wanted to leave their mark for not only those who followed, but they also made a way that they could attain another life into the future (from their perspective). From what my grandson and I saw and experienced, we now better know that primitive societies were really quite advanced to be able to cut, transport, and assemble what resources were available - stone. Very inspirational trip!!



Loved it.



Seeing and standing next to the real thing is unsurpassed by any screen be it 3D or otherwise. Good pace if booking the extra excursion/visits, almost all of which were worth the effort. The cruise part was very relaxing and a welcome break from the grey cold wet xmas hustle.



Amazing trip all the sites were safe and our guide Khalid lotfy made the trip ten times better with his genuine friendship and knowledge Highly recommended and if you can request a guide ask for Khalid Lotfy!



We have just returned from our Egyptian adventure! This is our second trip with Exodus and another successful trip full of memories and adventures. From the moment we met up with our tour guide, Mohammed and the rest of the small group, it was a whirlwind of excitement. The Tour was well organized, full of unbelievable sights and sounds of this fascinating country. The cruise boat Mirage was a pleasant surprise. The rooftop sun deck was a hit. Great food, service and engagingly friendly staff on the boat made us all feel comfortable. Our guide Mohammed was an amazing trove of all things Egyptian. His knowledge of his country’s past was admirable. Our group of 20 bonded early on and made this trip a truly enjoyable journey.



To see ancient history in front of you is amazing - impossible to imagine what Egypt must have been like 5,000 years ago! Great guide, patient and knowledgeable. Great group, keen to learn, good fun and always on time.



An exceptional tour well put together. There were early starts but it was cooler and less crowded when you arrived at the site. Usually was time to relax later in the day.



A wonderful trip with some leisurely days along with early starts to beat the heat. October was a perfect time to go- not too hot, blue skies against which the sand and pyramids/ temples contrasted wonderfully. Our guide was very helpful; it was wonderful to have water available both on the bus and the ship..... One caveat- it would be helpful if in the trip notes if somewhere it mentioned that one must pay extra to take photographs in some of the temples.......not a problem for myself, but some travellers came with minimal cash, and so hadn't factored that into the equation. A minor point overall though. Highly recommend!



Excellent Enjoyable Interesting



Sorry, I meant to add that Exodus should perhaps delete the reference to the 'library' on the cruise from the Trip Notes. The library consisted of 16 dog-eared books left behind by previous travellers. Only one was in English.



I've always been interested in Egyptian history and when friends suggested joining this holiday I booked straight away. And it didn't disappoint. Seeing & being able to touch stones & hieroglyphics that were put there thousands of years old was magical. Watching the scenery change as we cruised south on the Nile was also really good. Overall the tour was seamlessly organised and managed by our excellent guide, Sayed Mansour, who always made sure everyone was clear on timings and locations. He has an encycolopedic knowledge of both the country's history and also its modern day affairs. On the negative side, this trip is described as 'leisurely' which our group would dispute: we had 3 ultra-early wake up calls (2am & 3am twice) to catch planes and for the 300km coach drive to Abu Simbel. And there were early starts all other mornings too to beat the heat. This & the temps made it very sapping. The temps were much hotter (in mid to high 40sC) than usual as Egypt was having a heatwave, so drinking lots & loose clothing were musts. Thank goodness for air con on the coach & in our rooms!



This was a wonderful trip - I enjoyed it enormously.



I do not have a very long 'bucket list', in fact Egypt is the only destination on it and this holiday did not disappoint. From the flight to Cairo to the flight home everything went without a hitch. The hotels and Nile Cruiser were very good and Sayed our Tour Leader was excellent. Thank you Exodus.



This was a wonderful trip. It was very exciting to get our first glimpse of the Pyramids which were only a short ride from the airport. There was a few early morning starts which you should be prepared for and lots of optional tours so make sure you have budgeted extra for these. As you have to pay at the local toilets it would be handy to have some small change with you (which isn't easy to get) otherwise you will have some very expensive pees :-) I felt very secure the whole time we were there. There is security at all the hotels and museums.



I have always dreamt of visiting Egypt and seeing for my self the many ancient wonders going back to the dawn of history. This trip was a dream come true. Having been back a few days I find it hard to believe I have seen and learnt much about so many awe-inspiring ancient monuments, the life of the Pharoahs, and experienced this wonderful diverse country with its friendly welcoming population. Yes there were many traders selling their wares at most places we visited, but this did not detract from the beauty and the history. Most were very polite and, bearing in mind the average salary is only 7000 Egyptian pounds per month (a little under £300 at the current exchange rate of 23.6) who can blame them for trying to extract the tourist dollar the economy depends so much on. They have some wonderful souvenirs at mainly very cheap prices too. This trip packed in so much - it is not for the infirm or feint hearted - although there is plenty of opportunity to opt out and rest if required. Personally I felt obliged to make the most of the trip and see and learn as much as possible. The Cruise upon our boat Mirage I was sublime with stunning sunsets and amazing views as we chugged up the great Nile to Aswan. The crew were friendly and helpful and a good variety of delicious freshly cooked food - and plenty of it. Overall a dream come true and an amazing experience shared with a great bunch of people on this trip!



I have always wanted to visit Egypt to see the antiquities, but because of the political instability I thought it would be unlikely. So when I saw this trip advertised I jumped at the opportunity. I felt safe thoughout the trip. The first day was a whirlwind visit to the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Museum in Cairo, the mosque and the bazaar. We then flew to Luxor, visiting the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor and later boarding the Mirage 1, our cruise boat. This was a great experience, partly because of the wonderful group of people on the trip (19 of us in total), partly because of the comfort on board, the trips and also because the boat had only 40% occupancy so we almost had the boat to ourselves. I think we were all sorry to leave the boat after the 4 nights on board, but the next hotel in Aswan was very comfortable. In spite of visiting many temples and tombs, I never tired of hearing about the Egyptian gods and Pharaohs and looking at the wonderful carvings and art.



This trip far exceeded my expectations. As we stopped at three different places, including the cruise, it felt like we had been away for longer than 8 days. We saw SO much! The Cairo Museum was amazing. Karnak Temple, Abu Simbel, the Pyramids at Giza and the Spinx and no crowds. Everywhere we stopped was clean and comfortable. It was a real privilege.



I had previously booked a very similar trip in 2011, which had been cancelled due to political instability, so I was delighted when I saw this trip which included all the places I had wanted to visit at a very reasonable price! Although the activity level ranked this trip leisurely due to the limited time and so much to see and do - it was very busy. In fact an extra day in Cairo may have made it a little less rushed and given more opportunity to include some more of the optional activities and spend longer at the pyramids and Cairo museum.