River Nile Story: 4-Day Aswan to Luxor, Self-Launched
4 days · Egypt
Egypt Best Holidays charges £550
No-markup version: ~£378 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of Egypt Best Holidays' 4-day Aswan-to-Luxor "5-star" Nile cruise. Instead of paying for the packaged boat + guide bundle, you ride the Nile in the same direction using shared minibuses, the local train and (optionally) a cheap felucca, sleeping in budget guesthouses in Aswan and Luxor and booking the same temples with local guides or audioguides. You'll tick off Philae Temple, the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak/Luxor temples — with the option to add Abu Simbel and a sunrise hot-air balloon. Temple entry fees are paid separately (roughly £85-100 total) and are included in the activities estimate below. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Aswan: High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple
Aswan
Arrive into Aswan by train (from Cairo, overnight sleeper ~£35-45) or budget flight, and check into a guesthouse on Elephantine Island or in the Corniche area. Drop your bags and head out to the Aswan High Dam (£3 entry), then the Unfinished Obelisk in the northern granite quarries (£2) — both easy to reach by taxi or shared minibus. Late afternoon, take a small motorboat or felucca across to Agilkia Island for Philae Temple (entry ~£6, boat ~£3-5 shared); it's magical in the hour before sunset. Book onward travel tonight: a shared minibus to Luxor via Kom Ombo and Edfu (~£10-15) or the local train.
🚌Taxis and shared minibuses around Aswan; motorboat to Philae Island
🛏Budget guesthouse on Elephantine Island or Corniche, Aswan (~£16-20/night)
- →Aswan High Dam
- →Unfinished Obelisk
- →Philae Temple by motorboat (local guide or audioguide)
Kom Ombo Temple & Drive to Edfu
Kom Ombo / Edfu
Early shared minibus south to Kom Ombo (about 45 minutes, ~£2-3). Explore the twin Temple of Sobek and Haroeris, perched right on the riverbank — entry ~£5, a local guide at the gate costs ~£8-10 split between a few travellers. Continue north to Edfu (~1 hour, ~£3), check into a simple guesthouse near the temple, and take a calèche (horse carriage, ~£2) to the Temple of Horus in the late afternoon when crowds thin and the light is golden — entry ~£6. Eat a cheap fuul/koshari dinner by the souq (~£4).
🚌Shared minibus Aswan–Kom Ombo–Edfu (~£5-6 total); horse carriage to Edfu Temple
🛏Simple guesthouse in Edfu town (~£15-18/night)
- →Temple of Kom Ombo
- →Temple of Horus (Edfu Temple)
Nile sailing to Luxor & East Bank temples
Luxor
Morning minibus or train from Edfu to Luxor (~1.5 hours, ~£3-5). If you want the river experience the cruise passengers get, add a half-day felucca sail out of Luxor (~£10-15 per person shared) — the Nile at this stretch is gorgeous. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Luxor's West Bank or near the Luxor Temple. In the afternoon, walk the East Bank: Karnak Temple (entry ~£9) deserves 2-3 hours, then Luxor Temple (~£6) illuminated after dark is the best photo op in town. Audioguides at Karnak run ~£4. Book your hot-air balloon for tomorrow if you're adding it (from ~£75, and expect weather cancellations — only book with a company that refunds).
🚌Minibus or train Edfu–Luxor (~£3-5); local ferry across the Nile (~£0.30)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Luxor, West Bank or city centre (~£18-22/night)
- →Optional shared felucca sail on the Nile
- →Karnak Temple
- →Luxor Temple
West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & Colossi of Memnon
Luxor
Start at dawn for the West Bank — if you booked the sunrise hot-air balloon, you're up at 4:30am and floating over the Valley of the Kings by 6am. Otherwise cross on the public ferry and hire a bicycle (~£3/day) or shared microbus. Valley of the Kings entry ~£14 (includes 3 tombs; Tutankhamun and Seti I cost extra), Hatshepsut's Temple at Deir el-Bahari ~£7, and the Colossi of Memnon are free to see from the road. Optional: a riverside lunch on the West Bank (~£6) before heading to Luxor train station or airport for your onward connection.
🚌Public ferry, bicycle hire or shared microbus on the West Bank; onward train/airport transfer
🛏Not included (day 4 is departure day) — most travellers continue to Cairo, Hurghada or take the night train
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahari
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon (~£75)
Self-launched vs. Egypt Best Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Best Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£378 | £550 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £172 per person (31%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Egypt Best Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£378
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does River Nile Story: 4-Day Aswan to Luxor, Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £378 per person for 4 days in Egypt. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Egypt Best Holidays?+
Yes — Egypt Best Holidays charges around £550 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £378 — a saving of roughly £172 (31%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Egypt.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through Egypt, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.