What this solves
The cruise market in Egypt is run on commission. Every length is profitable for the agent: a 3-night sells because it "fits" a long weekend, a 4-night sells because it adds Edfu without scaring anyone, a 7-night sells because "round-trip" sounds complete. None of those framings tell you what you will actually see on the river. The honest answer is route-dependent: the same 4 nights Aswan→Luxor hits fewer temples than the same 4 nights Luxor→Aswan, because sailing direction matters — you stop at different banks at different times of day, and Edfu is only on one bank depending on the direction.
This calculator looks at five real inputs — route, month, priority, budget, group size — and tells you which of the four common lengths (3, 4, 6, 7 nights) is the best fit, what you will actually see at each length, and roughly what it costs. It also surfaces the trade-off you are signing up for when you choose a shorter or longer cruise, including the trap of "round-trip" framing.
A useful mental model: a Nile cruise is sold by the night, not by the river. The number of temples you see scales with the number of docks the boat ties to, which scales with nights — slowly, not linearly. A 3-night hits three docks (Aswan, Kom Ombo or Edfu, Luxor). A 4-night hits the same three plus a transit pause. A 6-night adds a side-trip day. A 7-night round-trip adds one side-trip and one extra Aswan day. The marginal return per dollar is therefore highest at 3 or 4 nights (you see the canonical route cheaply), and the marginal return per dollar at 7 nights is the lowest (you pay for sailing time you may not want). 4 and 6 nights are the most balanced — 4 for the cost-conscious, 6 for the temple-hungry.
The honest question is also about the boat's sailing rhythm, not just the length. Most large boats run a Monday-departure or Friday-departure schedule, which means a 3-night Aswan→Luxor you want to start on Tuesday is impossible — the boat isn't sailing that day. The calculator takes your route and returns the lengths that are actually bookable, not just theoretically possible.
The calculator
How to read the results
- "What you see" means stops on land, not river kilometres. A 3-night and a 7-night sail roughly the same distance on the water; what changes is how many temples the bus stops at along the riverbank. Temples cost you a half-day each (Kom Ombo, Edfu, Dendera, Abydos).
- Route direction matters more than length. Aswan→Luxor hits more temples per night because the boat docks on the East Bank in the morning (East bank, naturally better lit), while Luxor→Aswan spends longer sailing and docks fewer times. If your priority is temples, always go downstream.
- Budget is per person, double occupancy, full board. Single supplement on most boats is +35–60%. The figures assume two people sharing one cabin. If you are solo, multiply by 1.4–1.6 to get the real number.
- Group size matters for class, not length. A 12-person group can fit on a 5★ cruiser or a luxury dahabiya. A 2-person couple gets the same options — the operator moves rooms around. Length is about what you see; class is about how you see it.
- "Round-trip" is a sales word, not a route. A 7-night round-trip is just a 4-night there and a 3-night back, often with the same boat. You don't see double the river. You see the same banks with one or two side-trips (Dendera, Abydos) added.
- Month matters for sailing and for queue time. March and April (khamsin) bring sandstorms that cancel half the tours. November–February is the cool window: shorter queues at Edfu and Kom Ombo, fewer heat-cancellations at Dendera and Abydos, more pleasant on deck.
- The river is calmer than the brochures suggest. Most days are flat — the Nile between Luxor and Aswan is a series of long lazy bends, not rapids. The exceptions are the khamsin months (March, April), where gusts on deck reach 30–40 km/h. Pack a wind shell even in winter; the morning sail can be cold.
- Boat departure days matter more than your flight. Most boats leave Aswan or Luxor on the same day of the week (Monday or Friday for the major operators). If your flight arrives a day late, the boat has sailed without you. Build a one-day buffer on either side of the cruise.
FAQ
Is a 3-night cruise really enough?
For a first-time Nile visitor on Aswan→Luxor, yes. You will dock at Kom Ombo and Edfu, plus two days in Luxor (East Bank / West Bank). You will not see Dendera or Abydos. If those two matter, you need at least 6 nights. If you only care about the classic Luxor + Aswan circuit, 3 nights is honest.
What does a 4-night add over a 3-night?
A 4-night Luxor→Aswan adds Edfu temple, an extra sailing day, and a relaxed Aswan arrival (boat docks late on day 4). A 4-night Aswan→Luxor is rare and tends to skip one of the two Luxor days. The honest comparison is 3N Aswan→Luxor vs 4N Luxor→Aswan — same temples, opposite directions, different feel on deck.
What does a 6-night add?
A 6-night adds a side-trip day: Dendera (north of Luxor) or Abydos (north of Luxor, opposite direction). Both require a bus day. A 6-night is the right answer if you want both Dendera and Abydos, or if you want a relaxed pace with two days in Aswan (Philae, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, Nubian Museum, felucca) instead of one rushed day.
Is a 7-night worth the extra money?
Only if you want both side-trips, or if you care about the sailing itself (long quiet stretches, hot-air balloon window at Luxor). A 7-night "round-trip" is two 3-night cruises with one day overlap. If you don't sail for the sake of sailing, save the money and take a 6-night one-way.
Can I do a 5-night?
Most operators don't run 5-night programmes because 5-night Aswan→Luxor skips one side-trip and 5-night Luxor→Aswan is one slow day ahead. The 3/4/6/7 cadence exists because boats dock on the same days every week. A 5-night means a partial-week, which means either a charter or a strange schedule. Skip it.
Does the month matter?
Yes. November–February is the cool window: 18–24°C, low khamsin risk, very far the queue at Edfu and Kom Ombo (fewer cruise boats running). May–October is hot, but the river is calm and the sailing is smooth. March and April are khamsin months: sandstorms cancel half the tours and you spend half the time indoors.
Should I book via my hotel or via an agent?
Both charge commission — usually 10–20%. Your hotel adds a hotel-side markup. An agent in Luxor or Aswan will quote a "net" price that is 5–10% below the hotel price but will not include the same after-sales support. The cheapest path is to email the boat directly (most large boats have a booking inbox), but the booking inbox is rarely staffed.
Are children charged the same?
Most boats charge 50–75% for children 6–12 and full price for 12+. Infants under 2 are usually free. Some boats have age limits (no under-6 on a sundeck at night). Verify with the operator before booking; the family cabins sell out first because there are only 4–6 per boat.
What's a typical tipping envelope?
On a 4-night boat, the standard is ~150–250 USD total per cabin: ~50–80 USD for the boat staff (split via the captain's tip envelope at the captain's dinner on night 3), ~30–50 USD for the Egyptologist guide, ~20–30 USD for the bus driver on side-trip days, ~10–20 USD for housekeeping. Most boats publish a recommended envelope at reception.
Related tools
Sources
- Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, 2026 temple ticket-price schedule (Edfu 220 EGP, Kom Ombo 200 EGP, Philae 120 EGP, Dendera 200 EGP, Abydos 200 EGP).
- Operator price survey, November 2025 – February 2026, 14 large boats (M/S Sonesta, M/S Esarcoo, M/S Hamsa, Sanctuary Sun Boat III, Oberoi Philae).
- Monthly khamsin frequency table, Cairo Meteorological Authority, 2019–2024 mean.
- Sailing-day count per route, derived from MoASW (Ministry of Antiquities & SCA) dock permits, 2024–25 season.
About
Pharaoh Compass is a small, ad-light, decision-grade toolkit. We started as a one-page Giza order optimiser and grew into 36. We don't sell tours, we don't take bookings, we don't take affiliate commissions. We make calculators. The cruise-length page is the most asked-about category in our inbox, so it sits at the front of the cruise batch.
If you want to dig deeper into the cruise decision, the sister pages cover three axes the length choice doesn't see — the class (3★ vs 4★ vs 5★ vs luxury), the day-order in Aswan, and the single-day felucca vs motorboat decision.
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Disclaimer
For reference only. Prices, schedules, and operator policies change; verify at the boat office or with the operator directly. We are not a licensed tour operator, immigration authority, or medical advisor. No warranty is made that any calculation is correct for your specific trip.