Nile River Cruises

Nile Cruises

The most famous waterway in the world, a river cruise down Egypt’s iconic Nile River will take you back in time like no other holiday experience. Sail in 5-star luxury aboard your specialised river vessel, taking in the sights and sounds from your balcony, dinner table or top deck with a refreshing drink as the banks of the Nile slip by, sailing through time to stop off at such incredible sites as Cairo, Luxor, Esna and Edfu, and Aswan.

Nile Cruise Lines and Ships

At Scotland's Cruise Centre we offer Nile Cruises with a variety of river cruise lines, including AmaWaterways, Riviera and Uniworld. All offer 5-star, luxury accommodation and amenities on their specialised river vessels.

Although not Dahabiya’s, the traditional Egyptian ships for Nile holidays, the specialised designs of these vessels give you the best of both worlds. Nile River Cruise ships are spacious and modern, with facilities often including pools, hot tubs and plenty of deck space to take in the scenery, yet small enough to enter ports of call larger ships cannot access.

What’s Included

River cruises are typically all-inclusive with the below included as standard aboard:

• All meals
• Drinks
• Wi-Fi
• Excursions and escorted tours
• Toiletries
• Flights and Transfers
• Hotel stays

Nile Cruise Itineraries

A typical River Nile itinerary starts in Cairo, giving you a day or two to explore, before sailing down the Lower Nile. There aren’t usually any stops along this section of the journey down to the Upper Nile, so you have time to relax after the bustling streets of Cairo and the Great Pyramids, making yourself at home in your cabin and the ship.

What to do in Cairo:

• Grand Egyptian Museum - uncover a vast collection of artifacts, including the treasures of Tutankhamun
• Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx - wonder at these iconic landmarks and enjoy optional camel rides
• Citadel of Salah Ed-Din and Alabaster Mosque - learn all about Egypt’s Islamic architecture and history
• Souks and Bazaars - barter in the local way to get an authentic memento from your epic adventure
• Coptic Cairo - explore Old Cairo’s Coptic Christian heritage

Once entering the Upper Nile, the action begins again with so many sites to take in. These include:

• Luxor - explore the iconic Valley of the Kings, visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and marvel at the Colossi of Memnon
• Aswan - discover Nubian culture, visit the High Dam and Philae Temple
• Esna - visit the Temple of Esna, also known as the Temple of Khnum, and the local souk
• Edfu - marvel at the magnificent Temple of Horus, a remarkably well-preserved Ptolemaic-era temple
• Qena - uncover the Dendera and Abydos Temple Complexes, both showcasing incredibly preserved hieroglyphs and carvings

Longer sailings will head back north to Cairo, but some itineraries fly back from Aswan International Airport instead, just a short transfer from the ship. Some sailings, meanwhile, may include flights between Cairo and Luxor.

Did you know? Many of the evenings aboard your ship will stay in port overnight, giving you plenty of time each day to explore the local area’s sights, sounds and cuisine at a relaxed pace. This also allows local entertainers and experts to come aboard, giving you authentic Egyptian shows and presentations.

Nile Cruise and Stays

As a result of stays in Cairo pre- and post-cruise a typical Nile River Cruise consists of either 11 or 14 nights in total, 7 to 10 of these consisting of actual sailing. Flights from UK airports land in Cairo, giving you a day or two to relax in your hotel and explore at your leisure as well organised escorted tours.