Take a Nile cruise. Sounds good, huh? And when you think about it for the first time, you already know that you’re going to love it. Because everyone who has lived it has told you that it is a traveler, and among the tips for traveling to Egypt, this one is in capital letters. But once you make the decision, the doubts come: What are the Nile cruises like, what to take, what excursions are made or what exactly does the all-inclusive include. Wait, don’t go on. Newcomers, and with a lot of information in the suitcase, we tell you what cruises in Egypt are like and we give you some tips for traveling on a motor ship for the first time, in case you are also a novice at this.
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How to take a cruise in Egypt
The most usual thing to do a cruise on Nile is that it is part of a route through Egypt. The 8-day all-inclusive tour of Egypt that booked with the online platform. It is also possible to hire only the Nile cruise, with the option of 4 nights from Luxor to Aswan or 3 nights from Aswan to Luxor.
How much does a cruise on the Nile cost and which is the best agency to do it
The most common is to book the Nile cruise through an agency, in this case the prices may vary depending on the time of year in which you travel, the number of nights you contract, the category of the ship or what it includes the Nile cruise. So if you want to take a look, here are two options for all-inclusive 5-star boats with detailed information and updated prices:
| 4 night Nile cruise | from 275 euros per person |
|---|---|
| 3 night Egypt cruise | from 250 euros/ person |
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Nile River Map
The Nile River is considered the longest river in the world, with a length of 4.258 miles (6.853 kilometers), but its exact length is a matter of difference, as the river flows north in East Africa to the Mediterranean and passes through 11 countries, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Republic of the Congo. Democracy, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt.
Tips for traveling on a cruise for the first time
The closest thing to a cruise had been to rent a boat in Borneo to see orangutans or tour part of Halong Bay on a trip to Vietnam on your own. As novices, one of the things to keep in mind on a Nile cruise is to know what that “all inclusive” includes, which is often less than you expect. It is also advisable to know if you have to pay separately for excursions, which is what happens on large cruise ships. So book where you book, if you don’t want the “add up and go” to be a pain and the initial price has nothing to do with the final price, you already have two main references.
What is included in the all-inclusive on a Nile cruise, and what you have to pay and what not
On the Nile cruise all-inclusive is almost literal. The price includes everything from the visa to enter Egypt to internal flights to and from, and once on the ship, except for drinks, practically everything else was included:
- The tickets to all the temples and monuments that are visited. Below we tell you what they were.
- Accommodation and food (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
- all transfers
- A felucca ride on the Nile. If you haven’t heard of it before, the felucca is a small traditional Egyptian boat.
We recommend that you read carefully everything that is included and what is not, since the final price can sometimes even double.
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How much is tipped on a Nile cruise and to whom?
A gratuity is given to the crew at the end of the Nile cruise. When we say the crew, it is in general, including both the workers who make the bed and clean the cabin, as well as those who serve food daily in the restaurant. If it is not expressly indicated in the travel conditions, write down, because they are not included. On the cruise that we did, they were. Tips are paid for everything beyond what you have contracted. It’s a cultural thing. Although they are not officially regulated and in reality it is not mandatory to give them. For them, tipping is not something voluntary that depends on whether you liked the service you received more or less, but something like a mandatory charge in all the services you receive. As for the amounts (the big doubt) it is something personal, about 25 Euros for the crew, and at least 5 Euros per day for the guide. In any case, you can pay together with the group in an envelope, and each one includes what they consider.
How is the ship inside on a Nile cruise
- On the lowest floor was the restaurant, where all meals were made.
- On the floor that accessed the ship you had the reception (like that of a hotel), a hall and a bar/cafeteria.
- On the first floor were all the rooms.
- The pool and the terrace, in the last one, with a small bar and tables where you can have a drink. Something to keep in mind is that the pool is quite small, ideal for taking a dip. Do not expect to do a few laps, because it will not be. Rather to be soaked chatting with other travelers, which is also a great plan
- Add to that a store with many of the things that are sold on the street, but with lights, tidy and dust-free, which sometimes seem like something else, but logically more expensive.
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What are the cabins like on the cruise ships in Egypt?
Another of the big questions when you consider going on a Nile cruise is what the rooms of the motor ships will be like. Cruise has a large window to see the landscapes (although we spent little time inside the cabin ), and the same size as a hotel room. They have all the services, in addition to a small refrigerator, which is greatly appreciated so that the water does not heat up. A staple on an Egypt cruise. The bathroom is attached. That we don’t use, because with the buffet and how delicious the Egyptian food is.
Eating on a Nile cruise: What is the food like?
The usual thing is that the food on a Nile cruise is buffet style. If you are a bit “picky”, you do not like everything or you are one of those who if it is not something you recognize you do not eat, you can rest easy, because there is everything. You enjoy tasting, they have taught you that nothing is left on the plate and on top of that you have a sweet tooth, you can now be careful, because you may still come with a few extra pounds. Also Table with a lot of different types of bread. In addition, Egyptian food. Always use IATI, an insurance that has responded great in a lot of different situations traveling around the world, also with a 5% discount from Organizotuviaje.
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Drinks and Alcohol on Egypt Cruises
The drinks on the Nile cruise are paid separately, but don’t worry, they are not excessively expensive.
- Beer – 40 Egyptian pound
- Coca Cola – 14
- Water – 12
- Cocktail – 70/75
And yes, they do sell alcohol on the motor boats that travel the Nile, although it is something unusual in the country. The normal thing in a bar is to have a tea, but on Egypt cruises they serve beer, wine and mixed drinks. Mind you, it’s not cheap. A beer can cost you around 5 euros.
What to Pack for a Nile Cruise
- Plugs in Egypt have a voltage of 220 V and plugs of type C / F.
- One of the essential things to take on a Nile cruise is a small first aid kit with the basics. Although he gets off the ship every day to go on excursions, if something unimportant comes up, it’s more comfortable than having to go looking for a pharmacy. For everything that is not the basics, we strongly insist on the importance of having good travel insurance.
- Sunglasses, sun cream and a cap or hat. If you don’t want to carry a hat, all the street vendors in the temples will offer it to you. Of course, haggle over the price they ask you for (think about lowering it until you see that the seller himself is not willing to lower the price any further).
- A fan is something that you will also appreciate a lot. It doesn’t take up anything and you don’t know how good it is to have it at hand at times.
- A thermal bottle that keeps cold for hours is a very practical thing to put in your suitcase for a cruise on the Nile. Actually for the entire trip through Egypt, because even if you drink bottled water, pouring it out of the plastic bottle at yours and drink it fresh, it’s a hoot.
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What kind of clothes to carry in the suitcase?
The freshest cotton clothes you have in the closet. Another of the must-sees to carry in your suitcase to take a cruise through Egypt. To keep in mind, the more you cover your body, the better you will withstand the heat. Pants and a long-sleeved shirt will be much more practical and comfortable than something with bare arms and legs. Also think that you are in a Muslim country, and although you can dress as you want, it will come in handy for some visits.
How to dress on an Egypt cruise
Something important to keep in mind is that there are no gala dinners on Nile cruises. One of the days they had a costume party on deck, and the people who were in costume (which was the minority) were wearing Egyptian clothes that they had bought during the trip. So don’t go crazy about wearing nice “dress-up” clothes, and focus instead on being practical for the trip.
Excursions on an Egypt cruise
During the Nile cruise you sleep on the boat, but every day there are excursions that take you to the main temples. These are the ones we visited in Egypt, with the price of admission included:
- luxor temple
- karnak
- The Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon
- Edfu, which is the best preserved temple in Egypt
- Kom Ombo
- The Temples of Abu Simbel
- Philae temple
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What to see and do on a Nile cruise besides visiting temples
But in addition to visiting the most famous temples in Egypt, there are other top places that you will see on a Nile cruise:
- King’s Valley. The place where the pharaohs were buried and where the tomb of Tutankhamun was. The entrance to two of the tombs was included in our trip and we assure you that it is completely amazing.
- Esna Lock. You have to go through it to save a gap of about ten meters, and it is a mandatory stop for all cruises that navigate the Nile River. Seeing how the process is very cool.
- Lake Nasser and Aswan High Dam
- Laze by the pool or on the boat’s sun loungers as you watch the sunset on the Nile River. There we leave it.
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