A week cruising the Nile
Dreaming of a week discovering Egypt along the Nile? Read our article for our itinerary and our tips!
Exceptional country, exceptional trip. For the first time, we went on an organised trip! Romain’s works council was planning a trip to Egypt for autumn 2023, and given the ridiculously low price (625€ per person, all in), we did not hesitate for a single second before signing up to make the most of this great opportunity. It was our chance to discover the Egypt we had been dreaming of, with a framework around us, zero planning to worry about, and above all a guide who is an expert on the country. Rest assured, we still have a few tips and deals to share!
Good to know before you go
- 01Currency
the local currency is the Egyptian pound (1€ = 34 EPG when we were there). The euro is accepted everywhere, especially in shops and tourist spots: no need to withdraw pounds in advance. If you need cash, the most practical thing is to have an international card such as Boursorama to withdraw without fees from an ATM.
- 02Internet
Egypt is rarely included in mobile operators’ plans. We recommend buying a local SIM card once you arrive. On our side, we arrived too late on the first day and we were not going through the city centre, so we opted for an e-SIM with Holafly: 20€ for 7 days of unlimited internet. Tip: switch the language to Russian, the currency to roubles and add a 5% promo code to your order to pay less.
- 03Weather
we went from 30 September to 7 October and we had very summery weather. At the start of the trip, temperatures were abnormally high for that time of year (around forty degrees). Our guide advised us to come in November instead, for milder, more bearable temperatures. Worth knowing: on the boat it is a little less hot, thanks to the light breeze off the Nile. Avoid the summer, obviously!
- 04Visa
the tourist visa can be obtained online or directly at the airport on arrival, by filling in a form in exchange for a stamp in your passport to show at customs (about 25€). All the information on the diplomatie.gouv.fr website
- 05Travel insurance
you’re never entirely safe from a mishap in Egypt (food poisoning, a bite…), so it’s best to have travel insurance to avoid paying sky-high medical bills. We’d suggest Heymondo, a trusted travel insurance provider with 24/7 assistance: get 5% off your insurance through our link!
BoursoBank
Our BoursoBank referral code gets you up to 220€ for any first account opened with an Ultim card.
Now for our itinerary… Everything you need to plan your own week in Egypt, following the course of the Nile!
Our 7-day itinerary in Egypt
- Day1
30 September
- Late arrival at Luxor airport
- Night on the boat
- Day2
1 October
- Colossi of Memnon (free)
- Valley of the Kings, 3 tombs: Ramesses I, Tausert, Ramesses IX (400 EGP, 12,30€)
- Temple of Hatshepsut (240 EGP, 7,40€)
- Stone carving workshop
- Night on the boat
- Day3
2 October
- Temple of Edfu (300 EGP, 9,30€)
- Sailing on the Nile (rest)
- Temple of Kom Ombo and crocodile museum (240 EGP, 7,40€)
- Night on the boat
- Day4
3 October
- Salouga and Ghazal nature reserve by boat (Nubia)
- Barbar Naje beach
- Nubian village (Sehel Island)
- Sandboarding and Egyptian tea (Mafia Island)
- Temple of Philae (300 EGP, 9,30€)
- Perfume workshop
- Night on the boat
- Day5
4 October
- Temple of Abu Simbel (415 EGP, 12,80€)
- Aswan High Dam (100 EGP, 3€)
- Sound and light show at the Temple of Philae (20 USD, 19€ for the sound and light show alone)
- Night on the boat
- Day6
5 October
- Rest and pool day on the boat
- Night on the boat
- Day7
6 October
- Sunrise hot-air balloon flight over Luxor (135€ per person booking through our guide; you can find flights that are much cheaper on GetYourGuide, *affiliate link)
- Temple of Karnak (300 EGP, 9,30€)
- Papyrus workshop
- Temple of Luxor (260 EGP, 8€)
- Winter Palace in Luxor
- Night on the boat
- Day8
7 October
- Back to Paris
Our accommodation in Egypt
Our cruise was organised by the tour operator KUONI (the “Légende d’Osiris” trip), which runs two boats for this journey. We spent a week on the Moondance, a modern, recently renovated boat that can take up to 145 people. We were lucky enough to be upgraded and put in a 35 m² suite (the Shakespeare), at water level, with a sitting area and a sauna in the bathroom. From the bed, you can watch the landscapes go by through the large picture window: a magnificent painting! On the food side, the meals were pretty good, with lots of choice and local specialities at every meal. The highlight of the boat is still the refreshing pool on the main deck, with a magnificent view over the Nile.
It was the first time we had stayed on a boat and we really enjoyed the experience: we would definitely do it again!
What we thought of Egypt
Like many people, we found Egypt a country to dream about, with its thousand-year-old history and the imagery of the pharaohs and their monumental temples. It is a destination we had had in mind for a long time, but we kept telling ourselves we would go “later”. So when the opportunity came up, we did not hesitate for long and… no regrets! We are happy to have discovered one of the most beautiful regions of the country, even if it was as part of an organised, guided trip. For a first taste of Egypt, we could not have hoped for better. We fell in love with the landscapes along the banks of the Nile, the temples of course, and our unforgettable sunrise hot-air balloon experience. We will definitely go back, to the north of the country to visit Cairo and see the pyramids, and why not to the south, to do it all again at our own pace.
If you are considering a first trip to Egypt, we recommend taking a guide, at the very least for the monuments and the temples, to better understand the history and the architecture of the sites. A Nile cruise can also be a good option if you want to let go of the trip planning a little: all you have to do is go with the flow…
2 comments
Thank you for your comment! Marie & Romain
Stéphane Hellot25 July 2024
Merci Romain et Marie
Marie25 July 2024
Avec plaisir Stéphane ! Vous comptez aller bientôt en Egypte ? ☀️
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