The cruises compared here
The two Nile cruises we compare between Aswan and Luxor run in opposite directions. The 3-night cruise starts in Aswan and ends in Luxor. The one sold as 5 days starts in Luxor, lasts four nights and ends in Aswan, so choosing the length also means choosing where you start.
Both are full-board ship cruises with entry tickets and an English-speaking guide, and both are priced per person in a double cabin.
1The two cruises side by side
The 3-night cruise costs from €477.95, lasts four days and goes from Aswan to Luxor. The listing offers three ship categories (5-star standard, 5-star superior and luxury), each with or without an Abu Simbel excursion, and assigns the ship a week before departure. Its score is 7.4 from 1,679 reviews.
The 5-day cruise costs from €528, has four nights and goes from Luxor to Aswan. Its score is 7.8 from 1,831 reviews. The gap in starting price is about €50, and neither listing is wheelchair accessible.
2What each itinerary covers
On the 3-night cruise, day 1 is Aswan and Philae Temple plus a perfumery. Day 2 sails past Kom Ombo at sunset and docks at Edfu. Day 3 is a horse-drawn carriage to the Edfu temple, the Esna lock and arrival in Luxor, with Luxor Temple and Karnak. Day 4 is the Valley of the Kings (three tombs), the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, ending around 4:30 pm.
On the 5-day cruise, day 1 is boarding in Luxor. Day 2 is Luxor Temple, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, then Edfu. Day 3 is the Edfu temple by carriage, Kom Ombo and arrival in Aswan. Day 4 is Philae, a perfume shop and a felucca ride, with a second night in Aswan, and day 5 is departure.
3What the extra night buys
The extra night is spent in Aswan, and it buys time rather than new monuments: a full day with Philae and a traditional felucca ride, where the shorter cruise fits Philae into its first day. Only the 3-night cruise lists the Esna lock, while only the 5-day cruise lists the felucca.
If your priority is the Luxor monuments, both give you Luxor Temple, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi.
4Direction and transfers
The 3-night cruise picks you up in Aswan from the airport, train station or hotel, and drops you in Luxor at the airport, the train station or any place in the city. The 5-day cruise picks you up in Luxor, from the airport, train station or an east-bank hotel at about 12 noon, and includes the transfer to Aswan airport.
Pick the direction that matches where you land and where you fly out from. Both have a 12 noon check-in on the ship and a check-out in the morning.
5Which one to book
Book the 5-day cruise if you have five days and want the better-rated option. Book the 3-night cruise if you have four days or arrive in Aswan, and you will pay about €50 less at the starting price.
Both are cancellable free of charge up to 48 hours before the start, but neither refunds cancellations from 20 December to 2 January or around Easter.