Decades of Experience
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No trip to Egypt is complete without a Nile cruise or Lake Nasser cruise. We would be delighted to have you on board our cruisers.
A Journey of a Lifetime
It gives us great pleasure when guests come to visit our country and experience the wonders we have to offer. We believe it is part of our mission to ensure your entire journey in Egypt is enjoyable, and are always available to assist you in any way possible.
Tour of Egypt
Egypt is a country that can offer everything to everyone. And although you will need more than one visit to experience it all, it is generally recommended to visit several areas per trip. Combinations of cultural & beach itineraries are most popular.
Most comprehensive tours include a couple of nights in Cairo, a Nile cruise and a few nights on the Red Sea to relax. These tours usually last between 10 to 14 days.
Nile Exploration would be more than happy to assist you in planning and booking your custom tour of Egypt through our local partners. Please feel free to contact us if you require any assistance in planning or booking your journey.Â
Cruise itineraries
Understanding the itineraries and embarkation/disembarkation towns is very important.
Most ships on the Nile follow a rotating weekly schedule from Luxor to Aswan and back. The week is split into two cruises, one of 4 nights and one of 3 nights.
For example our ship the M/S Royal Lily starts every cruise on Fridays from Aswan to Luxor for 3 nights. On Mondays, our guests check-out in Luxor and new guests check-in to begin a cruise of 4 nights back to Aswan, which will end on a Friday. Thus the weekly cycle has been completed and a new one shall begin.
For the detailed itineraries of our ships, please check the following links:
Visa and entry requirements
To enter Egypt, most travelers can obtain a visa from any airport/port upon arrival. However some foreign nationals must obtain it before arrival from their home country. To inquire about your requirements, please click here.
Currency and money
Egypt’s official currency is the Egyptian Pound (pronounced “Geneh” in Arabic), divided into 100 Piasters (pronounced “Ersh”). Banknotes come in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 & 5 pounds, whereas coins come in 1 pound, 50 piasters & 25 piasters.
ATMs and currency exchange offices are common & many hotels, restaurants and shops in major tourist areas also accept major currencies as payment. Please note that tipping in Egypt is a way of life and a little amount goes a long way in appreciation. It is useful to have change and small denominations with you.
Getting around Egypt
Egypt has 10 international airports as well as several other smaller local ones. Most travelers use flights to get around the country. There are however rail networks that take you from Alexandria all the way south to Aswan. There are also regular bus services and convoys linking major urban and tourist areas.
To get to Upper Egypt, the most convenient method is flight. There are daily flight from Cairo to Luxor & Aswan as well as several flights a week from Sharm El Sheikh to Luxor.
Another method is by rail. The travel time is approximately 10 hours between Cairo & Luxor or Aswan, so the night sleeper train is preferred.
Language
The official language of Egypt is Arabic, but English, French & Italian are widely used, especially with tourists and visitors.
Weather
Egypt has a arid desert climate. It is hot or warm during the day, and cool at night. In the coastal regions, temperature daytime temperatures range between an average of minimum 14 °C (57 °F) in winter and average of maximum 30 °C (86 °F) in summer.
In deserts the temperature vary to a great degree, especially in summer; they may range from 7 °C (44.6 °F) at night, to 40 °C (104.0 °F) during the day. While the winter temperatures in deserts do not fluctuate as wildly, they can be as low as 0 °C (32 °F) at night, and as high as 18 °C (64.4 °F) during the day. Hot and dry Khamsin winds blow in the Nile Delta region
Egypt receives less than 80 mm (3.15 in) of precipitation annually in most areas, although in the coastal areas it reaches 200 mm. It hardly ever rains during the summer.
Packing Tips
On board, the managers and tour guides can assist you in procuring items you may need, however some things cannot always be available.
For your convenience, below is a list of items that are prudent to bring with you:
- Comfortable footwear for excursions
- Sunglasses
- Conservative attire for visiting religious sites
- Sun block
- Toiletries (including medical remedies)
- Electrical adapters
- Lightweight jacket/warm sweater/sweatshirt for the winter months
- All needed medications, including prescriptions, in their original, labeled containers