Nile River Cruise vs. Overland Tours in Egypt: 7 Pros and Cons

By Hesham Elgammal on 25 Mar 2025

Egypt is an elite destination, and has a big variety of activities, and how you are going to choose your vacation package; is a vital question that will need to be answered, in order to receive the maximum benefits from your trip, here we will discuss a specific subject, which is the comparison between the Nile River Cruise and the overland tour, and I will try to hold a neutral opinion about the better way to visit the sightseeing around the River Nile in Egypt, as a matter of fact, the most historical places in Egypt are located around the mighty River Nile in the distance between the 2 cities; (Luxor and Aswan), except the great pyramids of Giza which are located in Giza close to Cairo governorate, also the Christian and Islamic historical spots in old Cairo, but we will focus here on a specific area for the fans of ancient Egypt history and the Pharaonic period.

Let us start our comparisons and recommendations.

What does it mean Overland Tours in Egypt?

Egypt is full of tourist sights, which are distributed all over the country and are not close to each other, which is for to deciding which way you are going to jump between one place to the other is one of the important keys for your time and money-saving, and of course, your enjoyment.

The overland tours mean that you will move during your trip in Egypt using vehicles, whether are public transportations or you will hire private cars, in any way to visit upper Egypt’s sightseeing spots, you will have to start up Luxor or Aswan, and we recommend for those who will extend their trip to include the red sea beaches to start his journey from Aswan in the direction to the north because the distance between Luxor and Hurghada is too much shorter.

What does it Mean Nile Cruise Tours in Egypt?

River Nile Cruise means that you will sail between Luxor and Aswan boarding Nile Cruise ship, actually, they are floating hotels with great facilities like pools, restaurants and entertainment, some Luxury Nile Cruises have even Jacuzzi and sauna on board in the end for some people it is just way of transfer and dose not to have all these facilities which could affect on the cost of the trip, if you will start from Aswan you can have option tour to Abu Simple then the original program of the ship is to visit Aswan then sailing to Kom Ombo Temple followed by Edfu Temple until you will arrive at Luxor within 4 days

Pros and Cons of Overland Tours

1. It is cheaper to drive through the sights in and between Luxor and Aswan rather than boarding a luxury Nile cruise ship.
2. More time flexibility, as you will not be stuck with Cruise Ship embarkation times.
3. The flexibility of the sightseeing programs as you can choose to visit specific temples or tombs and escape some other sightseeing.
4. You have the choice between a self-guided tour to organize all by yourself, which could need too much study from your side, or booking a guided tour with a local tour operator which will cost you more, but the option of a self-guided tour will not be available if you will board a River Nile Cruise.
5. The first con of Overland tours in Upper Egypt is that you will have to book hotels in the 2 different cities, Aswan and Luxor.
6. Egyptian tourist cities, in general, are safe, but no doubt that Nile Cruises have a higher level of safety standards.
7. For overland tours need to be a sporty person or at least have a good ability for walking.

Pros and Cons of River Nile Cruise Tours

1. Nile Cruise is an elegant and relaxing way to travel in style by boarding a Luxury Nile Cruise ship.
2. You will not worry about the preparation of the food and the drinks, because it is included onboard.
3. Most of the Nile Cruise package price includes the cost of the tours to the major sightseeing between Aswan and Luxor, which will save you from spending so many organizational efforts
4. The view around the River Nile is memorable in itself; this advantage you will miss if you decide to go for an overland tour in Egypt.
5. First con of the Egypt Nile Cruise is that you will pay up to %25% more than if you go for the overland tour option.
6. Less flexibility in the time you spend in the temples and tombs, as you will be bound by the embarkation of the ship, and also by the group guide. There is an option to hire a private guide who can provide valuable information and heritage interpretation. This will cost you more money, but not that much
7. River Nile Cruise takes more time than the overland tour as the trip, which starts from Aswan to Luxor, usually takes 3 nights / 4 days, and from Luxor, the ship sailing to Aswan usually takes 4 nights / 5 days.

Conclusions

If you are an active, young person who is into some adventures, and maybe a fan of Indiana Jones movies! Then the overland suits you better than the Nile Cruise, but if you are a little older, or a honeymooner, or travel with your family, or even love luxurious feelings, do not hesitate to book the Nile Cruise package it is not that expensive these days.

This article was updated and re-written in part by Hesham El Gammal; on March 25th, 2025 + fact-checked.