Embark on the unforgettable DWA Nile Cruise with two captivating itineraries: 5 days or 4 days.
Schedule
4 Days Aswan/ Luxor
5 Days Luxor/Aswan
Countries
1 Country
4 Cities
Type
Small Group Tour
12 Persons
Run
Every Monday from Luxor
Every Friday from Aswan
Not every great Nile cruise needs to reinvent the wheel. The DWA gets the fundamentals right — a well-appointed 5-star ship, a small group of just 12 guests, an expert Egyptologist guide for every excursion, and a route through the most spectacular stretch of the ancient world — and delivers them with the kind of consistency that keeps travelers recommending it to friends. Sailing between Aswan and Luxor, the DWA covers the same legendary temples and monuments that have drawn travelers to Upper Egypt for centuries. What sets it apart is how it delivers that experience — with comfortable, well-designed cabins, attentive service, full board meals, and a relaxed pace that gives you time to absorb what you're seeing rather than rushing through it. This is a cruise that gets out of the way and lets ancient Egypt be the star. What to Expect Group size: Maximum 12 guests — small enough for a genuinely personal experience Guide: Expert English-speaking Egyptologist on every excursion Meals: Full board throughout — all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners included Inclusions: All temple entrance fees and ground transfers covered Evening entertainment: Cocktail reception, Galabeya party, Egyptian cultural show Departures: Every Friday from Aswan / Every Monday from Luxor On Board Facilities Cabins: Comfortable, well-appointed 5-star cabins with individually controlled air conditioning, private bathroom, satellite TV, and Nile views. Dining & Social Spaces: Main restaurant serving full board meals throughout the cruise, sundeck for afternoon tea and open-air relaxation, lounge and bar for evening entertainment. Services: Wi-Fi on board, room service, laundry service, daily housekeeping, meet and assist service throughout. Frequently Asked Questions What temples do you visit on the DWA Nile cruise? Both itineraries cover the key sites between Aswan and Luxor. On the 4-day Aswan to Luxor route you visit Philae Temple, the Unfinished Obelisk, Kom Ombo Temple, Esna Temple, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. All entrance fees are included. How many people are on the DWA cruise? A maximum of 12 guests per departure. This keeps the experience personal — your guide can focus on the group, excursions move efficiently, and you never feel like part of a crowd at the temples. How is the DWA different from other Nile cruises on the Memphis Tours website? The DWA is a focused, well-priced 5-star small-group cruise that delivers the essential Nile cruise experience without extras you may not need. If you're looking for a larger all-suite ship with a higher crew ratio and multiple lounges, the MS Salacia is worth comparing. If you want a reliable, comfortable, small-group cruise at a strong price point, the DWA delivers exactly that. Which direction is better — Aswan to Luxor or Luxor to Aswan? Both routes visit the same temples. The 4-day Aswan to Luxor direction begins in the quieter, more atmospheric south and builds toward the dramatic West Bank finale in Luxor. The 5-day Luxor to Aswan direction starts with Luxor's East and West Bank sites on Day 1 and 2, then takes you deeper south toward Aswan — ideal if you prefer ending your cruise in a slower, more relaxed city. What is included in the price? All meals from the first lunch through the final breakfast, all temple and site entrance fees, an English-speaking Egyptologist guide for every excursion, and all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle. Tips and personal expenses are not included. What is the best time of year to sail? October through April is the most comfortable season for sightseeing, with cooler daytime temperatures. May through September is hotter but less crowded and priced lower. The DWA sails year-round. How do I secure my spot? A deposit of just 25% confirms your cabin and all included services. The remaining balance can be paid up to two days before arrival or in cash on arrival. Can I book the DWA as a standalone cruise? Yes — you can fly directly into Aswan or Luxor depending on your chosen direction. Memphis Tours also offers combined packages that include Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza if you want a fuller Egypt itinerary. Ready to sail? Send us your travel dates and we'll handle everything from there. → Get Your Free Quote
4 days of curated travel across iconic destinations.
Aswan is where your Nile journey begins — and it sets the tone perfectly. Smaller and quieter than Cairo or Luxor, this southern city sits where the Egyptian desert meets the river in a landscape of golden sand, granite boulders, and slow-moving feluccas. A Memphis Tours representative meets you at Aswan airport or train station and transfers you directly to the DWA for embarkation before lunch. After checking into your cabin, your Egyptologist takes you to two of Aswan's standout sites before dinner on board.
Philae Temple occupies a small island in the Nile — you reach it by a short motorboat crossing, which makes arriving feel like a proper discovery. Dedicated to the goddess Isis, it was one of the last temples in Egypt where the ancient religion was still practiced. When the Aswan High Dam threatened to submerge it permanently, UNESCO coordinated its complete dismantling and reassembly on higher ground — one of the most remarkable feats of archaeological preservation ever undertaken. The Unfinished Obelisk nearby tells a different kind of story: abandoned mid-carving after a crack appeared in the granite, it still lies in the quarry exactly where the workers left it, offering a uniquely raw look at the engineering behind ancient Egypt's most iconic monuments.
Overnight: Aboard the DWA in Aswan
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
The morning after breakfast belongs to the river. You set sail north toward Kom Ombo with no agenda until the afternoon — time to find a spot on the sundeck, watch the landscape change from granite desert to palm-lined banks, and let the Nile work its particular kind of calm on you.
Kom Ombo Temple stands directly on the riverbank — one of the few ancient Egyptian temples built in a position where you can see the Nile from inside its sanctuaries. What makes it architecturally unique is its dual dedication: the entire structure is perfectly symmetrical, with duplicate halls, gateways, and sanctuaries built side by side for two separate gods — Sobek the crocodile god on one side and Horus the Elder on the other. Ancient crocodile mummies discovered near the site are displayed in a small museum on the grounds. After the visit you sail on to Esna as the evening settles in.
Overnight: Aboard the DWA in Esna
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Please note: scheduled timings may be adjusted due to operational or environmental factors.
Today moves quickly and covers a lot of ground — an early morning temple visit in Esna, a sail through the famous Esna Lock, and two of Luxor's greatest East Bank monuments in the afternoon. The evening brings a belly dance show on board, a lively end to your most action-packed day.
Esna Temple is easy to overlook on a Nile cruise itinerary — but it shouldn't be. Dedicated to Khnum, the ram-headed god believed to have shaped humanity on a potter's wheel, it was buried under the city for centuries and only partially excavated, so the street level of modern Esna sits several meters above the ancient temple floor. Walking down into it feels like descending into another time entirely. The Esna Lock, navigated mid-morning, brings cruise ships through one at a time and is a surprisingly compelling thing to watch from the deck. Karnak Temple, the afternoon's main event, is the largest religious complex ever built on earth — 200 acres of sanctuaries and columns raised by 30 different pharaohs across 1,300 years. Luxor Temple, visited close to evening, is best seen as the light fades and the floodlights take over, turning its stone façade a deep amber against the darkening sky.
Overnight: Aboard the DWA in Luxor
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Entertainment: Belly dance show
Please note: scheduled timings may be adjusted due to operational or environmental factors.
Your final morning takes you to the West Bank — the ancient burial ground of Egypt's pharaohs, where the cliffs hide more than 60 royal tombs and the landscape itself feels charged with history. After the visits, your Memphis Tours representative transfers you to Luxor airport or the train station.
Inside the Valley of the Kings, painted tomb walls remain as vivid as the day they were sealed — the dry desert air has preserved colors and details that would have faded anywhere else on earth. Your guide takes you inside several tombs, each with its own scenes of the afterlife, offerings to the gods, and hieroglyphic texts intended to guide the pharaoh's soul safely through death. Tutankhamun's tomb — the most famous of all, discovered in 1922 with its treasures virtually untouched — is here. The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a short distance away, is one of the most architecturally striking buildings in Egypt: three colonnaded terraces rising in clean horizontal lines directly against the sheer limestone cliffs behind it. Hatshepsut was one of ancient Egypt's most successful rulers, reigning as pharaoh for over two decades — a fact her successors tried hard to erase from history, and failed.
Meals: Breakfast
Your cruise ends in Luxor — but Egypt doesn't have to. Ask us about combining this cruise with Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza, or extending to the Red Sea. We'll build the itinerary around your schedule.
Embark on the unforgettable DWA Nile Cruise with two captivating itineraries: 5 days or 4 days.
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