Nile Cruise Schedule

Nile Cruise Schedule 2026 — Departure Days and How to Plan

Nile cruises don’t sail every day. Each ship keeps a fixed weekly pattern, so the single most useful thing to know when planning is which departure days are available from Luxor and Aswan — and building your flights around them rather than the other way round.

As a rule, 4-night sailings depart Luxor and 3-night sailings depart Aswan, with most ships running on a Monday/Friday or Saturday/Wednesday rhythm. The filter above shows the real departure days for each ship in our fleet so you can match a sailing to your travel dates in seconds.

How to read the schedule

• Check the day, not just the date. If your flight lands on a Tuesday, look for ships whose weekly departure falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
• Allow a buffer night. Arriving the evening before departure removes any risk from delayed flights.
• Direction sets the length. Luxor–Aswan is usually 4 nights; Aswan–Luxor 3. See the Luxor–Aswan route guide for the difference.

When do sailings sell out?

October to April is peak season, and Christmas, New Year and Easter fill first — often months ahead. Summer sailings (June to August) are hot but far easier to book and noticeably cheaper. If your dates are fixed and tight, ask us early; if they’re flexible, you may do better on a last-minute Nile cruise.

Can you hold a specific date for me?

Usually, yes. We work directly with the ships, so we can check live availability for a given departure and hold cabins briefly while you confirm flights. Send us the week you have in mind — plus how many nights and which cruise category you prefer — and we’ll come back within 24 hours with the exact sailings available and a clear quote. Current seasonal savings are on our offers page.