Boat tours on the Nile are usually either three-, four- or seven-night cruises. The boat tour can be a part of a longer travel itinerary in Egypt. Shorter cruises go between Luxor and Aswan. Longer cruises travel north to Dendera and may include land tours as well.
The more luxurious boats have all of the amenities of a fine hotel, including swimming pools, exercise rooms, restaurants, entertainment and shopping. Accommodations vary from small functional rooms to rooms larger than hotel rooms. Some have suites available. The better boats have private baths, air-conditioning and television. Meals are generally buffet style with international as well as local cuisine. Water on board is filtered and fine for showering but bottled water is recommended for drinking.
Feluccas are Egypt's traditional Nile sailboat. Trips on these boats are usually day trips. Longer trips can be arranged aboard larger feluccas traveling for several days between Luxor and Aswan. Accommodations are primitive. Travelers sleep on the open deck and the sailors double as cooks.
Most cruise boats operate all year but some tours are limited to October through mid-April. Some locks are closed beginning in April due to water levels. Cruises operating at that time have boats on either side of the locks and travelers are transferred between boats.
