We travelled as a couple in July/August 2024 with Travel Evasion, combining a week of Nile cruise aboard the LE TAROT boat and a week of relaxation at the Red Sea Inn. Overall, it was our most beautiful travel experience, and a first cruise that allowed us to discover the wonders of Egypt, from majestic temples to breathtaking scenery. The Tarot: The boat Le Tarot can accommodate about 130 people. It has an ancient charm, but that is part of its appeal. The staff on board are very friendly, always smiling and helpful, which really improved our stay. The food on board was excellent, although not very diversified (mainly chicken, rice, fish and vegetables), but we never had any health problems, which unfortunately was not the case at the Mercure Pension in Hurghada. However, a few points are worth highlighting for those considering travelling on the Tarot: Additional costs: The visa costs 25€, but you are also asked to pay 40€ of service fees in cash upon arrival. Drinks on board: All drinks are charged, including water. You can pay for everything at the end or opt for a bracelet (60€/person for soft drinks and 120€ for alcoholic drinks). After calculation, we paid 56€ for two at the end of the stay, which makes the bracelets unprofitable. Swimming pool: The pool on board is okay, but it is not treated with chlorine and the water is a bit cloudy. It is cleaned with unidentified products, which caused me an allergy. Chambers: The rooms are clean, cleaned twice a day, but they lack modernity. We had a minor problem with the shower, but nothing serious. Unfortunately, when docked, another boat is often stuck to ours, which obstructs the view and limits the entry of natural light. Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is offered at 15€/device, but it only worked for the first two days, then was completely turned off at the end. If it had to be done again, we would have taken a local SIM card. Program of visits: We took a package of visits at 200€/person, which was generally good, except for a few stops of little interest (like the Nasser Dam). We added the Valley of the Kings, which was superb, and a Nubian village, which disappointed us a little. The Nile, despite its beauty, is unfortunately very polluted, which spoils the landscape a little. The program could have been better distributed, with very intense visits in the first days and two days without activity at the end. The black spot: Our Guide, although she was kind and competent, asked us twice for a tip at the end of the stay, suggesting a minimum of 35€/person. We found it inappropriate, especially as it was presented insistently throughout the week. This somewhat tarnished our overall Impression. Despite these few inconveniences, this trip remains our most beautiful experience. We loved discovering Egypt through this cruise, and we are delighted to have chosen this package. However, some improvements, particularly in terms of fee transparency and tip management, would be welcome.

A friend of ours is a complete fan of Agatha Christie in general and "Death on the Nile" in particular, so a group of us ended up booking 5 nights on the SS Sudan. The food was French, but lighter to cater to the hot weather and excellent, with allergies and intolerances catered to impeccably. Service too was very good with many nice touches, like the cold towels and welcome back drinks handed out after each temple visit. In general, the suites and rooms feel luxurious for a boat and have a real olde-worlde feel enhanced by the copious amount of carefully hand-shined brass used in the construction. I would recommend a tour of the bridge and the engine room to truly appreciate the working steam engines and paddles. The manager Mr Amir and the staff are wonderfully welcoming and keen to explain the history and workings of the ship. My friend was absolutely over the moon and felt the experience was life-changing. As I am not a particular fan of Ms Christie although I have read several of her novels and seen 2 DOTN movies, I enjoyed the experience but honestly felt it was a bit overpriced for what we got. There is no entertainment on board beyond a screening of one of the DOTN movies. The internet and the hot water ranged between somewhat and very intermittent and there wasn't a costume night or something Agatha Christie-themed that might have got us more into the period mood. Honestly, even 1 formal evening might have made a bit of a difference. However, if you're a big fan of spending your holidays relaxing on deck with cups of tea, books and cocktails, then you'll find it heaven, and the scenery drifting past was often very pretty indeed. Being more of an adventure travel person, I was honestly sometimes quite bored, but held my peace while my friends happily raved about the experience. So I am writing this short review for people considering taking this cruise and to balance out those who rave endlessly about it. It is v expensive, as it is the only working Steamship on the River Nile and the French company that have invested a lot in the renovations basically have a monopoly. It's worth it if you really like the idea of period travel, are crazy about Steamships or are a mad fan of Ms Christie or just like v v slow scenic luxury cruises with not a lot to do between temple visits. Other than that you might want to consider other options.

Truly amazing experience the Valley of the Kings was exceptional. A short sail in a Felucca too and visited a Nubien village again fascinating. The cruise was fabulous and amazing food. The thing that spoilt it for me was our Guide Mohammed who from Day 1, was bleating on about tipping him personally £25.00, which was repeated numerous times. Also bad planning on his part at the Valley of the Kings. He did a 35 minute talk, then had to queue for almost an hour for the tickets.. surely they could have been purchased in advance or our driver collect them. He then insisted he had chosen x3 Temples for us to view, none of which were Tutankharmun's, which the majority obviously would want to see. He limited our time too to 30 minutes in the Botanical garden, presumably because there was no commission in it for him. We were to have an Egyptian dress night on the Saturday, no communication was received from him, as changed to a " leaving party" on the Monday for a group of 4 Americans, who had been heavily tipping him. Extremely selfish behaviour from the Guide.

I was on board MS Pioneer 2, a superb Nile Cruise ship. It is quite modern, very well maintained and has exceptional crew! The rooms (sorry, cabins) have every facility including a TV which can surprisingly receive my go-to favourite BBC World News ( plus many others.) I found this surprising as we were mainly sailing along a river flowing through the middle of the desert. That’s modern technology for you! There is also payable WiFi but the speed reminded me of old England! The upper deck consists of sun loungers and shaded areas. There is a plunge pool and if you like ice cold water you may enjoy it! The rooms (sorry, cabins) are carefully serviced by very capable and conscientious stewards. Now, the buffet style restaurant! Excellent in every respect! The choice of wonderful food is surprising, all delicious! The waiting staff are both alert and extraordinarily helpful. Although all were extremely competent I need to make special mention of Ziead who took good care of this 80 year old! Spoiled, really! I truly highly recommend MS Pioneer 2!

The Nile River is breathtakingly beautiful, no wonder the Ancient Egyptians gave it a personality and made it a Goddess in the process. It certainly made us Hapi. Cruising along its course from Luxor to Aswan was a joy reserved only to the rich travellers of yesteryear- now thanks to Explore Travel & Cruises - they have put the Luxury into Luxor and placed it within the price range of the ordinary working family too. Waving to locals as you sail by watching children celebrating Eid festival is a sight I will never forget - relaxing and entertaining in equal measures on the longest and calmest river in the World.

Made cruise on the Nile from Luxor, visited Valley of Kings, Aswan, Abu Sibel, trip on the Nile in felucca to reach the Nubian village, then transfer by plane to Cairo visit to the pyramids of giza Egyptian museum, ride on the Nile in a beautiful evening by motorboat!! Very challenging and exciting trip, guides very prepared to explain and answer in perfect Italian to all curiosities, with great language properties! The only drawback... the endless hours at airports, checks on checks and exhausting waits!! .... departures only from Rome and Milan and only by aircairo.... Destination that I recommend for the beauties, described in all books ....... views in person are not a confirmation but a surprise.... One thing that particularly moved me, the sky dotted with millions of stars, with the horizontal slice of the moon in the desert darkness!! An exciting journey!!

To immerse ourselves in experiencing the Nile River, we hopped on board MS Medea from Luxor to Aswan. There's much of human activities and wildlife to savour on both sides of the Nile. The meals on board the boat were wonderful and the quality of the buffet spread was high. Most of all, we enjoyed the great service at the restaurant; The ever so attentive staff actually remembered each guest by name and preferences! During one dinner, we casually uttered that the sesame seed-coated Egyptian cracker was so delicious. They actually packed a box of it and hand it to us on our final day on the boat, saying with a broad smile, "Please enjoy!"

I had a very pleasant dinner and riverboat ride on the Nile. My Tour Guide Fahd was Amazing! He spoke very good English. He was very knowledgeable about the Egypt culture and as a solo traveler, I was very comfortable and felt very safe. I will highly recommend this tour to anyone.

The Nile River, stretching over 6,600 kilometers, has enchanted travelers for millennia. Experience its timeless beauty with a serene felucca ride. Drift past minarets and skyscrapers, away from the city’s hustle, and let the warm breeze fill the traditional lateen-rigged sails. It’s a tranquil escape into Egypt’s rich history and natural splendor. 🌊🛶

Magic, source of life in Egypt. The population of the country is distributed along the Nile, it is certainly very important. Now and for thousands of years now, because in its waters, an important part of the story has passed. I highly recommend doing the Nile cruise tours that have many stops in architectural sites that are difficult to access otherwise.