Home/Where to stay/Egypt/4- and 5-star hotels
4- and 5-star hotels in Egypt
A shortlist of 4- and 5-star cruises in Egypt. For travellers who want a hotel-class cabin, meals, a pool and sightseeing included.
Staying in Egypt
In the south, the Nile at Aswan and Lake Nasser run past Nubian villages, desert cliffs and the temples of Abu Simbel. In the north, Cairo is a dense capital on the Nile, with the Pyramids at Giza on its western edge, Islamic Cairo and Coptic Cairo in the old quarters, and New Cairo spread out to the east. These ships sit in different waters. The Mövenpick Prince Abbas and SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise are in the south — one at Aswan Nile Cruise Port, the other on Lake Nasser. Prince Omar Cruise is in Cairo Al Wosta, a downtown district of the capital. It suits couples drawn to a slow, all-inclusive sail, families who want space on board, and short-break travellers who prefer to unpack once. Cairo suits business travellers and city-first trips. Book the south cruises for a Nile and Nasser itinerary; book Cairo for the capital itself.
The shortlist
Ranked by hotel class, then guest rating and number of reviews.
Mövenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise Every Monday Four Nights From Aswan Every Friday Three nights From Abu Simbel Including Excursions and Sightseeing
Aswan Nile Cruise Port
Best for: Pool and spa · Breakfast
- Outdoor pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
Why stay hereA 5-star Nile cruise that sails between Aswan and Abu Simbel, with excursions and sightseeing built into the itinerary. On board, the outdoor pool and spa give you somewhere to unwind after a day of temples, and the restaurant, bar and snack bar cover meals and drinks. Concierge, a 24-hour front desk and free wifi keep the practical side easy. Suits travellers who want the Nile and its monuments without arranging each stop themselves.
See Mövenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise Every Monday Four Nights From Aswan Every Friday Three nights From Abu Simbel Including Excursions and SightseeingPrince Omar Cruise
Cairo Al Wosta 15
Best for: Drivers · Pool and spa
- Outdoor pool
- Parking
- Breakfast
Why stay hereThis 5-star cruise moored at Cairo Al Wosta works for guests who want a floating base in the city. An outdoor pool and a restaurant with breakfast and buffet service handle the essentials, while the bar and snack bar or café cover the rest of the day. Shuttle service, parking and a 24-hour front desk make arrivals and outings straightforward, and the ship is wheelchair accessible.
See Prince Omar CruiseSUNRISE African Dreams Cruise Grand Select
Lake Nasser
Best for: Pool and spa · Breakfast
- Outdoor pool
- Sauna
- Breakfast
Why stay hereA 4-star Lake Nasser cruise for travellers who prefer a smaller ship with plenty of on-board services. The outdoor pool and sauna are the standout facilities, and dining runs from breakfast and buffet to a restaurant, bar and lounge. Express check-in and check-out, concierge, luggage storage and multilingual staff smooth the logistics, while free wifi, laundry and a hair and beauty salon add convenience over several days afloat.
See SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise Grand Select
The shortlist side by side
| Hotel | Class | Breakfast | Pool or spa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mövenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise Every Monday Four Nights From Aswan Every Friday Three nights From Abu Simbel Including Excursions and Sightseeing | ★★★★★ | Yes | Yes |
| Prince Omar Cruise | ★★★★★ | Yes | Yes |
| SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise Grand Select | ★★★★ | Yes | Yes |
From each hotel's own listing on this site; a dash means it is not listed.
How to choose
For couples
Both are quiet, water-bound and far from Cairo's traffic.
Mövenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise Every Monday Four Nights From Aswan Every Friday Three nights From Abu Simbel Including Excursions and Sightseeing · SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise Grand Select
For families
Mövenpick Prince Abbas and Prince Omar Cruise both offer an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a snack bar or café and buffet meals, and both are wheelchair accessible. Cabins on board mean no daily packing, and the Aswan and Cairo Al Wosta addresses put excursions close at hand.
Mövenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise Every Monday Four Nights From Aswan Every Friday Three nights From Abu Simbel Including Excursions and Sightseeing · Prince Omar Cruise
For business
SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise is the only ship here with meeting rooms, and it also has express check-in, express check-out, multilingual staff and free wifi — useful if a trip mixes work and water. Prince Omar Cruise in Cairo Al Wosta adds shuttle service and parking for city-based stays.
SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise Grand Select · Prince Omar Cruise
Top-rated pick
Mövenpick Prince Abbas is the 5-star ship with the deepest facility list on this shortlist: spa, concierge, shops on site, dry cleaning, porter, free wifi and a 24-hour front desk, all from Aswan Nile Cruise Port. Choose it if you want the fullest on-board service.
Where to stay in Egypt
Aswan
Mövenpick Prince Abbas is moored at Aswan Nile Cruise Port, the southern gateway for Nile sailings. Aswan is one of the 25 Egyptian cities outside Luxor covered by this site, and it is the base for the four-night Monday departures to Abu Simbel. Expect warm winters, a river setting and easy access to the temples on the route.
Lake Nasser
SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise sails Lake Nasser, the vast reservoir south of Aswan created by the High Dam. The lake is one of the regions this site covers, with its own page, and the calm water and desert shores make it the quietest of the three addresses here — a good fit for travellers who want scenery rather than a city.
Our picks here: SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise Grand Select
Cairo Al Wosta
Prince Omar Cruise is at Cairo Al Wosta 15, in downtown Cairo. Cairo is the first of the 25 Egyptian cities listed on this site and among the most photographed, with Giza, New Cairo, Islamic Cairo and Coptic Cairo all in or around the city. Staying centrally means the capital's sights, museums and markets are within your stay.
Our picks here: Prince Omar Cruise
Plan your stay
Getting there and around
This site groups 4417 stays across 25 Egyptian cities outside Luxor, each city with its own page, and availability is checked live, so no figure is quoted here. Aswan and Lake Nasser are separate city pages from Cairo, and Luxor has its own area-by-area list. Use the city pages to see what is listed in each place before you decide where to board.
When to go
Winter is the comfortable season for southern Egypt, and it is when the Aswan and Lake Nasser sailings run at their most pleasant temperatures. Cairo is a year-round city, with mild winters and hot summers. The southern ships here operate set weekly departures from Aswan and Abu Simbel, so pick your week around the sailing rather than the other way round.
Things to do near Egypt
Questions, answered
Which of these ships has parking?
Only Prince Omar Cruise lists parking, along with shuttle service, in Cairo Al Wosta. If you are driving to Cairo Al Wosta 15, this is the one to book.
Do any of these hotels have a pool?
All three ships list an outdoor pool: Mövenpick Prince Abbas and SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise in the south, and Prince Omar Cruise in Cairo Al Wosta. For added wellness facilities, SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise also lists a sauna and Mövenpick Prince Abbas lists a spa.
Are these cruises suitable for families?
Yes. Each ship has a restaurant, buffet meals, a snack bar or café and an outdoor pool, and Mövenpick Prince Abbas and Prince Omar Cruise are both wheelchair accessible. Cabins are on board, so families unpack once and wake up in a new place each morning.
Which ship is closest to the centre of Cairo?
Prince Omar Cruise, at Cairo Al Wosta 15, is the only ship on this list in Cairo and the only one in a city-centre address.
Can I get breakfast included on these cruises?
Breakfast appears in the facilities of all three ships, and all three list a buffet as well. Mövenpick Prince Abbas, Prince Omar Cruise and SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise each add a restaurant and a bar or lounge, so meals are covered on board.
Are these ships wheelchair accessible?
SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise on Lake Nasser does not list wheelchair accessibility, so check before booking that one.
Which is the top-rated pick on this shortlist?
Mövenpick Prince Abbas is a 5-star ship with the broadest facility list here: spa, concierge, shops on site, dry cleaning, porter, free wifi, a 24-hour front desk and wheelchair access. It sails from Aswan Nile Cruise Port on four-night Monday departures.
Do the ships have wifi?
Free wifi is listed by Mövenpick Prince Abbas and SUNRISE African Dreams Cruise. Prince Omar Cruise does not list wifi, though it does list a restaurant, bar, snack bar or café, outdoor pool, 24-hour front desk and shuttle service in Cairo Al Wosta.