Nile cruise direction: north or south?

Most Nile cruises run Luxor to Aswan over four nights, or Aswan to Luxor over three. They are not mirror images — the shorter northbound sailing exists because the current does the work, and it costs less for the same boat.

Southbound: Luxor to Aswan

Four nights, and the better trip. You start with Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, which are the heavyweight sites, then wind down through Edfu and Kom Ombo and finish in Aswan, which is the prettiest and calmest of the three cities.

Ending in Aswan also means you can add Abu Simbel at the end rather than squeezing it in.

Northbound: Aswan to Luxor

Three nights and typically 10–15% cheaper. The downside is that it front-loads the quiet part and ends with the busiest, hottest sites, and you disembark in Luxor at dawn.

It is the right choice if budget is the deciding factor, or if you are heading on to Hurghada afterwards, since Luxor is four hours from the coast.

How the direction changes your days

Sailing south, the current is against you, so engine time is longer and the sailing stretches are slower. Northbound runs with the flow and tends to be quicker between stops.

That changes the shape of a day more than most people expect. On a southbound leg you get longer stretches on deck watching the bank go past. Northbound you arrive earlier and spend more of the afternoon moored.

Neither is better. It depends whether the river or the temples are the part you came for.

Does the boat matter more than the Nile cruise direction?

Yes, considerably. Cruise boats vary far more than the photographs suggest, and a refurbished five-star is a different holiday from a tired four. Ask what year the boat was last refitted — the answer is more useful than the star rating.