Orientation
The Nile River: where it is, and why Egypt sits on it
The Nile River runs south to north, which is the first thing that confuses people looking at a map. It rises far south of Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean, and the stretch travellers actually see is a few hundred kilometres of it between Aswan and Luxor.
Where is the Nile River on a world map?
The Nile sits in north-east Africa, running roughly along the 31st meridian east. On a world map, find the Mediterranean, then follow the coast to its south-eastern corner: the delta fanning out below Alexandria and Port Said is the river's mouth, and the line running south from it into the continent is the Nile.
It crosses or borders eleven countries, but the two most people associate it with are Egypt and Sudan. Its two main tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, meet at Khartoum before the combined river continues north into Egypt.
Which way does the Nile flow?
North. This catches people out because north is up on a map and rivers are assumed to run down it. The Nile rises in the highlands of east and central Africa and falls towards the Mediterranean, so it flows from the bottom of the map to the top.
It is also why Egyptian geography reads back to front. Upper Egypt is the south, around Luxor and Aswan, because it is upstream and higher. Lower Egypt is the north, around Cairo and the delta. A cruise sailing from Luxor to Aswan is going upstream, against the current, which is why that direction takes an extra night.
How long is it, and which part do visitors see?
The Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world, and its exact length is genuinely disputed depending on which headstream is counted as the source. What matters for a trip is much smaller: almost all Nile tourism happens on roughly 200 kilometres between Aswan and Luxor.
That stretch holds the temples that sit on the riverbank — Kom Ombo and Edfu — and it is shallow, slow and safe enough for the flat-bottomed boats that carry passengers. North of Luxor the river runs through farmland and cities rather than monuments, and almost nobody cruises it.
Why is Egypt called the gift of the Nile?
The phrase is Herodotus's, and it is close to literal. Egypt is desert apart from a green strip a few kilometres wide either side of the river, plus the delta. Nearly the entire population lives on that strip.
Before the High Dam at Aswan, the river flooded every year and left silt behind, which is what made the strip fertile. The dam ended the flooding, which stopped the destruction and also stopped the silt. It is one of the more consequential trade-offs in modern Egyptian history, and you can see both sides of it from the water.
Lake Nasser and the High Dam
South of Aswan the river widens into Lake Nasser, a reservoir created by the High Dam that extends into Sudan. Abu Simbel sits on its western shore, and the temples there were cut into blocks and moved uphill so the rising water would not drown them.
A small number of cruises sail Lake Nasser rather than the river itself. They are quieter and see fewer people, and they reach temples that are otherwise a long drive.
Common questions
Which countries does the Nile flow through?+
Its basin covers around eleven countries in east and north-east Africa. The main course that visitors think of runs through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt, with the Blue Nile joining from Ethiopia at Khartoum.
Can you cruise the whole Nile?+
No. Tourist cruising is effectively limited to the stretch between Luxor and Aswan, plus a separate operation on Lake Nasser. The rest of the river is not set up for passenger cruising and parts of it cross borders.
Is the Nile safe to swim in?+
Not advisable. Bilharzia is present in still and slow-moving water in parts of the river, and river traffic near the cruise moorings is heavy. Boats have pools for a reason.
Where does the Nile start?+
There is no single agreed source. The White Nile is usually traced to the Lake Victoria basin and, further back, to headstreams in Rwanda or Burundi. The Blue Nile rises at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. Which one counts as the source is why the river's length is disputed.
Official sources
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
- Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ↗The ministry lists which tombs and temples currently open.
- UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt ↗It updates continuously, and most UK travel insurance follows it.