Is the Nile cruise private or a group?+
It is split, and the operator is clear about it. Your Cairo days are private tours with your own guide and driver. The sightseeing from the boat — Karnak, the west bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae — is shared with a small group of around 15 people. If you want the temples to yourself as well, that is a different trip at a different price.
Are domestic flights included?+
Yes. Cairo to Luxor on day 3 and Aswan back to Cairo on day 7 are both inside the price, along with every airport transfer. International flights into and out of Egypt are not.
Can we add Abu Simbel?+
The operator offers it as an optional tour on day 7, the morning you leave the boat, and it is not in the price. It means a very early start from Aswan rather than a whole spare day. If it matters to you, say so when you enquire so the flight home is not booked over it.
Is eight days long enough for Egypt?+
For Cairo and the Nile, yes, and this is the most common length for exactly that reason. Three nights in Cairo cover Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, four nights on the boat cover Luxor to Aswan. What it does not leave room for is the Red Sea, the desert, or a second Cairo day for Islamic and Coptic Cairo.
How much walking is there?+
More than most people expect, though none of it is difficult. Giza, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings are long walks over uneven ground with very little shade, and a tomb usually means a ramp down and back up. There is no climbing or scrambling, which is why this is graded easy, but a sightseeing day here is several hours on your feet in the heat.
What is not included?+
International flights, your Egypt visa, extra meals and drinks, optional tours including Abu Simbel, tipping, and additional entry tickets. That last one catches people out: going inside one of the pyramids, or into the tomb of Tutankhamun, is a separate ticket bought at the gate.
How much should we budget for tipping?+
Tipping is excluded from the price and it is a real line in an Egypt budget rather than loose change. Reckon on US$10–15 per person per day for your guide and about US$5 for the driver, plus US$5–10 per person for each night on the boat, which goes into the communal crew box at the end. Carry small notes; getting change is a daily chore otherwise.