Taxi or private transfer at a glance
Many Nile cruises start or end in Aswan, and many cruise passengers arrive by plane at Aswan International Airport. The airport is outside the city, so you need a car to reach your boat. The two usual ways are a taxi found on arrival or a private transfer booked before you travel.
| Taxi from the airport | Private transfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | Found on arrival outside the terminal | Requested before you travel, with your flight number |
| Price | Agreed with the driver on the spot | Quoted for your trip on WhatsApp before you book |
| Timing | Depends on which cars are waiting when you land | Planned around your landing time |
| Vehicle | Whatever car is available | Sedan, SUV, minivan or Coaster bus, chosen for your group and luggage |
| Drop-off | You explain which boat to the driver | The boat’s name is in the booking |
| After the cruise | Arrange another car for the last day | Can be booked at the same time, to the airport or on to Luxor |
Drive times from Aswan Airport
These are the usual times by car. They depend on traffic and on where your boat or hotel is, and they are the same whether you take a taxi or a private car.
- Nile cruise boats: about 16–20 km, 20–30 minutes.
- Aswan city hotels and the Corniche: about 16 km, about 20 minutes.
- Luxor (hotel or Nile cruise): about 240 km, about 3.5 hours without stops.
Getting to your boat
Cruise boats in Aswan moor along the Nile, often several side by side, so the name of the boat matters more than a street address. Have the boat’s name and the cruise company’s contact details on your phone before you land, and give the boat’s name as your drop-off when you book.
If you have a cabin booked from the first night, you can go straight from the airport to the boat. If you land well before boarding time, ask the cruise company whether you can board early or leave your bags on the boat, or plan a stop at a hotel or in town first. You can add a stop on the way in the notes of your request.
Some travellers spend a night or two in an Aswan hotel before the cruise. In that case book the airport ride to the hotel, and a short city ride to the boat on boarding day.
Planning around boarding time
Check the boarding time with your cruise company before you book your flight or your transfer. With 20–30 minutes from the airport to the boats, plus the time it takes to collect your bags, a flight that lands a few hours before boarding usually leaves enough margin.
Send your flight number and landing time with the request, so the pickup matches your arrival. If your flight is delayed, message us in the same WhatsApp chat so the pickup can be moved, and let the cruise company know too.
Taking a taxi from Aswan Airport
Taxis wait outside the arrivals area. They can work for a couple with light luggage going to a boat they can name clearly. Agree the price and the exact drop-off with the driver before you get in.
A taxi is less convenient when you land late, travel with children or a lot of luggage, or are a group that will not fit in one car. Cruise passengers often carry more bags than on a city break, so it helps to have a vehicle of the right size waiting.
Booking a private transfer
With a private transfer the ride is only for you and your group, with no other passengers, and every vehicle is air-conditioned. You send your flight number, landing time, the boat’s name, passengers and luggage, and we reply on WhatsApp with availability and the price. Nothing is paid on this website, and the transfer is booked once we confirm it in writing.
Choose the vehicle by group size: a sedan takes up to 3 passengers and 3 bags, an SUV 5 and 5, a minivan 7 and 7, and the Coaster bus 22 and 22.
See the Aswan Airport transfer page for the full route table and the departure transfer back to the airport.
When the cruise ends
Cruises sail between Aswan and Luxor in both directions, so your cruise may end in either city.
If it ends in Aswan, book the ride from the boat to Aswan Airport at the same time as your arrival: choose “Return trip” in the form and add the pickup time for your departure. Ask the cruise company what time you have to leave the cabin, and plan the pickup between that time and your flight.
If it ends in Luxor and you fly home from Aswan, or the other way round, a private car covers the 240 km between the two cities in about 3.5 hours, with stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo if you want them. See the Luxor to Aswan transfer page, or the Luxor Airport transfer page if you fly from Luxor.
Which option should you choose?
- Couples with light luggage and a boat they can name clearly: a taxi works, as long as you agree the price first.
- Families and travellers with a lot of luggage: an SUV or minivan, so everyone and every bag fits in one vehicle.
- Groups joining the same cruise: a minivan for up to 7, or the Coaster bus for up to 22, so the group arrives together.
- Landing close to boarding time: a private transfer, so the car is ready when you come out.
- Going on to Luxor instead of a boat in Aswan: book it as one transfer from the airport instead of two rides.
Tips for your arrival
- Save the boat’s name and the cruise company’s phone number before you fly.
- Check the boarding time and the time you leave the cabin on the last day.
- Send your flight number with the request, so the pickup matches your landing time.
- Book the ride for the end of the cruise at the same time, to the airport or on to Luxor.