A Nile cruise solves the Egypt problem most first-timers do not see coming: the distances. Cairo to Luxor is an overnight train or a flight, Luxor to Aswan is four more hours by road, and every transfer eats a morning. On the river, the map moves while you sleep. You wake up docked beside a temple instead of queuing for a bus to one.

Three practical notes worth knowing before you commit. First, boats trade in reputation, not stars, so the gap between a tired boat and a great one is enormous and rarely visible in photos. Second, the east bank of Luxor is temples and the west bank is tombs; you want both, and the light favors Karnak early.

Third, Egypt runs on baksheesh. Small bills, given cheerfully, make every door open easier. October through April is the season worth planning around; summer on the river is a furnace.