Staying well
Staying healthy on a Nile cruise
The most common health problem on a Nile cruise is a mild upset stomach, and the best defences are simple: drink only bottled or filtered water, wash or sanitise your hands before meals, and go easy on raw salads and unpeeled fruit ashore. Most ships have a doctor on call and many have a small clinic, and Luxor and Aswan both have hospitals and plenty of pharmacies. The other real risk is heat, so carry water and a hat at the temples. Pregnant travellers can usually cruise, but should check with their doctor, their airline and their insurer first.
The usual worry
Avoiding an upset stomach
- 1Drink bottled or filtered water only. Boats provide it free, in cabins and at the gangway. Use it to brush your teeth too.
- 2Wash your hands. Before every meal, and after the temples, where you touch rails and coins. Carry hand sanitiser.
- 3Choose cooked food ashore. On board, kitchens wash salads in treated water; at roadside stops, choose hot dishes and peel your own fruit.
- 4Pack a small kit. Oral rehydration salts and the remedy your doctor recommends. Most upsets pass in a day or two.
If you feel unwell, tell the reception. The boat calls its doctor, and the crew will send plain rice, toast and tea to your cabin.
If you need care
Doctors, clinics and pharmacies
Most five-star ships have a doctor on call, and some have a 24-hour clinic on board: Historia lists one, and Sonesta St George has a doctor on call. Between Luxor and Aswan the boat is never far from a town, and both cities have hospitals and private clinics. Pharmacies are easy to find and sell many common medicines over the counter.
Bring enough of any regular medicine for the whole trip plus a few days, in your hand luggage, with the prescription. Travel insurance with medical cover is essential; see travel insurance for Egypt and health and vaccinations.
The real risk
Heat, sun and the temples
Even in winter the sun is strong at Karnak and in the Valley of the Kings, and from May to September Aswan is very hot. Visit early, drink water often, wear a hat and light long sleeves, and rest on deck at midday. Tombs are warm and the air inside is still, so skip a steep tomb if you feel faint. See when to go for temperatures by month.
On a dahabiya
Can you swim in the Nile?
Some dahabiyas stop for a swim in the main current, and many guests do it. Only swim where the captain says it is safe, and avoid still water near reeds, canals and riverbanks, where the parasite that causes bilharzia can live. Swimming in the boat’s pool is always the safe choice.
Travelling while pregnant
A Nile cruise while pregnant
- 1Check with your doctor first. Many travellers sail comfortably in the middle months of pregnancy, but your doctor knows your situation.
- 2Check the airline and insurer. Airlines limit flying late in pregnancy, and insurers set their own cut-off week.
- 3Pick a cool month and an easy boat. October to April, and a ship with a lift and a doctor on call.
- 4Pace the sightseeing. Tombs in the Valley of the Kings have steep ramps and warm, still air; skip the hardest ones and the hot air balloon, which operators do not allow in pregnancy.
See accessible Nile cruises for ships with lifts and step-free cabins.
Prices
Choosing a boat
Nile cruise ships run about US$120 to US$1,500 per person per night and dahabiyas about US$140 to US$1,500. If health matters most, choose a ship with a doctor on call, a lift and an easy daily pace, and tell us at booking so the boat knows.
Asked often
Health on a Nile cruise, answered
- Is the water safe to drink on a Nile cruise?
- Drink only the bottled or filtered water the boat provides, and use it to brush your teeth. Do not drink tap water or Nile water.
- How do I avoid getting sick on a Nile cruise?
- Drink bottled water, wash or sanitise your hands before meals, choose cooked food ashore and peel your own fruit. Pack oral rehydration salts in case.
- Is there a doctor on a Nile cruise ship?
- Most five-star ships have a doctor on call and some have a clinic on board. Luxor and Aswan have hospitals, private clinics and pharmacies.
- Can you swim in the Nile?
- Some dahabiyas stop to swim in the main current. Swim only where the captain says it is safe, and avoid still water near reeds and banks because of bilharzia.
- Can I go on a Nile cruise while pregnant?
- Often yes, especially in the middle months, but check with your doctor, your airline and your insurer first. Choose a cool month, a ship with a lift and a doctor on call, and skip the steepest tombs and the balloon flight.
