Travel Idea

Cruise the Nile

Aristocrats cruised the Nile in the 1920's-40's with elegance and flair during a time of loose Egyptian ruling. Re-live the era

overview

A cruise down the Nile is a trip back in time where you discover a civilisation that rose along its banks. Start in Cairo at the Pyramids and Sphinx, discover the fabled temples and tombs of Luxor, and then float into Aswan with stops at Edfu, Kom Ombo, and more.

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Let your imagination soar as your ship meanders through panoramic desert landscapes, fertile farmlands, colourful villages and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Ben Nelson
Founder
Day 1: First Stop; Cairo

Depart London on your flight to Cairo. Tonight, stay overnight at Four Seasons Cairo Nile Plaza. Pending your flight times, we may suggest a second night in Cairo.

Day 2: Start your Nile Cruise at Luxor

You will take a domestic morning flight to Luxor, where you'll be greeted and taken to your dahabiya (vessel). Your traditional Nile cruise starts at the Temple of Karnak, which has hallways lined with enormous pillars. You are drawn inside the Temple of Luxor by the magnificent three km-long avenue of Sphinxes.

Day 3: The Valley of the Kings

You can visit Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings by travelling to the West Bank. In the nearby Deir El Medina, you may visit the temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and take in the artwork on the interior walls of the stonemasons' residences.

Day 4: Onwards to Ensa

As you travel upriver to Esna in your dahabiya, have breakfast. Your Egyptologist will show you around the Temple of Khnum at Esna, which is devoted to the crocodile god, once you arrive and after lunch. After visiting the magnificent Temple of Horus at Edfu, which was erected by the Greeks but is the largest and best-preserved Pharaonic temple in Egypt.

Day 5: Finish at Aswan

Your Egyptologist will take you to the Temple of Kom Ombo in the morning, which is a temple dedicated to Sobek and Horus the Elder. When you get in Aswan, visit the Philae Temple on Agilkia Island, which is dedicated to the goddess of cleanliness Isis. Visit the neighbouring granite quarries' half-hewn Unfinished Obelisk. Explore the Roman-era Temple of Kalabsha, which was constructed in 30 BC. Finish the day with a stay at Old Cataract Hotel.

Day 6: Depart Egypt

After breakfast, it's time to be transferred to the airport for your flight back home.

In bullet points
  • The Pyramids and the Sphinx
  • Cairo's Museum, featuring the treasures of King Tutankhamen
  • Luxor's Karnak Temple complex
  • The Necropolis of Thebes/ pharaonic tombs
  • Luxor Temple, with its sphinx-lined avenue
  • Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens
  • The temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt's only female pharaoh
  • The temple of Hathor at Dendera
  • Aswan's atmospheric souk
  • Nubian village and school visit
  • The romantic, water-bound Temple of Isis at Philae
  • Horse-drawn calèche tour to Edfu’s Temple of Horus
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