Aswan

Activities

Take a journey from Luxor to Aswan aboard a luxury 5-star boat that includes all meals and guided visits to some of Egypt’s most iconic and well-preserved temples along the Nile River.  Day 1 Start the first day of your multi-day cruise with a hotel pick up from your Luxor accommodation around 7:00 AM. Before boarding your boat, you will go on a guided tour to the iconic Valley of the Kings in Luxor.   Visit and go inside the 3 most important tombs of the ancient kings, seeing the many inscriptions and hieroglyphics that decorate them. Next, be led to the Hatshepsut Temple, which is a beautiful funerary temple of the important queen of Egypt, whose political power changed the state of Egypt at that time. Follow your guide as you continue onwards to explore the city of Habu to witness the Temple of Ramses III, one of the greatest temples of the Twentieth Dynasty. Snap pictures of the impressive Memnon statues and end up at the Karnak Temple, which is the most important and largest in the city of Luxor. After your history-filled tour, you will be taken to board your cruise at around 1:00 PM, in perfect time to enjoy the first meal of your river journey. Once you have settled in, make sure to go up to the roof of the boat to enjoy the enchanting scenery. Watch as the small boats, Egyptian villages, and natural landscapes sail by.  Day 2 After breakfast, take a horse carriage ride to visit Temples of Edfu Horus. Marvel at these well-preserved religious palaces and the imposing sandstone structures of Horus. Return to the boat for lunch, before heading out once again to see the Kom Ombo Temple. Learn about the structures of the temple and why it was built in honor of two great Nile divinities. Day 3 After an early morning check-out from the boat, take your luggage and grab a quick breakfast and before being picked up to visit the Abu Simbel temple. On this small-group tour you will also discover the temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari. These twin temples were built from the mountainside in the 13th century BC under the dynasty of Pharaoh Ramesses II.  Finish the tour around 1.30 PM and then be taken to your accommodation in Aswan or to the city’s train station or airport.

• Day One Following prompt pickup from your hotel in Luxor, head off with a licensed tour guide for a two-day trip to Kom Ombo, Edfu, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. Enjoy the drive towards the historic Temple of Horus in Edfu, listening to Egyptian history and ancient mythology on the way. Upon arrival at the Temple of Horus, explore the sandstone structures which depict Horus, also known as the God of Protection.  Next, head towards the Temple of Kom Ombo, built in honor of the deities at the eastern part of the River Nile. Learn about the structure of this temple and how it was built in tribute to Horus and Sobek, two of the great deities of their time. After sightseeing, you will have a delicious lunch at a local restaurant in Aswan and then enjoy a splendid shopping experience, after which you will be dropped off at your hotel in Aswan (booked by you, not by the tour operator) for an overnight stay. • Day Two Get picked up from your hotel in Aswan and journey through the Temple Complex of Abu Simbel. Admire the massive rock temples upon arrival. After the temple visit, proceed to Aswan to enjoy a delectable lunch. Once you have had your lunch, move on to visit the Aswan High Dam. Later, head towards the Philae Temple, located near the Aswan Low Dam. You will be dropped off at your hotel/railway station/airport in Aswan at the conclusion of your two-day tour. Alternatively, opt for a transfer back to Luxor.

• Day 1: Nile Cruise with Visit to East Bank Upon arrival to Luxor Airport or railway station, meet your tour representative and start your adventure. Transfer to the port and embark on the Nile Cruise, enjoying your first lunch onboard. First, visit the beautiful monuments of ancient Egypt with a guided tour of the East Bank of Luxor. Discover the Complex of Karnak Temple, the largest temple in the world, and the magnificent Luxor Temple, a large ancient Egyptian temple. Later, enjoy dinner onboard and an overnight stay in Luxor. • Day 2: Visit West Bank Enjoy your breakfast onboard the Nile Cruise. Visit the West Bank of Luxor and tour the Valley of the Kings. Dive into the tombs of famous Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Proceed to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, dedicated to the only female ruler, who ruled Egypt for 20 years with wealth and peace. Next, sail to Edfu via Esna. There, enjoy your lunch onboard and then savor a relaxing afternoon with an afternoon tea and an amazing dinner proceeding an overnight stay in Edfu. • Day 3: Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan Tour After your breakfast onboard, visit the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus in Edfu, one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Stop for a lunch break, where you can grab some food and enjoy an afternoon tea onboard during the sail to Kom Ombo. After lunch, visit the Temple of two gods, Sobek and Haroeris, in Kom Ombo. Sail to the beautiful city of Aswan and spend the night onboard with dinner included (stay overnight in Aswan). • Day 4: High Dam, Philae Temple, & the Unfinished Obelisk After breakfast on board, start your journey by visiting the High Dam — an incredible wonder of engineering. Take a motorboat to the Philae Temple, the most famous site of Aswan, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Finally, make your way to the Unfinished Obelisk to gaze into history via its massive pillars. Return to the cruise ship for lunch and enjoy your afternoon tea later on. Relax and eat dinner onboard and enjoy an overnight stay in Aswan. • Day 5: Last Day Cruise Breakfast will be served onboard the cruise before disembarking. You will then be transferred to the Aswan Airport or railway station with the assistance of your tour guide.

• Day 1: Aswan Discover Egyptian culture by sailing the Nile on a 5-star cruise. Your Egyptologist guide will pick you up on time to start the tour with a visit to the Aswan High Dam. Drive over to where you'll hop on a motor boat to get to Philae Island. After a tour of the island and a visit to the temple, check in to your cruise. Snap some photos of both sides of the Nile and hear about the cultures of the Nubian and the Egyptian. Drink your tea on the sun deck while you cruise along the beautiful waters. Stop at Komombo to visit the temple and then enjoy an overnight stay aboard the boat.  • Day 2: Edfu - Esna - Luxor Enjoy breakfast on the ship and then sail over toward Edfu for a wonderful horse-drawn carriage ride to Edfu Temple. Head back to the boat and sail to Esna, passing through Esna Lock. Glide toward Luxor where the cruise will dock overnight.  • Day 3: Luxor Listen as your guide explains the history of the Valley of the Kings in detail. Afterwards, continue on a drive to discover the secrets of the Queen Hatshepsut during a visit to her temple. Discover the West Bank and visit the Howard Carter House, in which the famous English man who discovered the tomb of King Tut once lived. Take some time to relax on the boat before heading off to visit the biggest temple in the world: Karnak Temple. Drive over to see the small, beautiful temple of Luxor. Enjoy an overnight on the cruise.  • Day 4: Luxor - Departure After breakfast, end service in Luxor.

Take a convenient sleeping train from Cairo to Aswan or to Luxor and back with a guaranteed reservation. Your accommodation on the train includes dinner and breakfast the next day. First, book your tickets and receive them at your hotel when you arrive in Egypt. On the day of travel, head to the station at least 30 minutes before your departure time. At Giza Station, there are a few small shops to buy snacks or water, as well as a small restaurant. On the platform, the small numbers hanging from the platform canopy indicate the approximate location of the wagons. So, if you are in Wagon #6 on your ticket, line up by the #6 sign. Wait for the green and white-colored sleeping train to arrive which has the words 'Sleeping Car' stenciled on the side. Board the train and find your accommodation. Enjoy the comfortable 10 to 13-hour journey with dinner and breakfast served. Feel the satisfaction of waking up in an entirely new region of Egypt, refreshed and ready to begin the next portion of your trip.

Day 1 At 5.00 PM you will be picked up from your accommodation and driven to Cairo train station, where you will board an overnight train to Luxor.  Day 2 Upon arrival in Luxor in the early morning, a representative will greet you and take you to a cafe to try some local tea. You’ll then enjoy a hot air balloon ride to watch the sun come up over the archaeological sites of Luxor. Next, head to the west bank of Luxor to visit the Valley of the Kings. Here you will explore the 3 most important tombs and see the walls full of hieroglyphs.  Your guide will then take you to the most important temple of the complex, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. The temple consists of three floors with open balconies built of limestone, with statues of the god Osiris and Queen Hatshepsut. You’ll then head to the east bank to visit the biggest temple in Luxor, the Karnak Temple, dedicated to the god Amun, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu. Learn about the history of the temple before heading to your river boat for lunch.  You’ll check into your room and then the boat will depart for Edfu. In the evening, you’ll enjoy dinner and free time in the comfortable surroundings of the boat.  Day 3 After breakfast on board, take a horse-drawn carriage to Edfu. You’ll then enjoy a guided visit of the Temple of Horus. Marvel at the best-preserved religious place in Egypt with imposing sandstone structures of Horus.  You’ll enjoy lunch back on board the boat as you sail to your next destination. In the afternoon, visit the unusual Temple of Kom Ombo. Learn about the structures of the temple and how it was built in honor of two great gods. Return to the boat for dinner and free time.  Day 4 In the early morning you’ll head to one of the most stunning temple complexes in Egypt, the Abu Simbel Temples. The twin temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari were built into the mountainside in the 13th century BC, under the dynasty of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Your guide will take you back to the cruise to check out and take your luggage. You’ll then be transferred to Aswan station to travel back to Cairo by train.

Experience the Nubian lifestyle on this boat tour to The Nubian Village on the west bank. Discover the unique architecture, cheerful colors, and peculiar culture and traditions of its people. Begin with a pickup from your hotel/hostel then, board a boat and sail down the Nile with your guide to visit one of the villages. Once you arrive, enjoy the landscape, the beautiful nature of Aswan, and the vivid colors of the Nubian houses. Learn about the Nubian culture and traditions and walk in the streets of the Nubian Village to see the Nubian houses. Visit one of the Nubian houses to take a closer look at the Nubian daily life, enjoy a traditional drink and see the crocodiles they keep as pets in a safe basin inside their houses. After this eventful day, sail back to your hotel/hostel.

Discover two magnificent temples — the Temple of Horus in Edfu and the Temple of Kom Ombo — on a full-day private tour from Luxor with a licensed professional guide. Choose whether to conclude your tour in the city of Aswan, or return back to Luxor at the end of the day. Meet your driver/guide at your hotel lobby in Luxor and begin your journey to Edfu. On the way, receive your guide's full attention and be enlightened by tales of the ancient mythology of Egypt to pique your interest and enhance your understanding. Once in Edfu, enjoy an enthralling visit to the Temple of Horus. Marvel at the best-preserved religious place in Egypt with imposing sandstone structures of Horus, the god of protection. In accordance with the mythology of Egyptian gods, explore the site where Horus sought revenge upon Seth, the god of chaos, for murdering his father, Osiris. Next, take a 1.5-hour drive to the Temple of Kom Ombo, built in devotion to the divine deities overlooking the east side of the River Nile. Learn about the structures of the temple and how it was built in honor of two great divinities: the falcon-headed Horus or Haroeris, and the crocodile-headed god of fertility, Sobek. After spending a marvelous hour walking around the temple, it will be time for a lunch break in the city of Aswan. From here, either be dropped off at your hotel in Aswan or set off on the return journey to your accommodation in Luxor, depending on the tour option you select.

• Day one Get picked up in the morning from the bus station, train station, or your hotel in Aswan. Begin your experience with a visit to the Monastery of St. Simeon in Aswan, one of the oldest Coptic Orthodox monasteries. The monastery appears as if carved from rock, as if it were an extension of the nature around it. Following the visit, head to the cruise ship for check-in and lunch. Then visit Aswan's Cathedral of Angel Michael, the largest Coptic cathedral outside of Cairo and an interesting work of design. Return to the ship for dinner and an overnight.  • Day two Have breakfast early and head off to visit the High Dam, the Incomplete Obelisk, and Philae Temple. Return to the boat for lunch and to sail to Kom Ombo, where you will set off for a guided visit of the Church of the Martyr Margirgis St. George, one of Christianity's most famous martyrs. Next, proceed to the Church of the Virgin and Angel Michael, which once belonged to the Latin Catholics and now to the Coptic Orthodox. Explore the church and the drawings and paintings contained within. Return to the ship for dinner and an overnight while completing the sail to Edfu.  • Day three Early in the morning, after having breakfast, your guide will pick you up and take you to the Church of the Virgin Mary in Edfu, known as the "Church of the Apparition," where Virgin Mary appeared on August 21, 1982. Head back to the boat for the rest of the day on deck while sailing to Luxor.  • Day four Wake up for breakfast and check out from the boat. Take your bags with you as you meet your guide to visit the Monastery of Saint Pachomius. Dating back to the fourth century AD, it is one of the main monasteries built by St. Anba Pachomius "father of the company." Proceed to the Monastery of the Saints, located on Mount El Tod. This monastery houses the bodies of St. Anba Beshay, St. Anba Besantaas, and Anba Source, all saints who lived in the area and sanctified the monastery with their pure prayers. After the visit, your guide will take you to a local restaurant for lunch and then your tour will conclude at around 4:00 PM with a transfer to the airport or train station in Luxor.

Your River Nile adventure begins with pickup from your Aswan hotel in the late afternoon. Head down towards the river then hop on board your private boat for the evening and set sail along the infamous waters of the Nile. Arrive at the first stop of the tour, the Botanical Gardens on Lord Kitchener Island, home to an array of plants that were imported from all over the wold in the 1800s. Enjoy some free time to stroll around the gardens, admiring the majestic palm trees that line the walkways including the Sabal Palm and Phonic Palm as well as Ficus trees and other beautiful bougainvillea trees. Head back to the boat and continue along the Nile, watching the sunset and the sky change color. Sail around Elephantine Island, a tiny island home to ancient ruins and temples, then glide past the Mausoleum of Aga Khan built in the style of the Fatimid tombs in Cairo.