Egypt

Egypt: Cruises on the Nile and Lake Nasser, as far as Abu Simbel

Two 5* boats, the Valley of the Kings and the temples of Nubia, Abu Simbel included

Egypt

Egypt: Cruises on the Nile and Lake Nasser, as far as Abu Simbel

Two cruises in one trip: four nights on the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, then three nights on Lake Nasser aboard a second 5* boat (local rating), starting from Abu Simbel. On the lake you visit Nubian temples that few travellers see: Amada, Derr and Wadi es-Sebua, all moved to escape the rising waters. The trip ends in Cairo with the pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Islamic Cairo.

When

Oct to April

Price

From 3 151€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

10 nights

Ideal length

Luxor and Thebes

Days 1-3

After a short night in Cairo, a flight to Luxor and boarding. Karnak and Luxor temple on the first day, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple the next.

Day 1

Arrival in Cairo

Flight to Cairo. Welcome on arrival by our French-speaking representative, help with visa formalities and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2

Flight to Luxor – Karnak and Luxor temple

Flight to Luxor and boarding the 5* boat. First visit with the Egyptologist guide: Karnak temple and its hypostyle hall. Free time, then a visit to Luxor temple in the light of dusk.

Day 3

The Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple

Visit the Valley of the Kings, the necropolis of the New Kingdom pharaohs on the west bank. Continue to Deir el-Bahari and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the work of the architect Senenmut: three stacked terraces linked by ramps.

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Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan

Days 4-5

Two days to sail up the river to Aswan, with tea served on deck at sunset.

Day 4

Edfu and Kom Ombo

Visit the temple of Horus at Edfu. Lunch while sailing to Kom Ombo, then visit its temple, set on a promontory beside the Nile. Back on board for sunset and five o'clock tea.

Day 5

Aswan: the High Dam, Philae and the unfinished obelisk

Discover the High Dam, built in the 1960s, and its view over Lake Nasser. Visit the temple of Isis at Philae, then the unfinished obelisk, cut from red granite.

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Abu Simbel and Lake Nasser

Days 6-8

A change of boat at Abu Simbel for three nights on Lake Nasser, in the heart of ancient Nubia: isolated temples at the water's edge, far from the crowds of the valley.

Day 6

Aswan – Abu Simbel

Disembark and drive to Abu Simbel (about 3 hrs 30), where you board the second boat. After lunch, visit the rock-cut temples that marked the southern border of the empire: the four colossi of the façade are the largest surviving sculptures of the pharaonic era.

Day 7

The temples of Amada and Derr

Visit the temple of Amada, the oldest on Lake Nasser (18th dynasty), notable for its reliefs, then the temple of Derr, built under Ramesses II. Sail towards Wadi es-Sebua.

Day 8

Wadi es-Sebua – Aswan

Visit the temple of Wadi es-Sebua, the 'valley of the lions', dedicated to Amun-Ra and approached by an avenue of sphinxes. Like other Nubian sites, it was moved when the dam was built. Sail to Aswan and relax on board.

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Cairo

Days 9-11

Two nights in Cairo to finish: the Giza plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Islamic Cairo, with dinner in the Khan el-Khalili souks.

Day 9

Flight to Cairo – the pyramids of Giza

Disembark, fly from Aswan to Cairo and visit the Giza plateau: Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure and the Sphinx. Lunch on the way and check-in at the hotel.

Day 10

The Grand Egyptian Museum and Islamic Cairo

Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum. Lunch in town, then Islamic Cairo, its citadel and the mosque of Muhammad Ali. Time to rest at the hotel before dinner in a typical Khan el-Khalili restaurant. Depending on the flight plan, transfer to the airport after dinner.