Historia Luxus Nilkreuzfahrt

Cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, where three royal tombs cut into the Theban cliffs reveal vivid afterlife scenes, the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut honoring Egypt's first female pharaoh, and the imposing Colossi of Memnon. Lunch is served as the Historia sails south past charming villages and through the Esna Lock. An optional sunrise hot-air balloon over ancient Thebes can be arranged. Dinner and overnight sailing toward Edfu.

A horse-drawn carriage carries you to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the most completely preserved temple of the ancient world, whose Ptolemaic reliefs depict the falcon god's battle with Seth. Lunch is served as you sail to Kom Ombo, a unique symmetrical temple dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the Elder, with carvings of medical instruments and a crocodile mummification museum. Dinner and overnight sailing onward to Aswan.

Begin at the Aswan High Dam, a modern engineering marvel with panoramic views over Lake Nasser, before taking a boat to the island Temple of Philae, sacred to Isis and rescued stone-by-stone in a celebrated UNESCO project. Visit the colossal Unfinished Obelisk in its granite quarry. Lunch is aboard, with the afternoon free for an optional felucca sail or a colorful Nubian village visit. Dinner and overnight in Aswan.

Enjoy a final breakfast aboard before disembarking in Aswan. Travelers with extra time can add an early-morning excursion to Abu Simbel, the monumental rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari that face the rising sun and were relocated above Lake Nasser in a famous UNESCO rescue. Your Travel Joy Egypt representative assists with your onward transfer to the airport, your hotel, or your next destination.

Embark before lunch in Aswan and ease into river life. The afternoon tour visits the Aswan High Dam, built in the 1960s to create Lake Nasser, the elegant island Temple of Philae on Agilkia Island dedicated to the goddess Isis, and the Unfinished Obelisk, the largest ever attempted, still lying in its ancient granite quarry. Return aboard for dinner and your first overnight moored in Aswan.

Set sail early to Kom Ombo, a rare double temple honoring Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the Elder, complete with a museum of mummified crocodiles. The ship then continues to Edfu, where an afternoon horse-drawn carriage ride brings you to the Temple of Horus, dedicated to the falcon god and the best-preserved temple of antiquity. Dinner and overnight sailing toward Luxor.

This morning explore the West Bank, the world's greatest open-air museum: the Valley of the Kings with its richly decorated royal tombs and optional access to Tutankhamun's tomb, the multi-terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and the two 3,000-year-old Colossi of Memnon of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Return aboard for lunch and an afternoon of relaxation. Dinner and overnight in Luxor.

After breakfast and check-out, tour the East Bank highlights: the Karnak Temple Complex, the largest temple ever built, with its Avenue of Ram-Headed Sphinxes and Great Hypostyle Hall, then Luxor Temple, begun by Amenhotep III, expanded by Ramses II, and once linked to Karnak by the Sphinx Avenue. Your guide assists with your onward transfer, closing a memorable voyage along the Nile.