LA Sara Nilkreuzfahrt

Cross to the Theban West Bank for three painted royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the multi-terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and the towering Colossi of Memnon. Lunch is served aboard as the ship sails south past green riverbanks and through the historic Esna Lock. Dinner and overnight while cruising toward Edfu; an early-morning hot-air-balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings is offered as an extra.

A horse-drawn carriage carries you to Edfu, the most completely preserved temple of antiquity and a Ptolemaic tribute to the falcon-god Horus, its walls carved with the battle of Horus and Seth. After lunch aboard, the ship reaches Kom Ombo, the rare mirrored temple shared by the crocodile-god Sobek and Horus the Elder, with its famous medical reliefs and Crocodile Mummification Museum. Sail on toward Aswan, with dinner and overnight on the river.

Discover Aswan's mix of Nubian charm and modern engineering: the High Dam that tamed the Nile and formed Lake Nasser, the island temple of Philae reached only by boat and sacred to Isis, and the Unfinished Obelisk lying in its ancient quarry. Lunch aboard, then a free afternoon for an optional felucca sail or Nubian village visit. Dinner and overnight moored in Aswan.

Enjoy a final breakfast before disembarking in Aswan. Travelers wanting one last marvel can add the early-morning excursion to Abu Simbel, where the colossal rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari face the rising sun above Lake Nasser, relocated stone by stone in the UNESCO rescue. Otherwise, our team transfers you to the airport, train station or your Aswan hotel.

Embark in Aswan before lunch and settle in for your first taste of life on the Nile. The afternoon tour visits the monumental High Dam with its panoramic views over Lake Nasser, the romantic Philae Temple on Agilkia Island dedicated to the goddess Isis and reached by motorboat, and the Unfinished Obelisk resting in its ancient granite quarry. Dinner and overnight aboard the LA Sara in Aswan.

An optional dawn excursion to Abu Simbel reveals the twin rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari, relocated to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Back aboard, the ship sails north to Kom Ombo, the unusual twin temple honoring Sobek the crocodile-god and Horus the Elder, complete with medical reliefs and mummified crocodiles. Dinner and overnight while cruising toward Edfu.

A horse-drawn carriage takes you to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of Egypt's most complete temples, its walls recounting the struggle of Horus and Seth. Lunch is served aboard as the ship sails to Luxor. The afternoon and evening bring the East Bank: colossal Karnak, dedicated to Amun-Re with its 134-column Hypostyle Hall, and Luxor Temple aglow in the golden hour. Dinner and overnight in Luxor.

After breakfast and check-out, the final morning explores the Theban West Bank: three royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings (with optional entry to Tutankhamun's tomb), the cliff-set temple of Queen Hatshepsut honoring Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh, and the Colossi of Memnon, two giant statues of Amenhotep III. The cruise ends with a transfer to the airport, train station or your Luxor hotel.