Alyssa Cruzeiro no Nilo

Board the Alyssa before lunch and admire its handcrafted interiors as you settle in. In the afternoon your Egyptologist leads you through the vast Karnak complex, from the Avenue of Ram-Headed Sphinxes to the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns, then to Luxor Temple, radiant in the late sun. Return for tea on the sun deck before dinner and your first overnight moored in Luxor.

Cross to the West Bank for three painted tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon, the famous 'singing statues.' Optional entry to the tombs of Tutankhamun or Seti I is available. After lunch the cruise sails through the Esna Lock. Dinner and overnight underway toward Edfu, with an optional dawn balloon flight available.

Ride a horse-drawn carriage to the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus at Edfu, the most completely preserved temple in Egypt, with reliefs depicting the battle between Horus and Seth. Sailing on, you reach Kom Ombo to explore the perfectly symmetrical double temple of Sobek and Horus the Elder, its carved medical instruments and the Crocodile Mummification Museum. Dinner and overnight as the boat continues to Aswan.

Tour Aswan this morning: the High Dam with panoramas over Lake Nasser, the island Temple of Philae dedicated to Isis and reached by motorboat, and the colossal Unfinished Obelisk still lying in its granite quarry. Spend the afternoon at leisure or add an optional felucca sail, or visit a colorful Nubian village by boat. Dinner and overnight on board in Aswan.

Enjoy a final breakfast before disembarking in Aswan. Travelers with extra time can add an early excursion to the rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Nefertari at Abu Simbel, carved into a cliff above Lake Nasser and saved by a celebrated UNESCO relocation, reached by car or short flight at additional cost. A complimentary transfer then takes you onward.

Embark in Aswan before lunch and settle into your cabin. The afternoon brings the High Dam with sweeping views over Lake Nasser, the romantic island Temple of Philae dedicated to Isis, and the Unfinished Obelisk in its ancient granite quarry. These monuments set the tone for your journey north. Dinner and overnight on board, moored in Aswan.

Early risers can add an optional excursion to the twin temples of Abu Simbel by road or flight. Returning, the cruise sails north to Kom Ombo for the unusual double sanctuary of the crocodile god Sobek and Horus the Elder, with its medical reliefs and museum of mummified crocodiles. Lunch is served on board as you continue toward Edfu, followed by dinner and an overnight sail.

Travel by horse carriage to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the most complete temples in Egypt, then sail to Luxor over lunch. The afternoon and evening reveal the East Bank's giants: the immense Karnak complex dedicated to Amun-Re and the floodlit colonnades of Luxor Temple at golden hour. Dinner and overnight on board in Luxor.

After breakfast and checkout, cross to the West Bank for the grand finale: three royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings (with optional entry to Tutankhamun's tomb), the cliff-set temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Your guide brings each monument to life before your complimentary onward transfer in Luxor.