Day 1: Arrival In Luxor
You will arrive in Luxor, where our representative will meet you at the airport and assist you during your transfer. Nestled on the east bank of the Nile, Luxor is often called the world's greatest open-air museum. You will then board your dahabiya for your first night on the river. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 2: Valley Of The Kings, Temple Of Hatshepsut And Luxor Temple
Breakfast on board, then set off for a full day on the West Bank of the Nile, known as the Theban Necropolis, where the ancient Egyptians buried their pharaohs and elites.
You will visit the Valley of the Kings, a burial site carved into the limestone rock that houses more than sixty royal tombs, including that of the young Tutankhamun; you will enter three tombs adorned with frescoes and sacred texts. You will then visit the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, an architectural masterpiece built against the cliff face for one of Egypt's rare female pharaohs. Return on board for lunch, then sail towards Edfu. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 3: Temple Of Edfu
Breakfast on board, then visit the Temple of Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt thanks to its gradual burial under sand, which protected it from erosion for centuries. Dedicated to the falcon god Horus, this Ptolemaic temple impresses with its monumental pylons and richly carved reliefs. Return on board for lunch, then sail towards Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 4: Unfinished Obelisk And Temple Of Philae
Breakfast on board, then visit the Unfinished Obelisk, abandoned in antiquity after cracks appeared in the granite — a remarkable testimony to the techniques used by Egyptian craftsmen to cut stone.
You will then visit the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and one of the last temples of ancient Egypt to remain active. Saved from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, it was dismantled and rebuilt stone by stone on Agilkia Island. Return on board for lunch, followed by a pleasant felucca ride around Elephantine Island. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 5: Optional Excursion To Abu Simbel
Free day in Aswan aboard the dahabiya, to enjoy at your own pace the peaceful atmosphere of the town and its exceptional setting between the Nile and the Nubian desert.
As an option, you may leave early in the morning for an excursion to the temples of Abu Simbel, about 280 km south of Aswan. Built by Ramesses II around 1260 BC to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh, these two monumental temples are among the most impressive remains of ancient Egypt. They were entirely cut into blocks and rebuilt higher up on an artificial hill in the 1960s to save them from the rising waters caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam — one of the greatest archaeological rescue operations in history.
Dinner and overnight on board or at a hotel depending on availability and flight times.
Day 6: Kom Ombo Temple – Dinner On An Island
Breakfast on board. Free morning, then lunch on board while sailing towards Kom Ombo. You will visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, an architectural curiosity dedicated to two gods, Haroeris the falcon god and Sobek the crocodile god, each with its own half of the temple. Sail back towards Esna, where an original dinner will be served to you on an island. Overnight on board.
Day 7: Karnak Temples
After breakfast, your guide will take you to discover the Temple of Karnak, the largest religious complex of ancient Egypt and, for nearly two thousand years, the centre of the cult of the god Amun.
Transfer to the dahabiya for boarding and lunch on board. In the afternoon, optional visit of Luxor Temple, closely linked to the coronation ritual of many pharaohs — and, according to tradition, that of Alexander the Great. Dinner and last night on board.
Day 8: Departure
- Breakfast on board.
- Transfer to Luxor airport for your return flight.
