This 5-day cruise opens up the wonders of Upper Egypt. Travelling from Aswan to Luxor, explore the ancient temples and tombs that preserve this incredible kingdom on the Nile. After dark, return to your luxury vessel for traditional entertainment, gala celebrations, and delicious meals showcasing local flavours.
In Aswan, check into your luxury cabin aboard the Sanctuary Sun Boat IV before an afternoon ride on a more traditional style of Egyptian vessel. A felucca sail boat takes you around Elephantine Island, visiting Kitchener’s Botanical Gardens and the Agha Khan Mausoleum. A gourmet welcome dinner ends with a folklore and Dervish show. Your second day is spent exploring the Philae Temple on Agilika, and the famed unfinished obelisk. Try your hand at some Egyptian cooking before lunch, then pay your respects to the crocodile god Sorbek at Kom Ombo. An ‘Egyptian Night’ costume party takes you into the evening, with the chance to dress in a traditional Egyptian galabeyya.
Go on to explore the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of Egypt’s best preserved ancient shrines. After lunch, an Egyptologist will guide you around the Greco-Roman Temple of Khnum at Esna, some parts of which date back to the Ptolemaic era. Enjoy afternoon tea and dinner aboard ship as you sail to Luxor, arguably the world’s greatest open air museum. Take a tour of the East Bank including the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak. After lunch, head to the West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings, along with at least one tomb in the Valley of the Queens, and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Last but not least, admire the Colossi of Memnon before a gala dinner marks your farewell to the ancient lands of Upper Egypt.
