The journey
Overview
In a full fortnight of discovery, this is the classic ‘long cruise’ from Cairo to Aswan, with a different perspective, as it sails to the lesser-known landmarks of ancient Egypt, beside the Nile, in Luxor, and on Lake Nasser; and adds an insight of local culture. An enthralling itinerary for Egypt enthusiasts, who have toured before to the country’s highlight sights but barely heard of its hidden gems, this is an upstream cruise of the Nile, floating past farms with working water buffaloes, and seeing modern life lived in a timeless setting. Crossing 4,000 years of legends and landscapes, we sail on the 5-star Mövenpick MS Darakum, accompanied all the way by an Egyptologist and expert local guides. In and around Cairo, the city’s museum is Egypt’s most revered and explore the long-awaited new Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza’s Great Pyramid is the country’s most photographed, Saqqara’s its oldest, and Memphis was the first capital. We cruise from here to visit the Meidum pyramid close to Beni Suef; tombs in the desert at Tuna el-Gebel and the cliffs at Beni Hassan, and at Tel el-Amara, the sarcophagus of Akhenaten, depicting the Sun God Arten; and explore the temples of Abydos, Denderah and el-Kab. With views of Luxor Temple by Night and cocktails at the Sonesta St. George Hotel, see the city’s less-visited sites, the Tombs of the Workers and Mortuary Temple of Ramses III; and in Aswan, we enter the Tombs of the Nobles and sail on Lake Nasser to the water’s edge Kalabsha Temple to Nubian gods.
Unforgettable moments
Highlights
01
The Royal Tomb of Akhenaten
02
Marvel at the Great Pyramids
03
Kalabsha Temple on Lake Nasser
04
Vivid colours of Medinet Habu
05
The incredible Grand Egyptian Museum
06
Private Cocktails on the Sonesta St. George Hotel's exclusive Nile Terrace
Your itinerary
Day by day
- Day1
Join cruise in Cairo+
Your cruise starts in Cairo as you board the 5-star Movenpick MS Darakum for your 14-night cruise.
Today is a free day with no sightseeing planned. Dinner will be served on board at 7pm tonight.
(D)
- Day2
Visit the Giza pyramid complex the incredible Grand Egyptian Museum+
This morning your Tour Manager will welcome you at 7am in the reception area. Please ensure you have finished breakfast by this time as you will then be heading out on tour.
A full day of touring begins at the Great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the famously enigmatic Sphinx, stretching 73m long and 20m high. After lunch, make your way to the Grand Egyptian Museum for a guided journey through the museum, where awe-inspiring architecture sets the stage for discovery. Begin in the majestic Grand Hall and ascend the sweeping Grand Staircase, each step revealing more of the museum’s grandeur. As you explore the richly curated galleries, you’ll uncover captivating relics that illuminate the daily lives, royal traditions, and spiritual practices of ancient Egypt. A highlight awaits in the Tutankhamun gallery, showcasing over 5,400 remarkable artifacts—including his iconic golden mask, intricately crafted chariots, and intimate personal belongings. Enjoy an Oriental Takht music performance.
(B, L, D)
- Day3
Explore Memphis & Saqqara and Coptic Cairo+
Later, explore the ruins of Egypt’s first capital, Memphis, and view the 4,700-year-old ‘Step Pyramid’ of Saqqara. After lunch, visit the walled old city, ‘Coptic Cairo’, to view the Hanging Church, and visit Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church and Coptic Museum of Christian antiquities. Manager’s Cocktail party aboard this evening.
(B, L, D)
- Day4
Cruise to Beni Suef with talks and a wine tasting onboard+
Enjoy your introduction to timeless riverbank scenes, dotted with minarets and Coptic church towers, as you cruise upstream to Beni Suef, its claims to fame including the bridge across the Nile and the 4th dynasty Meidum pyramid, built during the reign of King Sneferu. On board, enjoy a talk on agriculture, irrigation, and local village life, and later a tasting of Egyptian wines.
(B, L, D)
- Day5
Sail to Minya with a local birdwatching documentary+
A relaxing cruise takes us off tourism’s beaten track to the modern city of Minya, the capital of the region, steeped in the legends of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. En route, view a documentary on board about birdwatching in the area.
(B, L, D)
- Day6
Visit local tombs and explore the sights of Beni Hassan+
Explore the animal catacombs and human tombs of Tuna el-Gebel, where excavations revealed mummies, amulets, thousands of statues, and the stone sarcophagi of priests; and Ashmunein’s ancient ruins of the Temple of Thoth, the god of wisdom. Afternoon visit to Beni Hassan, its forty rock-hewn tombs featuring richly coloured frescoed walls.
(B, L, D)
- Day7
Enjoy a presentation before a visit to Tell el-Amarna+
Enjoy a presentation on board about Akhenaten and Nefertiti en route to Tell el-Amarna, for the ‘Amarnian Experience’. Visit the northern tombs and the Royal Tomb of Akhenaten, its temple dedicated to Aten, the Sun God. View the monastery of heroic Prince/Saint Tawadros from the Nile, en route to the provincial town of Asyut. Galabeya (traditional dress) party aboard.
(B, L, D)
- Day8
Spend the day at leisure with talks on board+
Enjoy a relaxing day aboard, with talks on modern Egypt, education, and hieroglyphs, on this leisurely full-day sail to the west bank city of Sohag, a major centre of Coptic Christianity.
(B, L, D)
- Day9
Explore Abydos before sailing to Qena+
Continue upriver to El Balyana and travel inland to ancient Abydos, to visit the New Kingdom temple of Seti I, where carvings include a ‘List of Kings’ and intriguing hieroglyphs said to show futuristic transport, a helicopter, zeppelin, and submarine. Navigate the locks and pass the railway bridge at Naga Hammadi enroute to the town of Qena.
(B, L, D)
- Day10
Visit Denderah for the Temple of Hathor and sail to Luxor+
Visit Denderah, among the best-preserved of Egypt’s temple complexes, to view the Temple of Hathor, the largest of three on the site. Built by Ptolomy XII and Cleopatra, its courtyard and hypostyle hall are carved with depictions of the queen and her son, and of the goddess Hathor. Sail to Luxor, with a cooking lesson aboard, and enjoy the Luxor Temple by Night. Enjoy a private cocktail reception on the Sonesta St. George Hotel's exclusive Nile Terrace, offering spectacular panoramic views of the river.
(B, L, D)
- Day11
Enjoy visiting Medinet Habu and the house of Howard Carter+
On the west bank, beneath the Theban Hills, visit Medinet Habu; and continue to the Tombs of Nobles and Workers at Deir el-Medina, the humble tombs of minor nobility and of the artisans who created the Valley of the Kings; and to Howard Carter’s house, now a museum with maps, books, and writings by the archaeologist.
(B, L, D)
- Day12
Spend time at the museum of Luxor before sailing to Edfu+
Visit Luxor Museum, its long façade lining the riverbank, its collection of fine antiquities variously exhibited in an open-air garden or atmospherically lit interior displays; and explore the city’s souks before sailing to Edfu, one of Egypt’s oldest settlements.
(B, L, D)
- Day13
Travel to visit el-Kab, later cruising to Kom Ombo and Aswan+
Drive north to visit el-Kab, its origins dating back to the Early Dynastic period, its tombs and temples enclosed within 12m-thick mudbrick walls. Cruise to Kom Ombo and visit the Gebel el-Silsila quarries, which provided sandstone for major temples from the New Kingdom to Greco-Roman period. Sail to Aswan.
(B, L, D)
- Day14
Visit the local tombs and temples+
Visit the Tombs of Nobles, carved into cliffs across the river from Aswan, some well-preserved with still vibrant colours; and the Kalabsha Temple, 50km south on Lake Nasser, dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis, and decorated with imagery of pharaohs and Roman emperors.
(B, L, D)
- Day15
Cruise ends in Aswan+
Your journey on the MS Darakum ends after breakfast.
(B)
Peace of mind
What's included
- ✦14-night cruise
- ✦Full board on cruise vessel
- ✦Port charges
- ✦Itinerary as described
- ✦Egyptian Tour Manager / Egyptologist and local representatives
- ✦Interested in adding flights to this tour?
- ✦Find out more
- ✦.
- ✦- Travel Guide -
- ✦Flights from the UK can be added — ask your adviser