Nile Cruises

Overview

A cruise is the perfect way to see the wonders of the River Nile and to explore the many ancient monuments and fascinating sights along the way. Here is a little taster of some of the delights you can look forward to.
Luxor
Luxor lies on the east bank of the Nile and comprises three different areas: the city of Luxor, the town of Karnak and Thebes, on the West Bank of the Nile. It is an exciting and vibrant city and features a host of ancient monuments, temples and colourful bazaars bustling with activity. Here you will find the Temple of Luxor, built by Amenophis III and Rameses II to host the festival of Opet, and the Abu Haggag mosque with its many amazing architectural features including an avenue of sphinxes that once led all the way to Karnak. There you will find the Temple of Amun, an immense building larger than St Paul's Cathedral in London, as well as the Open Air Museum, the Hypostyle Hall and the Sacred Lake, where the boats of the gods took part in various ceremonies.
Edfu and Kom Ombo
Further south towards Aswan is the Edfu Temple. The best preserved ancient temple in Egypt, it was built in honour of Horus, the falcon-headed god and has many impressive features including a colonnaded courtyard. At Kom Ombo stands another large temple dedicated to Horus and Sobek (the crocodile god).
The West Bank
On the West Bank you will find the Valley of the Kings, the last resting place of the ancient pharaohs. It features many elaborately designed tombs with corridors, chambers and pillared halls, all adorned with beautiful carvings and inscriptions including the most famous of all: the tomb of Tutankhamun. The Valley of the Queens is also on the West Bank and is home to the Tomb of Nefertari, the favourite wife of Rameses II and widely considered to be one of the most beautiful in Egypt. At the north end of the necropolis is the Temple of Hatshepsut, built in memory of the queen of the same name. Constructed in terraces carved from the rock, it is one of the most stunning monuments on the West Bank.
Aswan
Aswan sits on the eastern bank of the Nile and is a relaxed city, famed for its sunshine, beautiful scenery and distinctly Egyptian atmosphere. The Corniche, or riverside walk, runs along the banks of the Nile where you will find cafes, restaurants and in the labyrinth of small streets, bazaars packed with all manner of delights from spices to locally made rugs. Amongst the other highlights of Aswan are the Philae Temple, the immense High Dam, which provides electricity and enough water to last four years and the Unfinished Obelisk. South of Aswan, overlooking Lake Nasser, are the impressive temples at Abu Simbel.