For many years, River Nile cruises have been carrying holidaymakers on a magical journey back in time along this superb river. A combination of exploring the wonders of age-old Egypt coupled with a mellow journey south from Luxor to Aswan is ever well known with holiday makers.
A regular Nile cruise lasts seven nights and run Monday to Monday. Direct flights from Britain bring tourists to Luxor and then they are taken to their cruise ship to check in. The next morning, the journey into historical Egypt begins with a drop by to the East Bank of the Nile at Luxor including the Temples of Karnak and Luxor.
The following morning, the sightseeing continues on to the West Bank of the Nile which includes the Valley of the Kings just before going back to the boat for lunch. Immediately after lunch, the ship departs Luxor heading south for Edfu. After an overnight mooring at Edfu, there are additional visits to temples at both Edfu and Kom Ombo before moving on to Aswan.
The next morning, its time to check out Aswan and a more up-to-date construction; the Aswan High Dam. Built in the 1950s, the Aswan High Dam formed Lake Nasser, itself a cruise location. After lunch, there is time to sail on a classic Egyptian Felucca along this very attractive part of the River nile. The Cataract Hotel in Aswan looks out onto the river and it is where Agatha Christie authored part of her renowned novel, “Death on the Nile”.
Following an overnight stay in Aswan, there is free time available to explore the town or otherwise, there is an optional visit to the superb Temple of Abu Simbel at the far end of Lake Nasser. It is quite a distance to Abu Simbel, either three quarters of an hour by plane or 3 hours but it is well worth the hassle.
Aswan signifies the turnaround point for Nile cruises and now the vessel heads back north the 80 miles to Luxor. The journey takes two days with an overnight stop at Edfu just before returning to Luxor. The week cruising the River Nile is over and visitors head back to the airport and home.