What will you see in your Nile Cruise Vacations

Posted by Angela on February 9th, 2020

The Nile is the largest river on the African continent. Its length is 6671 km, and the area of ​​the water basin is 2870 thousand sq. Km. This is the only river in Africa that flows into the Mediterranean Sea and is a source of life in waterless deserts on both sides of its course. The first Nile cruise in 1860 was organized by Thomas Cook, cruises at that time lasted about a month. About 250 motor ships offer their services to tourists who want to go on a cruise on the Nile, of which 100 are motor ships of the deluxe class. A Nile Cruise holiday is a magical trip that should be highly considered for trips to Egypt.

What will you see during a Nile Cruise vacation?

Luxor East Bank

Luxor (Greek Thebes) is located on both banks of the Nile: the East Bank - “City of the Living” (Karnak and Luxor Temples) and the West Bank - “The Kingdom of the Dead” (Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut). There are so many monuments on both banks that last for a week. According to the program, tourists visiting the most iconic buildings. A tour of the East Bank includes a visit to only one of the temples of Karnak or Luxor located on the east coast, although they make up a single ensemble and both deserve attention. You can find time for the second temple - instead of lunch or a program visit to the store. This must be agreed in advance with the guide. Both temples are located on the waterfront, where the ship is waiting. The main thing is to return to it in time.

 Luxor West Bank

A visit to the West Bank begins almost from the side of your ship. On the embankment you will transfer to a motor boat and sail across the Nile to the West Bank, where a bus awaits you. You will see the Colossi of Memnon (2 huge statues of Amenhotep III - all that remains of the magnificent temple), visit the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens: the centuries-old tomb of the pharaohs, the funeral temple of the famous Queen Hatshepsut - the only woman pharaoh.

After the excursions, the bus will take you back to the marina.

Edfu

On the embankment, you transfer to small carriages (4 people each) and a horse rushes you through the narrow winding streets to the main treasure of this town - the grand temple of Horus , dedicated to the god Horus - the ancestor of the dynasty of the pharaohs. The temple is remarkable in that its walls are covered with mathematical formulas, according to which all basic proportions are calculated.

After the tour return to the ship.

Kom Ombo

In Kom Ombo - a visit to one of the most amazing temples in Egypt - the temple of Kom Ombo . Its uniqueness is that in this temple there are 2 shrines - one is dedicated to Horus (falcon god), the other to Sobeku (crocodile god).

From the temple terrace you can enjoy wonderful views of the Nile.

Aswan

The standard program in Aswan includes a city tour, a visit to the Aswan Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk (the largest in Egypt) and a walk on the Nile in a felucca - a local sailing boat.

Thanks to the dam, all the "excess" water during the Nile spills is collected in the reservoir - Lake Nasser, on which cruises are also organized. As for sailing along the Nile, this is a floating souvenir shop: after short songs and dances, the “team” extracts chests from various benches with all kinds of trinkets. 

The most interesting sights of Aswan are offered as optional: Philae island with a temple dedicated to the goddess Isis, Elephantine island, Kitchneer island with a stop for swimming on a sandy beach, which is also turned into a small bazaar.

Abu Simbel

The excursion is optional. Abu Simbel - the most grandiose building in Egypt since the time of Pharaoh Ramses II - gigantic temples cut down directly in the rocks on the shores of Lake Nasser. Visiting Egypt and not seeing this miracle is like going to Paris and not noticing the Eiffel Tower!