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Home4-Day Nile Cruise From Aswan To Luxor With Hot Air Balloon Adventure
Description
Sign up for this vacation to visit the famous ancient temples and tombs of Upper Egypt by boarding the Nile Cruise. Sail from Aswan to Luxor and visit highlights along the way such as High Dam, Philae Island, Kom Ombo and Edfu temples, Luxor and Karnak temples, Valley of Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon.
Highlights
- Relax and cruise across the Nile
- Visit the High Dam and Isis Temple on Philae Island
- Admire the Nubian Monuments of Abu Simbel
- Gaze upon the Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples
- Navigate the Esna Lock
- Visit the Luxor and Karnak Temples, connected through the Sphinx Alley
- Marvel at the ancient Hatshepsut Temple
- Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Luxor West Bank
Itinerary Expand All Collapse All
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Day 1: Aswan High Dam - Philae Island expand_more
- Connect with your tour guide, who will pick you up from Aswan railway station or Aswan accommodation and transfer you to Nile Cruise. After lunch on board, visit the Aswan Highlights.
- Our first stop will be a modern wonder of technology. Built in the 1950s, the Aswan High Dam brought the Nile's devastating floods to an end, reclaimed more than 100,000 acres of desert land for agriculture and made further crops possible on an additional 800,000 acres.
- To continue, board a motorboat to Philae Island. After the construction of the Aswan Low Dam, it was completely submerged in the Nile, but with the help of UNESCO, it found a new home on the Island Agilkia. The first structure that greets visitors is the iconic Trajan's Kiosk, built in the 2nd Century AD by the Roman Emperor Trajan. The main structure on the island is the Temple of Isis, the goddess of health, marriage, motherhood, and wisdom. You will visit the temples and the ancient Nilometer.
- At the end of the tour, you will be brought back to your Nile Cruise for the night.
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Day 2: Abu Simbel - Kom Ombo - Edfu - Luxor expand_more
- An early rise (03:00 AM) and a 3 to 4-hour desert trip bring you to the southernmost archaeological site, the Nubian Monuments of Abu Simbel, where you visit the temples commissioned by Ramses II for himself and his most beloved wife, the Nubian Queen Nefertari. Like the Nubian population, the temples were relocated in the 1960s due to the construction of the High Dam and the creation of the reservoir, Lake Nasser.
- Drive back north to Aswan, in time for lunch on board while the Nile Cruise is ready to commence.
- Enjoy the tranquility of the Nile whilst cruising towards Kom Ombo where the famous double temple of Sobek and Horus the Elder awaits you. There are some remarkable scenes on the temple walls which will be explained to you like the portrayal of a set of surgical instruments that look extraordinarily like the ones we use today. Furthermore there is a beautiful depiction of an ancient calendar, showing the hieroglyph figures for the days of the month and the seasons. At the temple exit you visit the picturesque Museum with its mummified crocodiles.
- The cruise continues to Edfu. You visit the Edfu Temple, dedicated to the God Horus. The temple has a pillared hall, two diagonal halls and a sanctuary surrounded by chapels, containing a beautiful replica of the Holy Bark. The walls provide details of the construction, the religious myths and the family history of Horus. The temple is nearly intact and a very good example of an Egyptian/Ptolemaic temple.
- Back on board, the cruise commences until you reach the Esna Lock, an interesting feature to see how the cruise ships navigate the lock to be able to sail through to Luxor (nighttime arrival).
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Day 3. Luxor expand_more
- After breakfast, you visit the Karnak Temple; a vast network of temples, hypostyle halls, holy lakes, shrines, statues and obelisks. The Karnak Temple is the second largest religious construction in exsistance and you have time to wander around before continuing the morning excursion.
- Next is the Luxor Temple, elegantly decorating the shores of the Nile. The temple is dedicated to the Rejuvenation of Kingship, and many Pharaohs were crowned here and participated in the yearly Opet-feast. The Karnak and Luxor temples are connected by the recently re-opened Sphinx Alley where excavations are still ongoing.
- Drop-off at the cruiser for lunch. You spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
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Day 4: Hot Air Balloon - Luxor expand_more
- Another early morning check out takes you to the West Bank of Luxor to board a different means of transportation. On a Hot Air Balloon, you imagine yourself on a magic carpet ride over the Theban Mountains, the villages, desert landscape and archaeological sites.
- With your feet back on the ground, you drive to the ancient Theban Necropolis, starting at the Valley of the Kings. You descend into 3 Royal Tombs and gaze at the beautiful colours, magnificent paintings and hieroglyphs.
- The next stop is the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, the famous rock-cut tomb at Deir El-Bahari. You enter the temple, where your guide translates the exciting stories on the walls about Hatshepsut's divine birth and her trade expedition to the Land of Punt while you admire the fantastic wall decorations.
- Last is a photo-stop at the Colossi of Memnon, frozen in time and guarding the ongoing excavations of the Temple of Amenhotep III.
- Drop off at Luxor Railway Station or Luxor Accommodation.
What's Included
- Accommodation 3 nights on Nile Cruise - Full Board (food only) from Lunch Day 1 to Breakfast Day 4
- Transfers in air-conditioned transportation
- Shared transfer to and from Abu Simbel
- Fully guided tours according to the itinerary
- Hot air balloon ride in Luxor
- Transfer to Nile Cruise from Aswan railway station or Aswan accommodation
- Transfer to Luxor railway station or Luxor accommodation
What's Excluded
- Entrance Fees for the excursions mentioned in the itinerary, are to be arranged with the tour guide
- Tips and personal spending
- Drinks with meals on the Nile Cruise
- Airport transfer in Aswan and Luxor (see "addons")
What to bring
- Proof of vaccination/Negative PCR-test according to the last requirements of the Egyptian Authorities
- Copies of Passports need to be sent before this tour starts to require all Governmental approval for transport between cities
- Comfortable shoes
Know before you go
- Not all temples and tombs are wheelchair accessible
- Balloon rides are not allowed for children and not recommended for guests with back problems or pregnant women
Meeting Point
Aswan, Egypt
Cancellation Policy
No refund in case of any cancellation.
Price Details
| Adult | |
| 1 To 1 | USD 995 Per Person |
| 2 To 10 | USD 689 Per Person |
| Child | |
| 1 To 4 | USD 435 Per Person |
This is a private tour | |
Starting From
see details
USD 995 / person