Wonders of the Nile: Aswan to Cairo

This tour follows the Nile from Aswan to Cairo over twelve nights, with stays aboard the MS Darakum. Starting with a visit to the Aswan High Dam and the relocated Temple of Philae, the journey moves north with calls at Kom Ombo, notable for its twin-god temple; and Edfu, home to one of Egypt’s best-preserved Ptolemaic temples dedicated to Horus.

Further north, the schedule includes the Valley of the Kings and the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut across the Nile at Luxor’s West Bank. The Karnak Temple complex presents a vast collection of columns covered in hieroglyphics and even bears the earliest recorded peace treaty. The well-preserved Temple of Hathor at Dendera and the mysterious Temple of Seti I at Abydos add depth to this extensive survey of ancient Egypt’s religious sites.

The tour concludes in Cairo, with visits to Old Cairo’s Christian sites, the Pyramids of Giza and the surrounding Sphinx, plus the recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum housing countless artefacts of the ancient civilisation. Among the less expected highlights are the Beni Hassan tombs, showing scenes of everyday life, and the short-lived city of Amarna with its stripped-back sun-god temples. The pace balances active exploration with sailing days to rest and reflect on the long history unfolding outside the window.