Nile Cruise: 5-Star Cultural Journey

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Experience an exceptional Nile cruise aboard a 5-star vessel, as rated by the Ministry of Tourism. Delight in exploring Egyptian antiquities on this one-of-a-kind cultural entertainment journey.

Duration: 5 days

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple

Karnak Open Air Museum - The Karnak Temple Complex, often referred to as Karnak, is a vast collection of temples, pylons, chapels, and other structures located near Luxor, Egypt. Construction began during the reign of Senusret I (1971–1926 BCE) in the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000–1700 BCE) and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305–30 BCE), with most existing buildings dating from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was known as Ipet-isut (“The Most Selected of Places”) in ancient Egypt and served as the main worship site for the 18th Dynastic Theban Triad, led by the god Amun. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 along with the rest of the city. Karnak derives its name from the nearby modern village of El-Karnak, located 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) north of Luxor.

Luxor Temple - Luxor Temple, known as Ipet-resyt or “Southern Sanctuary” to the ancient Egyptians, was named for its location within ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). It is situated approximately three kilometers south of Karnak Temple, to which it was once connected by a processional path lined with sphinxes. The earliest evidence of this temple dates back to the Eighteenth Dynasty (c.1550–1295 BC).

Ipet-resyt, unlike most other ancient Egyptian temples, is not aligned on an east-west axis but is oriented towards Karnak. This is because Luxor Temple was the main venue for one of the most significant ancient Egyptian religious festivals, where the cult images of Amun, his wife Mut, and their son, the lunar god Khonsu, were transported from their temples in Karnak to Luxor Temple in a grand procession to visit the god residing there, Amenemopet. This event was known as the Opet Festival.

The Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings, and the Temple of Hatshepsut

Colossi of Memnon - The Colossi of Memnon (Arabic: el-Colossat or es-Salamat) are two enormous stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, standing at the entrance of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis. These statues have stood since 1350 BC and were well-known to ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as early modern travelers and Egyptologists. The statues feature 107 Roman-era inscriptions in Greek and Latin, dated between AD 20 and 250; many inscriptions on the northern statue reference the Greek mythological king Memnon, whom the statue was mistakenly thought to represent.

Scholars have debated the connection between the identification of the northern colossus as “Memnon” and the Greek name for the entire Theban Necropolis as the Memnonium.

Valley of the Kings - The rulers of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt’s prosperous New Kingdom (c.1550–1069 BC) were interred in a desolate dry river valley across the river from the ancient city of Thebes (modern Luxor), hence its modern name, the Valley of the Kings. This name is somewhat misleading, as some royal family members aside from the king were buried here, along with a few non-royal but high-ranking individuals. The Valley of the Kings is divided into the East and West Valleys. The eastern valley is the more iconic of the two, as the western valley contains only a few tombs. In total, the Valley of the Kings includes over sixty tombs and an additional twenty unfinished ones that are little more than pits.

Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari - Hatshepsut (c.1473–1458 BC), the queen who became pharaoh, constructed a magnificent temple at Deir al-Bahari, on the west bank of Luxor. It is located directly across the Nile from Karnak Temple, the main sanctuary of the god Amun. Hatshepsut’s temple, Djeser-djeseru “the Holy of Holies,” was designed by the chief steward of Amun, Senenmut.

The temple consists of three levels, each with a colonnade at its far end. On the uppermost level, an open courtyard lies just beyond the portico. Mummiform statues of Hatshepsut as Osiris, the god of the dead, lean against its pillars.

This is because Djeser-djeseru is Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple, where her cult was practiced after her death, when she attained the blessed state of Osiris. The temple is not solely dedicated to her; it also includes sections for the cults of her revered father Thutmose I, the goddess Hathor, and the funerary god Anubis. An altar, open to the sky and the sun, was dedicated to the cult of the solar Ra-Horakhty.

Horus Temple and Kom Ombo Temple

Temple of Horus - Edfu Temple is one of the most impressive and well-preserved ancient Egyptian temples, dedicated to the worship of the god Horus. Located on the western bank of the Nile, its construction began during the reign of Ptolemy III (246–221 BC) in 237 BC and was completed during the reign of Ptolemy XII (80–51 BC) in 57 BC, taking 180 years to finish.

The temple remained buried under layers of settlement debris for millennia, which is why its architectural and decorative elements have survived so well. In 1860, the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette uncovered and restored parts of the temple.

The temple is fronted by two massive pylons that depict scenes of Ptolemy XII conquering his enemies and worshiping deities. Two large granite statues of the falcon-god Horus stand before the pylons. Once through the pylons, visitors enter a large Peristyle court lined with columns adorned with floral capitals.

Temple of Kom Ombo - The site derives its name from the Arabic word kum, meaning ‘mound,’ a term found in the names of many archaeological sites, and ‘Ombo,’ which ultimately comes from the ancient Egyptian Nubt, interpreted as meaning ‘the golden (city).’ The city’s temple is dedicated to two deities: the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Har wer (Horus the Elder). Although an earlier temple existed here during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1069 BC), the current structure was built during the Graeco-Roman Period (332 BC–395 AD), with the earliest attested royal name being Ptolemy VI Philometor’s (180–145 BC). Most of the decoration was completed by Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (80–51 BC).

The temple has a unique design. Because it is dedicated to two gods, it features two parallel axial passages running through its columned halls, ending in two sanctuaries, one for each deity. The southern axis (on the right) is Sobek’s, and the northern (on the left) is Harwer’s.

The High Dam and the Temple of Philae Island

Aswan High Dam - The Aswan Dam, or Aswan High Dam, is one of the world’s largest embankment dams, constructed across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. Upon completion, it became the tallest earthen dam in the world, surpassing the Chatuge Dam in the United States. The dam, which created the Lake Nasser reservoir, was built 7 km (4.3 mi) upstream of the Aswan Low Dam, which had been completed in 1902 and was already at its maximum capacity. Building the High Dam became a key goal of the military regime that took power following the 1952 Egyptian Revolution. With its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation, and generate hydroelectricity, the dam was seen as crucial to Egypt’s planned industrialization. Like its predecessor, the High Dam has had a significant impact on Egypt’s economy and culture.

Philae Temple - The monuments of Philae include many structures dating primarily to the Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BC). The most prominent of these is a temple initiated by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC), dedicated to Isis, the mother of Horus, the god of kingship. A scene in the mammisi, or birth room, where the birth of Horus was celebrated, depicts Isis nursing her son Horus in the marshes.

The temple of Isis was one of the last ancient Egyptian temples to remain active, continuing to function until the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527–565 AD), who ordered the closure of all pagan temples. It is here that a priest of Isis named Esmet-Akhom carved the very last dated hieroglyphic inscription, which dates to the late 4th century AD (394 AD). The temple was converted into a Christian church, and many inscriptions were deliberately destroyed.