5-Day Nile River Cruise from El Gouna

 Get yourself ready for more exploration on the west bank of Luxor on the second day of your cruise onboard the Nile from El Gouna. The morning activity commences with a visit to the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and lastly the spectacular Colossi of Memnon. Of course, you will also have a few minutes for some shopping activity before returning to the ka for the next sailing to Esna.
Now after breakfast on the cruise, get set for the journey, which will start with its famous tombs of the Valley of the Kings, a site that is known for the tombs of the Pharaohs during the New Kingdom that are elaborately furnished. The tombs that are cut within the high-raised limestone cliffs have beautiful illustrations of gods wrapped in hieroglyphics and so many other features any enthusiast about ancient history would find captivating. You will have access to quite a few tombs, all of which contain some lovely, fascinating work that you will be able to see at leisure.
When this valley is left behind, head to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a wonderful structure most certainly constructed for one of the very few monarchs who were women in Egypt. 

The Great Temple of Hatshepsut is a magnificent edifice with lofty columns and incredible sculptures. Set upon a series of terraces constructed to honor Queen Hatshepsut is perhaps Egypt’s most splendid relief.
The tour comes to an end with the Colossi of Memnon Tour. The Colossi of Memnon are extraordinary twin figures that used to stand at the entrance of the great mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. This imposing pair is 32 m high and can still be found standing even after many years of eroding time as one of the glories of Egypt.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast onboard your Nile cruise, you will continue sailing until you'll see the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo. These are two of the most important temples in Egypt, and they have been around since at least the time of Ramesses II (1279-1213 B.C.).

Start with the Temple of Horus in Edfu, which was built in 237 BC and is dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god who was both king of gods and lord of the sky.  this temple was built by Ptolemy VII between 237 and 57 BCE, and it's considered one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. It's located on the west bank of the Nile River, an hour away from Aswan.  It's also famous for its reliefs that depict scenes from the Book of Gates (a book in the Egyptian Book of the Dead), which is why it's often called "the Temple of Millions of Years." 

After visiting this temple, you will proceed to Kom Ombo temple, another ancient Egyptian temple that was carved out of a mountain during the Ptolemaic period. The temple itself is dedicated to two gods: Horus and Sobek—both of whom are important figures in Ancient Egyptian mythology.

In the end, return back to your Nile cruise where you will continue sailing until you reach Aswan city.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The day will start with breakfast on the cruise. After breakfast, we will proceed to Abu Simbel temple. The temple was built by Ramesses II during the New Kingdom. It was dedicated to his beloved wife Nefertari and their son, Ramses. The temple consists of four main temples, which are connected by a long hall known as "The Hypostyle Hall", which is decorated with scenes depicting the Battle of Kadesh, Ramesses II's victory over the Hittites in 1274 B.C., and other events from Egyptian history. The walls were also decorated with scenes from various religions including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There are also many statues inside these temples that are carved out of rock and depict ancient gods such as Isis and Osiris among others.

There is also a museum there that has information about Egypt's history and culture, as well as an area where you can see some artifacts from when they were building the temple.

After your tour at Abu Simbel Temples, we'll make our way back down south toward Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is the last day of your Nile cruise. In the morning, we will have breakfast onboard the cruise and check out to visit the High Dam, which is a massive structure built to regulate and control the flow of water from Lake Nasser. In recent years, it's become a popular tourist attraction for its impressive architecture and for providing a stunning view of Lake Nasser.

Next up, we'll go to Philae Temple—a beautiful structure with pharaohs' statues carved into its walls. This temple was once submerged in water but has since been excavated and restored as an archaeological site.

Finally, we'll visit an unfinished obelisk that was commissioned by Pharaoh Tuthmosis III in 1450 BC. The obelisk was never completed due to a lack of resources during construction; however, some parts of it were reconstructed in 1964 by UNESCO archaeologists who hope to finish what Tuthmosis III started.

You'll end your day at the port of Ghalib, where your Nile cruise will come to an end after 5 days of exploring Egypt's most famous river.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch