4-Day Christmas & New Year Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor

Wake to the gentle rhythm of the Nile. For early risers, today offers an optional journey south to Abu Simbel, the colossal temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari on Lake Nasser. Then the cruise sets sail, and the river reveals its most beautiful mud-brick villages and desert hills glowing in the winter sun.

📍Kom Ombo Temple

Overlooking a bend in the river, Kom Ombo is Egypt's rare double temple, perfectly symmetrical and dedicated to two gods. One half honours Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other Haroeris (Horus the Elder). Twin entrances, twin halls and twin sanctuaries make it unlike any other temple along the Nile.

Next to the temple, the Crocodile Museum displays mummified crocodiles found in the area, once worshipped as sacred animals of Sobek.

💡Did you know? One wall at Kom Ombo shows what many believe are ancient surgical instruments, including scalpels, forceps, and bone saws. Your guide will also point out an ancient calendar and a Nilometer, used to measure the river's flood.

Sailing to Edfu

Back on board, relax on the sundeck with afternoon tea as the ship continues north to Edfu. This is the Nile at its most timeless, with farmers in the fields, children waving from the banks, and feluccas drifting past. Tonight you moor in Edfu, home to the best-preserved temple in all of Egypt.

The day begins in the old way, by horse-drawn carriage through the streets of Edfu. Ahead lies a temple that time almost forgot, preserved for centuries beneath the desert sands.

📍The Temple of Horus at Edfu

Built between 237 and 57 BC, Edfu Temple is the most complete temple in Egypt. Its towering pylon, roofed halls, and granite sanctuary look almost exactly as they did more than 2,000 years ago. The walls tell the epic battle between Horus, the falcon god, and his uncle Seth.

💡Did you know? Edfu survived so well because it lay buried under sand and silt for centuries, with houses built on top of its roof, until it was excavated in the 19th century.

Passing Through the Esna Lock

Back on board, the ship sails north and passes through the Esna Locks, where boats are raised and lowered between two levels of the Nile.

📌 Local Tip: As you wait at the lock, local traders row up beside the ship and throw scarves and galabeyas up to the top deck, haggling from below. It's one of the most entertaining moments of the cruise. Throw back what you don't want!

As evening falls, Luxor appears on the horizon, the ancient city of Thebes, capital of Egypt's golden age. Tomorrow, you'll explore both banks of the Nile, from the temples of the living to the tombs of the kings.

🔻If you're sailing on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, the cruise celebrates with a festive gala dinner and music on board. 

The ancient Egyptians built their temples on the East Bank, where the sun rises, and buried their kings on the West Bank, where it sets. 

Today, you follow the sun across both. For an unforgettable start, add a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Theban Necropolis.

📍Karnak Temple

On the East Bank, Karnak Temple is the largest religious complex ever built, extended by pharaohs over nearly 2,000 years. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 giant columns covered in hieroglyphs, past obelisks and the sacred lake.

💡Did you know? More than 30 pharaohs shaped and expanded Karnak Temple over centuries, including Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Seti I, and Ramesses II. What you see today is the result of generations of ambition, devotion, and architectural ingenuity.

📍The Valley of the Kings

Crossing to the West Bank, enter the Valley of the Kings, the hidden burial ground of Egypt's New Kingdom pharaohs. More than 60 tombs have been found here, their walls painted with scenes of the journey to the afterlife.

📌Insider tip: Your standard ticket includes three tombs. The tombs of Tutankhamun (KV62) and Seti I (KV17) need separate tickets. Did you know Tutankhamun's mummy still rests in his tomb today?

📍The Temple of Hatshepsut

At Deir el-Bahari, the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut rises against golden cliffs. It was built for one of Egypt's few female pharaohs, who ruled for around 20 years and brought peace and trade to the kingdom. Its clean lines and colonnades look surprisingly modern. The temple was designed by Senenmut, Hatshepsut's architect and trusted adviser.

💡Did you know? The temple's middle terrace shows Hatshepsut's famous expedition to the Land of Punt, believed to lie on the Red Sea coast of East Africa. 

📍The Colossi of Memnon

On your way back, stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two 18-metre statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that have guarded the West Bank for 3,400 years.

💡Did you know? After an earthquake cracked one statue, it began to "sing" at dawn, a phenomenon known as the Vocal Memnon. Greek and Roman travellers believed it was the hero Memnon greeting his mother Eos, goddess of the dawn, and came from far away to hear it. The statue fell silent after Roman repairs around 200 AD, traditionally credited to Emperor Septimius Severus. 

🔻Your Nile journey ends in Luxor with memories of a Christmas like no other. Want to continue the story? Extend to add Cairo and the Red Sea with the 10-Day Egypt Christmas Tour, or speak with your tour guide about other options.