Day 1: Arrival In Luxor ( /L /D)
Meet and assist at Luxor Airport.
The Magic Arabia Tour Coordinator will assist at the airport and escort you from the airport to the cruise ship by air-conditioned vehicle.
Arrive on your Nile cruise boat, where you will be welcomed by the reception staff.
Lunch and afternoon tea will be served in the lounge.
In the evening, you will be greeted by your tour guide, who will review your cruise program for the upcoming days.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 2: Luxor – Edfu (B/L/D)
Optional: Luxor & Karnak Temples
After breakfast, you will visit the Temple of Luxor, connected to Karnak via the Avenue of Sphinxes, almost 3 kilometres in length. Built by Amenhotep III in 1380 BC, the site was added to by later pharaohs. The temple enjoyed many celebrations, the most important being the Festival of Opet which lasted almost a month.
Karnak Temples. Your Egyptologist guide will then take you to the Temple of Karnak, Built over 2,000 years by generations of pharaohs, the 62-acre Temple of Karnak was dedicated to the god Amun. It would take days to explore all the pylons, obelisks and smaller temples within. The great “Hypostyle Hall” alone is a veritable forest of giant pillars rising 23 meters toward the sky. At the “Sacred Lake,” priests purified themselves in the waters before performing rites at the temple. At the height of its glory, Karnak Temple collected annual tribute from over 65 cities in the region.
After lunch, departure of the cruise toward Esna Lock, where you can witness the boat’s passing through the giant lock to adjust to the water level of the river downstream.
Continue navigation toward Edfu.
In the evening, a gourmet dinner will be served on board.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 3: Edfu – Aswan (B/L/D)
Optional: Kom-Ombo Temple
Breakfast will be served on board.
Spend the morning at leisure while we cruise to Kom-Ombo and enjoy the facilities on board, including the pool, games room. Or simply enjoy the scenery on the riverbanks from one of the deck chairs.
Lunch and afternoon tea can be enjoyed on board.
Following afternoon tea, visit the Temple of Kom-Ombo. The temple is dedicated to two gods and has two parallel axial passages running through its columned halls, terminating in two sanctuaries, one for each god. The southern axis (on the right) is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, and the northern (on the left) axis to Haroeris. The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank.
Return to the boat to sail to Aswan, don’t miss the picturesque and culturally enriching experience as you sail you will pass by lush palm groves and fertile farmlands on the riverbanks. You might come across traditional felucca sailing boats
Tonight’s entertainment will be an “Egyptian Night” costume party for all guests, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian “galabeyyas”. Dinner will be a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialties.
Day 4: Aswan (B/L/D)
Optional: Philae Temple, High Dam and unfinished Obelisk.
A breakfast buffet will be served on board, after which you will have the morning at your leisure.
Enjoy lunch on board.
Take a short motorboat ride to visit the Temple of Philae, built in honour of Isis, one of the great mother goddesses of Ancient Egypt. This beautiful temple was moved, with the help of UNESCO, to its present location on Agilka Island to save it from the rising waters caused by the construction of the High Dam. Its construction in the 1960’s was somewhat controversial due to the loss of Nubian villages and temples which now lie under Lake Nasser, the world’s largest artificial lake. However, the resulting electricity generated by the dam supplies the whole of Egypt.
You will also stop at the stone quarries to see the Unfinished Obelisk, the largest known ancient obelisk. Here, listen to your guide as they explain the methods used by ancient craftsmen to create impressive moments and see marks from workers' tools, which are still clearly visible on the bedrock.
Return to the boat for dinner.
Enjoy a Folkloric Show and a Dervish Show after dinner.
Optional: Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple.
The Sound and light will bring the temple to life, and combines historical narration, music, and dynamic lighting to bring the temple's history and significance to life for visitors.
Day 5: Aswan (B/L/D)
Day at leisure on board of the ship for relaxation or further discovery of the fascinating city of Aswan.
Optional: Excursion to Abu Simbel Early morning transfer to Abu Simbel by road (3 hours one way) or by flight (flight duration 45 minutes one way)
As you approach the entrance to Abu Simbel temple notice the four enormous statues of Pharaoh Ramses II that look out over Lake Nasser, which are carved from one piece of rock. The temple is dedicated to the god Ra-Hurakhti and was built by Ramses II during the 13th century BC. The walls inside depict the pharaoh in his various exploits and next door is the temple that Ramses dedicated to his favorite wife, Nefertari.
Return to the ship for lunch. Afternoon at leisure. Why not visit the Nubian Museum or stroll through the city?
Lunch and dinner on board.
Overnight on board.
Day 6: Aswan – Edfu (B/L/D)
Optional: Edfu Temple
A breakfast buffet will be served on board, after which you can enjoy the onboard facilities, including the pool, games room.
Enjoy lunch, while you cruise to Kom-Ombo. Spend the afternoon at leisure and enjoy the facilities
on board.
Afternoon tea will be served while you cruise to Edfu. This afternoon, explore the extraordinary Temple of Horus, It is one of the last great monuments of Egypt, in better condition today than the temples of Karnak, Luxor and Abydos. It is one of a few temples that gives access to the roof, from which you get a wonderful view over the Nile and surrounding fields from its rooftop.
Enjoy an Egyptian buffet menu for tonight’s dinner with the chance for guests to dress up in traditional Egyptian “galabeyya”.
Day 7: Luxor (B/L/D)
Optional: Valley of the Kings, Colossi of Memnon
Optional: Early morning Hot air balloon flight from the desert for a bird’s eye view on the Nile and its surrounding fertile land.
Breakfast buffet on board whilst sailing to Luxor. Spend the morning at leisure and enjoy the facilities on board, including the pool, games room.
After lunch, visit the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank where you will visit 3 pharaonic tombs. You will pass by the famed Colossi of Memnon, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn.
Return to your boat for afternoon tea
Tonight’s farewell dinner will be a gala dinner.
Additional Tombs to be visited (Optional): get the chance to entre the Tomb of Pharaoh Seti I, Tutankhamon or Ramses VI while being at the west bank of Luxor.
Day 8: Luxor (B/ / )
A buffet breakfast will be served on board, before check out at 8am.
Transfer by air-conditioned vehicle from Cruise to Luxor airport.
