Discover Ancient Egypt on a Luxurious Nile Cruise

A journey on a Nile River cruise is one of the best ways to experience both ancient and modern Egypt. Our family took a four-day trip, sailing from Luxor to Aswan. We visited incredible ancient sites, including the Luxor Temple, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, and Kom Ombo. Our adventure ended in the southern city of Aswan.

We flew from Cairo to Luxor on EgyptAir. When we arrived, our tour guide was waiting for us at the airport. He took us straight to our ship to begin our memorable journey on the Nile. Read about our visit to Cairo here.

Our Floating Hotel

Our ship was the Steigenberger Minerva. The room felt like a luxurious hotel room, not a small cabin. It had a large king-sized bed and a spacious window with stunning views. The bathroom was also well-equipped. The room had a flat-screen TV, but we were too busy with the ship's activities and visiting the ancient sites to watch it. The ship also had strong Wi-Fi. This lets us stay connected and share our adventure photos with family and friends.

The Steigenberger Minerva offers many amenities. The ship provides an international phone service, a gift shop, and a laundry service. The ship has a large sundeck with a swimming pool and a bar. There is also a fitness room and a beauty salon. The spacious restaurant offers a diverse menu featuring both international and traditional Egyptian dishes, with all meals included in the price. They also served tea on the sundeck every day while we were sailing.

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The crew hosted a lively program after dinner each night. There were shows and contests. One night, a traditional dress contest took place. Everyone had either brought or bought a gallabiyah, a long, loose robe worn by both men and women. It is often worn with a turban or a skullcap. Everyone enjoyed dancing to Egyptian music, and then the contest winners were announced. It was a fun evening for everyone.

Our family took a similar cruise, and the crew's hospitality was truly outstanding. They made us feel so welcome and safe. The food was incredible, too! 
- A traveler from Tripadvisor

Exploring Ancient Luxor

Before we left Luxor, we visited the Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple. We also visited the Valley of the Kings, a renowned burial site for pharaohs that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. There are over 60 known tombs in the valley. The most famous is the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

Interesting Fact: The Karnak Temple complex is the second-largest ancient religious site in the world, after Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Walking through its immense halls and courtyards puts the scale of ancient Egyptian civilization into stunning perspective.

At night, we walked along the Nile bank. We saw many other cruise ships docked, letting off crowds of people into the city.

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Setting Sail on the Nile

As our ship sailed, the landscape around us changed dramatically. The dunes of the desert met the green, fertile land along the river. We also passed many other boats going in both directions.

At one point, some small boats approached our ship. Vendors on the boats were calling out to passengers, trying to sell traditional Egyptian clothes. It was fun to watch people bargain with them. When a sale was made, the vendors would toss the item up to the passengers on the ship.

Traveler Tip: The vendors who approach the cruise ships are persistent but friendly. Don't be afraid to haggle! It's part of the fun and you can often get a better price by negotiating.

Ports of Call and Amazing Sights

Our cruise continued to our next two stops. Before we reached Edfu, our ship had to pass through the Esna Locks. The locks are a major engineering feat, enabling ships to navigate the Nile's varying water levels. The ship was raised 26 feet from the lower to the upper Nile. We stayed up late to watch it.

Interesting Fact: The Esna Lock is a critical piece of infrastructure on the Nile, regulating river traffic and water levels. The entire process of a ship passing through the lock can take several hours, but it's a fascinating display of engineering.

In Edfu, we took a calèche ride, a horse-drawn carriage. The ride took us to the Temple of Horus, the falcon god. This temple is one of the best-preserved ancient temples in Egypt. It was built during the Ptolemaic period. After a short sail, we arrived at Kom Ombo. We walked a short distance to the unique Temple of Sobek and Horus. This temple is dedicated to two gods. One side is for Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other side is for Horus, the falcon god.

 Our last stop was the city of Aswan. Here, we saw more famous treasures. We toured the Aswan High Dam, which created Lake Nasser, the world's largest artificial reservoir. It helps to control the flooding of the Nile. Aswan is also home to the Unfinished Obelisk. It is located in the northern quarry. Workers found a crack in the rock while carving it, so they abandoned the project. If it had been finished, it would have been the largest ancient obelisk ever made, measuring 137 feet tall and weighing 1,200 tons.

Our trip would not have been complete without visiting the Temple of Philae. This temple is on the island of Agilika. We took a motorboat to get there. As we approached, we saw the beautiful temple surrounded by water. The temple was relocated from its original site in the 1960s to protect it from flooding caused by the construction of the dam.