MS Grand Palm

Breakfast on board before travelling to the West Bank of Thebes and the final resting place of a succession of mighty Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings, littered with intricate tombs – beautifully coloured and decorated with hieroglyphics A visit to the tomb of Tutankhamun is a popular optional excursion, but please note that the surviving treasures now reside in the Cairo Museum. On the West Bank discover the Temple of Hatshepsut, one Egypt’s few female Pharaohs, and the gigantic statues of the Colossi of Memmon, two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which have stood in the Theban necropolis for the last 3400 years.

After breakfast visit the East bank of Thebes and the staggering Temples of Luxor and Karnak. The Luxor Temple was erected by Amenophis III for Mut, the vulture-headed wife of the God Amun and was added to throughout the centuries by Tutankhamun, Ramses II and a host of Christians, Romans and Muslims. At the vast open air museum of Karnak, translated as “the Most Selected of Places” and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty of the Theban Horus in Edfu temple Triad that had Amun as its head, you can marvel at the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns. In the afternoon, sail to Edfu via Esna lock.

During this day’s sailing you’ll have the opportunity to visit Edfu, home to the wonderfully preserved 2000+ year old Temple of Horus, the falcon-headed God of the Sun and Plants. Lunch on board as we continue towards Aswan and its mighty dam via the impressive sight of Kom Ombo standing sentinel on a headland at a bend in the river. Here you can visit the Sobek Temple, built in 250BC to honour the crocodile-headed Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus.

This morning is spent visiting the island of Agilika and Philae Temple, dedicated to Isis. The temple, comprising 40,000 blocks and weighing about 20,000 tonnes was moved to the island between 1972 and 1980 to save it from being flooded by the lake that was formed between the High Dam and the Old Dam when the new dam was built. After taking lunch, enjoy a felucca ride (traditional Egyptian sailing boat) along the Nile before returning for dinner.

Make the most of the onboard facilities as you sail to the Aswan area. Alternatively, you can take time out for one of the optional Temple of Karnak excursions, such as an early morning trip to Abu Simbel (by air or by bus) to see the great sun temple with its four gigantic statues of Ramses II hewn into the desert mountainside. Another option is to take a day trip to an Aswan Nubian Village and National Park. During the evening you take an optional excursion to experience the atmospheric Sound and Light show in the Philae Temple.

A leisurely morning of sailing to Luxor via Esna (please note the cruise ship does not stop here). Make the most of your last full day on the ship as you relax and enjoy all the amenities on offer and soak up the scenery. With evening comes the option of visiting the Sound and Light show at Karnak, where the pharaohs rise to tell of the birth of Karnak and
Luxor the heroic achievements of the pharaohs and the god Amun.

After Breakfast, relax on board before being transferred to your hotel (Cruise & Stay) or back to the airport for your flight home.

The itinerary may be subject to change due to local operational or weather conditions.