Nile River cruises, during the past few years, have become extremely popular among tourists who visit Egypt. Booking a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, or vice versa, has become the number one choice for numerous travelers who spend their vacations in Egypt.
As a matter of fact, the ancient Egyptians have used Nile cruise boats for thousands of years for different and several reasons. The first is as a means of transportation between the North and the South. Secondly, for commercial reasons and last, but never least for having the best Nile River cruises for leisure and enjoying wonderful times with friends and family members.
Why do travelers choose Egypt Nile River cruises as their favorite activity in Egypt?
Tourists who visit the land of the Pharaohs choose the Nile cruise in Egypt. Egypt River cruise represents one of their preferred options. The first and perhaps one of the most important reasons is that the ride in a Nile cruise ship is really awesome and enjoyable.
You get to sail down the Nile like ancient Egyptians and watch peasants in their everyday activities while sailing the Nile in elegance and charm.
The other reason why so many travelers select Egypt River cruises for their holiday is that they indulge themselves in a journey full of wonders in a Luxury Nile cruise ship. These magnificent boats offer the highest levels of services and facilities to enable tourists to have the best vacation ever in Egypt!
Another remarkable reason behind the rise of the popularity of cruising down the Nile is that passengers find everything they need at their fingertips! Simply, the best Luxury Nile cruises in Egypt provide their guests with the most delicious meals, with the full board including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests get to enjoy Egyptian and international dishes in every meal.
What would be more remarkable in a Nile cruise to Egypt? Guests will also enjoy a fully comprehensive visits’ program as part of their journey cruise up the Nile. The visits will include all the highlights and significant monuments in Luxor, Aswan, between the two cities, and even the historical sites between Aswan and Abu Simbel, depending on the destination of the Nile Cruise in Egypt they prefer.
Destinations and durations of Niles River cruises in Egypt
Egypt is one of the richest countries all over the world in terms of monuments and touristic sites and cities. There are several destinations and starting points for Nile cruises in Egypt.
The first and perhaps most popular is from Luxor to Aswan. This trip is usually from 4 to 5 days, 3 or 4 nights. Guests will get the opportunity to explore the monuments of ancient Egypt in the East Bank of the Nile including the Karnak and Luxor Temples.
Afterwards, they visit the ancient sites in the West Bank of Luxor like the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon.
Afterwards, the cruise in the river Nile would move towards the South. This is when guests get to visit the ancient sites of the Temple of Horus in Edfu and then the Temple of Sobek in Kom Ombo.
The last day would be dedicated to the marvels of Aswan including the Temple of Philae, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the High Dam.
Aswan represents another great launch point for Egypt cruises. Tourists have the chance to choose either to sail towards the North towards Luxor for 3 to 4 days, 2 to 3 nights, or go on an adventure in time and sail from Aswan to Abu Simbel.
Nile River cruises going from Aswan to Abu Simbel offer tourists the matchless opportunity to explore some of the distinctive historical sites located to the South of Aswan. These historical sites include Qasr Ibrim, the Temple of Kalabsha, and the magnificent Temple of Abu Simbel at the end of the trip.
Travelers who wish to maximize the fun and have a longer and more enjoyable Nile cruise in Egypt have a bunch of choices. They can select cruising up the Nile from Luxor to Aswan and then ride back to Luxor. This trip usually takes from 7 to 8 days, 6 to 7 nights. The same applies as well for Nile River tours from Aswan to Abu Simbel. Tourists can double the trip by traveling from Aswan to Abu Simbel and return back for a journey full of wonders.
The types of Nile cruises in Egypt
Egypt has all what it takes to make all tourists with dissimilar backgrounds, nationalities, and budgets satisfied and happy during their Nile cruise in the land of the pharaohs.
However, the main type of Nile cruise ships available in Egypt are the deluxe luxurious ships that offer the highest levels of services and facilities. Booking a luxury Nile River cruise is never a wrong choice as they offer full board meals, a comprehensive visits’ program, and top-notch services and facilities, with quite competitive prices.
The facilities of the best Nile cruises in Egypt include swimming pools, sundecks, a five stars’ restaurant offering all meals, free Wifi, some small shops inside the ship, and fully equipped cabins with TVs and showers.
On the other hand, Egypt also offers some choices for budget travelers to enjoy Nile cruises in Egypt. These Nile cruise ships provide adequate services and some of the best facilities. Some tourists prefer these sorts of Nile cruises in order to save money and at the same time enjoy a great Nile cruise.
Luxury Dahabiya Nile cruise
The Dahabiya Nile cruise represents one of the most perfect choices for tourists who prefer sailing down the Nile in elegance and charm. Dahabiya, or the golden ships, was created more than 100 years ago. They were utilized by the royals and the nobles of Egypt to have a pleasant journey sailing the Nile. This was in the period from the 1920s till the 1950s.
The highest levels of Egyptian society at the time used to enjoy amazing times with family members and friends. These trips were somehow similar to Egypt Nile cruises nowadays as they used to explore ancient sites located on the West and East Bank of the Nile. However, they used to last for weeks as the royal family of Egypt found that this was the best and most enjoyable activity. The Dahabiya Nile cruise ships were also distinguished with their marvelous designs and comfort.
Egyptians, more than 20 years ago, recreated the luxury Dahabiya Nile cruise to be one of the glittering options for tourists in Egypt. They succeeded to merge the ancient charm with the superior services and facilities of the 21st century and the result was a masterpiece of charm.
The advantages of Dahabiya Nile cruises are that the ships are rather small with a limited number of cabins, between 5 to 10, and this provides the highest sense of privacy. For larger groups and families, they can rent the whole Dahabiya ship for themselves and enjoy the best vacation ever in Egypt. These magnificent ships sail slowly down the Nile providing amazing views of the Nile.
Additionally, passengers will get the chance to visit some of the hidden treasures of ancient Egypt that larger ships cannot reach. Moreover, Dahabiya Nile cruise ships offer all types of advanced facilities of all sorts and the cabins are lavishly furnished and provide the best standards of comfort and luxury.
Other types of Egypt Nile River cruises
What if travelers who come to Egypt are not visiting Upper Egypt, or Luxor and Aswan, and they want to enjoy the experience of sailing the Nile? In fact, there are still some other options. In Cairo, tourists can go for a Nile Cruise dinner in the evening of any day of their trip. Nile cruises in Cairo that offer dinner are quite plenty with several options to select from.
The journey usually takes from 2 to 3 hours and includes an open buffet dinner, an amazing entertainment program with belly dancers, Tanoura performance, and live music. This is one of the most amazing options for Nile River cruises while in Cairo.
Outside Cairo, one of the popular options for Nile River boats is the Felucca. These are the traditional boats Egyptians have used for years to sail down the Nile. Some of them are motorboats while others are sailing. These ships are available for rent anywhere around the Nile in Egypt. It would be the best place to enjoy the sunset or in the evening.
What are the sites usually included in the Egyptian River cruise?
Nile cruises from Luxor to Aswan and the other way around offers magnificent opportunities for tourists to explore historical sites that include:
In Luxor:
The Karnak Temple
The Karnak Temple is the biggest ancient temple in history. It was founded during the 11th dynasty more than 3000 years ago. However, most of the wonders tourists who visit Egypt view today were constructed by Ramses II, one of the famous Pharaohs that have ruled Egypt for more than 90 years.
The Luxor Temple
Another marvelous historical site included in many Egypt Nile cruises is the Luxor Temple is the smaller sister of the Karnak Temple and they were connected in the past by the Avenue of Sphinxes that the Egyptian Government recently restored and renovated. Amenhotep III laid the foundation of the Luxor Temple and constructed the main sections of this huge impressive structure in the period between 1390 and 1352 BC. Afterwards, several rulers of Egypt.
The Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings is the most remarkable and largest burial site of ancient Egypt. Discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 as the most important archeological discovery of the 20th century, the Valley of the Kings was founded by the kings of the 17th century. The tombs are featured with their distinctive colors and decorations. The most amazing tombs of the Valley of the kings include the Tomb of Tutankhamun, the Tomb of Ramses III, and the Tomb of Seti I.
The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is one of the major highlights in several Luxor Nile cruises. Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt from 1473 to 1458, constructed this marvelous mortuary temple, which is featured with its design and layout that grab the attention of the whole world.
The Colossi of Memnon
One of the popular historical sites commonly included in several is the Colossi of Memnon. These two huge statues are the only surviving parts of the formerly huge and impressive Temple of Amenhotep III. However, the Greeks are the ones who named these gigantic structures Colossi of Memnon.
Between Luxor and Aswan
The Temple of Horus in Edfu
The Temple of Horus in the town of Edfu represents one of the most remarkable ancient historical sites in Egypt, and one of the best preserved. The Ptolemies built the temple over more than 200
years, from 237 BC till the year 80 BC. Today, hundreds of tourists visit the temple as part of their visits’ program in their Nile
River tours.
The Temple of Sobek in Kom Ombo
Another great monument tourists visit during their Nile cruise in Egypt is the magnificent Temple of the Crocodile God, Sobek, located in the town of Kom Ombo. The Ptolemies constructed this temple over 300 years, from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD.
In Aswan
The High Dam
The High Dam is one of the most notable contemporary achievements of the Egyptians. Gamal Abdel Nasser, former president of Egypt, built this dam in the 1960s to preserve the water of the river Nile and generate electricity.
The Temple of Philae
The Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis, is perhaps one of the most charming ancient Egyptian temples. The temple was relocated to its current location after the construction of the High Dam. The temple is a magnificent example of the merge between the art and construction work of ancient Egypt with the Greco Roman outlines and style.
The Unfinished Obelisk
The visit to the Unfinished Obelisk represents a marvelous opportunity for tourists enjoying their Nile River cruise in Egypt to explore the story of obelisk building in the land of the Nile. This huge unfinished obelisk weighs more than 1000 tons and if completed, it would have been the largest in the history of Egypt.
