Classic Week on the Nile

Fly direct from London Heathrow to Luxor and embark the MS Hamees for your seven-night cruise.
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Discover Luxor’s west-bank Theban necropolis, the Valley of the Kings and Queens, where iconic landmarks include the monumental Colossi of Memnon, the statues soaring 60-feet high; the tiered tomb of Queen Hatshepsut; and over sixty tombs of nobles and pharaohs, those of Seti I and Tutankhamun the most famous among them (subject to viewing restrictions, extra charge). Navigating the Esna Lock enroute, sail to Edfu for overnight mooring.
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Continue cruising upstream to Kom Ombo, for an afternoon visit to the riverside ‘twin’ temples, dedicated to two gods, the crocodile-headed Sobek and falcon-headed Horus. Enjoy a Galabeya party aboard this evening, and sail to Aswan for two nights at its strollable riverside corniche.
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View the High Dam of Lake Nasser and visit the Temple of Philae by private boat, saved from a watery grave in the lake by moving it to Agilika island. This afternoon, enjoy unique experiences, from sailing on a traditional felucca (weather permitting) around Kitchner’s Island to experiencing Nubian culture at Gharb Soheil Island. Take a motorboat north of the old Aswan Dam, sailing past lush green islands, to go ashore the characterful Nubian village and visit one of the last multi-generational Nubian houses on the Nile’s edge. Meet the family, and learn about their lifestyle and Nubian heritage and customs, over a cup of mint or hibiscus tea. Later, stroll through the colourful, silks and spice stalls of the market and return to the motorboat for Aswan. Enjoy a Nubian Show aboard this evening.
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Enjoy a day at leisure in Aswan, here the river is wide, languorous, and simply stunning, flowing lazily down from Lake Nasser around dramatic black-granite boulders and palm-studded islands. Join us on an optional tour to Abu Simbel, leaving in the early morning (4hrs each way by road, pre-bookable). Created by Ramesses II in the 13^th century BCE, the heroic proportions of the two temples were matched by the massive task of moving them up onto the plateau, 65m. higher and 210m. northwest of their original site, which was soon to be submerged in Lake Nasser.  Alternatively enjoy an optional afternoon interlude for High Tea, overlooking the Nile, at the Old Cataract Hotel, from where Agatha Christie wrote ‘Death on the Nile’ (pre-bookable).
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Sail to Kom Ombo, and visit Edfu’s temple. Dating back to the 2^nd century BCE, and dedicated to Horus, the god of fertile Nile-side lands, it was built on the ruins of a much older temple, its huge edifice among the best-preserved and most atmospheric of Egypt’s ancient monuments. Continue cruising to Luxor.
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An enthralling optional experience this morning is a hot-air balloon ride over Luxor, for a bird’s eye view of “the greatest living museum”, as the Nile glistens in the morning sunlight, see the land of the Pharaohs as they never could (early morning start before sunrise, pre-bookable). This afternoon, explore the Nile’s east bank temple complexes; the magnificent Temple of Karnak, the second largest ancient religious site in the world, with its Great Hypostyle Hall, courts, colonnades, and obelisks. Explore the connecting Avenue of Sphinxes from Luxor Temple. Laid out parallel to the riverbank, Luxor Temple has been in almost continuous use as a place of worship right up to present day and played an essential role in the annual Opet Festival which celebrated the Nile River floods.
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Disembark the MS Hamees and transfer to the airport for your return flight to London Heathrow.
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