Nile River Cruise: MS Esplanade

Today you will board your Nile Cruise Ship, your floating hotel for the next 5 days. This afternoon embark on your sightseeing of Aswan. Visit Aswan's High Dam, a huge rock filled dam which captures the world's longest river, the Nile, in the world's largest artificial reservoir, Lake Nasser. The dam, known as "Sadd El-Aali" in Arabic, was completed in 1970 after 10 years of work. Next it is on to see the Unfinished Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut before ending with a trip to the Temple of Philae.

This morning sail to Kom Ombo where you will visit the Temple of Kom Ombo. Kom Ombo is located on a bend in the river Nile about 50 km north of Aswan. Located on the east bank, Kom Ombo is home to an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris (Horus the Elder). Despite being badly damaged, the temple is a beautiful sight as one approaches from either direction on the river, particularly as sunset nears and the colours change. Return to the vessel to sail to Edfu where you will have a tour of the Edfu Temple, dedicated to the god Horus. Tonight, enjoy a special Egyptian Galabeya Party.

After breakfast on board, you will visit the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El-Deir, El-Bahari and the Colossi Memnon. Luxor is a major attraction for tourists in Egypt. It is considered the world's largest open-air museum with its various temples since the Pharaonic era till the Greco-Roman era, most famous of which is Karnak and Luxor Temples dedicated to the triad of Thebes. The West Bank of Luxor is known for the famous tombs of Seti I, Tut Ankh Amon, Tuthmosis III in the Valley of the Kings and also Queen Hatchepsut's Temple. The Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt is home to many pharaonic tombs of the New Kingdom, including those of King Tutankhamen and Ramses the Great. Each king's formal name and titles inscribed in his tomb, which is also adorned with his images and statues. Most of the tombs were cut into limestone following a similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber, and a sunken sarcophagus chamber. The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty was built just north of the Middle Kingdom temple of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre, amid the bay of cliffs known as Deir El-Bahri. In ancient times the temple was called Djeser-djeseru, meaning the sacred of sacreds. The female pharaoh chose to build her temple in a valley sacred to the Theban Goddess of the west, on a direct axis with the Karnak Temple of Amun on the East Bank. After lunch visit the Luxor and Karnak Temples, a holy city of pylons (monumental gateways), hypostyle halls, colossal statues, shrines and obelisks built over centuries and dedicated to the God Amon-Ra, his consort Mut and their son Khonsu.

This morning you will enjoy breakfast on board and disembark at 8:00am.