Travel at the river's pace
Nile cruises & dahabiyas
Three to four nights between Luxor and Aswan by cruise boat, or a slower voyage under sail on a dahabiya, stopping at Edfu, Kom Ombo and riverside villages. Lake Nasser cruises reach the temples of Nubia.
Ideas to start with
- Edfu and Kom Ombo from the river
- A felucca at sunset in Aswan
- Lake Nasser and Abu Simbel
Travel responsibly
- Ask for the vessel's licence, safety equipment and waste-water arrangements.
- Smaller boats spread visits away from peak times.
Places
- Nile cruise, Luxor to AswanClassic river voyage with stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo.
© Ввласенко · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Luxor (ancient Thebes)The New Kingdom capital: Karnak and Luxor Temple on the east bank, the royal tombs on the west.
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Temple of EdfuThe most complete large temple of ancient Egypt, dedicated to Horus.
© Marc Ryckaert · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Temple of Kom OmboThe double temple of Sobek and Horus on a bend of the Nile.
© Olaf Tausch · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Aswan & NubiaGranite islands, felucca sailing and Nubian villages at the gateway to the south.
© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Philae TempleTemple of Isis, relocated to Agilkia Island in the UNESCO Nubia campaign.
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Abu SimbelRock temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari, moved above the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 6Clean water and sanitationTarget 6.4: use water efficiently — a real concern for hotels and resorts in a desert country.
- SDG 8Decent work and economic growthTarget 8.9: devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
- SDG 14Life below waterTarget 14.7 names tourism among the sustainable uses of marine resources; 14.2 calls for protecting marine and coastal ecosystems.
Sources
Editorial overview. Opening hours, prices, permits and access rules change: confirm them with the responsible authority or a licensed operator before you travel.