Sailing
On A Nile River Cruise
Top 10 Attractions on a Nile River Cruise
Abu Simbel
The four, towering statues that dominate the entrance to Abu Simbel welcome you to one of Egypt’s most remarkable monuments. Created to project the power of ancient Egypt over Nubia and its southern neighbours, the main temple of Ramses II is lit by rays from the sun twice each year – once on Ramses birthday, and once on his coronation. There is a smaller temple of Ramses II’s queen – Nefertari – and is one of the few places in Egypt where the male and female statues are the same size. Inside, scripts written on the walls tell tales of Ramses II’s military victories and his personal life.
Luxor
Dating from 1392 BCE, Luxor is a treasure trove of ancient temples, buildings, and statues all packed into what was once the ancient city of Thebes – the pharaoh’s capital at the height of their power. Dubbed an ‘open-air museum’ for its vast array of archaeological delights, the eastern bank of the Nile is home to the Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. On the opposite western bank, the royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens reside. Exploring Luxor is a must, with the fascinating mummification museum, the Mortuary Temple of Seti I, Temples of the Nobles, and the Luxor Museum all competing for attention.
Valley Of The Kings
With some of our Nile river cruises starting in Luxor, the Valley of the Kings is an early excursion. Perhaps Egypt’s best-known site after the Great Pyramids of Giza, it was a burial ground for pharaohs from Egypt’s 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties. There’s plenty to see on a Valley of the Kings tour, with 63 tombs in the valley itself – the most famous is that of Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Many of the tombs have vivid wall paintings that are wonderful to witness. It’s worth visiting the nearby Temple of Deir el-Bahari; inside are statues and reliefs of Queen Hatshepsut demonstrating her equal authority to that of male pharaohs.
Karnak And Luxor Temples
The temple complex of Karnak is the most impressive, beautiful, and largest of ancient Egyptian temples – second only to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat in scale. Prepare to be astounded by the awe-inspiring Hypostyle Hall – its 134 gigantic columns tower 80ft high and are decorated with intricate hieroglyphics; look carefully and you can make out traces of the original paint and colours. Incredibly, this was the site of the first-ever peace treaty, between Ramses II and the Hittites. Hard-to-miss is the great Obelisk of Hatshepsut – it stretches 97ft high, weighs over 300 tons, and has dominated the site for nearly 3,500 years.
Kom Ombo
The temple at Kom Ombo is unusual, being dedicated to two deities – the sky god Horus and the crocodile god Sobek – and its unique, perfectly symmetrical layout reflects its dual focus. Each side mirrors the other, with carvings, reliefs, and statues to both gods given equal weight and reverence. It’s an archaeological treasure trove with numerous mummified remains found nearby. Historically, the temple had its own lake complete with sacred crocodiles – thankfully, crocodiles are only found in statues and decorations today.
Temple Of Edfu
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in ancient Egyptian history and mythology, the Temple of Edfu – built in the period before Rome conquered Egypt in 30 BCE – is a major attraction on our Nile river cruise. One of the more famous landmarks in Egypt, it is a complex of courts and chambers decorated with engraved walls and statues. It has weathered the centuries incredibly well and, as the second-largest temple in Egypt, it was built to honour Horus, the falcon-headed god of war.
Abydos
The site of Abydos is something of an enigma, which makes exploring the complex a fascinating tour of discovery and intrigue. For centuries, Abydos was a sacred place for burials and dedicated to the cult of Osiris, god of the dead. While the Great Temple of Seti I forms the heart of the complex, don’t miss out on the Gallery of the Kings – a comprehensive list of pharaohs and, mysteriously, what look like drawings of modern machines.
Dendera
Dendera sits on the west bank of the Nile and is home to a temple complex that is remarkable well-preserved – it is widely held as the best-preserved in all of Upper Egypt. Surrounded by a thick mud wall, the centrepiece is the fabulous temple of Hathor, the goddess of love, beauty, joy, and healing. The temple was completed during Roman times and features a relief of Cleopatra and Caesarion, her son by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar.
