It’s the first day of your dahabiya Nile cruise, and we are beginning our journey from Luxor to Aswan on our elegant dahabiya, ABUNDANCE.

We collect you from your hotel and, after a 45-minute-drive, arrive at Esna, where our ship is anchored.

Before we hoist the sails, we will visit the Khnum Temple of Esna. With its sleepy atmosphere, it is unjustifiably overshadowed by its more monumental cousins. Only the portico of the original temple building remains, but its 24 columns over 13 metres in height with lotus-leaf capitals are a highlight of pharaonic architecture. Let your gaze drift higher and drink in the beauty of this luxuriant stone vegetation.

Then, after marvelling at these wonders of the ancient world, you are ready for your magical Nile cruise.

Today we sail to Edfu, where you will encounter a temple dating back to the end – and, simultaneously, the culmination – of an architectural tradition spanning over 3 millennia. This pharaonic temple was dedicated to Horus, the falcon god, celebrated here in many text and image cycles. Explore the many chambers and halls with us and marvel at the immensity and magnificence of these monuments.

You now have time to digest your impressions and relax on the deck of our ship while the Nile Valley glides past. We soon arrive at the wadi of Shatt er-Rigale, where you can stroll through lush green palm groves on the very fringe of the barren, inhospitable desert. We will anchor in Gebel el Silsila.

Gebel el Silsila – the chain of sandstone cliffs was used as a gigantic quarry, where tons of stone were chiselled for many of the pharaonic temples we have already visited on our dahabiya tour. But there is more about this very special place: it was also the location of numerous shrines and cult buildings, including the famous Great Speos of Pharaoh Horemheb and the fascinating Nile chapels from the New Kingdom, once chosen to be inundated by the Nile in the annual flooding.

We will sail on from here and reach the Temple of Kom Ombo, picturesquely located on a bend of the Nile.The exceptionally beautiful double temple of Kom Ombo, construction of which began in the Ptolemaic dynasty, was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris. Sobek was celebrated by the burial of countless mummified crocodiles, whose astonishingly well-preserved bodies are on display today in a museum.

Today, we visit the famous camel market in the small town of Daraw. Here, hordes of camels from Sudan are sold to the highest bidders. An ideal location to study unfamiliar cultures and traditions associated with trading and selling.

After leaving the bustling market, we take a stroll through the town.

Option 1 in Aswan

After a very early start, take an air-conditioned limousine to Abu Simbel. After a three-and-a-half hour drive, you will arrive in time to enjoy sunrise over the temples of Abu Simbel.

There in the remote Nubian desert far from his mother country of Egypt, Ramses II built enormous monuments for himself and his wife Nefertari. This unparalleled double temple carved from the rock is guarded by truly gigantic statues of the deified couple and contains fascinatingly lifelike depictions of the Battle of Kadesh fought between Ramses II and the Hittites.

Option 2 in Aswan

Unfinished Obelisk

Our first destination is the famous Unfinished Obelisk, which was ordered by Pharaoh Hatshepsut. It was originally to be hewn from Aswan granite, but cracks in the stone prevented this truly monolithic relic from ever being completed to plan. Today it lies at the heart of a gigantic quarry and breathes a unique fascination all of its own.

Aswan Dam

We will then visit the Aswan Dam. 111m high, it was built between 1960 – 1971 and has restrained the turbulent Nile floods ever since.

Temple of Philae

Our next stop was the centre of a spectacular rescue operation in the not-too-distant past – the Temple of Philae, idyllically located on an islet in the Nile. After the construction of the Aswan Dam the temple was submerged in the waters of the Nile practically all year round. Today almost all the former temple buildings have been relocated to higher ground on an island and attract thousands of visitors every year.

Enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the sail back to Luxor. Relax and let sink all those impressions!

The next two days are free from excursions. Instead, you can relax on the sundeck, swing in the hammock, immerse yourself in a book from our little library, go for a swim or play games with the crew.

Enjoy a hearty breakfast and say goodbye to Captain Mohammed and his crew.

Our car or van will take you to Luxor.