Most Nile cruise ships never leave the short stretch between Luxor and Aswan. The MS Mövenpick Darakum, the flagship of our Long Nile Cruises collection was built for something far more ambitious: sailing the entire Egyptian Nile. Designed with a special low draft, this 5-star ultra deluxe vessel is one of the very few ships able to complete the legendary long cruise between Cairo and Aswan — a journey of around 1,000 kilometres through the whole Nile Valley.
Launched in 2008 and managed by the Swiss hospitality brand Mövenpick (Accor), the Darakum stretches 72 metres and carries just 52 Nile-facing cabins and suites, all dressed in warm, Moroccan-inspired décor — carved wood, rich fabrics, and lantern-lit lounges that feel closer to a boutique riad than a conventional cruise ship. On board you’ll find a sun deck with swimming pool, an elegant restaurant, a Moroccan-styled lounge bar, and three levels of open deck space for watching Egypt drift past.
But the true luxury of the Darakum is its route. Between Cairo and Luxor lies the stretch of the Nile where the story of Egypt truly unfolds, and standard cruises skip it entirely. Aboard the Darakum you step ashore at places most visitors never see: the rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan, Akhenaten’s lost capital at Tell el-Amarna, the sacred Temple of Seti I at Abydos, and the astonishingly preserved Temple of Hathor at Dendera. Combined with Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae, the long cruise is the complete biography of ancient Egypt, told in the right order, from the deck of a single ship.
What sets this cruise apart is who takes you ashore. Egypt Best Vacations is a licensed Egyptian tour operator founded by a professional Egyptologist and a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award winner for three consecutive years 2024, 2025 and 2026. Every shore excursion is privately guided — when you walk through a 3,000-year-old temple with us, you’re guided by genuine expertise, not a script.
Choose your journey below — 11, 13, 14, or 15 days — and sail into history aboard the MS Mövenpick Darakum.
Welcome to Luxor, the world’s greatest open-air museum and the ancient city of Thebes, where your 11-day / 10-night voyage aboard the 5-star deluxe MS Movenpick Darakum begins. Whatever time you arrive, your Egypt Best Vacations representative will greet you at Luxor airport or railway station with a personalized signboard and escort you by private air-conditioned vehicle to the ship.
Check in to your Nile-facing cabin, take your first look at the Darakum’s warm Moroccan-inspired lounges, and settle into the rhythm of the river. There is no tour schedule to catch today — your cruise begins the moment you step aboard. Dinner is served on board as the lights of Luxor shimmer across the water. Overnight in Luxor.
Meals Included: Dinner
After breakfast, step ashore for your first encounter with ancient Thebes. Begin at Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever constructed, built and enlarged by pharaoh after pharaoh over 2,000 years. Walk the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes and stand beneath the Great Hypostyle Hall’s forest of 134 colossal columns, each carved with hieroglyphs that still whisper the prayers of ancient Thebes.
Continue to the elegant Luxor Temple, beautifully positioned on the corniche at the heart of the modern city, where colossal statues of Ramses II guard the entrance. Your private Egyptologist guide brings both temples to life with the kind of detail no guidebook can offer.
Return to the Darakum for lunch and a relaxed afternoon on the sun deck. Dinner and overnight on board in Luxor.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cross the river to Luxor’s fabled West Bank — the city of the dead — where Egypt’s New Kingdom pharaohs prepared for eternity. Begin at the Valley of the Kings, where more than 60 rock-cut royal tombs, including that of Tutankhamun, descend into the golden cliffs, their painted corridors still vivid after 3,000 years. Continue to the dramatic terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, monument of Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh, and pause at the towering Colossi of Memnon, two 18-meter guardians that have watched over the floodplain for nearly 3,400 years.
Back on board, lunch is served as the Darakum casts off — and here your journey becomes truly special. While every other cruise ship turns south toward Aswan, the Darakum turns north, into the stretch of the Nile that standard cruises never sail. Spend the afternoon on the sun deck watching a side of Egypt few travelers ever see. Dinner on board and overnight sailing toward Qena.
Optional tour: Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Over Luxor before the West Bank tour, float over the Valley of the Kings at dawn.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning, step ashore near Qena for one of the great rewards of the northern route: the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt. Dedicated to the goddess of love, music, and joy, Dendera is famous for its astronomical ceiling — recently cleaned to reveal its original blues and golds in dazzling color — and for the crypts and rooftop chapels you can still climb through, just as priests did two thousand years ago.
Your Egyptologist guide walks you through the zodiac reliefs, the mysterious “Dendera light” carvings, and the shrine of Hathor’s sacred sistrum. Back on board, lunch is served as the ship continues north through farmland and palm groves. Afternoon tea on the sun deck, dinner, and overnight sailing.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today you visit the site every Egyptologist dreams of: Abydos, the holiest city of ancient Egypt and the mythical burial place of Osiris, god of the afterlife. For three thousand years, Egyptians made pilgrimage here at least once in a lifetime — and today, you follow in their footsteps.
The Temple of Seti I holds what many scholars consider the finest raised reliefs ever carved in Egypt, their detail so crisp they seem finished yesterday. Inside, your guide shows you the famous Abydos King List — the carved roll-call of pharaohs that helped modern scholars reconstruct the entire order of Egyptian kings.
Return to the Darakum for lunch as she sails on toward Sohag. The evening is yours: the pool, the lounge bar, and the slow golden light of the northern Nile. Overnight near Sohag.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today is the great luxury of the long cruise — a full day with nothing to do but enjoy the Nile itself. As the Darakum sails north past Asyut, watch the riverbank life that has barely changed in centuries: fishermen casting nets, water buffalo at the water’s edge, minarets and monasteries rising above the palm groves. Keep an eye out for the Prince Tawadros Monastery on the west bank.
On board, the day drifts by beautifully: a swim in the pool, afternoon tea on the sun deck, perhaps a cooking demonstration in the lounge. Tonight, the crew hosts a folkloric show — an evening of music and dance on the river. Overnight near Asyut.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The gentle voyage continues north to Minya, the gateway to Middle Egypt and the heart of the route only the Darakum can offer. Enjoy another unhurried day on the water as the landscape slowly changes, desert hills pressing closer to the green valley floor.
This evening, join the ship’s famous galabiya party in the lounge bar — dress in traditional Egyptian style, learn a few dance steps from the crew, and celebrate river life the local way. Overnight in Minya.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This is the day that sets the long cruise apart from every standard itinerary in Egypt. Begin at Tell el-Amarna, the lost capital built — and abandoned within a generation — by the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten, who overturned Egypt’s ancient religion to worship a single god, the sun disc Aten. Walk through the remains of his revolutionary city and visit the rock tombs of his officials, decorated in the strikingly naturalistic Amarna style. This is also the city where Nefertiti reigned and where the young Tutankhamun spent his childhood.
Continue to the rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan, high on the desert cliffs overlooking the valley. Their Middle Kingdom wall paintings are astonishingly vivid: wrestlers working through hundreds of movements, dancers, weavers, traders arriving from distant lands — everyday ancient Egypt, painted with life and humor nearly 4,000 years ago.
Return to the Darakum for a well-earned dinner and overnight on board.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The Darakum sails on toward the capital, passing Beni Suef on a full day of river cruising — your final chance to soak up the unhurried magic of the Nile. Spend it however you please: the pool, a favorite chair on the sun deck, a last afternoon tea as the desert hills give way to the approach of Greater Cairo.
Tonight, enjoy a relaxed dinner on board as the ship draws close to the city where your voyage will reach its grand finale. Overnight approaching Cairo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The crescendo of your journey. Step ashore in Cairo and stand before the Great Pyramids of Giza — the only surviving wonder of the ancient world — and the enigmatic Sphinx that has guarded the plateau for 4,500 years. With your private Egyptologist guide, explore the Valley Temple and take in the panorama of all three pyramids (with the option to enter one of them).
Continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum on earth, where the complete treasures of Tutankhamun — including his golden mask — are displayed together for the first time in history. After ten days tracing his world along the river, meeting the boy king face to face is the perfect ending.
Return to the Darakum for a festive farewell dinner and your final overnight on board in Cairo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After a final breakfast on board, check out and enjoy a comfortable private transfer to Cairo International Airport — or ask us about extending your Egyptian adventure with our Cairo day tours.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Welcome to Egypt! Your Egypt Best Vacations representative meets you at Cairo International Airport with a personalized signboard and brings you by private air-conditioned vehicle to the MS Movenpick Darakum. Check in to your Nile-facing cabin, settle into the ship’s warm Moroccan-styled lounges, and enjoy your first dinner on board as the capital’s lights dance on the water. Overnight in Cairo.
Meals Included: Dinner
Begin with Egypt’s most famous silhouette. Stand before the Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving wonder of the ancient world — and the enigmatic Sphinx, then explore the Valley Temple with your private Egyptologist guide (with the option to enter one of the pyramids).
Continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum, where the complete treasures of Tutankhamun — including his golden mask — are displayed together for the first time. Remember his face: in a few days, you will walk the streets of the city where he grew up. Return to the ship for dinner and overnight in Cairo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, begin your Cairo sightseeing tour with a visit to the impressive Citadel of Saladin. A massive fortress built in 1172 to defend Cairo against the Crusaders. Inside the citadel, explore the magnificent Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha, also known as the Alabaster Mosque, one of Cairo’s most famous Islamic landmarks.
Continue to Old Coptic Cairo to discover some of Egypt’s oldest Christian and Jewish heritage sites. Visit the historic Hanging Church, Abu Serga Church, and Ben Ezra Synagogue. Each reflecting the rich spiritual history of Egypt.
Conclude your tour at the lively Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, the oldest and largest traditional market in Egypt. Wander through its colorful alleys filled with souvenirs, spices, handmade crafts, and local treasures before returning to your Nile cruise ship. Overnight onboard in Cairo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The Darakum slips her moorings and the journey begins. Cairo’s skyline fades behind you as the eternal Nile Valley opens ahead — green fields, palm groves, and river life unchanged for centuries. The day is yours: the pool, the sun deck, and the gentle rhythm of the ship. Overnight in Beni Suef.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Continue south into Middle Egypt — the stretch of the river that standard cruises never sail. Watch the desert hills press closer to the valley from your panoramic window or a lounger on deck. Evening entertainment in the Moroccan lounge bar and overnight in Minya.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Begin at the rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan, high on the desert cliffs, where Middle Kingdom wall paintings burst with everyday life: wrestlers working through hundreds of holds, dancers, weavers, and traders from distant lands — painted with humor and humanity nearly 4,000 years ago.
Then continue to Tell el-Amarna, the lost capital built — and abandoned within a single generation — by the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten, who overturned Egypt’s religion to worship one god, the sun disc Aten. Walk his revolutionary city, see the naturalistic Amarna-style tombs of his officials, and stand where Nefertiti reigned and the young Tutankhamun spent his childhood. Dinner and overnight on board.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A gentle day of pure river life as the Darakum sails south past Asyut — watch for the Prince Tawadros Monastery above the west bank. On board: the pool, afternoon tea on the sun deck, perhaps a cooking demonstration in the lounge. Overnight near Asyut.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The unhurried voyage continues through the heart of Upper Egypt. Tonight, the crew hosts a folkloric show — traditional music and dance on the river. Overnight at Sohag.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Step ashore at Abydos, holiest city of ancient Egypt and mythical burial place of Osiris — the pilgrimage every ancient Egyptian hoped to make once in a lifetime. The Temple of Seti I preserves what many scholars call the finest raised reliefs ever carved in Egypt, along with the famous Abydos King List that helped reconstruct the entire order of the pharaohs. The ship sails on toward Qena in the afternoon.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Explore the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, one of Egypt’s best-preserved temples, famous for its astronomical ceiling restored to dazzling original color and its crypts and rooftop chapels you can still climb through. In the afternoon, the Darakum completes her passage to Luxor. Dinner and overnight in Luxor.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Explore Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever built — the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, the Great Hypostyle Hall’s forest of 134 colossal columns — then continue to the elegant Luxor Temple on the corniche, guarded by colossal statues of Ramses II. Overnight in Luxor.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cross to the fabled West Bank: the Valley of the Kings with its 60-plus painted royal tombs including Tutankhamun’s, the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and the towering Colossi of Memnon. Afternoon at leisure on the sun deck. Overnight in Luxor.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After a final breakfast on board, check out and enjoy a comfortable private transfer to Luxor airport or railway station — or ask us about extending your journey with more of Luxor day tours.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Welcome to Aswan, Egypt’s sun-drenched southern gateway, where your 14-day / 13-night northbound voyage aboard the 5-star deluxe MS Movenpick Darakum begins. Your Egypt Best Vacations representative greets you at Aswan airport or railway station with a personalized signboard and brings you by private air-conditioned vehicle to the ship.
Check in to your Nile-facing cabin, enjoy a first stroll around the Darakum’s lantern-lit Moroccan lounges, and relax over dinner as feluccas glide past on the evening river. Overnight in Aswan.
Meals Included: Dinner
After breakfast, discover the highlights of the deep south. Begin at the mighty Aswan High Dam, the colossal 1960s engineering project that tamed the Nile’s ancient floods and still powers much of Egypt today. Sail by motorboat to the island home of Philae Temple, the graceful sanctuary of Isis, goddess of magic and love, rescued stone by stone from the rising waters. Conclude at the remarkable Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in its granite quarry where ancient stonemasons abandoned it — a rare window into how Egypt’s greatest monuments were carved.
The afternoon is yours.
Optional tours: a traditional Nubian Village visit, or a sunset felucca sail around Elephantine Island
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Early risers can take the unforgettable optional pre-dawn excursion to Abu Simbel before the ship departs. Then the Darakum begins her long journey north, reaching Kom Ombo by afternoon for the Temple of Sobek and Horus — Egypt’s only double temple, perfectly symmetrical, one half for the crocodile god Sobek and the other for falcon-headed Horus the Elder. Don’t miss the Crocodile Museum with its mummified crocodiles and the famous carvings of ancient surgical instruments.
The ship sails on toward Edfu as the sun sets over the west bank. Overnight in Edfu.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Before the day warms, visit the magnificent Temple of Horus in Edfu — the best-preserved temple in all of Egypt. Buried under desert sand for centuries, it survived almost intact: the entrance pylon still towers nearly 36 meters, guarded by the famous black granite falcon of Horus.
Back on board, spend a wonderfully relaxed afternoon as the Darakum sails north and rises through the Esna Lock — a fascinating spectacle as the vessel passes between the two levels of the Nile, with local vendors famously calling up to the decks. Arrival in Luxor by evening. Dinner and overnight on board.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cross the river to Luxor’s legendary West Bank, where Egypt’s New Kingdom pharaohs prepared for eternity. Explore the Valley of the Kings, where more than 60 rock-cut royal tombs — including Tutankhamun’s — descend into the golden cliffs, their painted corridors still vivid after 3,000 years. Continue to the striking terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and pause at the towering Colossi of Memnon.
The afternoon is yours on the sun deck. Overnight in Luxor.
Optional tour: Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Over Luxor
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Explore Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever constructed — walk the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes and stand beneath the Great Hypostyle Hall’s 134 colossal columns. Continue to the elegant Luxor Temple on the corniche, guarded by colossal statues of Ramses II.
Then comes the moment that makes this voyage extraordinary: while every other cruise ship turns back south, the Darakum sails north, into the stretch of the Nile that standard cruises never see. Dinner on board and overnight sailing toward Qena.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Step ashore near Qena for the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, one of Egypt’s best-preserved temples and a jewel of the northern route. Dedicated to the goddess of love, music, and joy, Dendera dazzles with its astronomical ceiling — cleaned in recent years to reveal its original blues and golds — and invites you into crypts and rooftop chapels that priests climbed through two thousand years ago.
Back on board, the ship continues north through farmland and palm groves. Overnight sailing.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today you reach Abydos, the holiest city of ancient Egypt and mythical burial place of Osiris, god of the afterlife — the pilgrimage every ancient Egyptian hoped to make once in a lifetime. The Temple of Seti I preserves what many scholars consider the finest raised reliefs ever carved in Egypt, alongside the famous Abydos King List, the carved roll-call of pharaohs that helped modern scholars reconstruct the royal succession.
The Darakum sails on toward Sohag in the afternoon. Overnight near Sohag.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A restful day of pure river life as the ship sails north past monasteries, minarets, and riverbank scenes unchanged for generations — watch for the Prince Tawadros Monastery on the west bank. Swim, read, take afternoon tea on the sun deck, and tonight enjoy the crew’s folkloric show. Overnight near Asyut.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The gentle voyage continues to Minya, gateway to Middle Egypt and the heart of the route only the Darakum can offer. This evening, join the ship’s famous galabiya party in the lounge bar — dress in traditional Egyptian style and celebrate river life the local way. Overnight in Minya.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Begin at Tell el-Amarna, the lost capital built — and abandoned within a generation — by the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten, who overturned Egypt’s ancient religion to worship the sun disc Aten. Walk his revolutionary city, visit the naturalistic Amarna-style tombs of his officials, and stand where Nefertiti reigned and the young Tutankhamun grew up.
Continue to the rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan, high on the desert cliffs, where Middle Kingdom wall paintings burst with life: wrestlers, dancers, weavers, and foreign traders, painted with humor and humanity nearly 4,000 years ago.
Return to the ship for dinner and overnight on board.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A full day’s sailing toward the capital — your last full day of river life. Enjoy the pool, the lounge bar, and a final golden afternoon on the sun deck as the desert hills give way to the approach of Greater Cairo. Overnight approaching Cairo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The crescendo of your voyage. Stand before the Great Pyramids of Giza— the only surviving wonder of the ancient world — and the enigmatic Sphinx. With your private Egyptologist guide, explore the Valley Temple and take in the panorama of all three pyramids (with the option to enter one).
Continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum on earth, home to the complete treasures of Tutankhamun — including his golden mask. Having walked through Amarna, the city of his childhood, just two days ago, meeting the boy king face to face is the perfect ending.
Festive farewell dinner and final overnight on board.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After a final breakfast on board, check out and enjoy a comfortable private transfer to Cairo International Airport — or ask us about extending your adventure with our Cairo day tours.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Welcome to Egypt! Your Egypt Best Vacations representative will greet you at Cairo International Airport with a personalized signboard and escort you through arrivals — no queues, no confusion, just a warm welcome. A private air-conditioned vehicle brings you to the MS Movenpick Darakum, your floating home for the next two weeks.
Check in to your Nile-facing cabin, explore the ship’s lantern-lit Moroccan lounges, and enjoy your first dinner on board as the lights of Cairo glitter across the water. Tonight, rest well: tomorrow, five thousand years of history begin.
Meals Included: Lunch & Dinner
Your voyage opens with the icons. After breakfast, drive to the Giza Plateau to stand before the Great Pyramids of Giza — the only surviving wonder of the ancient world — and the enigmatic Sphinx, guardian of the plateau for 4,500 years. With your private Egyptologist guide, explore the Valley Temple, take in the panorama of all three pyramids, and if you wish, venture inside one of them (optional ticket).
Continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum on earth, where the complete treasures of Tutankhamun — including his golden mask — are displayed together for the first time in history. Keep the boy king in mind: later in this voyage you will walk through Tell el-Amarna, the city where he spent his childhood.
Return to the Darakum for dinner and overnight in Cairo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following your breakfast on MS Darakum, you will visit the Citadel of Saladin, which was built in 1172 to protect Cairo from the Crusaders. At the citadel, you can visit the White Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha, which is one of its most prominent features. Continue to Coptic Cairo District to visit the Hanging Church, Abu Serga Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue. Your tour will conclude in the largest market in Egypt, Khan El-Khalili, a historical bazaar. Then, return back to the ship. Overnight in Cairo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning the Darakum slips her moorings, and the great journey begins. Watch from the sun deck as Cairo’s skyline gives way to the timeless Nile Valley — green fields, palm groves, and village life that has barely changed in centuries.
Today is entirely about the river. Swim in the pool, settle into a favorite chair on one of the three open decks, and let Egypt drift past your panoramic window. Overnight in Beni Suef.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The Darakum continues south into Middle Egypt — the stretch of the Nile that standard cruises never touch. The desert hills press closer to the valley, and every bend in the river reveals a scene few travelers have ever photographed.
This evening, the crew hosts entertainment in the Moroccan lounge bar as the ship moors in Minya, gateway to the hidden treasures you’ll explore tomorrow.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today is a day no standard cruise can offer. Begin at the rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan, perched high on the desert cliffs. Their Middle Kingdom wall paintings are astonishingly alive: wrestlers working through hundreds of holds, dancers, weavers, and traders arriving from distant lands — everyday ancient Egypt, painted with humor and humanity nearly 4,000 years ago.
Then continue to Tell el-Amarna, the lost capital built — and abandoned within a single generation — by the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten, who overturned Egypt’s ancient religion to worship one god, the sun disc Aten. Walk his revolutionary city with your Egyptologist guide, visit the naturalistic Amarna-style tombs of his officials, and stand where Nefertiti reigned and the young Tutankhamun grew up.
Return to the ship for dinner and a well-earned overnight.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A gentle day of pure river life as the Darakum sails south past Asyut. Watch for the Prince Tawadros Monastery rising above the west bank, fishermen casting their nets, and water buffalo cooling at the river’s edge.
On board, the day unfolds at your pace: the pool, afternoon tea on the sun deck, perhaps a cooking demonstration in the lounge. Overnight near Asyut.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The unhurried voyage continues through the heart of Upper Egypt toward Sohag. Tonight, the crew brings the river to life with a folkloric show — an evening of traditional music and dance under the stars.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Step ashore at Abydos, the holiest city of ancient Egypt and mythical burial place of Osiris, god of the afterlife. For three thousand years, Egyptians made pilgrimage here at least once in a lifetime — today, you follow in their footsteps.
The Temple of Seti I holds what many scholars consider the finest raised reliefs ever carved in Egypt, so crisp they seem finished yesterday. Inside, your guide reveals the famous Abydos King List — the carved roll-call of pharaohs that helped modern scholars reconstruct the entire order of Egyptian kings.
The Darakum sails on toward Qena in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight on board.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning brings one of the great rewards of the long route: the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, among the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt. Dedicated to the goddess of love, music, and joy, Dendera is famous for its astronomical ceiling — recently cleaned to reveal its original blues and golds — and for the crypts and rooftop chapels you can still climb through, just as priests did two thousand years ago.
In the afternoon, the Darakum completes her passage to Luxor, the world’s greatest open-air museum. Dinner and overnight in Luxor.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Explore Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever constructed, enlarged by pharaoh after pharaoh over 2,000 years. Walk the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes and stand beneath the Great Hypostyle Hall’s forest of 134 colossal columns.
Continue to the elegant Luxor Temple on the corniche, guarded by colossal statues of Ramses II — and if your visit falls toward evening, its illuminated columns against the night sky are pure magic. Overnight on board in Luxor.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cross to Luxor’s fabled West Bank, the city of the dead. Explore the Valley of the Kings, where more than 60 rock-cut royal tombs — including Tutankhamun’s — descend into the golden cliffs, their painted corridors still glowing after 3,000 years. Continue to the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and pause at the mighty Colossi of Memnon.
Back on board, the Darakum sails south and descends through the Esna Lock — a fascinating spectacle as the vessel is lowered between the two levels of the Nile, with local vendors famously calling up to the decks. Overnight in Edfu.
Optional tour: Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Over Luxor — float over the Valley of the Kings at dawn before your West Bank tour.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Before the day warms, visit the magnificent Temple of Horus in Edfu — the best-preserved temple in Egypt, its 36-meter entrance pylon still guarded by the famous black granite falcon. Buried under desert sand for centuries, it survived almost intact; walking its shadowed halls feels like entering a temple still in use.
Sail on to Kom Ombo for the afternoon visit to the Temple of Sobek and Horus — Egypt’s only double temple, perfectly symmetrical, one half dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the other to falcon-headed Horus the Elder. Don’t miss the adjoining Crocodile Museum with its mummified crocodiles and the famous carvings of ancient surgical instruments.
The ship continues south through the evening light. Overnight in Aswan.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Discover Egypt’s sun-drenched southern gateway. Begin at the mighty Aswan High Dam, the colossal engineering project that tamed the Nile’s ancient floods. Sail by motorboat to the island sanctuary of Philae Temple, the graceful temple of Isis rescued stone by stone from the rising waters. Conclude at the remarkable Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in its granite quarry exactly where ancient stonemasons abandoned it.
Optional afternoon: visit a traditional Nubian Village — a splash of color, hospitality, and Nubian culture — or a sunset felucca sail around Elephantine Island.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After a final breakfast on board, check out and enjoy a comfortable private transfer to Aswan airport — carrying memories of the complete Nile, from the pyramids to the First Cataract.
Meals Included: Breakfast
