The Royal Cleopatra Nile felucca cabins are air-conditioned
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Boarding is from Luxor or Aswan to Luxor . Images of the sailing felucca .
Add Extra Night In Luxor . Compare with driving between Aswan and Abu Simbel

Day 1- LUXOR- Monday - Weekly - Year Round (D)
Please verify the hotel or address where our local rep will meet you in Cairo and assist with your transfer to Cairo Airport to board your flight heading for Luxor.
Our local rep will meet you at Luxor Airport with a private air conditioned vehicle, and escort you to your hotel.

Today We tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, including the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, on to the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first known "Workers Village" these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor's west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

This afternoon we stand in awe before the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor. In the evening , your guide will call on you for a private horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor's souks and waterfront. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Day 2- LUXOR, EDFU - ROYAL CLEOPATRA Tuesday (BLD)
Breakfast at the hotel. Board your private air conditioned vehicle to Esna :tour Esna Temple of Khnum, discovered in late in the 19th Century, it was well protected & preserved , buried under the main village's square for thousands of years. On to Edfu
Check-in , and board your Deluxe Felucca the Royal Cleopatra ( rated: modest 3 stars)

( Your crew will be available to welcome you : the captain, sailor, chef, housekeeper and of course your Resident Egyptologist) . Welcome drink served upon arrival "Karkadeh - Local herb tea". Lunch will be served. Welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin, sail to Edfu where we climb aboard your private horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best preserved , watch sunset as we dock north of Edfu and sip tea on deck. Dinner follows , then to bed, with the ripples of the Nile gently rocking you to sleep

Day 3- Grand Day of Sailing the Nile - Wednesday (BLD)
Breakfast in your cabin, or on the sundeck, after sun rises we continue our sailing south. Enjoy a grand afternoon of sailing on the Nile watching villages and scenery that changed little since Biblical times. We enjoy lunch at one of the small islands on the way. After lunch We sail further upstream heading for GABAL ELSISILAH and tour the ancient sandstone quarries. A charming off the beating track site that 's not yet overwhelmed with large groups of tourists, all meals and afternoon tea : always included while on board your felucca

Day 4- KOM OMBO TEMPLE - FARES - Thursday (BLD)
Breakfast on board , we continue our sailing onward to Kom Ombo , visit its twin temple dedicated to the crocodile god of the Nile, a true Greco Roman masterpiece. Inspect the ancient wall carvings that document the measurements and detailed description of the medical instruments available to the Ancient Egyptian.
Watch sunset as we sip tea on deck. Dinner follows, then on to Fares where we dock for the night . Enjoy the Egyptian southern clear skies with thousands of stars to watch ! A galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments

Day 5-  Aswan - Friday (B)
Breakfast on board. We visit the Draw Camel Market, before reaching to Aswan, where we bid farewell to your crew and off to: visit the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk, then board a motor launch to visit the Island temple of Philae, dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS,Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: "I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled."

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world. Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Back on land we head to your hotel : Movenpick Aswan or Isis Island Hotel, or similar.

Day 6- Abu Simbel - Private Guide - Back to Cairo Saturday (B-Snacks)
Very early Breakfast is included at the hotel .

Abu Simbel : One way private air-conditioned vehicle and return by air : We've planned our visit to Abu Simbel to be a highlight of your Egyptian adventure. Rising before dawn, we drive along the shore of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the great temples while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun's light still golden;just right for photographs. By law the local tourist police must escort us whenever we take you on a desert highway, so we will have a police escort between Aswan and Abu Simbel , departure time is subject to change to meet local tourist police requests.

In Ramses the Great larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple by ourselves in the quiet of the morning, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments: Sandwiches with tea or coffee , one large bottle of water is included .
Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we head for the airport , fly back to Cairo ( via Aswan). In Cairo , our local rep. will be waiting for you and assist with your transfer to the International Terminal or your hotel in Cairo . Bon Voyage. Have a nice flight .End of our services. We'll be glad to assist with any additional service or hotel nights in Aswan.

For your enhanced privacy and security:
Your sailing crew will spend the night on a small tug, which will always be at your disposal to assure your progress even on windless days. Your Egyptologist-guide will have his own quarters aboard the Royal Cleopatra, and can assist with your free-time activities. If you prefer, he can stay shore and be called upon only to accompany you during your daytime visits.

Please note, that the Royal Cleopatra is truly a boat and considered a soft adventure type travel. The Royal Cleopatra is not a luxury sail boat. It is a modest accommodation with basic furnishings and facilities. The boat consists of 2 sleeper cabins with private bathrooms. There is a kitchenette, reception area, and sun deck on-board. The crew on-board sleeps in a separate compartment and are extremely helpful and entertaining along the sail. We do not serve alcoholic beverages. However, please feel free to bring along your own. We recommend that you purchase any alcoholic beverages at a duty free shop prior to exiting any of the international airport here in Egypt.