Description of the program

Breakfast and start of the cruise to Esna. On arrival, visit the temple of Esna, dedicated to Khnum and Neith. The construction of this temple began under Ptolemy VIII and ended during the Roman domination, under the command of Claudius and then Marcus Aurelius. The temple, still partly buried, is located on a plot of land 10 m lower than the rest of the city. Return to the boat for lunch and continue the cruise to the island of El Hegz where the boat will stop for the night. Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast, then sailing to Edfu. On arrival, excursion by carriage to the Temple of Horus further inland. This sanctuary of the falcon god Horus is both the largest temple of the Ptolemy dynasty and the second in Egypt in size after Karnak. Inside, the intact paintings, inscriptions and reliefs make it the best preserved temple in Egypt. After the visit, return to the boat for lunch and continue the cruise to Bisaw Island where the boat will stop for the night. Free walk in the island and dinner on the bank. Overnight on board.

Breakfast and departure for the visit of Gebel Silsileh, both an archaeological site and the most important sandstone quarry in Egypt. Placed under the protection of the god Hapy, this quarry has provided the sandstone for almost all the temples of Upper Egypt. On the western bank of the river appears a shrine carved into the rock, dedicated to the god Horemheb and seven other deities, so the local god Sobek. Lunch on board and discovery on foot of the old quarry before continuing the cruise to Kom Ombo. Dedicated to two deities, Sobek the crocodile in the South and Horus the falcon in the North, the temple has a perfectly symmetrical architecture. Erected on a hill by three Ptolemies, the Kom Ombo complex is surrounded by an enclosure wall covered with reliefs. Return to the boat to continue up the river to Aswan for dinner. Overnight on board.

Breakfast on board, then departure for the visit of the temple of Philae on the island of Agilka, one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in Egypt. Started by the pharaoh Nectanebo I during the XXth dynasty and completed by the Romans, it is the main sanctuary dedicated to Isis. After Philae the visits continue with the high dam and the unfinished obelisk.

The Aswan region, rich in shale, alabaster and pink granite present only in this part of Egypt, provided the stone blocks intended for the pyramids, statues and colossi built by the pharaohs. In the granite quarry you will find the largest obelisk known to date (41.75m), whose size was abandoned following a crack in the rock. Return to the boat for lunch. Option sound and light show at the Temple of Philae in the evening. Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast and free morning in the city. Optional excursions by bus or plane to visit the temples of Abu Simbel, built by Ramesses II.  Return to Aswan for lunch then transfer to Aswan Airport.