On the Merit Dahabiya Nile Cruise in Egypt you will enjoy luxury and personal service that is impossible on a larger ship. Merit Dahabiya Nile Cruise river yacht includes 8 elegant cabins with large windows and private bathrooms, a spacious sundeck with a Jacuzzi, and comfortable a lounge and dining room. You will enjoy a leisurely sail down the Nile river and private tours and cultural experiences along the way between Luxor and Aswan.
Accommodation:
Guest Suite Facilities:
Cruise Facilities & Services:
Day 1:
Ancient Egypt Tours representative will meet and greet you at the provided pick-up location within Aswan city. Check-in is not before 14:00 so you will make use of the excess time by going on an amazing tour to:
Karnak temple; Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad but also to the greater glory of pharaohs. The site covers more than 2 sq km; it’s large enough to contain about 10 cathedrals. At its heart is the Temple of Amun, the earthly ‘home’ of the local god. Built, added to, dismantled, restored, enlarged and decorated over nearly 1500 years, Karnak was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom.
Luxor Temple; Largely built by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC) and Ramses II (1279–1213 BC), this temple is a strikingly graceful monument in the heart of the modern town. Also known as the Southern Sanctuary, its main function was during the annual Opet celebrations, when the statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were brought from Karnak, along the Avenue of Sphinxes, and reunited here during the inundation.
Embark by lunch time
Meals Included: Lunch & Dinner
Day 2:
Disembark and visit Valley of the kings; The west bank of Luxor had been the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but it was the pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (1550–1069 BC) who chose this isolated valley dominated by the pyramid-shaped mountain peak of Al Qurn (The Horn). Once called the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh, or the Place of Truth, the Valley of the Kings has 63 magnificent royal tombs.
Queen Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple; At Deir Al Bahri, the eyes first focus on the dramatic rugged limestone cliffs that rise nearly 300m above the desert plain, only to realize that at the foot of all this immense beauty lies a monument even more extraordinary, the dazzling Temple of Hatshepsut. The almost-modern-looking temple blends in beautifully with the cliffs from which it is partly cut – a marriage made in heaven. Most of what you see has been painstakingly reconstructed.
Colossi of Memnon; The two faceless Colossi of Memnon, originally representing Pharaoh Amenhotep III, rising majestically about 18m from the plain, are the first monuments tourists see when they visit the west bank. These magnificent colossi, each cut from a single block of stone and weighing 1000 tonnes, sat at the eastern entrance to the funerary temple of Amenophis III, the largest on the west bank. Egyptologists are currently excavating the temple and their discoveries can be seen behind the colossi.
Sail By lunch time towards Edfu
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3:
Arrival at Edfu and visit Edfu Temple; This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the place after the pagan cult was banned, the temple is dedicated to Horus, the avenging son of Isis and Osiris. With its roof intact, it is also one of the most atmospheric of ancient buildings.
Sail to Kom Ombo.
Upon arrival, visit the temple of Kom Ombo; Standing on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank, is the Temple of Kom Ombo, one of the Nile Valley’s most beautifully sited temples. Unique in Egypt, it is dedicated to two gods; the local crocodile god Sobek, and Haroeris (from har-wer), meaning Horus the Elder. Sail to Aswan
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4:
Philae Temple; Built to honor the goddess Isis, this was the last temple built in the classical Egyptian style. Construction began around 690 BC, and it was one of the last outposts where the goddess was worshipped. The cult of Isis continued here until at least AD 550. The boat leaves you near the Kiosk of Nectanebo, the oldest part, and the entrance to the temple is marked by the 18m-high first pylon with reliefs of Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos smiting enemies.
The Unfinished Obelisk; Aswan was the source of ancient Egypt’s finest granite, used to make statues and embellish temples, pyramids and obelisks. The large unfinished obelisk in the Northern Quarries has provided valuable insight into how these monuments were created, although the full construction process is still not entirely clear. Three sides of the shaft, nearly 42m long, were completed except for the inscriptions. At 1168 tonnes, the completed obelisk would have been the single heaviest piece of stone the Egyptians ever fashioned.
High Dam; Egypt’s modern example of construction on a monumental scale, the controversial Aswan High Dam, 13km south of Aswan, contains 18 times the amount of material used in the Great Pyramid of Khufu and created Lake Nasser, one of the world’s largest artificial lakes. Transfer back to the cruise ship
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5:
Disembarkation
Meal Included: Breakfast
NB: Itinerary in Upper Egypt could be subject to some changes in time and order of visits but you will visit all the sites listed in your itinerary and you will be notified by your guide
Day 1:
Ancient Egypt Tours representative will meet and greet you at the provided pick-up location within Aswan city. Check-in is not before 14:00 so you will make use of the excess time by going on an amazing tour to:
Philae Temple; Built to honor the goddess Isis, this was the last temple built in the classical Egyptian style. Construction began around 690 BC, and it was one of the last outposts where the goddess was worshipped. The cult of Isis continued here until at least AD 550. The boat leaves you near the Kiosk of Nectanebo, the oldest part, and the entrance to the temple is marked by the 18m-high first pylon with reliefs of Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos smiting enemies.
The Unfinished Obelisk; Aswan was the source of ancient Egypt’s finest granite, used to make statues and embellish temples, pyramids and obelisks. The large unfinished obelisk in the Northern Quarries has provided valuable insight into how these monuments were created, although the full construction process is still not entirely clear. Three sides of the shaft, nearly 42m long, were completed except for the inscriptions. At 1168 tonnes, the completed obelisk would have been the single heaviest piece of stone the Egyptians ever fashioned.
High Dam; Egypt’s modern example of construction on a monumental scale, the controversial Aswan High Dam, 13km south of Aswan, contains 18 times the amount of material used in the Great Pyramid of Khufu and created Lake Nasser, one of the world’s largest artificial lakes.
Embark the cruise ship by lunch time
Meals Included: Lunch & Dinner
Day 2:
Sail by lunch time to Kom Ombo.
Upon arrival, visit the temple of Kom Ombo; Standing on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank, is the Temple of Kom Ombo, one of the Nile Valley’s most beautifully sited temples. Unique in Egypt, it is dedicated to two gods; the local crocodile god Sobek, and Haroeris (from har-wer), meaning Horus the Elder.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3:
Arrival at Edfu and visit Edfu Temple; This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the place after the pagan cult was banned, the temple is dedicated to Horus, the avenging son of Isis and Osiris. With its roof intact, it is also one of the most atmospheric of ancient buildings.
Visit Luxor and Karnak Temple if the cruise arrives early enough to Luxor or will be added to the next day’s visits
Karnak temple; Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad but also to the greater glory of pharaohs. The site covers more than 2 sq km; it’s large enough to contain about 10 cathedrals. At its heart is the Temple of Amun, the earthly ‘home’ of the local god. Built, added to, dismantled, restored, enlarged and decorated over nearly 1500 years, Karnak was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom.
Luxor Temple; Largely built by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC) and Ramses II (1279–1213 BC), this temple is a strikingly graceful monument in the heart of the modern town. Also known as the Southern Sanctuary, its main function was during the annual Opet celebrations, when the statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were brought from Karnak, along the Avenue of Sphinxes, and reunited here during the inundation.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4:
Disembark and visit Valley of the kings; The west bank of Luxor had been the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but it was the pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (1550–1069 BC) who chose this isolated valley dominated by the pyramid-shaped mountain peak of Al Qurn (The Horn). Once called the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh, or the Place of Truth, the Valley of the Kings has 63 magnificent royal tombs.
Queen Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple; At Deir Al Bahri, the eyes first focus on the dramatic rugged limestone cliffs that rise nearly 300m above the desert plain, only to realize that at the foot of all this immense beauty lies a monument even more extraordinary, the dazzling Temple of Hatshepsut. The almost-modern-looking temple blends in beautifully with the cliffs from which it is partly cut – a marriage made in heaven. Most of what you see has been painstakingly reconstructed.
Colossi of Memnon; The two faceless Colossi of Memnon, originally representing Pharaoh Amenhotep III, rising majestically about 18m from the plain, are the first monuments tourists see when they visit the west bank. These magnificent colossi, each cut from a single block of stone and weighing 1000 tonnes, sat at the eastern entrance to the funerary temple of Amenophis III, the largest on the west bank. Egyptologists are currently excavating the temple and their discoveries can be seen behind the colossi.
Meal Included: Breakfast
NB: Itinerary in Upper Egypt could be subject to some changes in time and order of visits but you will visit all the sites listed in your itinerary and you will be notified by your guide
Some might be already included in your tour itinerary
Aswan:
Luxor:
| Cabian Type | Price/Person |
|---|---|
| Single Cabian | 2100 $ |
| Twin Cabian | 1550 $ |
| Triple Cabian | Not Available |
| Cabian Type | Price/Person |
|---|---|
| Single Cabian | 1700 $ |
| Twin Cabian | 1300 $ |
| Triple Cabian | Not Available |
| Cabian Type | Price/Person |
|---|---|
| Single Cabian | 2920 $ |
| Twin Cabian | 1900 $ |
| Triple Cabian | Not Available |
| Cabian Type | Price/Person |
|---|---|
| Single Cabian | 2600 $ |
| Twin Cabian | 1700 $ |
| Triple Cabian | Not Available |
Price quotes are in USD per person per tour except for celebration. Please inquire for the prices of New Year, Christmas and Easter.
Tipping for a job well done is customary and highly expected in Egypt though it is not obligatory. Please feel welcomed but not obliged to offer a tip to your service provider
Notes:
Children policy is applied to children who share rooms with their parents (Maximum 1 OR 2 Child under 5 years old sharing parent’s room)
Children policy is not applied on all kinds of transportation (Flight, train or bus) full ticket payment is required
We are offering a considerable down payment of just 20% to secure your space on the tour including hotel room, cruise cabin, domestic flight ticket, and other travel-related services and 30% during Christmas, New Year and Easter Holidays. The remaining balance can be paid up to two days prior to your arrival date or in cash upon arrival at the destination. Therefore, your booking will be a risk-free investment.
In case you cancel your trip, the following charges will be applied:
At any time after your booking is confirmed, Ancient Egypt Tours holds a 20% non-refundable deposit
7 days or less before departure, we will retain the 50% payment you have paid in relation to your booking.
We advise all clients to purchase travel insurance in the event that travel is unexpectedly interrupted due to illness. To confirm the booking, the client must pay a deposit of 20% of the total tour price.
Should the reservation be canceled, customers will be charged a fee depending on how far beyond the departure date the cancellation is made. To cancel, the Customer must notify the Tour Organizer in writing.
Full payment forfeiture in case of no show
All Transportation tickets are nonrefundable and there’s also a 5% transaction fee on refunds.
Here, at Ancient Egypt Tours, we prioritize your well-being and safety above all else and for that reason, we have adapted our cancellation policy to reflect our values. We offer a very flexible cancellation policy in case the government or the airline issues a NOT TO TRAVEL warning to the designated destination. In the event of this happening, we will refund you the amount paid according to cancellation policy, unless you prefer to keep your payment available for future travel credit and travel voucher that can be used towards any of the destinations, we operate tours in. You have the flexibility to apply this amount towards new travel services booked. Reservations will be adjusted to reflect these travel credits automatically.
After your tour is confirmed, we will email final confirmation and voucher to print and bring with you. Details will include contact numbers of your tour operator and customer care and additional information for your convenience.
