5 Days / 4 Nights Nile Cruise in Egypt on board MS. Renaissance

Enjoy breakfast aboard then make a crossing to the West Bank of the Nile to visit some of Luxor's most famous historical sites.
Begin at the Valley of the Kings, also called the Great Place of the Truth, one of Egypt's greatest discoveries. It is here that the tombs and stone sarcophagus of the Pharaohs were carved deep within the rock for their journey to the afterlife, within a dramatic landscape of precipitous cliffs that formed an natural pyramid-like formation.
Next, proceed to the Colossi of Memnon - statues standing nearly 18 metres high which stand as guards to the largest of the mortuary temples in the west bank, belonging to Pharaoh Amenhotep III.
Your last stop on the west bank is the magnificent Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahari which, rising over the desert in terraces, complements the limestone cliffs of the Theban mountains with stunning results creating what can only be described as one of Egypts most beautiful vistas especially at sunset.
At 13.00 it's time to set sail to Esna Lock where lunch will be served on board. Arrive at Esna Lock at 18.00, continue your journey to Edfu where your evening meal will be taken on board.
You will overnight aboard in Edfu.

Start the day with a delightful breakfast buffet on board the Nile cruise before an 07:00 embarkation on the excursion to the Temple of Edfu, one of the most impressive of the remaining monuments of Upper Egypt. This Ptolemaic temple, devoted to the hawk headed god Horus was begun by Ptolemy III in 246 B.C and finished during the ensuing reign. It was built on the site of an older shrine; the walls are intricately carved with depictions of the mythological struggle between Horus and his uncle Seth which may have been a sacred drama performed at certain times of the year.
At 09:30 begin the cruise toward Kom Ombo, with time to relax on board. A delicious lunch will be served on board while cruising.
Arrive at Kom Ombo at 15:30 and visit this one-of-a-kind temple. Built on the East Bank of the Nile about 40km north of Aswan this remarkable dual temple has two parallel sanctuaries one dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, the other to the hawk headed god Horus. The Temple of Kom Ombo was built during the Ptolemaic and Roman period (332 B.C - 395 A.D.) and many of the hieroglyphs on its walls represent the mythology behind its two gods.
At 17:30 begin sailing toward Aswan, once again there is plenty of time to relax on board and admire the unfolding scenes, dinner will be served while cruising. Arrive at Aswan at approximately 21:00 and spent the night on board the Nile cruise.

Begin with breakfast aboard the cruise at 08:00 and enjoy further sightseeing tour in Aswan viewing some of the most impressive ancient sites of Aswan;
Start with a visit to the Temple of Philae, the "last of the classical Egyptian temples" construction was commenced in approximately 690 B.C. It was one of the last sites that remained dedicated to the worship of the goddess Isis, thus, it was highly religious importance.
Enjoy sailing on board a lovely felucca trip around Elephantine Island giving you great views of the Nile and peaceful atmosphere. Continue with your tour, and admire the imposing Aswan High Dam completed in 1968 creating Lake Nasser, an essential structure which manages Nile flow.
Then proceed to the Unfinished Obelisk at the Northern Quarries, this monolithic stone structure still stands connected to the bedrock, a fascinating place giving the observer a good understanding of the Egyptian stone working skills of the time. Had it been completed, this monolith would have been approximately 42 meters high and have weighed some 1168 tonnes; making it the largest single piece of stone ever attempted in ancient Egypt.
Conclude your tour with returning to the cruise ship for a midday meal and in the evening, enjoy dinner aboard the cruise ship and an overnight stay.

Take your breakfast on the cruise and continue on an optional excursion to the amazing Abu Simbel temples. The twin temples are carved from the rock face on the west bank of the Nile during the years 1274 to 1244 BC and display wonderful achievements by ancient Egyptians.
The Great Temple contains 4 colossal statues of Ramses II and is devoted to Ra-Harakhty, Amun-Ra and Ptah. The second smaller temple is devoted to Nefertari and the goddess Hathor, and both temples contain wonderful craftsmanship.
It is amazing that both temples have been completely moved to higher ground in order to prevent them from being submerged by floodwaters, one of the best accomplishments of UNESCO! Finally, you return to your cruise ship for your last night on board the MS Blue Shadow II Nile Cruise.