A great way to relax and see the sights is to take a cruise along the Nile or a sail around Lake Nasser. From the decks of a felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat, or a luxury boat you can see many temples along the way. On the shores of Lake Nasser, for example, theres the wonderful sight of the Great Temples of Abu Simbel for Ramses II and the Small Temple of Abu Simbel for Nefertari, which date back to Pharaonic Egypt and the reign of Ramses II. They were moved in an UNESCO project to their present site when the Aswan Dam caused water levels to rise and they were in danger of being submerged under the water. They were, literally, carved out of the mountainside (Allow 2 to 3 hours).Motorboats take visitors on shorter trips too.
Luxors East Bank is the spot where most of the cruise ships leave for their trip to Aswan. The sight of the cruise ships or ornate steamers, many affording top notch luxury facilities, making their way upstream is a familiar sight. They have comfy air-conditioned guest suites, often complete with King-size beds, and gourmet restaurants and bars on board.
From Luxor you will pass by the Valley of the Kings to Esna, on through Edfu and Kom Ombo where you will see the Temple of Sobek and Hareoeris, and on to Aswan.
Cruise ships also start at Aswan and so the journey will be in reverse.
At Aswan you will see Elephantine Island, which once marked the southernmost border with Nubia, and the beautiful Kitcheners Island full of exotic plants. They lie in the centre of the river. Cruising is a wonderful way to see the stretch of the Nile between Luxor and Aswan (Allow from 3 to 4 days). If you wish to continue your cruise experience, take a boat from Aswan to Abu Simbel.You will see some wondrous sights like the Temple of Wadi El-Subua and the Temple of Amada along the way.
You may also like to stop awhile at the villages of New and Old Gurna (Allow 3 hours).
Once at the Valley of the Kings you could spend hours.
The Valley of the Kings dates back to around the 16th to the 11th centuries BC as a necropolis of the Pharaonic Egypts New Kingdom dynasties. It is approached through a barren landscape of sand dunes and hills until you reach the centre of the valley. Here you will be able to visit several tombs, including that of Ramses I and Ramses III, plus probably the most famous of all the tomb of Tut Ankh Amon (Tutankhamen) discovered in 1922 (Allow 3 hours).
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