Nile River Cruise 3/9-18/2026 The Wonders of the Nile and Luxor

Farah Nile River Cruise

Our ship, the Ms. Farah. The ship capacity is 120 passengers. There were only 14 at the beginning of the cruise, and after Aswan only 3 passengers headed back to Luxor. Our own private yacht...

Luxor 3/9/2026

Luxor is often called the world’s greatest open‑air museum, and it earns that title effortlessly. Sitting along the Nile in Upper Egypt, Luxor occupies the site of ancient Thebes, the powerful capital of the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE). Today, it’s one of the most historically rich destinations on Earth. Luxor is the heart of ancient Egyptian civilization. Many of the most iconic pharaohs—Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, Ramses II—left their mark here. The city is essentially divided by the Nile:

- East Bank → life, temples, and the modern city

- West Bank → tombs, mortuary temples, and the land of the dead

This symbolic geography mirrors ancient Egyptian beliefs.

Luxor is one of those rare destinations where the ancient world doesn’t feel distant — it rises around you in towering columns, silent tombs, and sun‑drenched temples that line both sides of the Nile. Often called the world’s greatest open‑air museum, the city sits on the site of ancient Thebes, once one of the most powerful capitals of the pharaonic era. Luxor’s landscape is essentially a tapestry of monumental heritage. On the East Bank, the Temple of Luxor and the vast Karnak complex showcase the architectural ambition of pharaohs like Amenhotep III and Ramses II. These temples were once connected by an avenue of sphinxes, parts of which still stand today. Across the Nile on the West Bank lies the Theban Necropolis — home to the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, where rulers such as Tutankhamun and Ramses II were laid to rest in elaborately decorated tombs.

Temple of Karnak

The Karnak Temple Complex, located near Luxor, Egypt, is one of the largest ancient religious sites in the world, covering over 200 acres. Built over 2,000 years starting in the Middle Kingdom, it was the main place of worship for the Theban Triad (Amun-Ra, (King of the gods and fertility god) Mut, (mother goddess and consort of Amun-Ra) and Khonsu (god of the moon, time, and healing). Key features include the massive Hypostyle Hall, 6 pylons, and a sacred lake.

Our first stop in Luxor was this Karnak temple. As we drove from the airport to our ship, we

viewed a very long road lined with sphinxes and rams head statues, the Avenue of the

Sphinxes which connected Karnak and Luxor Temples.

We were supposed to visit Luxor Temple today, but after a 3 am wake up call, flight to Luxor,

unpacking for our cruise, and touring Karnak, we were beat and postponed Luxor Temple visit

to the end of our cruise.

This obelisk was built by Hatshepsut who was a rarity in Egyptian history, she was of royal lineage and married to her half-brother Thutmose 11. When he passed, she became regent for her stepson Moses 111 and later became Pharoah along with her stepson. Her rule was one of diplomacy and peace, great prosperity, and a great builder, one of which is Karnak Temple. When she passed, her stepson Moses 111 became Pharoah and tried to remove her from history by destroying or defacing any temples or monuments that displayed her image. This obelisk was not destroyed, but walls were built around it to hide as much as possible.

Such a sense of history here.

Edfu, 3/10/2026

Edfu is an Egyptian city, located on the west bank of the Nile River between Esna and Aswan, with a population of approximately 60,000 people. Edfu is the site of the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus and an ancient settlement, Tell Edfu. About 5 km south of Edfu are remains of ancient pyramids. The Temple of Edfu, on the west bank of the Nile in Upper Egypt, is dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus. It's incredible preservation is due to being buried under 12 meters of sand and silt and was excavated in 1860's.

Horus is the son of Isis and Osiris, and this temple depicts the battle between Horus and his uncle Seth, representing victory over chaos. Seth murdered his brother Osiris and Horus avenged his father by capturing Seth.

The darkness on the pillars was from the smoke of cooking fires when the temple was buried under the silt and sand. There was a village/town living above the temple. Pretty remarkable.

The inner sanctuary holds a polished black granite shrine and a reconstructed ceremonial barge of Horus.

How they were able to figure out how to have the light shine in...wow

And the excavations continue, we saw many sites that were actively being uncovered.

Philae Temple 3/12/2026

The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Isis, with the oldest sections dating back to between 380 BC and 362 BC. With the building of the High Dam in 1971, Philae Temple was relocated to the nearby island of Agilika, a UNESCO led project that took over 9 years to complete and saw the island pumped dry, every stone block of the temple complex individually labelled, dismantled and reassembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Known as the "Pearl of the Nile," it was a major center for the cult of Isis and one of the last places where the ancient Egyptian religion was practiced.

We visited the temple during the day and were lucky enough to come back in the evening for
the light show. Amazing how different it looks lit up.

Isis is the mother of Horus and married to Osiris, the first Pharoah of Egypt. Osiris was

murdered by his brother Set, who was jealous of his kingship. He cut him into pieces and scattered them around Egypt. Isis (sister-wife) searched and found Osiris, then resurrected him tito become King of the Underworld. Isis becomes pregnant with Horus, who then defeats

Set to avenge his father.

We took a motorboat ride to the temple, and our pilot was a 7-year-old boy.

The sanctuary is the "holy of holies" and is located at the heart of the Isis complex. Above the sanctuary are the Osiris chambers with significant scenes of the myth of Isis and Osiris. The lower left photo is a speck of gold that robbers missed - the entire temple was originally covered in gold, with semi-precious stones embedded in the scenes. All gone now.

After our morning tour, we did a felucca (sailboat) ride on the Nile. Living life!

And dancing with the crew.

Light Show in the evening

Abu Simbel 3/13/2026

Abu Simbel, site of two temples built by the Egyptian king Ramses II (reigned 1279–13 bce), now located in Aswan muḥāfaẓah (governorate), southern Egypt. In ancient times the area was at the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt, facing Nubia. The four colossal statues of Ramses in front of the main temple are spectacular examples of ancient Egyptian art. Carved out of a sandstone cliff on the west bank of the Nile, south of Korosko (modern Kuruskū), the temples were unknown to the outside world until their rediscovery in 1813. By means of a complex engineering feat in the 1960s, the temples were salvaged from the rising waters of the Nile River caused by erection of the Aswan High Dam.

In the 60's, Egypt was engaged in a war while building the Aswan Dam. They had no resources available to save 14 temples from destruction by the Nile. UNESCO stepped in and obtained financial and physical assistance from many countries, one of which was the United States. In appreciation for saving their heritage, the Egyptian Government gifted the Temple of Dendur to the US, and it is on permanent display at The Metropolitan Museum in NYC. If you haven't been, it is worth the visit. The restoration took 4 years. The temples were cut into over 1000 massive blocks, moved 200 meters inland, and reassembled 65 meters higher on an artificial hill, precisely preserving their original solar alignment. A remarkable feat. Not sure if the original or the relocation is more incredible, but so happy this magnificent temple was rescued.

The 66-foot (20-metre) seated figures of Ramses are set against the recessed face of the cliff, two on either side of the entrance to the main temple. Carved around their feet are small figures representing Ramses’ children, his queen, Nefertari, and his mother, Muttuy (Mut-tuy, or Queen Ti). Graffiti inscribed on the southern pair by Greek mercenaries serving Egypt in the 6th century bce have provided important evidence of the early history of the Greek alphabet. The temple itself, dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte, consists of three consecutive halls extending 185 feet into the cliff, decorated with more Osiride statues of the king and with painted scenes of his purported victory at the Battle of Kadesh. On two days of the year (about February 22 and October 22), the first rays of the morning sun penetrate the whole length of the temple and illuminate the shrine in its innermost sanctuary.

The sun alignment, a 20–25-minute phenomena, occurs on February 22 and October 22, where the sunlight penetrates the temples inner sanctum, illuminating the statues of Ramses 11, Amun-Re and Re-Hor-Akhty. The God of Darkness, Ptah, remains in shadow. A truly remarkable feat when the temple was originally built, even more astonishing that the reconstruction project duplicated the alignment.

After Abu Simbel, we went to the Aswan Dam, overlooking Lake Nasser. It was the creation of this dam that would cause the Nile River flooding which would in turn destroy the 14 temples that UNESCO helped to save.

Kom Ombo 3/14/2026

Built in the Ptolemaic period Kom Ombo temple is one of the more unusual temples in Egypt. Kom Ombo honored two deities: the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. Due to the conflict between Sobek and Horus, the ancient Egyptians felt it necessary to separate their temple spaces within one temple. The Kom Ombo temple has two entrances, courts, colonnades, Hypostyle halls, and sanctuaries, one side for each god. The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbed.

Little remains of the original structure. Unfortunately, a good portion of the temple has been destroyed over the millennia by earthquakes, erosion by the Nile River and builders who stole stone for unrelated projects. In 1893, a French archaeologist by the name of Jacques de Morgan cleared the Southern portion (the half dedicated to Sobek) of debris and restored it.

It was also focused on medicine, with hieroglyphics showing eyes (to see illness) and ears (to listen to the afflicted). It is believed that important medical records were lost in the destruction of the second story, per our guide.

The bottom center photo shows the 2 separate temples for Sobek, the Crocodile God acting as the fertility god, and Horus, God of healing. There were seven gates from front to back in each temple. The gates have not survived but the hinges are still in place, and the ceilings of the gates still have remarkable colors and designs.

The bottom center photo shows various medical conditions. The woman is giving birth, and the eyes and ears are carved into this story. Horus was the god of sky, kingship, protection, and healing.

The well system was quite extensive and in very good condition. Lower left photo shows a wood joints (like a dovetail) that bound the stones of the temple to withstand shifting of the stones. This one has petrified.

And our guide Amged, who was with us for our entire cruise and the following 2 days in Luxor. He was such a wonderful host and guide, and we became family, sharing stories and pictures of our children and grandchildren. He is passionate about Egypt, and it came through in his guiding us through ancient civilizations and their way of life.

No visit would be complete without a visit to the Crocodile Museum. Remember, Sobek was the Crocodile God, and half of Kom Ombo was dedicated to him.

We were at Kom Ombo in the evening and were able to see the temple lit up from the deck of our ship.

Cruising the Nile 3/15/2026

The Nile is the world's longest river (4,258 miles), flowing northward through northeastern Africa from Lake Victoria and Ethiopia to the Mediterranean Sea. It traverses 11 countries—Burundi, DRC, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda—before forming a massive delta in Egypt.

Cruising along the river, you understand why it is called the River of Life, so very fertile.

Temple of Luxor

The Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city today known as Luxor and was constructed approximately 1400 BCE. In the Egyptian language it was known as ipet resyt, "the southern sanctuary". Luxor Temple was a major religious center in Thebes (now Luxor), which was once the capital of Ancient Egypt.

The pathway (1.7 miles) connecting Karnak and Luxor Temple is the Avenue of Sphinxes (or the Rams Road) was restored and opened in 2021, featuring hundreds of sandstone sphinxes and ram-headed statues. It was primarily used as a procession route for the annual Opet Festival, where statues of the gods Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were carried from Karnak to Luxor.

We were lucky to visit the temple in late afternoon, and got a wonderful sunset and great pictures.

And so, our river cruise has ended and on to Luxor for a few days before we head back to Cairo for 4 more days. Farewell to our wonderful crew on the Ms. Farah.

We left our ship and headed to our hotel, Al Moudira, outside of the hustle and bustle of Luxor. Set in a local town amid farming country, it was quite relaxing after a week of touring. One of the best massages I've had. Our main activity here was the hot air balloon ride over Valley of the Kings.

Early wake up call, but well worth it for our morning ride. We were very fortunate that we were able to do this. For the past 5 days, the winds were so strong they had to cancel all of the balloons. Magnificent way to spend our morning.