Light Package

About this excursion

Designed specifically for guests staying on Nile cruises, not for hotel-stay guests. Included sightseeing: Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Aswan High Dam, Philae Temple.

Karnak is less a single temple than an entire sacred city, built and expanded by generation after generation of pharaohs over roughly 2,000 years. The showstopper is the Great Hypostyle Hall: 134 towering sandstone columns packed so closely together that walking among them still feels like entering a forest of stone. Visitors pass beneath the first pylon, along an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes guarding Amun's sacred precinct, and past obelisks raised by Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. Because the complex is so vast, guides typically budget two to three hours here alone, and an early-morning visit avoids both the heat and the crowds. Set right in the heart of modern Luxor on the Nile's east bank, this temple was less about worshipping a specific god and more about renewing the king's divine right to rule. Built mainly under Amenhotep III and later expanded by Ramesses II, it once connected to Karnak via a nearly two-mile Avenue of Sphinxes, now fully excavated and walkable. The temple is especially striking at night, when floodlighting picks out the colossal seated statues of Ramesses II at the entrance and the graceful papyrus columns of its inner court. An unusual double temple split perfectly down the middle, Kom Ombo honors two gods side by side: crocodile-headed Sobek on one side, falcon-headed Haroeris on the other, each with mirrored halls, sanctuaries, and entrances. A small on-site museum displays mummified crocodiles recovered from a nearby cemetery, a nod to the temple's connection with the Nile's once-abundant crocodile population. Perched right on the riverbank, it's a popular sunset stop for cruise passengers sailing between Luxor and Aswan. Completed in 1970, this vast engineering project tamed the Nile's centuries-old flood cycle and created Lake Nasser, one of the largest reservoirs on Earth. Its hydroelectric turbines still supply a meaningful share of Egypt's electricity today. The visit is brief but offers sweeping views over the dam and lake, and it's usually paired with the nearby Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple as part of a half-day Aswan itinerary. Dedicated to the goddess Isis, this graceful temple complex was originally built on Philae Island before being painstakingly dismantled and reassembled on higher ground at Agilkia Island in a UNESCO rescue operation during the 1960s and '70s, ahead of the High Dam's completion. Reaching it requires a short boat ride across the water, which only adds to the sense of arrival. The reliefs throughout tell the Isis and Osiris myth in detail, and the site is especially atmospheric during its evening sound-and-light show.

Dress Code & What to Wear

Recommendations:
Wear comfortable, modest clothing suitable for sightseeing and comfortable walking shoes. A hat, sunglasses and sun protection are recommended. A light layer can be useful for early-morning departures, air-conditioned transport or cooler evenings.

Schedule & Availability

Daily · 08:00

Excursion Rates

150.00 EUR per adult

1. Karnak Temple
Karnak is less a single temple than an entire sacred city, built and expanded by generation after generation of pharaohs over roughly 2,000 years. The showstopper is the Great Hypostyle Hall: 134 towering sandstone columns packed so closely together that walking among them still feels like entering a forest of stone. Visitors pass beneath the first pylon, along an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes guarding Amun's sacred precinct, and past obelisks raised by Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. Because the complex is so vast, guides typically budget two to three hours here alone, and an early-morning visit avoids both the heat and the crowds.

2. Luxor Temple
Set right in the heart of modern Luxor on the Nile's east bank, this temple was less about worshipping a specific god and more about renewing the king's divine right to rule. Built mainly under Amenhotep III and later expanded by Ramesses II, it once connected to Karnak via a nearly two-mile Avenue of Sphinxes, now fully excavated and walkable. The temple is especially striking at night, when floodlighting picks out the colossal seated statues of Ramesses II at the entrance and the graceful papyrus columns of its inner court.

3. Kom Ombo Temple
An unusual double temple split perfectly down the middle, Kom Ombo honors two gods side by side: crocodile-headed Sobek on one side, falcon-headed Haroeris on the other, each with mirrored halls, sanctuaries, and entrances. A small on-site museum displays mummified crocodiles recovered from a nearby cemetery, a nod to the temple's connection with the Nile's once-abundant crocodile population. Perched right on the riverbank, it's a popular sunset stop for cruise passengers sailing between Luxor and Aswan.

4. Aswan High Dam
Completed in 1970, this vast engineering project tamed the Nile's centuries-old flood cycle and created Lake Nasser, one of the largest reservoirs on Earth. Its hydroelectric turbines still supply a meaningful share of Egypt's electricity today. The visit is brief but offers sweeping views over the dam and lake, and it's usually paired with the nearby Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple as part of a half-day Aswan itinerary.

5. Philae Temple
Dedicated to the goddess Isis, this graceful temple complex was originally built on Philae Island before being painstakingly dismantled and reassembled on higher ground at Agilkia Island in a UNESCO rescue operation during the 1960s and '70s, ahead of the High Dam's completion. Reaching it requires a short boat ride across the water, which only adds to the sense of arrival. The reliefs throughout tell the Isis and Osiris myth in detail, and the site is especially atmospheric during its evening sound-and-light show.

Cancellation Policy

3 day(s) before: 50% cancellation charge
Cancellations made 3 days before the excursion date are subject to a 50% cancellation charge.

2 day(s) before: 100% cancellation charge
Cancellations made 2 days or less before the excursion date, including no-shows, are subject to a 100% cancellation charge.

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