Ms Movenpick Royal Lily

This morning crosses to the West Bank of Luxor — the side of the Nile where ancient Egyptians buried their pharaohs, believing the setting sun represented the passage into the afterlife. After your West Bank visits you board again and sail south toward Esna, passing through open desert countryside as the afternoon unfolds on the river.

• Breakfast on board
• Guided visit to the Valley of the Kings (West Bank)
• Guided visit to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (West Bank)
• Sail from Luxor toward Esna (13:00–14:00)
• Lunch on board while sailing and passing through the Esna Lock (17:00)
• Afternoon tea on the sundeck
• Dinner on board (20:00)
• Overnight in Esna

The Valley of the Kings holds more than 60 royal tombs carved deep into the limestone cliffs. Inside, painted walls and hieroglyphics remain as vivid today as when the tombs were sealed thousands of years ago. Tutankhamun's tomb — discovered here in 1922 almost entirely intact — is one of the most famous archaeological finds in history. The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut rises in sweeping colonnaded terraces directly against the cliff face behind it. Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as pharaoh for more than 20 years, and her temple is as bold and ambitious as anything built by the male pharaohs who followed her. The Esna Lock, passed in the late afternoon, is a working river lock that brings cruise ships through one at a time — a surprisingly compelling experience to watch from the deck.

Overnight: Aboard the MS Salacia in Esna

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea on Sundeck, Dinner

Please note: scheduled timings may be adjusted due to operational or environmental factors.

Today is the fullest day on the water. You start before breakfast sailing from Esna to Edfu, visit one of Egypt's most spectacular temples in the morning, then sail on to Kom Ombo for a late afternoon visit before continuing south toward Aswan. The evening closes with a Galabeya party in the lounge — one of the cruise's most fun and memorable nights, where guests dress in traditional Egyptian robes and celebrate on board.

• Early morning sailing from Esna to Edfu
• Guided visit to the Temple of Horus in Edfu (08:00)
• Sail toward Kom Ombo (10:00)
• Lunch served on the sundeck while sailing (weather permitting)
• Afternoon tea on the sundeck
• Guided visit to Kom Ombo Temple (17:00)
• Sail to Aswan (18:30)
• Dinner on board (21:00)
• Galabeya party in the lounge after dinner

The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt. Its towering entrance pylons and vividly carved walls — depicting the mythological battle between Horus and Set — look almost new compared to other sites, which makes the sheer scale of it even more striking. Kom Ombo Temple, visited the same afternoon, is one of the most unusual in Egypt — built for two gods simultaneously, Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the Elder, with the entire structure perfectly mirrored side by side. The late afternoon light across the riverside columns at 17:00 is one of the most photogenic scenes on the entire Nile.

Overnight: Aboard the MS Salacia in Aswan

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea on Sundeck, Dinner

Entertainment: Galabeya party in the lounge

Please note: scheduled timings may be adjusted due to operational or environmental factors.

Aswan is the most atmospheric city on the Nile — quieter and more unhurried than Luxor or Cairo, with granite boulders rising from the river and Nubian villages lining the banks. Today is your day to explore it fully, with the option to add one of the most extraordinary excursions in all of Egypt. The evening brings a Nubian cultural show in the lounge — a fitting finale in a city that has been the gateway to Nubia for thousands of years.

• Breakfast on board
• Guided visit to Philae Temple
• Guided visit to the Unfinished Obelisk
• Optional Abu Simbel excursion (recommended — see note below)
• Lunch on board
• Afternoon tea on the sundeck
• Dinner on board
• Nubian show in the lounge after dinner

Philae Temple sits on an island in the Nile and is reached by short motorboat — making the arrival feel genuinely special. It was saved from the rising waters of Lake Nasser in one of history's most extraordinary engineering operations: dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt on higher ground. The Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in the quarry where ancient workers abandoned it, would have been the largest obelisk ever erected at 42 meters long — the crack that stopped its completion gives a rare look at exactly how these monuments were made.

Overnight: Aboard the MS Salacia in Aswan

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea on Sundeck, Dinner

Entertainment: Nubian show in the lounge

Your final morning on the Nile. After breakfast and check-out, your Memphis Tours representative transfers you to Aswan airport or the railway station onward to your next destination. We hope this journey through ancient Egypt has been everything you imagined — and we can't wait to welcome you back.

• Breakfast on board
• Disembarkation after breakfast
• Transfer to Aswan airport or railway station

Meals: Breakfast