Nile cruise: route description, attractions, reviews

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

If you are interested in the question of how to fully and interestingly spend time in Egypt, then you should definitely choose a Nile cruise from Cairo or Luxor. Thus, you can not only have fun, but also get acquainted with the ancient history of this country. Now beautiful yachts constantly ply along the longest river, which provide all the amenities for tourists, so such a trip will definitely become one of the highlights of the holiday. This article will tell you how you can organize a Nile cruise on your own to see all the most interesting sights in Egypt.

A little about Egypt

Now let's talk directly about the place where the Nile River is located, namely Egypt. It is worth understanding that people come here not so much for beautiful landscapes, but to get acquainted with the ancient history of this state. The history of this former empire, the true cradle of civilization, has more than five thousand years. Only here remains one of the seven wonders of the world - the pyramids at Giza, which annually attract hundreds of thousands of tourists. Almost the entire country now rests precisely on the tourism business, sincethe hot climate and warm waters of the Red Sea attract travelers to relax on the beaches. But the longest river in Africa really attracts special attention. That is why Nile cruises are one of the easiest and most convenient ways to have fun in this country, which is almost entirely desert.

Best Season

The area of the country where the Nile River is located is more than 95% desert, and therefore you should prepare for the fact that the weather will be incredibly hot. Temperatures often reach 40 degrees during the day. In this regard, it is important to consider when exactly the Nile cruise will be most convenient.

Standardly, the peak season for tourists in Egypt runs from December to February, so it makes no sense to go sailing on a yacht during this period, as they will have a huge crowd of tourists, and you won’t particularly enjoy your vacation on crowded vehicles. That is why the most convenient option will be October and November. During this period, there is still no such scorching sun, and the cruising of yachts is already more or less stable. The only negative may be that at this time the water level in the river is quite low, and therefore it can be difficult for the yacht to move around.

Travel to Egypt

Of course, if you really really want to enjoy the beauties of the river, then you will first have to take a vacation and board the Moscow-Cairo plane. It is this city, which is located in the northern part of the country, is the capital of the state of Egypt. Moreover, here isand the Nile Delta, making Cairo the best starting point for a new adventure. By default, most planes actually land at Cairo International Airport, which is why it is the busiest in the country.

Cruise through travel agent

When you landed at Cairo airport, the most convenient option for further travel will be to purchase a tour. Thus, the full package will provide the service not only of the cruise itself and excursions, but also of the transfer from the hotel and back. Now such travel packages can be easily bought at any travel agency or even at a hotel in major cities - Hurghada, Cairo or Shari el-Sheikh. Yes, indeed, this way of traveling will be more expensive, but you won't have to worry about anything.

Self organization

Those who don't want to deal with travel agencies can arrange their own adventure. For them, the cruise, after they arrive by plane from Moscow to Cairo, begins precisely from the capital. Since the cruise itself starts either in Luxor or Aswan, the best option would be to travel from Cairo to Luxor by bus, which runs constantly here. They are very comfortable, so there will be no inconvenience. In addition to buses, there are also trains, so travelers often opt for a night train that will take you to your destination by the morning for less than $50. You can see only those sights that are interesting, and not all that are included in the tourist package. And excursions and tickets to the ancientseats can be bought directly on the spot. The only negative is that you will have to carefully watch what time the boat leaves, since no one will wait for latecomers.

Direction

Nile cruises are always in one direction only, that is, from Luxor to Aswan or vice versa. However, experienced travelers are advised to choose Luxor as the starting point, since it is the closest to all other resort cities, and so the trip can be significantly cut. Such a cruise continues for 4 days - this time is completely enough to see all the interesting sights without much haste.

Fun on the yacht

For those who want to not only feel the history of the country, which is told during the cruise from Luxor to Aswan, but also have a good time, it is worth choosing a yacht as a means of transportation. Now they are distinguished by increased comfort, and their huge size made it possible to call them real "floating hotels". In them you can find not only the deck and cabins, but also fitness rooms, restaurants, shops. The rooms are also very comfortable, with air conditioning, TV and even a shower, so apart from the fact that the rest takes place on the water, they can not be distinguished from those hotels that are located on the ground. In addition, during the Nile cruise, three meals a day are mandatory during the day, but you will have to pay for drinks yourself.

Felucca Rest

To those who, on the contrary, wantwhile cruising the Nile from Luxor to enjoy peace and quiet, it is worth choosing a traditional sailing boat called a felucca. It will not offer a variety of entertainment, but they can fully relax to the sound of water. True, you will have to sleep under the open sky, but you will be able to enjoy the most magnificent sunset. On such boats, you can make a full trip or rent it for just a few hours as you wish.

Approximate route

Although there are a huge variety of river tours on offer, most of them are built on the same route, so the attractions do not differ much. Among them, the mandatory stops will be:

Luxor. It is not only the starting point of the journey, but also one of the most ancient cities in the world. Now it has become in many ways an integral museum, located in the open air. You should definitely visit the famous City of the Dead at least once in your life, in which the Valley of the Kings is located, where an incredible number of burials were found - 42 tombs of the pharaohs. In addition, the Alley of Sphinxes, which stretches for a couple of kilometers, also attracts attention.
Edfa also has a great mythological meaning. In this city, according to legend, two gods fought - Horus and Set. Horus won this battle, but lost one of his eyes. This legend largely gives an understanding of the very power that existed in Egypt for thousands of years, namely the personification of the pharaohs in deities. The ancient Egyptians believed that the firstthe ruler was the god Osiris, who was later killed by Set, who desired the throne for himself. His wife Isis later was able to revive her husband, and then gave birth to his son, Horus. In this battle, the young deity was able to avenge his father, becoming a full-fledged heir. The pharaohs considered themselves the personification of this particular deity, so one of the most beautiful temples dedicated to him was built here.
Kom-Ombo is located in the northern part of the river and is dedicated to two gods, Horus and Sebek. Here is their temple, which represents their greatness.
Aswan is the final destination of the journey. Here you should definitely look at one of the largest dams in the world, which reaches a height of more than a hundred meters. By the way, the USSR took an active part in its construction, so in the local pavilion you can admire numerous photographs and plans written in Russian. The construction of this dam led to the formation of the artificial Lake Nasser, which is so huge that it is often called the inland sea. In addition, there are ancient temples and the Aswan Bazaar, where you can buy national clothes and real fragrant spices.

Additionally, you can also visit the majestic temple of Abu Simbel, as well as the island of Filet and the Nubian village. Particular attention here should be paid to Abu Simbel, especially if there is an interest in ancient history. An interesting philosophical thought has been written on its walls so far, for millennia, which in translation reads: "When a person knows what moves the stars, the Sphinxwill laugh, and life on earth will cease."

Reviews

According to reviews, the Nile cruise is one of the most interesting and informative for those who want to immerse themselves in the history of such an ancient country. True, they also advise to prepare for a number of inconveniences. First of all, to the fact that the heat will be very strong, and the sun will scorch mercilessly, and at night, on the contrary, it can be quite cold. In addition, Egyptian carriers are not particularly punctual, so you often have to wait for departure at points.

But in general, with this method of travel, you will have to get used to the fact that the tour program will be very busy. In no case should you fall behind the group, since there is a possibility of being late or even getting lost. The cruise will be quite tiring - you will have to walk under the sun for a long time and get up very early, so travelers with small children and the elderly will not be the most comfortable such a vacation. But on the other hand, you can get acquainted with a number of the most interesting sights of the country as quickly as possible.