Echoes of the Pharaohs
A Small Group Trip Through Ancient Egypt

Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, a striking contemporary landmark on the edge of the Giza Plateau. Explore its vast, light-filled galleries with your guide, where one of the world’s most important archaeological collections brings ancient Egypt to life. Discover monumental statues, ornately decorated sarcophagi and everyday artefacts spanning over 5,000 years of civilisation. Gain rich context as the story of the pharaohs unfolds, alongside the evolution of religious beliefs and the exceptional craftsmanship that defined ancient Egyptian life.

Explore Luxor with a visit to the Karnak Temple Complex, walking along the Avenue of Sphinxes as your guide explains the construction of its monumental entrance. Inside, discover how successive pharaohs expanded the complex, each layer revealing deeper history stretching back over 3,000 years. Continue to the Luxor Temple, once connected by a two-kilometre sphinx-lined avenue, where monumental statues of Ramses II dominate a site that has endured floods, invasions and millennia of exposure.

Explore the Valley of the Kings, hidden beneath limestone peaks of Gurna Hills on the west bank of the Nile. Once the royal burial ground of the New Kingdom pharaohs, the tombs reveal long passageways and richly painted chambers filled with scenes from sacred funerary texts. With your guide, uncover the symbolism and craftsmanship behind these extraordinary monuments. Visit the tomb of Tutankhamun and the elaborately decorated tomb of Ramesses VI, known for its astronomical ceilings and detailed reliefs.

Explore the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, set dramatically beneath the limestone cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. Dedicated to one of Egypt’s most influential pharaohs, Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty, the temple is widely regarded as an architectural masterpiece. Its terraces, colonnades and precise symmetry reflect the vision of her architect Senenmut and feel strikingly ahead of their time. With your guide, discover detailed reliefs depicting her trading expedition to Punt, alongside carvings honouring the gods and affirming her divine right to rule.

Explore Medinet Habu, where the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III stands in remarkable preservation. Walk through vast courtyards and along towering walls as your guide brings to life detailed reliefs depicting his military victories, including vivid naval battles against the Sea Peoples. Continue to the Tombs of the Nobles, where richly painted chambers reveal scenes of daily life, from farming and banquets to music and craftsmanship. Move on to Deir el-Medina, the village of the royal tomb builders, offering insight into the skilled community behind Egypt’s greatest monuments.

Now aboard the Nawara, you’ll begin your first sail towards Esna. Stop to explore the Temple of Khnum, a beautifully preserved Greco-Roman temple famed for its Great Hypostyle Hall, built during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Once buried beneath centuries of Nile silt from annual floods, it now lies nearly nine metres below present-day street level, revealing its extraordinary recovery. Continue with a return to the dahabiya and sail south, crossing the Esna Lock as the afternoon light softens over the Nile.

Sail towards Temple of Edfu and travel by horse-drawn caleche through lively streets to the Temple of Horus, one of Egypt’s finest examples of Ptolemaic art. This remarkably preserved Greco-Roman temple, dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, offers rich insight into ancient mythology and architecture. Return onboard and continue sailing south towards Bassaw, a peaceful riverside village largely untouched by tourism from the water. Here experience authentic Nile life and try traditional fishing methods once used by ancient Egyptians.

Explore the Kom Ombo Temple, arriving by dahabiya as it sails south along the Nile. This striking Greco-Roman temple sits directly on the riverbank and is uniquely dedicated to both Haroeris and Sobek. Its perfectly symmetrical design is reflected in twin entrances, halls and sanctuaries, highlighting its dual purpose. Continue sailing towards the peaceful riverside village of Herdiab, where the Nile scenery drifts past at an unhurried pace along the riverbanks.