Egypt: Nile Cruise and Cairo

What you’ll find in this article:

1. Introduction
2. My itinerary
3. What to see
4. Conclusions

My first trip to Egypt was way back in April 2019, but I’m sure it won’t be my last because this country, with all its wonders, has truly captured my heart!

The trip lasted a total of 8 days, including 4 days on a cruise and 2 days in Cairo (2 days were practically entirely devoted to travel to and from Italy and domestic flights). As for the weather, I found spring to be pleasant, but it was already quite hot; obviously, avoid summer because the temperatures become unbearable.

I am firmly convinced that a Nile cruise is the best way to visit the archaeological sites of ancient Egypt. As you glide gently along the river, you almost feel as though you’re traveling back in time, admiring the imposing temples on the east bank and the magnificent funerary architecture on the west, both representing pharaonic power but with two opposing symbolisms:

a depiction of the sunrise in the east as a symbol of the day and thus of earthly life, and the sunset in the west as the beginning of the night and thus of life after death.

8-day itinerary

Day 1: Flight from Milan Malpensa to Luxor with a layover in Cairo. In Luxor, you’ll board the cruise ship bound for Aswan.

Day 2: Disembarkation with a tour of the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Temple of Medinet Habu, the Colossi of Memnon, and the Temple of Karnak; reboarding and overnight cruise.

Day 3: Disembark and visit the Temple of Edfu and the Temple of Kom Ombo, then reboard and set sail.

Day 4: Disembark in Aswan and visit the Temple of Abu Simbel, the Aswan High Dam, take a felucca ride in the Lake Nasser Nature Reserve, and visit the Nubian Village.

Day 5: Flight from Aswan to Cairo, overnight stay.

Day 6: Tour of the Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Temple of Chefren.

Day 7: Visit to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (it was still the old one), a tour of downtown Cairo including a visit to the Khan al-Khalili souq and the Al-Azhar Mosque.

Day 8: Return flight from Cairo to Malpensa

P.s.: On the cruise, everything is included except for drinks (which are quite expensive)

---

What to see (during the cruise):

• Valley of the Kings
• Temple of Hatshepsut
• Temple of Medinet Habu
• The Colossi of Memnone
• Temple of Karnak
• Temple of Edfu
• Temple of Kom Ombo
• Temple of Abu Simbel
• The Great Aswan Dam
• Felucca ride to the Nubian Village

What to see (in Cairo):

• The Pyramids
• The Sphinx
• The Embalming Temple of Chefren
• Egyptian Museum
• Khan al-Khalili Souq and Al-Azhar Mosque

---

On the cruise…

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is an arid region in Egypt, located near ancient Thebes, which was chosen as the burial site for the rulers of the New Kingdom (from the 18th to the 20th Dynasty). The pharaohs had their tombs carved into the desert because the tombs of earlier eras (such as the Pyramids) had been easily located and plundered; unfortunately, however, despite their efforts, the riches within attracted thieves as early as the crises of the New Kingdom, and shortly before the era of the pharaohs came to an end, most of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings had already been looted.

The structure of the burials

The layout of the tombs evokes the afterlife and features an entrance leading to a sanctuary depicting the repose of the gods of the east and west; just beyond lies a “waiting hall,” then a first columned hall, also known as the “chariot hall,” followed by the burial chamber, the “hall of gold,” which houses the sarcophagus and the pharaoh’s immense riches. Inside, the tombs feature reliefs or wall paintings with sacred texts that accompany the deceased on his journey to the afterlife. The texts recount the Sun God’s nightly journey and his struggle with the forces of evil that attempt to stop him from rising again in the morning.

The famous tombs in the Valley of the Kings

As mentioned earlier, the riches found in the pharaohs’ tombs have attracted thieves ever since the crises of the New Kingdom; therefore, Howard Carter’s discovery in 1922 of the untouched tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was an extraordinary event.

Tutankhamun’s tomb is smaller than those of other pharaohs because, having died suddenly at the age of 18, it was constructed in a short period of time. Hundreds of objects were found in the tomb; the chambers were filled with them: there is precious furniture, the king’s war chariots, ritual statues, caskets, vases, amulets, and precious metals. The king’s mummy had been placed inside four sarcophagi nested one inside the other in the burial chamber; the outermost was shaped like a stone chest, while the others were anthropomorphic, of increasing value until the innermost one, made of solid gold. The funerary mask, made of gold and lapis lazuli, covered the king’s face and reveals his features: heavy eyelids, almond-shaped eyes, and full lips. Tutankhamun wears the nemes headdress with the pharaonic symbols (the cobra and the vulture) and a false beard. The throne, found in the first chamber, is made of gilded wood and painted with enamels.

On the backrest, the king is depicted leaning naturally against the seat, with his wife facing him, resting a hand on his shoulder—an intimate and familiar gesture. The sun disk casts rays upon the couple, ending in small hands (a symbol of power).

Today, the artifacts described above are housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Personally, I decided not to visit Tutankhamun’s tomb, but to explore others instead, as my guide suggested, since the line to enter the young pharaoh’s tomb was extremely long, and the tomb itself is actually quite small and among the least decorated, given that the pharaoh died suddenly.

The Valley of the Kings admission ticket includes access to the area and the option to visit three tombs of your choice (excluding Tutankhamun’s, which requires a separate fee).

I chose to visit tombs KV 2 (Ramesses IV), KV 6 (Ramesses IX), and KV 8 (Merenptah), all belonging to the Ramesside dynasty, featuring simple layouts with access via a short descending corridor and decorations depicting the various gods of Ancient Egypt.

Temple of Hatshepsut

Commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut, one of the most powerful women of antiquity, this temple is one of the most unique funerary complexes in all of Egypt.

It is low and wide, perfectly suited to the rocky amphitheater in which it is situated, demonstrating a seamless integration of nature and architecture. There are three levels of terraces connected by long ramps, once surrounded by gardens.

The temple is dedicated to Amun; however, since the goddess Hathor was worshipped in the Deir el-Bahari area, there is a chapel dedicated to her, and the goddess is depicted as a heifer emerging from the mountain to welcome the dead. There is also a second, smaller chapel dedicated to Anubis, the god of the dead.

The Architecture of Hatshepsut’s Temple

The complex consists of two hypostyle halls with pillars and a rock-cut sanctuary, preceded by the Solar Boat Hall. The upper terrace, featuring a colonnade with 24 statues of the queen (depicted wearing a crown and a false beard, like all pharaohs), leads to the entrance of the sanctuary.

The porticoes of the terraces are decorated with scenes of Lower Egyptian rituals, the queen’s divine birth, and her triumph over her enemies (on the north side), as well as scenes depicting the extraction of the obelisks from the quarry and their transport to the temple. Unfortunately, most of the statues and ornaments have been stolen or destroyed: in particular, there are no surviving depictions of Queen Hatshepsut because they were removed by her stepson Thutmose III, from whom the queen had usurped the throne.

Who was Hatshepsut, the mysterious woman to whom a temple was dedicated?

Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I and the legitimate heir to the throne; however, her half-brother Thutmose II, the illegitimate son of Thutmose I, was named pharaoh. Hatshepsut married Thutmose II, who died three years later. The couple had only one daughter, so the throne was assigned to Thutmose III’s illegitimate son, born to a concubine. Thutmose III was only three years old when his father died, so Hatshepsut, his stepmother, assumed the regency—a position that had always rightfully been hers—and postponed the marriage between Thutmose III and her daughter to avoid relinquishing the throne. The two ruled as co-regents for a period until the queen died, likely murdered by her stepson.

Temple of Medinet Habu

This is the best-preserved monument in West Thebes. The temple was built during the reign of Ramesses III (1184–1153 B.C.), the last of Egypt’s great pharaohs, and was a veritable fortified city that served as the region’s administrative center.

Upon arriving at the site, you are greeted by the monumental portal, a structure inspired by Syrian fortresses to commemorate a victory in the Middle East. Beyond the portal lies the courtyard with the main temple, whose first pylon features a depiction of Ramesses III defeating his enemies; similar scenes can also be found within the first courtyard, depicting the pharaoh’s supremacy.

Also worth noting is the preservation of the original colors in various areas of the architectural complex (blue, yellow, and red), which give us an idea of how vibrant the environment was at that time.

The Colossi of Memnon

These two gigantic statues stand in front of the entrance to the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which has now almost completely disappeared due to looting, earthquakes, and the annual flooding of the Nile.

The colossal statues are 18 meters tall and were each carved from a single block of stone; they depict Pharaoh Amenhotep III with his wife and mother at his feet.

The Legend of the Colossi

Legend has it that one of the two statues emitted a sound at dawn, and the Greeks believed that the statues depicted the divine Memnon, who greeted his mother Eos, the goddess of the dawn, every morning. According to archaeologists, however, the sound was caused by air passing through a crack in the stone created by an earthquake or thermal expansion. It appears that the sound has not been audible since 170 AD, when Emperor Septimius Severus had the statue restored.

Karnak Temple

It is one of the largest structures in the world and the largest in Egypt (complex area = 48 hectares), built over a period of 1,500 years and never completed.

Construction of the temple began under Thutmose I, continued under Thutmose III, and was completed under Ramses II. The complex is dedicated to the god Amun, one of the most important deities worshipped during the New Kingdom.​

The Architecture of the Karnak Temple

 The temple is enclosed by the walls of Amun, a large enclosure built of mudbrick (perimeter = 2,400 m).​ Access to the complex is via the Avenue of the Gods, a long avenue flanked by 40 stone sphinxes—with the body of a lion and the head of a ram—which serve as guardians of the temple. ​ Next come six pylons, monumental gateways: from the first pylon, one enters the large courtyard (100x80m), lined with two rows of monumental columns leading to the second pylon. Beyond this, one enters the hypostyle hall (102x53m) with 134 columns featuring papyrus-shaped capitals that support the roof made of monolithic slabs.

The hall is traversed by a sort of central aisle that is raised above the side aisles, along which two rows of windows open to illuminate the royal procession. The columns are decorated with reliefs and still retain some of their original color; the ceiling of the central aisle was studded with stars to evoke the night sky.

The wall decorations, depicting the pharaohs’ military exploits and tributes to the deities, are in the traditional style (note the two-dimensional nature of the depictions). ​Beyond the hypostyle hall, we find three more pylons of decreasing size, each with its own hypostyle hall leading to the sanctuary, the spiritual center of the temple, which houses the statue of Amun and his solar boat. With this boat, the god could traverse the two heavens, carrying the sun each day at dawn (symbolic function) and being carried in procession along the Nile (practical function). ​

Only priests were allowed inside the temple, and they could proceed only according to their rank; in fact, only the high priest and the pharaoh had access to the sanctuary.

This rule is also symbolically represented in the temple by the progressively lower ceiling, the raised floor, and the narrowing walls as one approaches the sanctuary, creating an optical effect that signifies the unbridgeable distance from the deity.

Edfu Temple

The Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the god Horus, is second in size only to Karnak and is perhaps the best-preserved monument among those visited—spectacular!​

In 1860, it was unearthed by the French Egyptologist Mariette, who freed it from the sands that had almost completely buried it—a process that actually aided its preservation—and today it is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt.​

The temple is laid out in a telescopic fashion, with the rooms becoming smaller as one advances toward the sanctuary, which contains the monolithic granite tabernacle housing the statue of the falcon god Horus and the base of his solar boat. Numerous religious ceremonies were held inside, including the New Year Festival (the annual marriage of Horus and Hathor and the god’s victory over Seth) and the coronation of a live falcon, specially raised in the temple by the priests.

Kom Ombo Temple

The Temple of Kom Ombo was built during the Ptolemaic period (108–47 BCE) and is dedicated to two deities: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the Elder, the falcon god of the sky; it is therefore a dual sanctuary, symmetrical along its longitudinal axis.

The temple is also famous for having played an important role in medical and surgical practice in ancient Egypt; in fact, it features engravings believed to be the earliest depictions of medical and surgical instruments.

The main preserved structure is the hypostyle hall, with eight columns topped with lotus-shaped capitals.

Fun Facts

It seems that inside the temple there is one of the few depictions of the famous Cleopatra, daughter of Ptolemy XII, her father, who contributed to the temple’s expansion.

Abu Simbel Temple

To see this marvel, I remember setting my alarm for 3:30 a.m., aiming to arrive in Abu Simbel by 8:00 a.m. because after 10:00 a.m. the site is closed to visitors due to the unbearable heat (we’re on the border with Sudan), but it was worth it—trust me!

It is a temple complex built by Ramses II, the greatest of the pharaohs, which remained buried under the sand until 1813, when a Swiss explorer spotted the tops of the famous colossi peeking out.

The complex consists of two temples, a larger one dedicated to Amun and a smaller one dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Located close to each other, they were carved directly into the rock of Nubia, on the border with present-day Sudan.

Great Temple of Amun

The façade was created by cutting vertically into the mountain and placing four colossal stone statues of Ramses II against the resulting wall; he is depicted seated, wearing a nemes, a double crown, a false beard, and a slightly smiling face. On either side, between the statues’ legs, are smaller statues of the princesses and his wife Nefertari.

Inside, as one proceeds, the floor rises and the ceiling lowers to create a perspective that has its focal point in the sanctuary. In the sanctuary are the four statues of the deified Ramses II, Amun, Horus, and Ptah: twice a year, on February 21 and October 21, the sun’s rays penetrate and illuminate the first three statues (not Ptah, since he is not a sun god) to make the invisible visible, thanks to precise astronomical calculations.

Small Temple of Hathor

This too was carved out of the rock; the façade depicts the goddess Hathor with Ramses II and his beloved wife Nefertari, in whose honor the temple was built—marking the first time a queen was depicted as the sovereign’s equal.

Inside, there are numerous depictions of the goddess Hathor, such as capitals featuring Hathor’s head with bovine ears, as well as Nefertari, shown in adoration of the deities and also depicted in the form of a cow protecting the pharaoh positioned beneath her chin.

Abu Simbel and the Aswan Dam

After the construction of the Aswan Dam in 1960 and the subsequent creation of Lake Nasser, the water level began to rise to such an extent that, within a short time, the lake would have submerged the nearby temples of Abu Simbel. ​ Therefore, in 1963, a mission to save the archaeological site was launched at the initiative of UNESCO: the rock in which the two temples were carved was cut into 1,047 blocks weighing 30 tons each, which were moved 60 meters uphill and reassembled at the location where they stand today. Despite meticulous calculations performed using the most advanced technologies of the time, an error was made, and today the sun illuminates the three statues of the Temple of Amun on February 22 and October 22.

The mirage in the desert

To reach Abu Simbel from the port of Aswan, you have to drive through a stretch of desert in a jeep, and here you can witness the famous phenomenon of a “mirage.”

The Great Aswan Dam

The first Aswan Dam was built between 1898 and 1902 by the British and was the largest in the world at the time. It was constructed to free Egyptians from dependence on the unpredictable Nile floods, thereby revolutionizing agriculture and providing electricity.

However, by the 1950s, it became clear that the dam was not large enough to meet the demand for electricity and control flooding, so between 1960 and 1971 the Aswan High Dam was built—an engineering marvel that today successfully meets Egypt’s needs.

Nubian Village

Nubia is a vast geographical region of the Nile Valley stretching from the first to the sixth cataract of the river, and evidence of the people who inhabited it dates back to 5000 B.C. ​

During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt conquered the Nubian territory, but relations between the two peoples were largely characterized by peaceful cultural exchange and cooperation, further strengthened by numerous intermarriages, leading up to the 25th Dynasty of the Black Pharaohs (8th–7th centuries B.C.).​

Numerous archaeological remains of this ancient civilization survive today, but many were lost with the construction of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, which submerged numerous Nubian villages.

The Nubians and their unique “pet”

The Nubian people are among the most hospitable in the country, and their distinctive traditional homes—made of plastered and painted clay, with their beautiful decorated doors—are characterized by the presence of a unique “pet”: the crocodile. Every Nubian family keeps one in their home to ward off the evil eye, although in the time of the pharaohs, the crocodile was worshipped as the god Sobek.

The crocodile, precisely as a sign of veneration, is not killed, and upon its death (from natural causes), every part of its body is reused to make leather goods, creams, or ointments.

… In Cairo

Pyramids

The pyramids of the Giza Necropolis are the symbol of Pharaonic Egypt and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing today; they are the tombs of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, father, son, and grandson, respectively.

The Pyramid of Cheope: It is the largest of the three, achieves geometric perfection (height = perimeter/2π), is oriented toward the four cardinal points, and has a slope of 52°, with its edges evoking the sun’s rays (a reference to the god Ra, who was worshipped at that time and with whom the pharaoh identified). It dates back to 2585 B.C. and its original dimensions were 232 meters on each side and 147 meters in height. The burial chamber is at the center of the pyramid and is accessed through a complex network of tunnels.

The Pyramid of Chefren: It follows the same construction principles as the Pyramid of Khufu, although it is smaller (143 meters tall). The tomb’s location here follows tradition; in fact, it is situated in an underground shaft. It is the only one to retain a portion of its original casing stone at the top.

The Pyramid of Mykerinos: it is the smallest of the three (70 meters high) and retains part of its granite casing along the base.

The pyramids were originally clad in slabs of white limestone, a material that gave them a sheen that made them shine in the middle of the desert.

The Mystery of the Construction of the Pyramids

It is said that building a pyramid required about 20,000 people, including laborers, craftsmen, and overseers: a common theory is that they were built in stages and then clad; long ramps were used, along with machines and levers to transport the stone blocks (each block weighed 5 tons and was positioned with extreme precision). ​ Goods and stone blocks were transported via the Nile River, and the materials came from all over Egypt.​

The construction of the pyramids represents the achievement of the perfect architectural form: their symbolic meaning is that of a celestial ladder, a union between heaven and earth, and a means of elevating the ruler to the status of a god.

Useful information for your visit

There is an admission fee to visit each of the three pyramids, and only a maximum of 300 people per day are allowed inside each pyramid, so it’s best to arrive early in the morning. I don’t recommend going inside if you suffer from claustrophobia.

On my trip to Egypt, once I arrived in Giza, I decided to visit the Pyramid of Khafre, and I must say it was the most unique and unusual experience I’ve ever had. Tourists usually flock to the larger Pyramid of Khufu, but I don’t like crowds, so I took advantage of the lack of a line to enter the Pyramid of Khafre.

A curious anecdote about my visit to the Pyramid of Chefren

I’m so excited because I’m about to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams—it’s like I’m the star of “Relic Hunter”—and I’m getting ready to descend into the pyramid, complete with my phone in hand to capture every second of this experience on video.

The floor of the corridor is a bit slippery, and we move from fairly wide spaces to very narrow passages where I’m almost forced to crawl on my knees; the lighting is also dim to help create the right atmosphere.

I should add that the silence was almost eerie. When I reached the end of the long corridor leading to the burial chamber, I turned right to enter the room, and a bizarre scene met my eyes: two women were lying inside the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Khafre, silent, with their eyes closed and their arms raised toward the sky!

Of course, I screamed in fright, and then we all burst out laughing. Finally, after recovering from the shock, I asked curiously what they were doing: they explained that they were practicing metaphysical tourism, an esoteric spiritual experience designed to connect with ancient pharaonic energies in search of immortality.

The Sphinx

Standing at the entrance to the necropolis to watch over the pharaohs’ sleep, the Sphinx is a monstrous creature with the body of a lion and a human head. Its features are those of Khafre, who had it built around 2500 B.C., wearing the nemes, a royal headdress. It was carved directly on site from a block of rock protruding from the sand. Standing 20 meters tall and 73 meters long, it is the largest monolithic statue in the world.

Temple of the Embalming of Chefren

This temple, also known as the “Valley Temple,” was rediscovered in the early 20th century and was connected to the Pyramid of Khafre by a long ramp. The temple was built for the pharaoh’s embalming ceremony: during the famous funeral ritual, the “opening of the mouth” was also performed, a practice in which the priests, using golden instruments, allowed the pharaoh’s ka (spirit) to leave the body and ensure his eternal life.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (the old one)

This trip took place in 2018, when the new Egyptian Museum was still under construction, so I visited the old museum instead.

I remember thinking that building a new museum was absolutely necessary, since the old one was overflowing with archaeological artifacts, and most of them—unable to be displayed—were piled up in boxes scattered throughout every corner of the museum. What a shame!

Of particular note is the section dedicated to Tutankhamun, featuring all the artifacts recovered from his tomb, and the Hall of the Royal Mummies, where you’ll find the mummified bodies of various pharaohs, including the great Ramses II, Seti I, Thutmose II, and Queen Hatshepsut.

Mosque and Souq

After finishing our visit to the Egyptian Museum, a small group of us decided to head into Cairo’s historic center to visit the Khan al-Khalili souq and the Al-Azhar Mosque. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I didn’t feel at all comfortable inside the souq, even though I had made sure my clothing wouldn’t offend local customs. This feeling of unease prevented me from fully enjoying the visit.

The mosque, which I wasn’t able to visit inside since access was restricted for prayer when we arrived, is very beautiful and imposing.

---