Best Sightseeing To Visit In A Nile Cruise Tour

Egypt is a land of multiple sites for tourists to explore and get immersed in ancient history and culture. A Nile River cruise tour provides a good opportunity to explore some of Egypt’s most iconic and historic sights.

Choosing the best sightseeing to visit on a Nile cruise tour becomes a tall order. This is why in this article; we’ve helped you to pick the best sightseeing to visit while on a Nile River cruise tour.

Here are our picks:

• The Iconic Luxor Temple
• The Valley of the Kings
• Abu Simbel Temples
• The Valley of the Queens
• Philae Temple
• The Egyptian Museum
• The Great Pyramids
• Sphinx

The Iconic Luxor Temple

If you are looking for a place to get your eyebrows up in total astonishment, then the Luxor Temple is one of the places to go to. This temple harbors an incredible sight to behold, housing several relics, and artifacts.

Finding this temple isn’t difficult once you’re in Luxor city. The temple is just on the east bank of the Nile River.

In history, it is believed that this temple’s construction was during the New Kingdom period of ancient Egypt when Amenhotep III and Ramses II were in power. Let’s not dwell so much on the history, don’t worry, when you get there, you’ll get the most from your tour guide.

Here’s what to expect from this amazing site: a temple dedicated to the Egyptian god, Amun, a long row of ram-headed sphinx statues, a pair of massive pillars, pharaonic inscriptions that depict past events, religious ceremonies, and battles.

There’s more to this temple you should check out yourself.

The Valley of the Kings

Touring through the Valley of the Kings is probably one of the best tour adventures you’d have while in Egypt. Most Nile River cruises include this as part of their Egypt tour packages.

This site contains the most iconic burial sites in the world where ancient Egyptian pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and Seti I were buried. This site was built during the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt.

You can find this iconic burial site just on the west bank of the River Nile, close to Luxor.  

Get ready to explore some of the world’s renowned ancient architectural designs. These include elaborate wall decorations, hieroglyphic inscriptions, paintings with hidden meanings, rock-cut tombs hidden within limestone cliffs, and many more. This remains a source of fascination for people from all over the world.

Abu Simbel Temples

The Abu Simbel Temples Complex is an amazing sight to visit while on a Nile River cruise tour for a couple of reasons.

This temple consists of the Great Temple of Ramses II which has four pillars; seated is the statue of Ramses II about 66 feet tall. Also, a smaller Temple of Hathor, Ramses II’s beloved wife.

Another remarkable aspect of the Abu Simbel Temples is the sun alignment. Twice a year, specifically on February 22, and October 22, the rising sun shines into the inner sanctum of the Great Temple which sheds light on the statues of Ramses and the gods.

In 1979, the Abu Simbel Temples were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their significance to history and culture.

There’s more to discover from these temples. You definitely need to include this on your bucket list.

The Valley of the Queens

To get the best sightseeing while exploring Egypt on a Nile River cruise, include the Valley of the Queens on the list of places to visit.

This is an exceptionally important archeological site where several queens, royal family members, and high-ranking officials were buried during the New Kingdom.

Here, you’ll get to explore some of the royal tombs in different sizes, decorations, and hieroglyphic inscriptions.

Some of the notable tombs include the Tomb of Nefertari, Pharaoh Ramses II’s principal wife. You’ll also get to see the Tomb of Amunherkhepshef (a son of Ramses III), the Tomb of Khaemwaset, and the Tomb of Titi.

These tombs are open to tourists; you can explore them for yourself.  

Philae Temple

Ever heard of the Temple of Isis? Well, that’s Philae Temple. An ancient temple complex in Egypt primarily dedicated to the goddess Isis who was highly venerated in Egyptian religion.

You’ll find this temple on the island of Philae in the Nile River. Records have it that this temple complex goes as far back as the Ptolemaic period.

In this temple complex, you’ll find a temple dedicated to Isis, another to Hathor, and the Kiosk of Trajan. On the temple walls, you’ll see carvings and inscriptions that depict scenes from Egyptian mythology. Remember the story of Osiris, Isis, and Horus? You’ll find them there.

At some point in time, the temple was converted to a Christian church following the coming of Christianity in the early Christian church.

Discover for yourself the awesome sights of this temple.

The Egyptian Museum

If you are to count the top ten renowned Museums in the world, the Egyptian Museum is definitely part of the list. This is for sure, a museum you don’t want to miss out on.

It houses some of the exclusive, most-celebrated collections of artifacts from ancient Egyptian culture, which spans over 4,000 years in the history of Egypt.

Here, you’ll find sculptures, jewelry, papyrus scrolls, statues, mummies, and items from the tombs of pharaohs and nobles.

Prepare to see the notable exhibits such as the treasures of Tutankhamun, the Narmer Palette (believed to be one of the most important documents in the world), the great statue of Amenhotep III, and the mummy of Ramses II.

This is just the tip of the ice bag. You surely don’t want to miss out on this.

The Great Pyramids

To get the best sightseeing while on a Nile River cruise tour, visit the Great Pyramids of Giza.

These famous ancient architectures were constructed during the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt. They primarily serve as monumental tombs for three Egyptian pharaohs named; Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.

These pyramids, particularly the pyramids of Khufu have some of the largest and famous architecture. Khufu’s pyramid stands approximately 146.6 meters tall.

And guess what? Records have it that Khufu’s pyramid used to be the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3800 years, in the ancient world. You sure need to check it out!

Sphinx

Just close in proximity to the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx is a famous and puzzling monument situated on the Giza plateau.

The Sphinx is often seen as a mysterious monument due to its mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. It is considered one of the monolithic statues ever carved due to its lengthy feature of about 20 meters (66 feet) in height.

Some legendary holds that the body of a lion represents the strength of the Pharaohs, while the human head represents wisdom and intelligence.

Another mysterious thing about the Sphinx is its missing nose and beard which has contributed to a whole lot of theories.

Well, let’s leave that for you to find out for yourself.

Recap

In this article, we’ve explored some of the best sights you should add to your bucket list as you plan your visit to Egypt on a Nile River cruise tour.

Consider your budget, preferences, and of course, how long you plan on staying on your tour. Ensure you plan appropriately to get the best from your tour.