Nile cruise · Solar Eclipse 2027 · 4 days · departs Fri 30 Jul
4-Day Aswan to Luxor Nile Cruise – Solar Eclipse 2027 on Disembarkation Day
Disembark Mon 2 Aug, but don't.
Sail north from Aswan through Kom Ombo, Edfu and Esna across three nights. Dock in Luxor the morning of the eclipse. Check out at 09:00, leave bags in onboard storage, then stay aboard through 12:43 totality from the sun deck before transferring to Luxor airport for evening flights. Six minutes twenty-three seconds of dark sky over Upper Egypt, watched from a 5-star Nile cruiser.
The route · 4 days, 3 moorings between the temples
Aswan to Luxor. The Nile flows north, the page reads north.
Eclipse day · 02 Aug 2027
Two hours forty-five minutes. Six minutes twenty-three of them in totality.
The ship is moored at Luxor. The sun deck is your seat. The chef has lunch on hold. This is what unfolds, beat by beat.
- 11:20 First contact You checked out of the cabin at 09:00 – but bags are stored, the sun deck is yours, and the moon now begins to bite the sun. ISO 12312-2 glasses distributed; sun-deck positions set. Cold drinks on the way.
- 12:30 Sun-deck setup Astronomy escort briefs the entry phase – Baily's Beads, diamond ring, what to look for in the corona. Cameras on tripods if you've brought them.
- 12:43:00 Totality begins Sky goes dark. Glasses off. Six minutes twenty-three seconds of the longest land totality of the 21st century.
- 12:49:23 Totality ends Diamond ring on the western limb. Glasses back on. Fourth-contact countdown begins.
- 13:00 Plated lunch onboard Chef plates a lunch service synced to post-totality. The ship's sun deck stays your home for the afternoon partial phases.
- ~14:05 Fourth contact + disembark Eclipse formally over. Bags collected. Transfer to Luxor airport for evening flights.
Day by day · Aswan to Luxor.
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Welcome to Aswan – Philae, High Dam, embark
Met at Aswan airport (or your Aswan hotel) by our representative. Cross Lake Nasser to the High Dam. Continue to Philae Temple – the love story of Isis and Osiris, set on its island. Visit the Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarry. Embark on your cruise late morning; lunch onboard. Felucca ride at golden hour around Elephantine Island. Welcome dinner onboard.
Meals: Lunch · dinner
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Kom Ombo at sunrise, sail to Edfu
Early start to walk Kom Ombo before the heat – twin temple to Sobek and Haroeris, with the crocodile mummy museum next door. Re-board, sail north watching the Nile valley shift from desert to Upper Egyptian farmland. Lunch onboard. Late-afternoon arrival at Edfu – horse-drawn carriage (included) to the temple of Horus, the best-preserved temple in Egypt. Egyptian-themed dinner + onboard entertainment.
Meals: Breakfast · lunch · dinner
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Sail through Esna lock, arrive Luxor
Late breakfast onboard while the ship sails north. Cross the Esna Lock – a small piece of theatre, water levels rising as you watch. Lunch as the ship docks in Luxor mid-afternoon. Free afternoon onboard for rest, sun-deck reading, or optional Karnak-at-sunset add-on. Eclipse briefing from your astronomy escort over apéritifs: timing, viewing protocol, equipment if you've brought it. Dinner onboard.
Meals: Breakfast · lunch · dinner
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Eclipse onboard, then transfer to Luxor airport
Early breakfast. Cabin checkout at 09:00 – same as every cruise – but you stay onboard. Bags into secure storage at reception; the sun deck, lounges and dining room are yours through the eclipse window. 11:20 – first contact, the moon begins to bite the sun. ISO 12312-2 viewing glasses distributed; sun-deck positions set. 12:43 – totality begins, six minutes twenty-three seconds of dark sky over Luxor. The corona, the chromosphere, Baily's Beads on entry and exit. ~14:05 – fourth contact. Plated lunch in the dining room. Late-afternoon transfer to Luxor airport for evening flights – Cairo (45-minute connections), Hurghada beach extensions, or international onward.
Meals: Breakfast · lunch
What's included
- 3 nights onboard a 5★ Nile cruiser, Full Board basis
- Eclipse onboard from sun deck · ISO 12312-2 viewing glasses included
- Astronomy escort briefing on Day 3 + Day 4 morning
- Private Egyptologist guide at every site visit
- Aswan airport (or hotel) pick-up + Luxor airport transfer
- All temple entrances (Philae, High Dam, Kom Ombo, Edfu, optional Karnak)
- Horse-drawn carriage at Edfu, felucca at Aswan
- Full Board onboard meals + chef-plated eclipse-day lunch
- All Egyptian government taxes and VAT
Not included
- International flights to/from Egypt
- Domestic flight Cairo→Aswan (we can book on request)
- Drinks during meals + bar tabs
- Egypt visa (£25 e-Visa or ~£30 on arrival)
- Gratuities for ship crew, guide, drivers
- Personal expenses, optional Karnak-at-sunset add-on
Cabin pricing · eclipse-week rate
Three sharing levels. Lead-in is Triple; most book Double.
| Cabin | Per person | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Triple share | £1,950 | Per person, 3 adults sharing one cabin |
| Double share | £2,200 | Per person, 2 adults sharing one cabin |
| Single cabin | £3,400 | Single occupancy, no roommate |
All cabins ensuite, AC, river-facing. Children 0–5.99 free sharing a parent's cabin; 6–11.99 pay 50%; 12+ pay adult rate. Eclipse-week premium reflects finite cabin supply – allocation runs out ~9 months before departure.
Add me to the booking listCancellation ladder · eclipse-event terms
Tighter than a normal Nile cruise – eclipse allocation is finite and the demand is global. Once we hold your cabin we can't release it back to general inventory.
- After booking confirmation25% of total
- More than 12 months before departure25% of total
- 6 – 12 months before departure50% of total
- 1 – 6 months before departure75% of total
- Less than 30 days before departure100% – no refund
Practical questions
Five things people ask before they book.
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01 How does eclipse-on-disembarkation actually work?
Day 4 itinerary is built around it. The ship docks in Luxor early morning 2 August. You check out of your cabin at 09:00 like every other guest – but you don't leave the ship. Bags go into secure onboard storage; you keep the run of the sun deck, lounges and dining room through the full eclipse window. ISO 12312-2 glasses are distributed before first contact, the chef plates lunch around totality, and after fourth contact at ~14:05 you transfer to Luxor airport for evening flights – Cairo connections, Hurghada beach extensions, or international onward. The hotel-day problem (check out at 9, eclipse at 12:43, nowhere to wait in between) simply doesn't happen on this product.
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02 What ship runs this itinerary?
A curated 5★ cruiser from our preferred Aswan→Luxor fleet – typically 60 cabins, Full Board basis, sun deck, pool, à la carte dining option. We confirm the specific vessel once allocation locks ~9 months out. If you have a vessel preference (Sonesta, Movenpick, Oberoi line), say so on the booking form and we'll route accordingly subject to availability.
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03 Why Aswan→Luxor instead of Luxor→Aswan?
Two reasons. First, the eclipse falls on disembarkation day rather than embarkation day, which means the ship is already moored in position at Luxor when totality hits – no sailing during the partial phases, no positional drift. Second, you finish at Luxor airport, which has more onward flight options than Aswan and is closer to Cairo (45-minute flight).
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04 What about the heat? August in Upper Egypt is brutal.
It is – 40°C+ in the shade is normal. Eclipse day specifically: the partial phases start around 11:20 and totality is at 12:43, so most outdoor moments coincide with midday peak heat. We mitigate by keeping you on the ship through the eclipse (shaded sun deck, cold drinks, AC interior steps away). Day 1 Aswan, Day 2 Kom Ombo and Day 3 Edfu temple visits are scheduled to use early morning and late afternoon windows.
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05 Is the price really £1,950? Eclipse-week premium?
Yes, eclipse-week is a premium over a normal August Aswan→Luxor sailing – that's structural, not negotiable. The lead-in £1,950 is for Triple cabin share, ground-only. Double cabin is £2,200, Single is £3,400. Includes all onboard meals, all temple entrances, ISO 12312-2 viewing glasses, astronomy escort briefing and the Luxor airport transfer.
Not the right shape? Five other eclipse-2027 products with the same astronomy escort and 12:43 plan.
Back to the eclipse pillar →