You ought to be glued to the ship’s deck for the entire Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan,which dishes up a glorious parade of villages,temples,farmland and orange desert landscapes. You’ll also enjoy kids greeting you from bridges and rowboats,and an endless flotilla of passing ferries and feluccas. As you sail into Luxor,you’ll see grand ancient temples and a cacophonous town rise on the east side of the river,while on the west bank lies the brooding silence of the barren hills that lodge pharaohs’ tombs.

Berth rites

The smaller your ship,the closer to town it will likely dock,but all ships tie up somewhere along the east bank’s Corniche. Given poor public transport,most airport transfers are included by cruise companies,saving you worry about exactly where your ship will be. There’s also an airport shuttle that will drop you off at ships.

Going ashore

The long riverside Corniche links old and new Luxor and provides for great strolling,especially when the sun sets across the Nile. You don’t have to go far to see top sights. Luxor Temple is a complex of temples,courtyards,obelisks and sphinxes,onto which has been cobbled a Roman sanctuary and later mosque. It looks spectacular under evening illuminations. Further down the Corniche is the fascinating Mummification Museum and then Luxor Museum,filled with sculpted masterpieces.