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 Aug 2,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.
- 11:20First contactYou 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.
- 12:30Sun-deck setupAstronomy 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.
- 12:43:00Totality beginsSky goes dark. Glasses off. Six minutes twenty-three seconds of the longest land totality of the 21st century.
- 12:49:23Totality endsDiamond ring on the western limb. Glasses back on. Fourth-contact countdown begins.
- 13:00Plated lunch onboardChef plates a lunch service synced to post-totality. The ship's sun deck stays your home for the afternoon partial phases.
- ~14:05Fourth contact + disembarkEclipse formally over. Bags collected. Transfer to Luxor airport for evening flights.
Day by day · Aswan to Luxor.
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
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
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
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 position locked in. 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-min 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 + soft/alcoholic bar tabs
- Egypt visa ($35 on arrival or $30 e-Visa)
- 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 | $2,400 | Per person, 3 adults sharing one cabin |
| Double share | $2,700 | Per person, 2 adults sharing one cabin |
| Single cabin | $4,200 | 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.
01How does eclipse-on-disembarkation actually work?
Day 4 itinerary is built around it. The ship docks in Luxor early morning August 2. 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) just doesn't happen on this product.
02What 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.
03Why 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-min flight).
04What about the heat? August in Upper Egypt is brutal.
It is – 40°C+ in shade is normal. Eclipse day specifically: the partial phases start around 11:20am 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.
05Is the price really $2,400? Eclipse-week premium?
Yes, eclipse-week is a premium over a normal August Aswan→Luxor sailing – that's structural, not negotiable. The lead-in $2,400 is for Triple cabin share, ground-only. Double cabin $2,700, Single $4,200. 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 →