Experience the very best of Egypt on an extraordinary journey of 14 or 16 nights combining Cairo's greatest ancient treasures, a seven-night Nile cruise aboard the MS Royal Princess, the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027 over Luxor and a relaxing all-inclusive stay beside the Red Sea. Choose the new 16-night itinerary and stay two extra nights beside the Red Sea for £500 per person less than the original 14 nights.
Timings are based on current astronomical calculations and may be refined before departure.
On , the Moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun, bringing one of the longest total solar eclipses of the century to Upper Egypt. Luxor lies close to the point of maximum totality and is expected to experience approximately six minutes and 22 seconds of darkness in the middle of the day.
The eclipse forms the spectacular climax of the Nile cruise. After seven nights exploring the temples, tombs and landscapes of Upper Egypt, guests will experience the total solar eclipse in the Luxor area, close to the point of greatest eclipse.
Depart from the UK on your EgyptAir flight to Cairo: indicatively a direct morning departure from London Heathrow (around 09:40, arriving 16:35) or an afternoon departure from Manchester (around 14:30, arriving 21:40), with exact timings confirmed at ticketing. On arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for a three-night stay in a Standard Room on a bed and breakfast basis.
After breakfast, enjoy the included Full Day Pyramids, Sphinx and Grand Egyptian Museum Tour.
Transport, entrance fees, lunch and an expert English-speaking Egyptologist are included. Return to your Cairo hotel following the tour.
After breakfast, enjoy the included Full Day Saqqara, Memphis, Mosque and Bazaar Tour.
Transport, entrance fees, lunch and an expert English-speaking Egyptologist are included. Return to your hotel for your final evening in Cairo.
After breakfast, transfer to Cairo International Airport for your domestic flight to Luxor. On arrival in Luxor, transfer to the MS Royal Princess and check in for your seven-night Nile cruise.
Dinner and overnight aboard the MS Royal Princess in Luxor. A light snack will be provided for late arrivals.
After breakfast, cross the Nile to explore Luxor's West Bank.
Return to the MS Royal Princess and begin sailing south. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served aboard the boat.
Continue sailing south through Upper Egypt. Visit the unusual double temple at Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus.
Visit the nearby Crocodile Museum before returning to the boat and continuing towards Aswan. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served aboard the MS Royal Princess.
After breakfast, explore some of Aswan's principal attractions.
Return to the boat for lunch. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.
The morning is at leisure, or guests may join an optional excursion to Abu Simbel at an additional cost.
After lunch, enjoy the included boat trip around Elephantine Island and visit the Botanical Gardens on General Kitchener Island.
Dinner and overnight aboard the MS Royal Princess in Aswan.
Enjoy a relaxing morning aboard the MS Royal Princess before beginning the return journey north towards Luxor.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served aboard the boat.
Continue sailing towards Luxor.
Return to the MS Royal Princess for dinner. Eclipse information and safety guidance will be provided before the following day's event.
After breakfast, the day is given over entirely to the total solar eclipse. As the Moon covers the Sun over the Luxor area, daylight will give way to darkness and the solar corona will appear.
Luxor is expected to experience approximately six minutes and 22 seconds of totality, making it one of the foremost locations in the world from which to witness the eclipse. Full eclipse information and safety guidance will be provided to all guests before departure.
Following the eclipse, travel by road to the Red Sea. Luggage will be transported as part of the transfer arrangements.
On arrival, check in for four or six nights in a Standard Sea View or Standard Partial Sea View Room on an all-inclusive basis, depending on whether you choose the 14 or 16-night itinerary.
Enjoy a full day at leisure and make use of your hotel's facilities. All-inclusive accommodation is provided throughout your stay.
Enjoy another relaxing day beside the Red Sea.
Enjoy your final full day at your hotel.
The 16-night itinerary adds two further nights beside the Red Sea. On your final morning, check out of your hotel and transfer to Hurghada International Airport for your return EgyptAir flight to the UK via Cairo, indicatively departing in the morning and arriving into Heathrow or Manchester in the early afternoon. On the overnight return you land in the UK early the following morning, with a full final day beside the Red Sea.
The journey begins with three nights in Cairo, giving you two complete days to explore the monuments, museums and historic districts of the Egyptian capital. Both full-day tours are included in the holiday price, together with entrance fees, lunch, transport and the services of an expert English-speaking Egyptologist.
Stay at one of our selected five-star Cairo hotels, including the Hyatt Regency Cairo West, Hyatt Centric Cairo West, Kempinski Nile Hotel or Crowne Plaza West Cairo Arkan, or a similar or equivalent property, in a Standard Room on a bed and breakfast basis.
Stand before the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx before exploring the treasures of ancient Egypt inside the Grand Egyptian Museum. This full-day experience brings together Egypt's most recognisable monuments and its spectacular new home for the country's archaeological collection.
Trace the story of Egypt beyond Giza, from the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and the ancient capital of Memphis to the Citadel, Mosque of Mohamed Ali and the lanes of Khan el Khalili Bazaar.
The MS Royal Princess will be your home for seven nights as you cruise from Luxor to Aswan and return, following the same storied stretch of river that inspired Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. Full-board accommodation and 11 guided Nile cruise excursions are included, led throughout by an expert English-speaking Egyptologist, with entrance fees included for the stated cruise programme.
A traditional five star cruiser styled on the golden age of travel, in the footsteps of Agatha Christie, the Royal Princess pairs authentic Italian-inspired interiors and a sweeping grand staircase with a sun deck and pool for the hours between temples. The boat has been awarded a certificate of achievement for food hygiene by Intertek Cristal.
After seven nights exploring the Nile Valley, the journey reaches its extraordinary climax in Luxor. As the Moon moves across the face of the Sun, daylight will briefly give way to darkness and the solar corona will become visible around the Moon.
The eclipse of 2 August 2027 is one of the longest total solar eclipses of the century: Luxor lies close to the point of greatest eclipse, where totality is expected to last around six minutes, a duration that will not be exceeded until 2114. Very few places on Earth pair that spectacle with the temples and tombs of the ancient world.
Eclipse timings are based on current astronomical calculations and may be refined before departure.
The day is built entirely around totality. You will experience the eclipse in the Luxor area, close to the point of greatest eclipse, and every guest will receive full eclipse information and safety guidance before departure.
Luxor lies close to the centre of the path of totality as it crosses Egypt, and the deserts of Upper Egypt enjoy some of the most dependably clear skies on Earth. Rainfall in Luxor is close to zero across the year, and August days are typically cloudless with eleven to twelve hours of sunshine. No view of a natural event can ever be guaranteed, but few places along the entire path offer better prospects of a clear sky.
In the final moments before totality the light thins and sharpens, the temperature falls noticeably, and the last brilliant point of sunlight flares into the diamond ring. As the Moon covers the Sun completely, the corona appears as a silver crown around the black disc, bright stars and planets emerge in the daytime sky, and for around six minutes day becomes an extraordinary twilight before the process reverses.
The partial phases must never be viewed without proper eye protection. Every guest receives full eclipse information and safety guidance before departure.
Following the eclipse, travel by road from the Luxor area to the Red Sea for four or six nights of all-inclusive relaxation. The journey takes several hours, and after Cairo's monuments, a week on the Nile and the spectacle of totality, the Red Sea provides a peaceful conclusion to the journey.
Four or six nights (your choice of the 14 or 16-night itinerary) in a Standard Sea View or Standard Partial Sea View Room at the Old Palace Resort Sahl Hasheesh, Fort Arabesque Resort, Spa & Villas, SUNRISE Holidays Resort, Hilton Hurghada Plaza, KaiSol Romance Resort, Hurghada Marriott Beach Resort, or a similar or equivalent hotel, on an all-inclusive basis.
This is a single special departure with everything arranged: return flights from London Heathrow or Manchester (chosen at checkout), both Cairo tours, the full cruise programme, the eclipse and the Red Sea stay. Prices are confirmed, not starting prices.
Two people sharing a twin or double room and cruise cabin pay £6,995 per person. Prefer your own room and cabin throughout? Sole occupancy is £9,995 per person. Mix the two freely to match your party.
Secure your place with a deposit of 20% of the holiday price: £1,399 per person sharing, or £1,999 for sole occupancy. The remaining balance is due by Friday 16 April 2027.
Every party can book online, whatever the size or mix, up to 9 passengers; larger groups are very welcome, simply call us free on 0800 041 8400. Every booking is protected: see our booking conditions and ABTA and ATOL protection.
| Two sharing | £6,995 per person |
| Sole occupancy | £9,995 per person |
| Pay today (20% deposit) | £1,399 / £1,999 pp |
| Balance due (Friday 16 April 2027) | £5,596 / £7,996 pp |
Planning more of Egypt? Explore our Nile cruise holidays, Cairo excursions or request a tailored quote.
Prefer to talk it through before booking, or planning a larger group? Our Egypt specialists know this departure inside out.