Classical Egypt & Luxor Total Eclipse 2027

Thursday 29th July 2027. Welcome to Egypt and the start of your holiday! Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you will be met by a representative from On The Go Tours.The rest of the day is at leisure or those arriving early can opt to join a Backstreets Tour of Cairo which departs the hotel at 10am. At 7pm, meet your guide and fellow travellers for a Welcome Meeting to go over the exciting journey ahead.

For those who wish to extend their stay with pre tour accommodation, we also offer an Alexandria Day Trip, a Suez Canal Day Trip and a 4-day Alexandria & El Alamein add-on.

Today we visit one of the world’s most iconic sites – the Pyramids of Giza and the legendary Sphinx. You may also choose to enjoy an optional camel ride across the plateau.

Later, we travel to Saqqara, home to a vast complex of tombs and temples. Here you will see the famous Step Pyramid of Zhoser, designed by the architect Imhotep around 2700 BC.

Cairo - Luxor. This morning we visit the impressive Grand Egyptian Museum, a vast 490,000 sq. metre complex housing more than 100,000 artefacts. Many of the items on display are being exhibited for the first time. Explore expansive galleries filled with statues, sarcophagi, ancient tools and beautifully restored artefacts that showcase Egypt’s remarkable history. Highlights include the extraordinary collection of Tutankhamun, featuring his famous golden funerary mask, royal chariot, intricate jewellery and ceremonial treasures.

After returning to the hotel, enjoy some time to relax by the pool before boarding the overnight sleeper train to Luxor this evening.

Arriving in Luxor this morning, we travel north to Dendera, one of Egypt’s best-preserved temple complexes, located about 60 km from Luxor. Covering 40,000 square metres, the site features temples, chapels and shrines built over thousands of years. The highlight is the magnificent Temple of Hathor, known for its beautifully decorated ceiling.

After our guided visit, we return to Luxor where the afternoon is free to relax, explore the town or enjoy a swim at the hotel. This evening, we visit the Temple of Luxor which is beautifully illuminated at night.

This morning we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak. More than a temple, Karnak is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers.

Then we prepare to witness the 02 August 2027 total solar eclipse – one of the most extraordinary astronomical events of the century. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into near-perfect alignment between the Earth and the Sun. It is a remarkable cosmic coincidence: the Sun is around 400 times larger than the Moon, but also around 400 times farther away, allowing them to appear almost exactly the same size in the sky. When this alignment occurs, the Moon completely blocks the Sun – a moment known as totality – revealing the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, as a shimmering halo of light in near darkness.

With the Sun positioned high in the sky - almost overhead - and an estimated 80% chance of clear skies, Luxor offers one of the very best viewing locations along the eclipse path, which crosses parts of Spain, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The point of greatest duration lies just southeast of Luxor, where totality will last an exceptional 6 minutes and 23 seconds, making this the longest total solar eclipse visible from land since 1991 and the longest until 2114. Solar eclipse glasses will be provided so you can view the event safely – these can be removed during totality for the best experience.

TOTAL ECLIPSE TIMELINE (local time)
Partial eclipse begins – 11:40
Totality begins – 13:02
Maximum eclipse – 13:05
Totality ends – 13:08
Partial eclipse ends – 14:26

We check-in on board the Nile cruiser, which will be our home for the next four nights, and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Perhaps enjoy some celebratory drinks on board the cruiser!

Early this morning we explore Luxor’s famous West Bank, beginning with the Valley of the Kings, where many pharaohs were buried in elaborately decorated tombs. We then visit the impressive Temple of Hatshepsut, dedicated to one of Egypt’s most powerful female rulers, followed by the towering Colossi of Memnon, the remaining statues of Amenophis III’s temple.

Returning to the cruiser we set sail downstream. Relax on deck and go for a swim, soak up the sunshine and enjoy the views as we cruise the River Nile.

Nile cruising. Continue cruising the Nile today as we make our way to Kom Ombo Temple, uniquely dedicated to two gods – Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon-headed god. The temple is architecturally symmetrical, with twin halls, sanctuaries, courtyards and entrances. After our guided visit, we continue sailing and arrive in Aswan this evening.

Early risers may wish to join our optional excursion to the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel this morning. Please see our Abu Simbel by Road add-on for more info. Alternatively you can spend the morning at leisure.

This afternoon we take a motorboat ride to Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Originally built in the 4th century BC, much of the temple was constructed by the Ptolemies and Romans. In the 1970s, UNESCO led a remarkable rescue project to relocate the temple to Agilika Island to protect it from flooding caused by Lake Nasser.

Aswan - Cairo. After breakfast we disembark the cruiser and transfer to Aswan airport for our flight back to Cairo. On arrival we transfer to our hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Consider visiting the bustling Khan el Khalili markets for a spot of souvenir shopping.

Today is free for you to enjoy the hotel facilities or you can opt to or join us for an optional tour visiting Old Cairo, Coptic Cairo and the Citadel of Saladin (book locally).

Sunday 8th August 2027. Our tour comes to an end today with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight.