Morning guided visit to Temple of Horus in Edfu, one of Egypt’s best-preserved temples. Lunch on board while sailing to Kom Ombo. Guided tour of Kom Ombo Temple, dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris. Sail to Aswan while enjoying the Nile scenery. Dinner and overnight on board.
Kom Ombo
Kom Ombo is a striking riverside town in Upper Egypt, dramatically positioned on a bend of the River Nile between Edfu and Aswan, and is best known for its unique dual identity rooted in both geography and religion. In ancient times, the city held great strategic importance as a frontier settlement overlooking key Nile trade routes, and it developed a distinctive spiritual character centred on the worship of two powerful deities: Sobek, the crocodile god associated with fertility and protection, and Haroeris (Horus the Elder), the falcon-headed god of kingship and the sky.This rare dual devotion is immortalised in the remarkable Temple of Kom Ombo, one of the most unusual temples in Egypt, designed as a perfectly symmetrical structure with twin entrances, halls, sanctuaries, and chapels, essentially two temples built side by side within one complex. Constructed mainly during the Ptolemaic period and later expanded under Roman rule, the temple is celebrated for its finely carved reliefs, including ancient depictions of surgical instruments, calendars, and ritual scenes that provide rare insights into medical knowledge and religious practices of the time. Surrounding the temple, Kom Ombo offers a quieter, more intimate Nile experience, with lush farmland, sugarcane fields, and traditional villages stretching along the riverbanks.The nearby Crocodile Museum, housing mummified crocodiles discovered in the area, further underscores the town's deep connection to Sobek and the natural power of the Nile. Today, Kom Ombo remains an essential stop on Nile cruises, captivating visitors with its dramatic sunset views, evocative ruins, and the sense of standing at a place where ancient belief, daily life, and the river itself have always been inseparably linked.