Tips for maximizing your Nile cruise experience

 

Egypt is a nation that thrives on superlatives: it has the most pyramids, the most colorful bazaars, and the oldest temples. The average Nile cruise involves a surprising amount of time spent on land for a program that touts itself as water-based. You'll get a good workout ascending the stairs, and the relentless street merchants will put your nerves to the test. Still, it's difficult to grumble when you're witnessing things that were already old by the time Cleopatra assumed power in 51 B.C.

Nile cruise Tips 

A Nile cruise may also provide certain logistical issues that are unique to a cruise. With so many tour options, it will be difficult to determine whether to keep going and when to return to your ship or hotel for a refreshing plunge. Some of the optional trips might leave you in amazement – or make you question why you bothered. And you'll want to dress correctly, both for the scorching heat and to respect Egypt's Muslim traditions.

Hire a Private Guide 

A city visit to Cairo is a common prelude to a Nile cruise. On your Cairo trip, you'll likely see the Citadel, home to the Ottoman-style Muhammad Ali Mosque, as well as the Egyptian Museum, home to King Tut's treasures.

Arrive early and consider hiring a local guide to show you around some of the city's other notable landmarks if you have the resources. These include the Coptic Sector, where the churches date back to the earliest days of Christianity, and the Khan el-Khalili market in the Islamic quarter. As a result, I felt more at ease when the trip began, and less flummoxed by Egypt's hectic pace, thanks to my additional days in the capital with an inexpensive private guide.

To the Camel's Horn!

Certainly, it's a popular destination for tourists. However, riding a camel is an experience that must be had at least once in order to be counted as having been had. And don't forget to think about how your Christmas cards will appear with the picture. You'll be hassled by camel-riding salesmen at Giza's Pyramids, with some promising a $1 trip. They're lying to you. Instead, leave the camel ride to your Nile cruise tour director. In the rear of the pyramid complex, there is a plateau from which you can view all three pyramids and ride your camel without being watched by a million people. To get the most out of a camel ride, all you need is 15 to 20 minutes and a $20 bill (not counting the tip you'll give to the camel handler for the photos he'll take).

What do you think about pyramids?

The Great Pyramids are still as spectacular as they were when they were first built nearly 4,500 years ago. back. back. back. The claustrophobic should be aware of the following: Inside the Pyramids, it's sweltering and there's nothing to look at on the walls, so you're forced to crawl around the ground for much of the journey. Save your money for a trip to the Nile cruise tomb in Luxor's Valley of the Kings instead, unless getting inside is something you've always wanted to do.

The Great Sphinx of Giza seems much smaller when seen up close. There has long been disagreement among Egyptologists over what exactly the Sphinx is, because of its lion body and pharaoh's head. "The Terrifying One" is the current Arabic translation of its name.

What Happens on the Ship's Deck

Following your visit to the Pyramids, your Nile cruise operator will fly you to Luxor, where you'll disembark and begin your river trip. There are so many ships on the Nile that each line gets a berth of its own along the city's corniche, with the ships lined up side by side. To get to your ship, you may have to go past a number of others.

People whose cabins are located on the ship's port side may find the berthing arrangement to be problematic. When making your reservation, make sure to inquire as to which side of the ship docks, since being on the incorrect side might result in you seeing out of the window of another boat.