Join Astronomer Dr Carolin Crawford on an exceptional journey through ancient Egypt to witness the Eclipse of the Century from a brand new river cruise ship in Luxor, the point of greatest duration, offering over six minutes of totality. Combined with a backdrop of legendary ancient Egyptian temples, this once in a lifetime event offers an unparalleled historical and celestial experience.
The location couldn’t be more apt. In ancient Egypt, the night sky served as a celestial roadmap – long before modern science, the sun, stars, and planets governed sacred rituals, royal power, and the rhythm of the farming year. Astronomy infused every corner of ancient Egyptian life and death. They understood predictable stellar movements, and integrated sky observation into the very fabric of sacred decoration, using stars, decans, constellations, and solar cycles to guide timekeeping, ritual, and beliefs about death and rebirth. Using instruments such as the merkhet and star groupings known as decans, Egyptians divided the night into hours and created a 365-day solar calendar. Weaving this ancient knowledge into the fabric of the tour, visit temples including Karnak, which was oriented to capture the first rays of the solstice sun, transforming light itself into a divine event. Enjoy interpreting the astronomical charts painted on select royal tomb ceilings in the Valley of the Kings, tracking the rising of specific stars over the course of the year, and the illustrations showing the sun god Ra’s journey through the twelve hours of night, with the star-covered sky goddess Nut arching overhead, embodying the vault of the heavens.
The tour is based around a four night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan; a chance to see the wonderous eclipse from the ship’s open-air sundeck whilst moored in Luxor, then travel the ancient route of the pharaohs along the Nile to Aswan with congenial companions, watching the river glide by from the deck of one of the newest and most comfortable ships on the river. With time to relax and reflect after the excitement of the Eclipse, the cruise is a wonderful way to witness local life along the Nile’s banks, to enjoy enlightening talks from our trip scholar, and to visit two of the country’s most astonishingly well-preserved ancient temples, Edfu and Kom Ombo.
As well as reinterpreting the temples and royal tombs of Upper Egypt from Luxor to Aswan through an astronomical lens, the tour also includes a stay in Cairo to see the treasures housed in the magnificent new Grand Egyptian museum in Giza, and to gaze in wonder at the pyramids, which are oriented to the cardinal directions with extraordinary precision. There will be a visit to a remote modern-day observatory too, to learn about Egypt’s current astronomical research. Throughout, Dr Crawford will give our group a serious of exclusive lectures about astronomy, from solar eclipses to the wider field of astronomical research, and is on hand throughout the tour to answer the group’s queries about the night sky, the formation of the universe, how best to experience the eclipse on the day, and much more.
HIGHLIGHTS
Witness the total solar eclipse of 2027 in Luxor, the longest eclipse of the century, with totality lasting 6 minutes and 20 seconds, from the sundeck of a luxury Nile Cruise ship.
Visit sites showcasing the ancient Egyptians’ knowledge of astronomy, including Karnak Temple, aligned with solar cycles, and the tomb of Ramses IV in the Valley of the Kings, with its fascinating astronomical ceiling
Enjoy a series of talks from Astronomer Dr Carolin Crawford who will be on hand throughout to aid understanding of the eclipse and discuss the formation of the universe itself
Trace the Nile south to Aswan aboard a newly relaunched 5 star Nile Cruise ship, through Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, temples dedicated to solar and celestial deities.
ITINERARY
The full itinerary can be found on Temple World's website.
