Sail south from Cairo to Luxor aboard M/S Q Nile through the forgotten heart of Egypt, witness totality in Luxor, then return north by overnight sleeper train, 21 July to 4 August 2027.
Rail & Sail – Eclipse Express 2027 | 15 Days is a 15 Days / 14 Nights itinerary (Cairo • Beni Suef • Minya • Assiut • Sohag • Abydos • Dendera • Luxor • Cairo) aboard M/S Q Nile Cruise · Overnight sleeper train, priced from $6,990 per person on double occupancy. It is timed around totality on Monday 2 August 2027, viewed from Luxor, Egypt, where totality lasts up to 6 minutes 23 seconds. Sail south from Cairo to Luxor aboard M/S Q Nile through the forgotten heart of Egypt, witness totality in Luxor, then return north by overnight sleeper train, 21 July to 4 August 2027.
| Tour | Rail & Sail – Eclipse Express 2027 |
|---|---|
| Eclipse date | Monday, 2 August 2027 |
| Trip length | 15 Days / 14 Nights |
| Tour dates | 21 July - 4 August 2027 |
| Cruise | M/S Q Nile, Cairo to Luxor (8 nights, full board) |
| Luxor stay | 4 nights at the St. Pachomius Monastery Guesthouse, with breakfast and an hourly shuttle to Downtown Luxor |
| Rail journey | Luxor to Cairo by overnight sleeper train on 2 August, with dinner and breakfast served on board |
| Viewing area | Privately reserved monastery farm eclipse viewing site near Luxor, 55 feddans, open only to our guests |
| Accommodation | 8 nights Q Nile · 4 nights St. Pachomius Monastery Guesthouse · 1 night sleeper train · 1 night Radisson Blu or similar, Cairo |
| Nile Deck Cabin | USD 6,990 sharing · USD 8,580 single |
| Main Deck Twin with Window Seat | USD 7,990 sharing · single not available |
| Main Deck Double with Private Balcony | USD 8,990 sharing · USD 9,990 single |
| Upper Deck Suite | USD 10,990 sharing · USD 12,990 single |
| Family Suite | USD 8,590 per adult · children 2-7 free · children 8-14 USD 4,990 · additional adult USD 7,990 · up to 4 guests: 4 adults, 3 adults + 1 child, or 2 adults + 2 children (Family Suite only) |
| Optional excursions | Gabal El-Tair USD 50 · Beni Hassan & Tel El-Amarna USD 150 · White & Red Monasteries USD 100 · Abydos USD 150 · Dendera USD 100 · all five USD 550 per person |
| Tips | Not included, approximately USD 20 per person per day |
| Payment schedule | 30% on confirmation · 30% by 5 February 2027 · 40% by 5 March 2027 |
| Operator | Middle East Travel Alliance (Eclipse.Travel), Cairo, Egypt |
Imagine boarding a Nile cruise in Cairo and sailing south along a route that few international travellers have ever experienced. Instead of the familiar Luxor to Aswan circuit, M/S Q Nile carries you through the heart of Middle Egypt, past riverside villages, fertile farmland and archaeological sites that remain largely untouched by mainstream tourism. Along the way, optional shore excursions open up the rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan, Akhenaten's revolutionary capital at Tel El-Amarna, the early Christian monasteries of Sohag and the magnificent temples of Abydos and Dendera. Your voyage culminates in Luxor, the world's greatest open-air museum, where you spend four nights at the St. Pachomius Monastery Guesthouse for the Total Solar Eclipse of 2 August 2027, then you return to Cairo aboard an overnight sleeper train, completing an unforgettable Egyptian adventure by river and rail.
Before you read on
One great river, one unforgettable eclipse, and a side of Egypt very few travellers ever see.
While most Nile cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan, Q Nile follows the remarkable Cairo to Luxor route through the hidden treasures of Middle Egypt.
Optional shore excursions to Beni Hassan, Tel El-Amarna, Abydos and Dendera reveal four very different chapters of Egypt's history, far from the crowds.
Optional visits to Gabal El-Tair and the Red and White Monasteries of Sohag, followed by four nights at the St. Pachomius Monastery Guesthouse near Luxor, trace the story of monastic life along the Nile.
Two classic ways to travel Egypt in one journey: eight unhurried nights on the river and an overnight sleeper train home to Cairo.
Four nights in Luxor place you in the path of totality on 2 August 2027, where it may last up to approximately 6 minutes 23 seconds, depending on the exact viewing location.
The forgotten Nile, the ancient pharaohs and the shadow of the Moon. Read on to see if this is your journey.
Your floating home
From Cairo to Luxor, the beautifully refurbished Q Nile is your hotel on the river, with the scenery of Middle Egypt changing outside every window.
Step from Cairo's bustle into the calm of the reception lounge, where the crew greets you on the first evening of your voyage.
Long sailing days through Middle Egypt are made for reading, conversation and tea while the riverbanks drift by.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the restaurant with the Nile framed in the windows beside your table.
Egyptian and international dishes are prepared fresh on board, with plenty of choice after a morning among the temples.
Spend the sailing days between Cairo, Beni Suef and Minya on the open deck, watching farmers, fishermen and villages along the banks.
Keep active at the open-air gym on deck, with the Nile turning gold as the sun sets over the valley.
Aboard
Compare your stay
| Cabin | Category | Double room | Single room | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Nile Deck Cabin | USD 6,990 | USD 8,580 |
|
  | Main Deck Twin Cabin with Window Seat | USD 7,990 | Not available |
|
  | Main Deck Double Cabin with Private Balcony | USD 8,990 | USD 9,990 |
|
  | Upper Deck Suite | USD 10,990 | USD 12,990 |
|
  | Family Suite
| USD 8,590 | Not applicable |
|
What's included
What's included
What's included
What's included
What's included
Payment schedule: 30% of the total package price due on confirmation · 30% due by 5 February 2027 · remaining 40% balance due by 5 March 2027. All payments are strictly non-refundable once made, in accordance with the 2027 Eclipse Program terms.
24 July. Visit the hilltop pilgrimage site associated with the Holy Family's journey through Egypt, with the historic Church of the Virgin Mary set high above the Nile.
Add to my request25 July. The painted Middle Kingdom rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan, then Akhetaten, the royal city of Akhenaten and Nefertiti at Tel El-Amarna.
Add to my request26 July. Two of Egypt's most important early Christian monuments near Sohag, including the Red Monastery's extraordinary surviving wall paintings.
Add to my request27 July. The Temple of Seti I at Abydos, with some of the finest reliefs in Egypt and the celebrated Abydos King List.
Add to my request28 July. The Temple of Hathor at Dendera, one of Egypt's best-preserved temples, with its restored astronomical ceiling. All five optional excursions together total USD 550 per person.
Add to my requestA hot set-menu dinner and breakfast served in the VIP Club Car for one overnight train journey instead of the standard tray service in your cabin. Strictly limited to 20 guests for the entire train, so it is allocated on a first-confirmed basis.
The VIP Club Car fine-dining experience on both overnight train journeys, with freshly prepared dinner and breakfast served at seated dining tables instead of the standard in-cabin tray service.
Three vessels, one eclipse. Here is an honest read on whether M/S Q Nile Cruise is the right fit for the way you like to travel.
From
from $6,990
Premium Comfort
from $4,690
Boutique Luxury
from $6,990
Luxury Dahabiya
from $7,997
Luxury Dahabiya Expedition
from $8,739
Luxury Dahabiya
from $8,997
Siwa Classic
from $2,369
Beyond the Nile
from $2,990
Rail & Nile Eclipse
from $6,990
Rail & Nile Eclipse
from $10,347
Classic Rail & Nile Eclipse
from $4,990
Dahabiya Adventure
from $8,997
Beyond the Horizon
from $3,390
Rail Journey
From $2,990
Rail Journey
from $3,450
Rail Journey
from $6,990
Rail Journey
from $4,990
Rail Journey
from $3,490
