It's the longest total eclipse to fall on land this century, and its centreline runs almost directly over Luxor. One departure, and a fixed number of cabins — and our waitlist hears the details first.
Until the moon's shadow crosses the Nile. We'll have dates and full details in October, and the waitlist hears first.
Totality is short almost everywhere. The moon's shadow races across the earth at over 1,700km/h, and in most places it's gone before your eyes have finished adjusting. On 2 August 2027 the geometry lines up about as well as it ever does: the moon near its closest approach, the sun near its furthest, and the shadow crossing at the equator, where the ground can almost keep pace with it.
The result is a band of darkness that lasts more than six minutes — and its centreline passes over Upper Egypt. Stand on the west bank at Luxor and the sky goes dark above the same limestone hills the tomb builders worked under three thousand years ago.
Kirsten runs sessions through the voyage on what you're about to see and why it happens, and there are stargazing nights out on the water. The telescope projects onto a big screen, so there's no queuing for a turn at the eyepiece — you all see the same thing at the same time.
No 5am domestic flight. You board at Giza after a day at the Pyramids, have dinner in your own cabin while the Nile Valley slides past the window, and wake up in Aswan. And if you've heard the old stories about Egyptian sleeper trains, you can set them aside — the carriages have been upgraded. Private cabins, proper berths, dinner and breakfast brought to you.
Three nights aboard the MS TIA, sailing north to reach Luxor the day before totality. Cabins with balconies, air conditioning that properly earns its keep in August, and a sundeck that turns into the observatory after dark. On the way you'll spend a night in a family-owned house in a Nubian village on the Nile — we suspect that's the bit you'll still be talking about at home.
The plan is to take everyone out to a private open space near Luxor: a clear horizon in every direction, room to spread out, and nothing between the two of you and the sky. Six minutes is a long time to spend looking up — you'll want the room to do it properly.
Plenty of people will come for the eclipse. Plenty will come for everything around it, and that's just as good a reason. You'll have the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, Karnak and Luxor Temple, Philae and Kom Ombo, a felucca on the Nile at Aswan, and an early morning wandering Khan el-Khalili before the crowds turn up. If Egypt's been sitting on your list for years, this is a rather good way to finally do it.
This itinerary exists only for this eclipse. It isn't our usual Egypt trip with a dark afternoon added to it — it's built backwards from 2 August 2027, to put you in the right place on the right day, and it runs once. We're still finalising some details with our operator, including exactly where we'll watch from. The confirmed itinerary, dates and prices go to the waitlist before they go anywhere else.
These snaps come from our Explorers’ recent Egypt adventures. This special Eclipse Adventure follows its own itinerary, but we thought you might enjoy a little preview of the places, colours and magic of Egypt.
There’s only one departure, and the number of places is limited by the cabins onboard. We expect this trip to be popular, so it could fill quickly—or even sell out during early access. If it’s caught your eye, joining the waitlist gives you the best chance of being on it.
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Expect 40°C and above. We start sightseeing at 5am to stay ahead of it, and the boat is your air-conditioned base through the middle of the day, so it's very manageable. But it isn't a gentle climate, and we'd rather say so now than have it come as a surprise.
Temples, tombs and gangways mean uneven ground, steps, and a fair bit of time on your feet. You don't need to be an athlete, but you do need to be steady on them. If there's anything we should plan around, just tell us — we'd much rather know.
August in Upper Egypt is about as reliable as weather gets, and that's part of why Luxor is such a good place to be standing. But it's still weather, and nobody can promise it. We'd rather say that here than leave you to find it in the terms.