Esna: The modern town of Esna is built over the Temple of Khnum, and only the hypostyle hall of the temple, some 30 feet below the level of the street, has been excavated. However, the temple is of great historical importance because the names and the activities of the Ptolemies and the Roman emperors are recorded up to Decius, who was murdered in 251 A.D. The decoration in the temple is elegant, with figures of the emperors and hymns to Khnum written entirely in hieroglyphs formed from crocodiles.

Edfu: The Temple of Horus in Edfu in the most completely preserved in Egypt, with its pylon, exterior walls and sanctuary all in near perfect condition. Its walls detail all of mythology and the politics of the time. It has the standard temple design. You enter through the separation between the massive pylons into a walled court. This wall continues around the entire temple. From the court, you entire a hypostyle hall, and from there, you cross another pylon into a smaller court fronting the building complex that contains the sanctuaries, tombs and chapels.

Egyptian Costume Party: A great tradition of these Nile cruise ships is the Galabayyas party, where you dress up in traditional Egyptian garb, and then try to dance to traditional local music. The dance steps are relatively easy, but when you are dressed like King Tut—or the Queen of the Nile—no one will care if you decide to just do your own thing.