2 August 2027
By rail to totality
Come for the eclipse. Discover the Egypt few travellers ever see.
On 2 August 2027 the sky above Luxor goes dark during one of the longest total solar eclipses of our generation - but this journey is about far more than those extraordinary minutes. Travel aboard Egypt's Elite Sleeper Train from Cairo through Middle Egypt, Sohag and Abydos to Luxor and Aswan, discovering places most visitors simply fly over.
Sleep in your private cabin, enjoy onboard hospitality and upgrade to VIP Club Car dining. In Luxor, join our specially organised Abela X Amisol Eclipse Festival, with a dedicated viewing site, seating and shade, refreshments, BBQ lunch and professional eclipse support.
After totality the journey continues to Aswan and the Nile. Don't fly over Egypt - travel through it.
Day by day
Itinerary
Day 1 · July 29, 2027
—
Welcome to Cairo
Arrival at Cairo International Airport, meet & assist by your local representative and a private transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight: Novotel Cairo 4* or similar (B&B).
Day 2 · July 30
B · L · D
Giza Pyramids • Grand Egyptian Museum • Eclipse Express to Aswan
Meet your Egyptologist for the Giza Plateau: the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and the Great Sphinx. Continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum with ample time for its collections, and lunch during the programme. In the evening transfer to Cairo Railway Station and board the Abela Elite Sleeper Train for the overnight journey south. Overnight: sleeper train (half board).
Day 3 · July 31
B
Aswan • Philae Temple • Felucca on the Nile
Arrive in Aswan and meet your local guide for the island Temple of Philae, reached by motorboat. Check in to your hotel, then sail by traditional felucca around Aswan's islands in the late afternoon. An optional Nubian Village visit can be arranged. Overnight: Gloria Aqua Park Aswan 4* or similar.
Day 4 · August 1
B
Aswan at Leisure or Optional Abu Simbel
A full free day in Aswan to relax and prepare for eclipse day, or join the optional excursion to the great temples of Abu Simbel. Overnight: Aswan (B&B).
Day 5 · August 2
B · L · D
Total Solar Eclipse Day - Luxor West Bank
An early transfer at approximately 5:00 AM to Aswan Railway Station for the morning train to Luxor, arriving around 7:00 AM. Explore the West Bank with your Egyptologist: the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Then move to the Abela X Amisol Total Solar Eclipse Festival on a specially selected green-field viewing site, with a reserved viewing area, chairs and umbrellas, water and soft drinks, light refreshments and a freshly grilled festival lunch, before totality. Departure from the venue is planned from about 3:00 PM, followed by an evening visit to Luxor Temple and a coach transfer to Sohag. Overnight: Coral I Floating Hotel, Sohag.
Day 6 · August 3
B · D
Tell el-Amarna & Jabal al-Tayr - Akhenaten and Ancient Christianity
Travel north from Sohag to Tell el-Amarna, the royal capital founded by Pharaoh Akhenaten, and explore the remains of the remarkable Amarna Period tied to Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Continue to Jabal al-Tayr Monastery, an important site of Egypt's ancient Christian heritage, before returning to Sohag. Overnight: Coral I Floating Hotel, Sohag (half board).
Day 7 · August 4
B · D
Abydos & Dendera - Two Masterpieces of Ancient Egypt
A full day at two of Upper Egypt's greatest temple complexes. At Abydos, sacred city of the cult of Osiris, visit the Temple of Seti I with its exceptionally preserved reliefs and the famous Abydos King List. Continue to Dendera and the spectacular Temple of Hathor with its monumental columns and astronomical ceiling. Both receive far fewer visitors than Luxor. Overnight: Coral I Floating Hotel, Sohag (half board).
Day 8 · August 5
B · D
Coptic Sohag • Eclipse Express to Cairo
Visit the historic White Monastery, associated with Saint Shenoute, and the Red Monastery, two of the most important monuments of Egypt's early Christian heritage, with free time afterwards. At night, transfer to Sohag Railway Station and board the Abela Elite Sleeper Train for the overnight journey north. Overnight: sleeper train.
Day 9 · August 6
B
Return to Cairo • Khan El Khalili
Arrive in Cairo in the morning and continue to the historic Khan El Khalili bazaar and its maze of lanes, shops and cafés. Check in to your hotel; the remainder of the day is deliberately free to relax after an extraordinary journey. Overnight: Novotel Cairo 4* or similar.
Day 10 · August 7
B
Departure or Extend Your Egypt Journey
Breakfast at your hotel and a private transfer to Cairo International Airport, or extend your stay: the Eclipse Express combines easily with a Nile cruise, the Red Sea, Alexandria, Siwa Oasis, the Western Desert, golf or a longer Cairo stay.
Where you stay
Accommodation
- 2 nights in Cairo at Novotel 4* or similar (B&B)
- 2 nights in Aswan at Gloria Aqua Park 4* or similar (half board)
- 3 nights aboard Floating Hotel Coral I in Sohag (half board)
- 2 nights aboard the Abela Elite Sleeper Train in a private cabin (half board)
What's inside
Inclusions
What's Included
- 9 nights' accommodation and overnight transportation as per the itinerary
- 2 hotel nights in Cairo (B&B)
- 2 hotel nights in Aswan (half board)
- 3 nights aboard Floating Hotel Coral I in Sohag (half board)
- 2 overnight journeys aboard the Abela Elite Sleeper Train (half board): Cairo to Aswan and Sohag to Cairo
- Rail journey Aswan to Luxor
- Meals aboard the sleeper trains as specified and daily breakfast
- Lunch during the Cairo sightseeing programme
- Meet & assist at Cairo International Airport and private airport transfers
- Private air-conditioned transport for all included sightseeing, including the Luxor to Sohag coach transfer
- English-speaking Egyptologist guide for the included sightseeing
- Entrance fees to all included sites: Giza Pyramids & Great Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Museum, Philae Temple (with motorboat), felucca sailing, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Luxor Temple, Tell el-Amarna, Jabal al-Tayr Monastery, Abydos and the Temple of Seti I, Dendera and the Temple of Hathor, the Red and White Monasteries and Khan El Khalili
- Admission to the Abela X Amisol Total Solar Eclipse Festival with reserved viewing area, chairs and umbrellas, water and soft drinks, light refreshments, freshly grilled festival lunch, Abela catering and hospitality, WC facilities and Amisol Travel event organisation and local assistance
Not Included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa, where required
- Travel and medical insurance
- Optional Abu Simbel excursion
- Meals not specifically stated as included, and drinks except where mentioned
- Optional tours and activities not listed under what is included
- Entrance inside the Great Pyramid or other special-entry tickets unless confirmed
- Professional photography permits or specialist equipment charges
- Personal expenses, laundry, minibar and telephone charges
- Tips and gratuities for guides, drivers, train staff and other service personnel
- Additional hotel nights before 29 July or after 7 August
- Any services arising from international flight or personal itinerary changes
Rates per person
Prices & payment schedule
| Category | Double | Single |
|---|---|---|
| Eclipse Express III - 10 Days | USD 4,990 | On request |
Payment schedule: 30% of the total package price due on confirmation, 30% due by 5 February 2027 and the remaining 40% due by 5 March 2027. All payments are non-refundable once made, in accordance with the 2027 Eclipse Programme terms.