Perched above the Nile on a pink-granite bluff, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan has been hosting travellers since 1899. Palm-shaded terraces and high-ceilinged rooms with river views look out over Elephantine Island as feluccas drift past. Stay a night or two between temple visits, and you’ll see why guests have been checking in for well over a century.

Dedicated to Horus of Behedet, lord of Edfu, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is Egypt’s most complete Ptolemaic temple – a monument to ancient tradition under Greek rule. Begun in 237 BC under Ptolemy III and completed nearly two centuries later, it follows the classic pharaonic blueprint with almost obsessive precision. Massive pylons guard a sunlit courtyard; beyond, hypostyle halls lead into a shadowed sanctuary once housing the cult statue of Horus. 

A traditional dahabiya designed for slow travel along the Nile, Set Nefru offers a world away from the larger cruise ships that rush between Egypt's headline attractions. Within its Art Deco mural and bathrooms reappointed in gossamer-thin Carrara marble, spend as much time on deck watching fishermen cast their nets at sunrise, passing palm groves and ancient temples, or sharing afternoon tea as Nubian villages drift by.

It may quite possibly be the most beautiful restaurant in Luxor: it's glass panelled windows, wooden beams, and ceramic tiled flooring make it a interior design heaven. What is more, the ambience is exceptional, the food even more so. Choose from a number of cold and hot mézzes and come prepared to share!