Egypt Solar Eclipse
We can think of no better place to watch and photograph the 2027 total solar eclipse than among the ancient and extensive archaeological remains of the “world’s greatest open-air museum”—Luxor, Egypt. Not only will this eclipse take place in one of the most epic locations on Earth, but it will be the longest duration of totality for the next 87 years! For 6 minutes, 23 seconds the moon will completely cover the sun. Our 13-day trip will start in Cairo and then align in Luxor for the eclipse. We’ll live on a luxurious Dahabiya cruise for a week and explore the south, leading to our final destination of Aswan.
Tour Details
July 27-August 8, 2027 — Sold Out, Join Waitlist Below
This is a 12-night, 13-day tour. Your adventure begins with your arrival at the Cairo airport on July 27, and ends with your departure home on August 8.
$11,995 + applicable taxes.
Skill level
Intermediate and above. Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras, and have a comfortable understanding of night photography fundamentals.
Group size
21, with 3 instructors — 7:1 ratio
Tour Leaders
Registration
Hoping to get a spot? Sign up below for our no-fee waitlist.
| • Deposit of $TK is required to reserve your spot. |
| • Balance of $TK is due on TK. → Pay balance here. |
| • You may choose the “Pay in Full” ticket if you desire to pay all at once. |
| • Last day for a cancellation request is TK. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • The workshop fee does not include lodging, food, airfare, entrance fees, or transportation to or during the workshop. |
The Egypt Experience
The Gift of the Nile provided the foundation for one of the greatest and most historic civilizations of our time: Egypt. Home of the pyramids, the last remaining Ancient Wonders of the World, and iconic monuments such as the Great Sphinx, the Temple of Abu Simbel, Karnak and Luxor—we will be transported back in time as we play with time on this 13-day immersive journey.
We’ll also experience a total solar eclipse with a totality duration of 6 minutes, 23 seconds—the longest for the rest of this century—and it will pass right over the ancient sites of Luxor.
While there will be plenty of other people in Luxor to witness the eclipse, there are so many compositions for us to aim our lenses at: from the Luxor and Karnak Temples connected by rows of sphinxes leading to ancient secrets to the cracked Colossi of Memnon. The rock-cut tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Temple of the Queen Hatshepsut represent this Necropolis UNESCO World Heritage Site on the West Bank. All together this represents the ancient and powerful capitol known as Thebes, which unified Egypt and expanded their empire for over 1,000 years.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so we are expanding this tour experience to a maximum of 21 people. Bring your family and friends and your significant other, to not only witness and photograph the eclipse but also to see so many of Egypt’s wonders. To accommodate this larger group, we will have three National Parks at Night instructors as well as local English-speaking Egyptologist guides. We’ll also have an on-site Egyptian partner who will ensure that our whole journey is seamless so that we can focus on being creative and immersing ourselves with this amazing culture and people.
Our 13-day itinerary will begin with your arrival in Cairo on July 27. Our team will pick you up at the Cairo airport and transfer you to your four-star hotel for a day of rest and relaxation after your long flight. Optional massage and spa treatments will be available before our welcome dinner, where you will meet the rest of the group.
We’ll spend the next 2.5 days visiting the top sites of the area, such as the Citadel, the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Amr Ibn al-As Mosque and the Khan El Khalili bazaar. We’ll see plenty of mummies and ancient artifacts as we spend an afternoon in the latest modern marvel: the Grand Egyptian Museum. Oh, and we’ll probably take the largest NPAN camel ride to the Great Pyramids of Giza. Our days will be long and full, and we’ll have opportunities to photograph Cairo and the Great Pyramids at night.
After Cairo we’ll take a quick flight to Luxor and unpack our bags into the luxurious Dahabiya, a traditional riverboat with modern amenities. This will be our home base for the next week as we prepare for the eclipse and explore Luxor. We’ll be in Luxor for three days before the eclipse—plenty of time for us to scout locations and familiarize ourselves with these ancient sites. Our guides will enrich our education on Egyptian history, mythology, and culture.
We’ll spend time tracking the path of the sun and using solar filters to test exposures as we push ourselves for perfect pictures and inspiring memories. We’ll also eat amazing local food created by excellent chefs aboard our ship, while avoiding the overflowing tourist restaurants.
On the eighth day we’ll start to sail south through the Esna Lock and visit the Horus and Kom Ombo Temple as we make our way to Aswan. We’ll sail into one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, Lake Nasser, created by the Aswan High Dam in 1970. This incredible modern marvel regulates the Nile’s annual floods and provides hydroelectric power for half of Egypt. The other engineering feat was how the Egyptians relocated the Philae Temple to save this historic heritage from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. We’ll wander around and search for the best angles of this ancient temple complex dedicated to the goddess Isis. The third significant site will be to visit the massive Unfinished Obelisk, still laying in its granite quarry. We’ll gain valuable insight into the techniques used by ancient Egyptians to quarry and shape stone.
On our last day on the Dahabiya we’ll take a trip to the Nubian Village on Elephantine Island. This could be one of the most picturesque landscapes we’ll visit on our adventure through Egypt. Ruins of old temples, colorful villages, mounds of spices and boldly colored wares will welcome us at every turn on this small island in the middle of the Nile.
From there we’ll say goodbye to boat life and check into a four-star hotel in Aswan for our last two nights.
On our final day we’ll visit one of the most famous and fascinating historical sites in Egypt: Abu Simbel Temple. Built during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II, it is a complex of two temples that were carved into a mountainside along the river. When the Aswan High Dam was being constructed, another massive engineering project took place—the piece-by-piece dismantling and relocating of the Abu Simbel Temple to its current location on much higher ground. Four colossal statues of Ramesses II, over 60 feet tall, guard the front entrance, and inside are incredibly preserved mural reliefs.
We’ll end our trip with a farewell dinner before we make our way back home on August 8.
What You Should Know
This tour caters to knowledgeable photographers with an intermediate or higher skill set. Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras.
If you would like to join us on this trip but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-event tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-trip reads.
What You Will Learn
You’ll go home after the tour with an appreciation of the varied Egyptian landscapes, ancient architecture, rich mythology, history and culture that has fascinated the world for thousands of years. You will also have experienced the 2027 eclipse in the world's greatest open-air museum. You will have taken many photographs, both during the daytime and at night. We want you to improve your photo skills, and Gabe, Matt and Tim will guide you as much or as little assistance as you’d like.
The primary emphasis of the tour is to make you a better travel photographer and to improve your eclipse, ancient architecture and night skills. Each participant will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Gabe, Matt and Tim in the field.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
daytime travel photography tips and tricks
planning for and capturing the total solar eclipse
creative long exposures during the day with neutral density filters
star points and trails
and more …
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Ticket Info
Included:
12 nights of lodging at four-star hotels and on a luxury Dahabiya river cruise
a welcome and farewell dinner
all breakfasts and lunches
entrance fees to all sites listed in the itinerary
private, English-speaking Egyptologist tour guides
all transportation in Egypt, including airport pickup and drop-off, air-conditioned buses, domestic flights from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo
on-site logistical coordinator
Not Included:
entry visa to Egypt
airfare from your home to Cairo and back
alcoholic beverages
dinners (aside from the welcome and farewell dinners)
extras not mentioned in the itinerary
tips for our local guides and drivers
Travel
Your journey will begin with an overnight flight to Cairo (CAI) that lands on July 27. Our tour company will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
We will have an assigned driver, roomy and air-conditioned tour bus or boat, dedicated English-speaking Egyptologist tour guide and onsite logistical coordinator at all times.
We’ll end our journey in the city Aswan on August 8 with a transfer to Cairo to catch your flight home. If you can’t get a flight home on the 8th, then we can assist with an optional last day of shopping and sightseeing in Cairo.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation to Cairo and home again.
Lodging & Food
Lodging
Your stay in Egypt will be in four-star hotels and aboard a classic Dahabiya boat sailing the Nile. These are all included in the tour fee, from check-in on July 27 to check-out on August 8, 2027.
Everything is set up for double occupancy while on the Dahabiya Cruise, however single supplements will be available for these days:
Day 1-3 (Cairo)
Days 11-12 (Aswan)
More information about single supplements will be sent upon sign up.
Food
Breakfast and lunch will be included on all days from July 28 to August 8.
A welcome and farewell dinner will also be provided (alcohol not included).
We will have a group no-host dinner each night as we revel in a variety of Egyptian cuisine.
We advise drinking plenty of water.
Weather
It will be hot but humidity will be low. Expect daytime highs in the upper 90s F, lows in the 70s. We will stay hydrated and will schedule plenty of downtime while strategically seizing the best light during the day and night.
This region has an 80 percent likelihood of clear skies for the time of year of the solar eclipse.
Recommended Attire
Light and breathable clothing, sunhats and sunscreen.
Comfortable and protective sandals or shoes that can help you navigate the dusty terrains and ancient sites.
A light jacket or sweater may be useful for cooler evenings or air-conditioned spaces.
A swimsuit for resort stays or swimming.
A scarf or shawl can be useful for covering your head when visiting mosques.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this tour is Moderate. (See more about our classifications.)
While there aren’t any hikes planned, we will have full days of pounding the pavement, the desert and the uneven terrain of many of the ancient sites. Each day will have lots of activities, some of which you can opt out of if you want to rest or be on your own. Be prepared to have a smart and lightweight camera kit for daytime explorations and a bigger kit for the eclipse and night photo sessions.
Considerations
IMPORTANT: We encourage reading our FAQs page for more information about skill and gear requirements, and other information that pertains to all our trips.
If you have questions, please contact us—we're happy to talk it over with you.
a Great Adventure …
“So many of these ancient sites were so well preserved. You could walk on the same stone streets Alexander the Great did 2,000 years ago.”
My favorite classes in high school were ancient history and geography. On my own time I studied mythology and dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. Then the Indiana Jones movies came out and made everyone want to become a whip-wielding, adventure-seeking tomb raider!
But for me, the fascination with these ancient civilizations never waned. Soon after college I had an opportunity to live in Greece for nine months, back in the drachma days. Finally, for the first time, I was able to witness and photograph so many of the classical architecture masterpieces in Italy, Greece, Turkey and beyond. Egypt was closer than ever, and I started doing my research on an extended visit to this land of ancient wonders and timeless mysteries. Let me remind you that these were the days before the internet, so research was done with libraries, travel books and word of mouth.
One particular book ended up being the pure catalyst for my journey to Egypt. It was a book about Alexander the Great, and it followed his military conquests as he created the largest empire of the ancient world. I decided to follow his path through modern-day Turkey and the Middle East.
When I got to Jordan, I had to make a decision to travel to either Petra or deeper into the Libyan desert to see the Oracle of Amon at Siwa. It was this oracle that told Alexander that he was the son of Zeus-Ammon, thus acknowledging his conquest of Egypt. It was a no-brainer for me—off to the oracle!
I spent close to two weeks immersing myself in Egypt, its culture and its history, from the mummies and pyramids of the north, to riding a falucca down the Nile to Luxor and the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Valley of the Kings.
So many of these ancient sites were so well preserved. You could walk on the same stone streets Alexander the Great did 2,000 years ago. The people were so welcoming and kind, and the food and culture so delicious and rich.
As the trip neared the end, a sense of satisfaction fell over me. I had finally experienced the timelessness of one of the most influential ancient civilizations on earth.
I didn’t know if I would return to Egypt. I had missed Aswan and Alexandria and wanted to venture out to more of the oases that dot the massive dunes of the desert. When I saw that an upcoming eclipse would not only go through Egypt but down the age-old streets of Thebes, I started preparing again!
As I scanned the 90s black and white film of my past trip, the memories came flooding back. Egypt was one of the best adventures I have ever been on, and I can’t wait to return.
