The Route: An unhurried 15-day, 150-mile journey downriver from Luxor to Aswan, traveling by traditional 35-foot felucca, train, and private bus. You'll also get a chance to snorkel the Red Sea.

When to go: Year-round

Difficulty: Easy

Travel advisory: Feluccas — the same craft that ferried stones to build the ancient temples — have no motors, so your schedule is subject to the whims of the wind. To make up time, you may have to skip stops or switch to the bus.

High/low points:

• Picking out desert-bright Orion from your sleeping bag on the deck.
• Riding four hours to the Valley of Kings on a skinny, rawboned donkey named Ballbuster.