Taking to the water is a supremely soothing and restorative experience – whether you’re gliding across Vietnam’s storied Halong Bay, traversing the neon-bright waters of the Great Barrier Reef, or simply plying the waters of the ancient Nile. River cruises, overnight “boatels” and adventurous day sailings should all be a part of your luxury travel itinerary. Here’s where Luxury Gold comes in – with our built-in days at sea or along the river, you’ll see your destination from a different perspective, stopping off for bucket-list swimming and sightseeing along the way. Here are the luxury cruise experiences to book for the year ahead.

Norway’s Fjords

The peaceful, rock-encircled fjords of western Norway are a must-see while in Scandinavia. On Luxury Gold’s 12-day Timeless Scandinavia tour – which traverses three countries in total – you’ll board a RIB boat to explore its Geiranger Fjord, gliding around this hook-shaped body of water surrounded by cathedrals of rock and skyscraper-tall waterfalls. You’ll feel dwarfed by the sheer scale of nature along this unspoiled body of water, counting the Seven Sisters waterfalls along with the lonely Suitor cascade while a guide tells you all about the local landscape – and lore. Afterwards, retreat to the nature-swathed Hotel Union Gerainger, where you’ll unwind in luxury surrounded by fjordland scenery.

Book Luxury Gold’s Timeless Scandinavia tour.

Egypt’s River Nile

One of the most important waterways in the history of civilization, the Nile still hums with ancient magic. You’ll spend seven nights sailing it on Luxury Gold’s Elegance of the Nile tour, embarking on one of the world’s best luxury cruise experiences aboard the deluxe, all-suite River Tosca vessel. Drifting along past riverbank palm trees, golden kasbahs, mountainside sunsets, wading birds and crocodiles, you’ll be living in style. A spacious outdoor sundeck has a swimming pool and lavishly cushioned sun loungers, a river-view restaurant lets you order with the breeze in your hair, and a smart library-lounge with books, views and a bar are the place to unwind. 

Book Luxury Gold’s Elegance of the Nile tour.

Halong Bay & the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Southeast Asia is famous for its waters: glittering jade bays hugging white-sand beaches, snorkel-friendly lagoons, placid lily-ponds reflecting crumbling temples, jungle waterfalls with cooling pools. But nothing beats the two bucket-list experiences the region holds: Vietnam’s luminous Halong Bay and the mighty Mekong Delta. On Luxury Gold’s 16-day Inspiring Indochina tour, you’ll first take to the Mekong for a guided boat tour close from Ho Chi Minh City, stopping for lunch at the authentic Mango Home thatched restaurants and learning about life along the waterway. On day 11 of the tour, you’ll board a traditional Junk boat for one of the planet’s best luxury cruise experiences: sailing Halong Bay. A dazzling spot for a water-based adventure thanks to its bright emerald waters and vast limestone karsts (island mountains), it has floating villages, complex caves and white-sand beaches to spy from the comfort of your vessel. Sunset over this otherworldly setting is something to experience in your lifetime.

Book Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Indochina tour.

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Crowned one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the expansive Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast, can be seen from outer space. On Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Australia tour, you’ll get up close and personal with its lurid turquoise waters, containing some 2,500 individual reefs and 400 types of coral, not to mention turtles, sharks, manta rays, clownfish and colourful Maori wrasse fish. On day three of your 13-day tour, you can opt to cruise the Barrier Reef, getting to know one of the world’s most complex eco-systems from the comfort of a captained boat. Borrow masks and snorkels to see the world beneath the surface, and speed past idyllic castaway islands on a sun-soaked day at sea.

Book Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Australia tour.

Matsushima Bay, Japan

Matsushima Bay, Japan (Tohoku Tourism/JNTO)

The world’s finest luxury cruise experiences take you to the still and quiet of nature, often found a stone’s throw from the most bustling metropolis. So it is in Sendai, northeast Japan, where futuristic Japanese architecture and innovation meets the wildness of the sea and craggy coastline. While here, a cruise through Sendai’s contemplative Matsushima Bay is a must; revered as one of Japan’s top three views, it’s factored into day seven of Luxury Gold’s 11-day Majestic Japan tour. Your private sailing will give unparalleled views of the hundreds of pine-covered islands, and you’ll hear about the cultural significance of Matsushima, which has had countless Haiku poems written about its beauty. Along with a serene tea ceremony, this luxury cruise experience will cement your love of Japanese culture while in underrated Sendai.

Book Luxury Gold’s Majestic Japan tour.

More luxury cruise experiences: Beauty Beyond Words: Past Guest Sal On Cruising Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast.

Kept alive by captivating museum exhibitions, movies, artworks and documentaries, the ancient and unique appeal of Egypt as a travel destination has never waned. From the pyramids to the Nile, the bustle of Cairo with its new Egyptian Museum – millions in the making – to the mellow coastline of the Red Sea resorts, tourist season in Egypt means ample sunshine, storytelling and a rich, ancient history to capture imaginations of all ages. But when should you plan to go?

The best time to visit Egypt will vary depending on whether you’re visiting inland, riverside sights or the coast, and how active you want your trip to be. This North African nation has hot, dry summers in its desert landscapes and mild winters by the sea, with steady temperatures around the fertile Nile Delta. Whatever your wish list for digging into this culture-packed country, here are the best times to visit Egypt.

What is the best month for weather in Egypt?

Egypt is typically thought of as a winter sun destination – that is, it has the most comfortable temperatures for exploring and sightseeing over winter. Broadly, that means the best time to visit Egypt is in the months from October to April, with many choosing to fly to the Red Sea Coast (reached by airports in Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurghada) in the deepest months of winter, November to January. This tourist season sees average daily temperatures of around 70-82 Fahrenheit maximum, pleasant for beachgoing and sightseeing, while in the summer months average heat can rise to as high as 88-90 F – far too hot for moving about comfortably in the daytime. 

Egypt’s Red Sea coast has beach resorts and coral reefs

What is the hottest month in Egypt?

July and August are the joint hottest months in Egypt, with high temperatures of 99 Fahrenheit and lows of just 79-81 F. This time of year, outside the usual tourist season, is not the best time to visit Egypt, whether you’re exploring inland or staying by the coast. Most locals and tour guides would urge you to avoid the hottest summer months. Instead, wait for cooler October or November, or go earlier than summer in March or April, to enjoy active days out such as visiting the pyramids at Giza, taking a cruise along the Nile River or seeing the majestic temples at Karnak or Luxor. 

We also think you’ll like: Riches of the Nile: Why Egypt’s icon is the grandest river in the world

Egypt’s desert sights are best explored outside of summer

What is the cheapest month to go to Egypt?

While the central summer months are too hot to visit Egypt, the “shoulder seasons” of April-May and September-October are bearable weather wise, with some of the cheapest flights, hotel room rates and best availability for tours. This is a popular time to visit the Red Sea resorts of Sharm-el-Sheikh, Hurghada and El Gouna, when flight and hotel package deals dip in price and the middle of the day can feel very hot – but you have the sea to cool you, and the area’s incredible coral reefs to snorkel or dive. Winter in Egypt is more expensive, as tourists from Europe escape their colder climates for its balmy winter weather. Cruises along the enchanting River Nile operate all year round, so those who don’t mind braving the heat will save money on tours from June to August. Between March and May, a phenomenon called the Khamsin Wind can bring thick dust and sandstorms to the sightseeing areas around Giza and Luxor, which is less than ideal for visitors.

Bright coral found off Egypt’s coast

Does it get cold in Egypt?

Winter in Egypt is still a mild affair – Egypt’s weather in December sees warm, dry and sunny days with high temperatures of around 73 F, while Egypt’s weather in January is similar with highs of 72 F around the Red Sea coast. Winter is one of the best times to visit Egypt, with the milder heat meaning you can explore freely without worrying about overheating; though you may want the balmier evenings of November or February-March. Things are slightly cooler in Cairo in the heart of winter, with December and January seeing lows of 48 F in the city, while highs reach around 64 F. You’ll need to pack jackets and cardigans for meals out here, or for a Nile Cruise in December or January, when evenings cool off (though the weather is still mild by day). 

We also think you’ll like: Egypt, a Country of Contrast

Visit Egypt on Luxury Gold’s 11-day Elegance of the Nile tour.

From King Tut’s tomb in Egypt to Roman relics in England, you’ll find endless hidden treasures when you explore ancient civilization sites around the world with Luxury Gold. We’ve selected some of the highlights to inspire your next luxury journey.

King Tut’s Tomb, Luxor, Egypt

As one of the oldest ancient civilizations on the planet, the Ancient Egyptian timeline stretches from before 3100 BCE until the end of the Roman Period around 400 CE. Even the Ancient Egyptians studied the Ancient Egyptians, unearthing hidden treasures and studying them with a reverent curiosity. King Tut’s Tomb, however, is a modern-day discovery that is rivaled only by the pyramids and the Sphinx. 

A century ago, archaeologists stumbled upon a staircase in the Valley of the Kings: one leading to the tomb of King Tutankhamen, a young pharaoh of Egypt with a short and debatably uneventful reign. The discovery of his tomb, however, was one of the most important in the study of Ancient Egypt.

Hidden in the sand, it was overlooked by centuries of tomb raiders. While the treasures in the surrounding king’s tombs were near-empty by the time modern archaeologists studied them, Tut’s tomb and its contents were relatively undisturbed, leading to both new revelations of Ancient Egypt and the cultural boom of Egyptomania that still captivates the world today.

Take a seven-night luxury Nile cruise, see King Tut’s Tomb, the Great Pyramids of Giza and more on our Luxury Nile river cruise.

You may be interested to read: Riches of the Nile: Why Egypt’s icon is the grandest river in the world

Pachacamac Idol, Lima, Peru

Between the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, it’s easy to forget that ancient civilizations like the Inca were found throughout what’s now known as Peru. Which is why it’s so inspiring and exciting when hidden treasures are still unearthed in modern cities like Lima.

The Pachacamac Idol is a statue more than 2 meters high (over 7-feet tall) and was first introduced in modern-day history via Spanish colonial accounts. A conquistador attempted to destroy it in the 1530s; an attempt that was thought successful until the 1930s when it was uncovered near Lima at the Painted Temple archaeological site.

The Painted Temple was a holy pilgrimage site where this idol, believed to house an oracle, was unearthed. Although its existence alone is a priceless discovery, scientists have recently carbon-dated the statue and believe that the Pachacamac Idol was carved between 760 and 876 AD — predating the Incan empire’s arrival. 

Bookmark for later: Embrace the spirituality of the Incas in Peru’s Sacred Valley

Roman God Sculpted Heads, Carlisle, England

Italy may be the epicenter of Ancient Rome, but this iconic ancient civilization left hidden treasures scattered throughout Europe. Even in Great Britain, archaeologists are still uncovering remnants of Roman occupation. One of their most recent discoveries are sculptures of Roman gods found at a cricket club (how quintessentially British).

The area around the Carlisle Cricket Club is a trove of hidden treasures: over 1,000 artifacts including coins, pottery, weapons, and more have been found over the last two years. Once the site of a Roman bathhouse, these sculpture heads are dated around 200 AD and their large size is an especially uncommon feature found in Roman Britain. 

You may also like to read: Blooming Romance: Where to Find England’s Finest Rose Gardens

Stone Turtle Statue, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Excavations of the Angkor Wat temple complex are ongoing, and have been since its discovery in 1840. Today, however, might yield some of the most exciting rediscoveries of the last 200 years. A large stone turtle statue was found in the Srah Srang reservoir during excavations of a small temple. The turtle is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, so it’s far from a common find. What’s significant, however, is similar statues and artifacts are being found in other nearby temples within the reservoir. 

Archaeologists are discovering new undocumented medieval cities buried around Angkor Wat, and with these submerged temples yielding significant artifacts, there’s hope that other vast temple complexes may be unearthed around Siem Reap.