Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan

Points of Interest : Luxor

Upon arrival at Luxor Airport, you will be met by a local representative, assisted with the arrival and entry formalities, and then transferred in a private vehicle to your hotel in Luxor.

Once you have checked in and settled into your room, the rest of the day is free. You can choose to relax at the hotel or start exploring the remarkable city of Luxor at your own pace, taking in the Nile views and nearby sites.

• Meals included : None
• Accommodation : Hotel in Luxor

Points of Interest : Luxor

In the morning you are picked up from your hotel in Luxor and transferred to the Dahabiya to begin your Nile cruise. After boarding and settling into your cabin, lunch is served on board.

In the afternoon you head out to explore two of Egypt’s most famous temple complexes: Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. Luxor Temple, dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship, is believed to have been the place where many pharaohs were crowned. Today it forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a highlight of any Egypt journey.

You then visit Karnak, one of the largest religious complexes in the ancient world, with its monumental columns and richly carved reliefs, offering deep insight into pharaonic religion and power.

In the evening you return to the west bank of Luxor for dinner and spend the night there.

• Meals included : Lunch and dinner
• Accommodation : Dahabiya moored on the west bank of Luxor

Points of Interest : Luxor

After breakfast on board, you cross to the West Bank of Luxor to discover some of ancient Egypt’s most iconic funerary sites. You visit the Valley of the Kings, burial place of many New Kingdom pharaohs, where you can enter several richly decorated tombs (standard tombs included; special tombs such as Tutankhamun’s require an extra ticket).

You continue to the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh of Egypt’s New Kingdom, who ruled peacefully for around 20 years. Her terraced temple is set dramatically against soaring cliffs.

You then stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive seated statues that once guarded the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, and learn about their history and legends.

Lunch is served back on board as you start sailing towards Esna. During the afternoon you can relax and enjoy a traditional tea on the sun deck while observing Nile life along the banks. Dinner is served while sailing, and you spend the night moored near an island on the river.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Accommodation : Dahabiya moored beside a Nile island

Points of Interest : Luxor

You enjoy breakfast on board while the Dahabiya passes through the Esna lock, an interesting moment to watch river navigation in action. The cruise continues south along the Nile, and lunch is served during the journey.

Later you visit Edfu Temple, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, dedicated to the local falcon god Hor-Behdeti, or “Horus of Edfu”. Built during the Ptolemaic period, its inscriptions provide valuable details about temple construction and the mythological meaning of such sanctuaries.

After the visit, the boat continues sailing towards Al Ramady Island. In the evening, you enjoy a private dinner on the island, accompanied by an exclusive Egyptian Rababa music performance, offering an intimate cultural experience under the stars.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Accommodation : Dahabiya near Al Ramady Island

Points of Interest : Aswan

Breakfast is served on board as you sail towards Kom Ombo. On arrival you visit the remarkable Kom Ombo Temple, famous for its perfectly symmetrical “double” design. Every hall, sanctuary and chamber is duplicated, with the southern half dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the northern half to Haroeris, a form of Horus associated with fertility and creation.

You return to the Dahabiya for lunch as the boat continues south. Later you reach Hor Diab Island, where you have the unique opportunity to swim in some of the Nile’s cleanest and clearest waters, in a safe area away from currents.

Dinner is served on board while you sail on towards Aswan. You arrive and spend the night moored in Aswan.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Accommodation : Dahabiya in Aswan

Points of Interest : Aswan

After breakfast on board you set out to explore Aswan’s key monuments. You visit the High Dam, an impressive feat of modern engineering that created Lake Nasser and transformed Egypt’s water management.

You then continue by boat to the island of Philae to visit the Temple of Isis, one of the last active centers of the ancient Egyptian religion, where the cult of Isis continued until the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (6th century AD). Its elegant colonnades and island setting make it one of Egypt’s most atmospheric temples.

You return to the Dahabiya for lunch. In the afternoon you have free time on board to relax, and you may choose an optional excursion to a Nubian village to learn more about local culture and traditions. Dinner is served on board in the evening.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Accommodation : Dahabiya in Aswan

Points of Interest : Aswan

You start the day with breakfast on board. Very early in the morning there is the possibility to join an optional excursion to the Abu Simbel Temples, located in Nubia near Egypt’s southern border. Carved directly into the rock by Ramses II, these colossal temples are among the most impressive monuments in Egypt and were dramatically relocated in the 1960s to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

After returning to the Dahabiya, lunch is served while you resume sailing. You cruise back north on the Nile towards El Ramady Island, enjoying the peaceful river scenery from the deck as the sun sets over the desert banks.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Accommodation : Dahabiya near El Ramady Island

Points of Interest : Esna

In the early morning the Dahabiya sets sail towards Esna. You enjoy breakfast on board while the boat glides along the river. You once again pass through the Esna lock, watching the maneuver from the deck.

Lunch is served as you continue sailing north to Luxor. On arrival in Luxor, you disembark onto the west bank, where you have time to relax and reflect on your journey. Dinner is served and you spend your last night in the Luxor West Bank area.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Accommodation : Dahabiya or accommodation on the west bank of Luxor

Points of Interest : Luxor Airport

After a final breakfast on board, you disembark the Dahabiya in Luxor. A private transfer takes you to Luxor Airport in time for your onward or return flight home, marking the end of your Nile cruise adventure.

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Last day : Private transfer to Luxor Airport for your flight home