• Dahabiya Nile Sailing •

Dahabiya Sailing on the Nile

5 Days - 4 Nights - Luxor to Aswan

Guaranteed Departure

Day by Day

Itinerary

Short Description: A Dahabiya Nile Cruise is the most unique, authentic and exclusive way to experience the Nile in elegance and comfort. Dahabiyas are traditional wooden sailing boats with private cabins with ensuite, originally designed to take 19th Century travellers along the Nile in comfort. For those who want to experience culture, history, and relaxation as they pass along the Nile Valley, there is no better way than a Dahabiya cruise.

ITINERARY

Day 1 (usually Monday)

To join the dahabiya, which is part of the Luxor governorate, we drive about an hour from Luxor to Esna. We visit the Temple of Esna and restored caravanserai and market, then check in to the dahabiya and sail to El Hegz Village for a unique cultural experience. Lunch and dinner are on board the dahabiya.

We will drive to Esna. Here we explore the Temple dedicated to the ram headed god Khnum. The temple sits below street level within the town, as it was excavated from layers of earth. Enjoy discovering heritage craft traditions including beautiful textiles as we visit the restored Wekalet Al-Geddawi, a caravanserai, and the Ottoman era market of Al-Qissariya.

We then check in to the Dahabiya and enjoy lunch on board as we sail for about 4-5 hours to El Hegz Village. This is an opportunity for true cross cultural exchange as we visit a local family who are excited to have visitors from the wider world. Your guide will translate so you can ask them questions and enhance your understanding of village culture. Dinner and your first night on the Nile, enjoying the comforts of the dahabiya.

NOTE: Departure takes place from any address in Luxor to Esna, home port of the Dahabiya. At Esna there are two dams, one from the colonial period and a new dam that has two locks. This is why we prefer starting dahabiya tours from Esna – so that we can avoid going through the locks.

Day 2

Breakfast on board, sailing to El Kab. Transfer to see the massive walls of the ancient town of Nekheb and explore the New Kingdom tombs. Sail to Edfu, Ride to visit the Temple of Horus. Sailing with dinner and free time as you overnight on the dahabiya.

At El Kab remains of ancient settlements date from about 3,000 BC (possibly centuries earlier) to Roman rule. The site is one of the most unique in Egypt because ancient villages and cities are rarely found. As we move inland you will see remains of the impressive mud brick walls and the long valley lined with tombs and shrines, including temples dedicated to Nekhbet and Thoth. We enter the decorated tombs of New Kingdom officials from the area.

We board the dahabiya for lunch and sail towards Edfu. Ride to the imposing Temple with its grand spaces and many hieroglyphic inscriptions. View Tell Edfu to the West of the temple, which includes houses dating from the Old to New Kingdom. If time allows we also stroll through the local market.
We sail again, time to relax with dinner, and drift into dreams as you are now becoming part of the rhythms of the Nile.

Day 3

Stepping off the dahabiya at Bisaw Island and village we take a leisurely walk through a farm, meet some of the women and children and learn how the unique sun bread is baked in homes here. We are welcomed by the local fishermen to their boats, learning of the skills of these men who live in harmony with the Nile. Fish caught can be enjoyed as part of dinner that evening.

Sail to El Selsela where we take a short walk parallel to the Nile to visit shrines and a massive quarry. Large amounts of sandstone was quarried here for temple building in Thebes (Luxor). Cut into the rock are the speos (chapel) of Horemheb with its sanctuary containing rock shrines and various stelae and inscriptions. The huge quarry gives context to how much building material was sourced from this area. There is also an area of sand here where children (and children at heart) can slide and play.

We sail until it is time for an atmospheric barbeque dinner by moonlight and another tranquil night on board.

Stepping off the dahabiya at Bisaw Island and the village, we take a leisurely walk through a farm, meet some of the women and children, and learn how the unique sun bread is baked in homes here. We are welcomed by the local fishermen to their boats, learning of the skills of these men who live in harmony with the Nile. Fish caught can be enjoyed as part of dinner that evening.

Sail to El Selsela, where we take a short walk parallel to the Nile to visit shrines and a massive quarry. Large amounts of sandstone were quarried here for temple buildings in Thebes (Luxor). Cut into the rock are the speos (chapel) of Horemheb, with its sanctuary containing rock shrines and various stelae and inscriptions. The huge quarry gives context to how much building material was sourced from this area. There is also an area of sand here where children (and children at heart) can slide and play.

We sail until it is time for an atmospheric barbecue dinner by moonlight and another tranquil night on board.

Day 4

Breakfast on board. Visit Kom Ombo temple and the Crocodile Museum. In the nearby town of Daraw you learn how to shop like a local at the market, visit a barn to meet camels and learn about the camel trade, and visit a Nubian Town. As we sail closer to Aswan if you wish there is an opportunity to swim or kayak. Farewell dinner and sail to our final destination Aswan.

A short walk from the dahabiya dock, the Temple of Kom Ombo is dedicated to the crocodile-featured god Sobek and the god Horus. The connection to the power of the Nile is unmistakable as you look towards the temple. We also visit the Crocodile Museum which includes some impressive mummified crocodiles.

In nearby El Daraw we plan dinner for that night and you learn how to shop Egyptian style, then try your new skills in the market shopping for ingredients for dinner. We also visit a camel barn to learn about these fascinating animals and about the camel trade.

We visit a Nubian Town. From about 7,000 BC, communities evolved from African Nile Valley civilisations to form the Nubian, Ancient Egyptian and Kushite civilizations. There are several Nubian communities near Daraw. Nubian civilization is one of the oldest in the Nile River valley. Nubians are a distinct ethno-linguistic group indigenous to southern Egypt and northern Sudan, but Nubians in Egypt who were displaced by the construction of the High Dam near Aswan now mostly live north of Lake Nasser. Although Nubians are historically and culturally distinct from other Egyptians, they have long been interconnected with Egypt. While many Egyptian pharaohs colonized Nubia at various times, Nubian pharaohs from the Kingdom of Kush ruled Ancient Egypt in the 7th Century BC.

As we near Aswan you have the opportunity to swim or kayak. If you wish to kayak please advise us two days before the dahabiya tour begins so we can be sure to have kayaks available.

We set sail on the final stretch of the dahabiya cruise, with lunch and time to reflect on your dahabiya experience. By the farewell dinner, we are sure you will want to return to see more of Egypt, and we hope this was not your last night on board the dahabiya.

Day 5

Breakfast on board and check out of the Dahabiya.

OPTIONAL TOURS AND ACTIVITIES

LUXOR

LUXOR: The following attractions might require an extra day in Luxor.

West Bank. West bank of Luxor is home to countless tombs, temples and the village of the workmen who
built and applied their artistry to the tombs and temples. As we start exploring the West Bank our first visit is to the Colossi of Memnon. These two imposing sandstone statues that indicate the site of the mortuary temple of 18th dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III (1386 – 1353 BC)

Valley of the Kings which is part of the necropolis of ancient Thebes.
This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more than a thousand years the kings, queens and nobles of the New Kingdom (1500 – 1070 BC) chose to be buried here.

Temple of Hatshepsut. During her reign the female pharaoh Hatshepsut (1473 – 1458 BC) built a mortuary temple at Deir el Bahari, situated directly across the Nile from Karnak Temple which was the main sanctuary of the god Amun. Many find it one of the most beautiful of all the temples constructed in Egypt.

Ancient Workmen Village. Deir el-Medina is the Arabic name for the village where the craftsmen and artisans who worked on the tombs and other monuments of the West bank lived, including those in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

Hot Air Balloon ride. Hot Air Balloon ride over Luxor West Bank for the sun rise. (about 50 min flying)

East Bank:

Karnak Temple is huge, the site covers more than 100 hectares. Construction at Karnak began in the Middle Kingdom (2000 – 1700 BC) and continued into the Ptolemaic era (305–30 BC). Its size and variety within the site that make it extraordinary.
Luxor Temple, located approximately three kilometers south of Karnak Temple. These temples were linked with a processional way bordered with sphinxes, now known as Avenue of the Sphinxes. It is the only temple in the world where ancient Egyptian religions, Greek and Roman cults, Christianity and Islam have been practiced. The temple was substantially built by Amenhotep III (c.1390–1352 BC) and Ramesses II (1279–1213 BC).

Dendera and Abydos, if you wish to explore Dandara or Abydos, we can organize your tours on the days before the Dahabiya, which might add another extra day in

ASWAN

Philae, giving you a picturesque approach to the site. During the 1960s the monuments on this island were relocated from the original Philae island nearby so they would not be flooded because of the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Philae includes many structures, mostly dating to the Ptolemaic era (332–30 BC). Unfinished Obelisk. Obelisks are four-sided, tapered monuments which were called tekhenu by the Ancient Egyptians. It is estimated that the unfinished obelisk would have measured 42 meters and weighed 1200 tons, which would have made it the largest obelisk constructed by the ancient Egyptians.

The High Dam and enjoy views of the Old Aswan Dam and the Nubian Lake (Lake Nasser). Seeing the High Dam and lake adds to your understanding of how the changing flow of the Nile has influenced Egyptian history. The dam was built to control the flooding of the Nile, increase water storage for irrigation, and generate hydroelectricity. However, the large area flooded caused the relocation of more than 100,000 people. Many archeological sites were submerged.

The Elephantine Island archeological site. This is one of the most unique sites in upper Egypt because here you can see across 4,000 years of Egypt’s history, from 3,000 BC until late Mediaeval times (12th to 14th centuries). Remains on the island range from prehistory, including the oldest temple in Egypt.

Nubian village and visit Animalia House Museum which is an excellent place to learn about Nubian culture and the changes that came about with the building of the High Dam. Felucca ride on the Nile River, a leisurely boat trip with views of the Nobles tombs, Agha Khan Mausoleum, and Plantation Island. As you sail you will also see the Old Cataract hotel We can also include a visit to the Aswan souq (market).

Abu Simbel temples

Lying in Abu Simbel town, 3 hours drive (each way) from Aswan to the south about 230 km (140 mi) southwest of Aswan, part of the UNESCO Nubian world heritage sites including two massive rock-cut temples dating back to Ramses II of the 19th dynasty, Abu Simbel temples were relocated by archaeologists as construction of the dam began in 1960 in a rescue operation .

Temples of Kalabsha

Also known as the Temple of Mandulis was originally located at Bab al-Kalabsha about 50 km south of Aswan. The temple was on the UNESCO Nubian sites list together with other outstanding examples of Nubian architecture including the ones in El Seboua and Amada. The temple is moved to its current location just across from the High Dam.

The Nubian Museum

will give you more insights to the multifaceted history of this area, and of how monuments and edifices were made.

-                                        Dahabiya Tour Detailed Quote
-                                        USD 940 Per Person in Double Cabin
-  All Tours on board (professional English speaking guide on board the Dahabiya). Other languages are available on request.


  Transfers


 Dahabiya accommodation in a double cabin 4 nights with all meals and drinks included (Shared Dahabiya).


 All Entry Fees.
-                                        USD 330 Per Suite Per 4 Nights
-  Dahabiya Suite supplement (when available)
-                                        USD 720 Per Person Per Cabin Per 4 Nights
-  Single supplement
-                                        NOT INCLUDING
- Optional tours.


Alcohol on board (You can bring your own) .


Gratitude.


Any other thing not mentioned above.
-                                        NOTES
- Private Dahabiya is available, as for a tailored quote.


Dressing code is conservative while visiting the local villages.


The above prices are subject to change if a high inflation rate happens as a result of government practices, pandemic or economic problems.


In case of any complication in sailing, some changes in the itinerary might happen.


If there are any unforeseen circumstances and the boat assigned for your tour is unable to sail, Dahabiya Nile Sailing/Real Egypt is responsible for arranging a similar boat for your tour.