Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Akhnaton

Six cabins under sail, Esna to Aswan

Akhnaton is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat). It has 5 cabins and 1 suites and sails itineraries of 3 or 4 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Six cabins under sail, Esna to Aswan. A small two-masted sailing dahabiya of five cabins and one suite, drifting Esna and Luxor to Aswan via Edfu and Kom Ombo, for travellers who prefer a quiet, personal Nile.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 5Board full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Independent
Accommodation: 5 cabins · 1 suites
Route: Esna / Luxor - Edfu - Gebel el-Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae), and the reverse
Trip length: 3 · 4 nights
Season: Both routes run January to December (year-round).

About Akhnaton

Akhnaton is a two-masted sailing boat carrying just five twin cabins and a single suite, decorated in a colonial style that harks back to the early river voyages. The twin cabins combine into doubles, each with a private bathroom and air conditioning, while the suite adds larger windows for wider views of the passing bank.

The wind-powered passage runs between Esna or Luxor and Aswan over four or five days, calling at Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila and Kom Ombo before reaching the Philae temple at Aswan. Sailing at the pace of the current, the boat can moor at islands and quieter shore sites that larger cruisers pass by.

On board there is a library of Egyptian literature, a salon of low sofas, a lounge bar and a shaded sun deck with loungers. Full-board dining is prepared fresh by an onboard chef, with afternoon tea, cakes and complimentary drinks through the day.

Highlights

Just five cabins and one suite
Two-masted sailing boat, colonial-style interiors
Esna and Luxor to Aswan via Edfu, Kom Ombo
Library, salon, lounge bar and sun deck
Full board with fresh onboard cooking

At sail

Day by day

Akhnaton sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Esna / Luxor - Edfu - Gebel el-Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae), and the reverse The order of the temples is fixed by the river, so what changes between programmes is the direction and how much is fitted into each day.

Luxor to Aswan, 4 nights (package)usually departs Saturday

Day 1
Luxor, embark and Karnak
Board at Luxor. Karnak in the afternoon, before the boat moves.
Visits Karnak
Day 2
The west bank, then the Esna lock
The tombs early, while it is still cool, then cast off and pass through the Esna lock.
Visits Valley of the Kings · Hatshepsut · Colossi of Memnon · Esna lock
Optional hot-air balloon at dawn
Day 3
Edfu
Edfu, the most complete temple on the river, from the mooring.
Visits Esna lock · Edfu
Day 4
Sailing
No temple on this day. The boat sails the quiet reach south of Edfu and moors where the large ships cannot, which is the reason to take a dahabiya at all. Every one of the three published itineraries leaves this day empty.
Day 5
Aswan, and disembark
The High Dam and Philae on arrival, then disembarkation.
Visits High Dam · Philae
Optional Abu Simbel by road or air

Aswan to Luxor, 3 nightsusually departs Wednesday

Day 1
Aswan, embark
Board at Aswan, then the High Dam and Philae the same afternoon.
Visits High Dam · Philae
Optional felucca among the islands
Day 2
Kom Ombo
Sail north to Kom Ombo, whose double temple stands directly above the water. Half the published itineraries add Gebel el-Silsila, the old sandstone quarry, which no large ship stops at.
Visits Kom Ombo
Optional Abu Simbel, pre-dawn by road or air · Gebel el-Silsila
Day 3
Through the Esna lock
Edfu in the morning on most departures, then the Esna lock, which the boat often waits for. Moor at Luxor.
Visits Esna lock · Edfu
Day 4
The Luxor west bank, and disembark
The west bank on the last morning. Half of the departures add Karnak before the transfer.
Visits Valley of the Kings · Hatshepsut · Colossi of Memnon
Optional Karnak

Day structure aggregated from the published itineraries for this class of boat and direction. Operators shift a call by half a day and the Esna lock queue moves everything; confirm the running order for your departure.

Take the whole boat

5 cabins · whole boat from about US$3,500 a night

About US$3,500 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$21,000 for a six-night sailing.

A boat this size is a single family. Everyone eats at one table, the deck is yours alone, and the boat moves when your party is ready rather than when a schedule says so. Tell us your dates, and how many adults and children, and we will price the whole of Akhnaton.

That is the arithmetic of Akhnaton's own published cabin fares, not a quoted charter rate. Operators price exclusive use separately, and usually below the sum of the cabins, so tell us your dates and we will come back with the real figure.

Price the whole boat

What Akhnaton costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$1,050 per person, 3-night; agencies quote US$1,050 (Golavita) to US$1,206 (Discovery Tours Egypt) , checked on 2026-09-21.

We are not publishing a trip total for Akhnaton, for the reasons below. Ask us and we will quote the sailing you want.

What this figure is, and is not

The published figure may be a low-season or triple-occupancy rate rather than the year-round double.
Published as a range rather than a single figure.
Rates move with season, cabin and departure. We quote every sailing live, and there is no booking fee to ask.

Source: the operator's published rates

The boat in detail

Cabin categories: Standard cabin - 4 units, occupancy 2. Twin beds, combinable into a double; private bathroom, air conditioning.
Suite - 1 unit. Larger windows than the standard cabins, private bathroom.
Dining: Full board
Traditional Egyptian cuisine, fresh local ingredients prepared by an onboard chef
Afternoon tea with cakes and pastries
Complimentary tea, coffee, mineral and bottled water
Facilities: Library stocked with Egyptian literature
Salon with sofas
Lounge / bar with Wi-Fi
Sun deck with loungers and shaded areas
Private bathrooms in all cabins and the suite
Fully equipped galley
Evening entertainment - belly dancer, Arabic and English music
Itineraries: 5 days / 4 nights Esna to Aswan via Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila, Kom Ombo, Aswan and Philae Temple
4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Luxor
5 days / 4 nights Luxor to Aswan via Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

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Good to know

Akhnaton questions, answered

How much does Akhnaton cost?

Advertised rates start from US$1,050 per person for 3 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Akhnaton have?

5 cabins and 1 suites.

What route does Akhnaton sail?

Esna / Luxor - Edfu - Gebel el-Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae), and the reverse.

What's included on Akhnaton?

3 nights on board full board, meet and assist, private air-conditioned transfers, private excursions with entrance fees between Luxor and Aswan. Excludes extra meals, beverages, tipping and optional tours.