Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan
Azhar
Twelve guests under lateen sail
Azhar is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat), built 2025. It has 6 cabins and 8 suites for up to 12 guests and sails itineraries of 3, 4 or 13 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.
Good to know
Twelve guests under lateen sail. A 2025-built sailing dahabiya of six cabins for up to twelve guests, running the Esna-Aswan reach under lateen sails, for a small-group Nile.
- Fleet
- Independent
- Accommodation
- 6 cabins · 8 suites
- Guests
- Up to 12
- Built
- 2025
- Route
- Esna - El Kab - Edfu - Gebel el-Silsila / Hagar Salsala - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae), with shore excursions to Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings
- Trip length
- 3 · 4 · 13 nights
- Departures
- Mondays from Esna (4-night) and Fridays from Aswan (3-night)
- Season
- High season October to April; peak season 18 December - 6 January and 21 March - 4 April.
About Azhar
Azhar is a sailing dahabiya built in 2025, with six cabins for up to twelve guests, drifting the Esna-to-Aswan reach under lateen sails. The cabins run twelve to sixteen square metres behind large windows, with en suite bathrooms and daily cabin service.
The route calls at El Kab, Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila and Kom Ombo before Aswan and Philae, with shore excursions reaching Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Trips run four and five days, with weekly departures from Esna and from Aswan.
Aboard there is a sun deck with panoramic Nile views, a library, a dining room serving freshly prepared Egyptian cuisine, and a bar. Full board runs from lunch on the day of boarding, and the boat sails shared or as a private charter depending on availability.
Highlights
- Built 2025, six cabins, up to 12 guests
- Esna to Aswan under lateen sails
- Moors at El Kab and Gebel el-Silsila
- Sun deck, library and dining room
- Available shared or as private charter
At sail
Day by day
Azhar sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Esna - El Kab - Edfu - Gebel el-Silsila / Hagar Salsala - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae), with shore excursions to Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings Departures mondays from esna (4-night) and fridays from aswan (3-night). 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
6 cabins · up to 12 guests · whole boat from about US$14,160 a night
About US$14,160 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$84,960 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 Azhar.
That is the arithmetic of Azhar'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.
What Azhar costs in 2026/2027
The published rate is US$3,540 per person, 3-night , checked on 2026-09-05.
We are not publishing a trip total for Azhar, 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.
- The published figure is quoted per person, 3-night, which does not multiply into a trip total.
- 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
- Cabins (standard through suite) - 6 units, 12-16 sqm, occupancy 2. 12-16 m2 with large windows, private en suite bathrooms and daily cabin service; no interconnecting cabins.
- Veranda Suite - 8 units, 22.3 sqm, occupancy up to 2. 8 Veranda Suites of 240 sq ft (approx 22.3 sqm) each with a private balcony, for 16 guests.
- Dining
- Full board from lunch on embarkation day to breakfast on disembarkation day
- Chef-prepared freshly made Egyptian cuisine using local ingredients
- Still water included with meals; alcoholic drinks excluded
- Facilities
- Sun deck with panoramic Nile views
- Library
- Jacuzzi
- Back deck
- Restaurant / dining room
- Bar
- Air conditioning
- Wi-Fi
- Concierge, room service, daily cabin service
- Non-smoking; family rooms available
- Itineraries
- 5 days / 4 nights Esna to Aswan, departing Monday
- 4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Esna, departing Friday
- 'Unforgettable Egypt and Nile River Cruise', 13 nights Aswan to Luxor, 33 departures from September 2026
Keep planning
Plan your Nile cruise
Good to know
Azhar questions, answered
How much does Azhar cost?
Advertised rates start from US$3,540 per person for 3 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.
How many cabins does Azhar have?
6 cabins and 8 suites, for up to 12 guests.
What route does Azhar sail?
Esna - El Kab - Edfu - Gebel el-Silsila / Hagar Salsala - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae), with shore excursions to Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings, departing Mondays from Esna (4-night) and Fridays from Aswan (3-night).
What's included on Azhar?
Full board lunch-on-embarkation to breakfast-on-disembarkation, shore excursions, transfers, still water with meals. Excludes alcoholic drinks.
What guests say
Independent traveller reviews of Azhar, quoted with attribution — we don’t collect these ourselves.
5 out of 5via Tripadvisor (12)
- ★★★★★
“The food was delicious and the room was super clean with good shower.”
— Curiosity11153931354 · via Tripadvisor
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