Dahabiyas 2026/27
The best dahabiyas on the Nile, by what you want
A dahabiya is a small sailing boat of four to twenty cabins that takes three to seven nights between Luxor or Esna and Aswan. The best one for you depends on four things: how many people are travelling, how much comfort you want, how long you have, and which day you can start. These are the boats we know best and recommend, grouped by those needs.
Best for a first dahabiya: Loulia, Nora, The Orient and Zekrayaat
Four sister boats with the same simple formula: six or fewer cabins, the quiet Esna to Aswan reach over three or four nights, and departures guaranteed every week through 2026 and 2027.
A guaranteed departure matters more than it sounds. Many dahabiyas sail only once enough cabins are sold; these four leave on fixed days whatever the bookings. Loulia has four cabins and two terrace suites with private balconies, furnished with antiques and hand-woven rugs. Nora is a rebuilt 19th-century design with a Nile library and afternoon tea on deck, and guests remember their Egyptologists by name. The Orient is the smallest, with four cabins and one suite for ten guests. Zekrayaat has suite cabins with terraces and serves dinner on board or on the riverbank.
All four stop at El Kab, Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila and Kom Ombo, places the big ships pass or visit in a crowd. Pick the boat by the day you can start (see the table below), then by cabin.
Best for couples and honeymoons: The Orient, Loulia and Lazuli Highness
Choose the smallest boat you can, and ask for the suite. With ten or twelve guests on board, the deck, the guide and the evenings feel close to private.
Guests on The Orient often share the boat with only a handful of others. On Loulia the two terrace suites have their own balconies over the river. Lazuli Highness, built in 2023, carries ten guests in five cabins and has one double suite with a terrace-balcony at the stern and a jacuzzi on the upper deck. If you would rather not share at all, every one of these can be booked as a whole boat (see what a whole boat costs).
Best for families and friends: Lazuli Albatros, Akhnaton and Nora
Families do best on a boat they can fill. Eight cabins or fewer means one family or a group of friends can take most or all of it.
Lazuli Albatros takes twelve guests in eight cabins and has a library-salon with a billiard table, a sun-deck bar and a jacuzzi. Akhnaton has five cabins, and guests praise a crew that handles requests without fuss, food that copes with gluten-free and vegetarian diets, and a barbecue on a Nile island. Nora’s cabins have room for an extra bed or a baby cot. For party sizes cabin by cabin, see which boat fits your group.
Best for extra comfort: Iris and Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya II
If you want the dahabiya pace with hotel comforts, two new boats from 2025 stand out: Iris, with a heated pool, and Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya II, with a gym, a spa and a lift.
Iris has deluxe cabins of about 20 square metres with sliding panoramic windows, suites with verandas on the upper deck, and a heated pool and whirlpool on deck. Guests describe it as quiet, with no engine hum and housekeeping twice a day; it does not sell alcohol, so bring your own. Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya II has nine cabins of 25 to 35 square metres, an open-air hot tub, and a lift to every level, which makes it the rare dahabiya that suits travellers who find stairs hard (see Nile cruising with limited mobility).
Best for a full week: Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya and Farouz El Nil
Most dahabiyas sail three or four nights between Esna and Aswan. For seven nights on the water, choose a boat that sails the whole river from Luxor.
The original Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya (2009, nine cabins for twelve guests) sails seven nights between Luxor and Aswan every Saturday in both directions, with a sun-deck bar and a jacuzzi. The three Jaz boats Farouz El Nil I, II and III (built 2018, refitted 2023, six cabins each) sail five and seven nights between Luxor and Aswan via Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo.
Best for a larger group: Lazuli Karnak and Lazuli Abydos
For a group of up to twenty, take a ten-cabin boat. Lazuli Karnak and Lazuli Abydos, both built in 2022, carry twenty guests each.
Lazuli Karnak includes a private Egyptologist and dinners on deck under canvas or the stars; it leaves Esna on Sundays and Mondays. Lazuli Abydos is its twin in spirit, with a library-salon, an upper-deck jacuzzi and shared-table dinners. Note the cabins: standard cabins on these two are about 9.5 square metres, so ask for one of the two panoramic suites at the stern if space matters. The rest of the Lazuli fleet, including Altesse, sails the same reach.
Side by side
Cabins, routes and departure days
Cabin counts are from each boat’s own specification (cabins, then guests where published). Departure days are for 2026 and 2027 and can change, so always confirm when you book.
| Boat | Cabins · guests | Route | Departs | Stands out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loulia | 6 (2 suites) · 12 | Esna–Aswan, 3 or 4 nights | Thu from Esna, Mon from Aswan | Antique cabins, balcony suites |
| Nora | 6 (2 suites) | Esna–Aswan, 3 or 4 nights | Sun from Esna, Thu from Aswan | Nile library, room for a cot |
| The Orient | 5 (1 suite) · 10 | Esna–Aswan, 3 or 4 nights | Sat from Esna, Wed from Aswan | Smallest of the four sisters |
| Zekrayaat | 6 (2 suites) · 12 | Esna–Aswan, 3 or 4 nights | Mon from Esna, Fri from Aswan | Dinner on the riverbank |
| Lazuli Highness | 5 (1 suite) · 10 | Esna–Aswan, 2 to 5 nights | Mon from Esna, Fri from Aswan | Built 2023, jacuzzi |
| Lazuli Albatros | 8 (2 suites) · 12 | Esna–Aswan, 2 to 5 nights | Mon from Esna, Fri from Aswan | Billiards, sun-deck bar |
| Lazuli Karnak | 10 (2 suites) · 20 | Esna–Aswan, 2 to 7 nights | Sun and Mon from Esna, Fri from Aswan | Private Egyptologist |
| Akhnaton | 5 | Esna or Luxor–Aswan, 3 or 4 nights | Year-round | Plunge pool, island barbecue |
| Iris | Deluxe cabins and suites | Luxor–Aswan, 3, 4 or 7 nights | Mon from Luxor, Fri from Aswan | Built 2025, heated pool |
| Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya II | 9 | Luxor–Aswan, 4 nights | Both directions | Built 2025, lift, gym, spa |
| Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya | 9 · 12 | Luxor–Aswan, 7 nights | Sat from Luxor and from Aswan | Built 2009, a full week |
| Farouz El Nil I, II, III | 6 · 12 | Luxor–Aswan, 5 or 7 nights | Mon | Built 2018, refitted 2023 |
Prices
What these dahabiyas cost
Expect about US$140 to US$1,500 per person per night, sharing a cabin. The spread comes from the cabin (a stern suite costs more than a standard cabin), the season (October to April is the high season, with the Christmas and Easter weeks highest) and the boat.
Most dahabiya prices include full board, the temple tickets on the route, an Egyptologist and transfers. Drinks beyond water, tea and soft drinks, and crew tips, are usually extra. For the full picture, see what to know before you book a dahabiya and how much a Nile cruise costs.
Asked often
Choosing a dahabiya, answered
- What is the best dahabiya on the Nile?
- It depends on what you want. For a first trip, the four sister boats Loulia, Nora, The Orient and Zekrayaat combine six or fewer cabins with departures guaranteed every week. For extra comfort, Iris has a heated pool and Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya II has a gym, a spa and a lift. For a full week, choose Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya or a Farouz El Nil boat.
- Which dahabiya is best for a honeymoon?
- The smallest boats with a suite: The Orient carries ten guests, Loulia has two terrace suites with private balconies, and Lazuli Highness has a stern suite with a terrace. Any of them can also be chartered as a whole boat for just the two of you.
- Which dahabiyas have a swimming pool?
- Very few. Iris has a heated pool and whirlpool on deck and Akhnaton a small plunge pool. Most others, including the Lazuli boats and the Sonesta Amirat dahabiyas, have a jacuzzi or hot tub on the sun deck instead.
- How much does a dahabiya cost?
- Between about US$140 and US$1,500 per person per night, depending on the boat, the cabin and the season. Temple tickets, an Egyptologist guide and full board are usually included; drinks and crew tips usually are not.
- How long should a dahabiya trip be?
- Four nights from Esna to Aswan is the classic trip and covers every stop. Three nights downriver from Aswan works if time is short. Seven nights suits travellers who want the whole river from Luxor, which the Sonesta Amirat and Farouz El Nil boats offer.
