Groups
Dahabiyas for big groups
The largest dahabiyas take about twenty guests, so a bigger group sails on two or more sister boats leaving on the same day. The Lazuli fleet makes this easy: 8 boats leave Esna every Monday, with room for about 110 guests between them. Two ten-cabin boats, Lazuli Karnak and Lazuli Abydos, take a group of 40. Above about 50, a whole small ship is the simpler alternative.
From each boat's specification
8 dahabiyas that leave Esna on Mondays
All sail the Esna to Aswan reach south on Mondays, and most return north from Aswan on Fridays. Combine them to fit the group.
| Boat | Cabins | Guests | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazuli Karnak | 10 | 20 | Built 2022; private Egyptologist |
| Lazuli Abydos | 10 | 20 | Built 2022; jacuzzi |
| Altesse | 8 | 16 | Twin-masted |
| Lazuli Albatros | 8 | 12 | Billiards, sun-deck bar |
| Lazuli Gordon Pacha | 6 | 12 | Built 2006 |
| Lazuli Highness | 5 | 10 | Built 2023; jacuzzi |
| Lazuli Luxor | 5 | 10 | Jacuzzi |
| Lazuli Roi Farouk | 5 | 10 | Also sails Sundays |
See Lazuli Karnak, Lazuli Abydos, Altesse, Lazuli Albatros and Lazuli Highness.
Fit the fleet to the group
Which combination for your group
- Up to 20: one ten-cabin boat, Lazuli Karnak or Lazuli Abydos.
- 20 to 40: both of them, side by side.
- 40 to 60: add Altesse (16 guests) or Lazuli Albatros (12).
- 60 and more: add the smaller boats of the fleet, up to about 110 in all.
On the river
How a multi-boat trip works
Each boat has its own crew, kitchen and guide, so meals and evenings happen boat by boat. The boats sail the same route on the same days and visit the same temples, so the group meets at the sites. Ask whether the boats can moor together on one night for a shared dinner on a riverbank; that is the evening most groups remember.
Split the group by boat in a way that makes sense: families on one, friends on another, or a quieter boat for older guests. Every boat should have its own group leader.
The alternative
When a whole ship is the better choice
Above about 50 guests, one ship keeps everyone at the same table and on the same deck. The Oberoi Zahra takes 54 and Historia 88; Historia also has a lift and an accessible suite for older guests. You give up the island moorings and quiet sites only dahabiyas reach. See the Oberoi Zahra, Historia and which boat fits your group.
Timing and cost
Booking ahead, and what it costs
For several boats on the same date, ask ten to twelve months ahead, and earlier for Christmas, Easter or the August 2027 eclipse. Dahabiyas run about US$140 to US$1,500 per person per night; a group that fills whole boats is priced per boat. See what a whole boat costs and chartering a dahabiya.
Asked often
Big groups on dahabiyas, answered
- What is the largest group a dahabiya can take?
- One dahabiya takes up to about twenty guests; Lazuli Karnak and Lazuli Abydos each take twenty. A bigger group sails on several sister boats leaving on the same day: the Lazuli fleet leaving Esna on Mondays has room for about 110 guests.
- Can a group of 40 sail on dahabiyas together?
- Yes. Lazuli Karnak and Lazuli Abydos, both built in 2022 with ten cabins for twenty guests, leave Esna on Mondays and return from Aswan on Fridays, so a group of 40 can take both and sail side by side.
- Is it better to take dahabiyas or a ship for a big group?
- Dahabiyas, if the island moorings and small sites matter and the group is happy to split by boat. A whole ship, such as the Oberoi Zahra (54) or Historia (88), if everyone should eat and sail together.
