Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan
El Hanem
Six cabins, Aswan to Luxor
El Hanem is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Oriental Nile Cruises. It has 6 cabins and sails itineraries of 7 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.
Good to know
Six cabins, Aswan to Luxor. A six-cabin sailing dahabiya running the seven-night Aswan to Luxor route, suited to travellers wanting a small, private boat and a slow upriver return.
- Fleet
- Oriental Nile Cruises
- Accommodation
- 6 cabins
- Dimensions
- 38 × 6 m
- Route
- Aswan - Luxor (Esna)
- Trip length
- 7 nights
- Departures
- Saturday (7-night Aswan to Luxor/Esna)
About El Hanem
El Hanem is a small two-mast sailing dahabiya of six deluxe cabins, each named for a notable Egyptian woman, from Umm Kulthum and Faten Hamama to Hoda Shaarawi and Jihan Al-Sadat. Its size keeps the boat quiet and private as it sails between Aswan and Luxor.
The main sailing departs on Saturdays for an eight-day, seven-night passage from Aswan down to Luxor at Esna, with shorter options also offered. Two master sails carry the boat, with a motorboat aboard as backup.
A dining room and lounge sit below, while the two-level sun deck carries an open-air, oriental-style jacuzzi for the hours between moorings.
Highlights
- Just six deluxe cabins
- Cabins named for notable Egyptian women
- Seven-night Aswan to Luxor sailing
- Two-level sun deck with open-air jacuzzi
- Two master sails with backup motorboat
At sail
Day by day
The canonical 5-day / 4-night rhythm on the Esna to Aswan reach; El Hanem sails itineraries of 7 nights on the same water. Days flex with wind and mooring rights, which is half the point of a sailing boat.
Day 1
Embark at Esna
Transfer in, settle into your cabin, and a first sail south as the crew raises the lateen sails.
Lunch · Dinner
Day 2
Edfu · Temple of Horus
The best preserved temple in Egypt in the morning quiet, then onward to an island mooring.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 3
The quiet Nile
A sailing day: village walks where the boat moors, swimming off the deck where conditions allow, tea as the sails come down.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 4
Kom Ombo
The double temple to Sobek and Horus late in the day, then a last night on the water short of Aswan.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 5
Disembark at Aswan
Ashore after breakfast. Philae Temple sits twenty minutes away, and Abu Simbel works as an extension.
Breakfast
Take the whole boat
6 cabins · whole-boat charter on request
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 El Hanem.
The boat in detail
- Cabin categories
- Six deluxe cabins, each individually named after a notable Egyptian woman: Umm Kulthum, Faten Hamama, Rose Al-Youssef, Safiyya Zaghloul, Hoda Shaarawi and Jihan Al-Sadat. All air-conditioned with private bathroom, plasma TV, climate control, direct-dial phone, safety box, hairdryer, smoke detector, life jackets and escape map.
- Dining
- Restaurant / dining room
- Mini bar
- Facilities
- Dining room
- Lounge
- Two-level sun deck
- Open-air oriental-style Jacuzzi
- Mini bar
- Internet access
- Fire fighting system
- Motorboat (tug)
- Two master sails
- Itineraries
- 8 days / 7 nights Aswan to Luxor (Esna), departing every Saturday
- Also 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7-night options
Keep planning
Plan your Nile cruise
Good to know
El Hanem questions, answered
How many cabins does El Hanem have?
6 cabins.
What route does El Hanem sail?
Aswan - Luxor (Esna), departing Saturday (7-night Aswan to Luxor/Esna).
What is included in the fare on El Hanem?
A dahabiya fare of this kind normally covers your cabin on full board, entrance to the temples named in the itinerary, an Egyptologist guide, the listed shore excursions and transfers at each end. Tips, drinks, optional excursions such as Abu Simbel, and personal expenses are normally extra. Whether soft drinks, Wi-Fi and service charges sit inside the fare genuinely differs between operators, so confirm those for El Hanem before booking.
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