Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

El Nil

The most traditional, Esna to Aswan

El Nil is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Nour El Nil, built 2006. It has 10 cabins and 0 suites for up to 20 guests and sails itineraries of 5 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

The most traditional, Esna to Aswan. A Nour El Nil sailing dahabiya of ten cabins for up to twenty guests, sailing Esna to Aswan, the simplest and most traditional boat in the fleet.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 10 · up to 20 guestsRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Nour El Nil
Accommodation: 10 cabins · 0 suites
Guests: Up to 20
Built: 2006
Dimensions: 45 × 7.5 m
Route: Esna - El Kab - Edfu - Gebel Silsileh - Kom Ombo - Aswan
Trip length: 5 nights
Departures: Every Monday from Esna to Aswan; a Monday-to-Saturday 6-day cruise.
Season: Operates year-round except June, July and August, which are not sold due to extreme heat. Mid/late September to late May recommended.

About El Nil

El Nil is the most traditional of the Nour El Nil dahabiyas, carrying up to twenty guests in compact Panoramic and Luxury Rooms that keep to the pared-back spirit of an older kind of river travel. Shaded deck seating, a salon and open-air dining make up the shared spaces.

The six-day sail covers roughly 250 kilometres from Esna to Aswan, mooring for the Temple of Khnum, El Kab and Edfu, Gebel Silsileh and Kom Ombo, with a full sailing day set aside for a morning walk, a swim from the boat or a quiet afternoon on deck. All meals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are included.

The boat runs year-round except June to August, and Wi-Fi, though aboard, is not the reason to come.

Highlights

Ten cabins, up to twenty guests
Simplest, most traditional boat in the fleet
Six-day Esna to Aswan sail, around 250 km
Swimming from the boat on sailing days
All meals and soft drinks included

At sail

Day by day

El Nil sails one published programme. Its own route: Esna - El Kab - Edfu - Gebel Silsileh - Kom Ombo - Aswan Departures every monday from esna to aswan; a monday-to-saturday 6-day cruise.. 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.

Day 1
Transfer to Esna and embark
Most boats collect guests in Luxor and drive the 50 km to Esna, since the lock is the practical starting point. Sail out and moor at an island.
Visits Esna lock
Day 2
El Kab and Edfu
The painted rock tombs at El Kab in the morning, a site no cruise ship stops at, then the Temple of Horus before dusk.
Visits El Kab · Edfu
Day 3
Gebel el-Silsila
The sandstone quarries and rock-cut chapels, then a long afternoon under sail. Moor at a sandbank.
Visits Gebel el-Silsila
Day 4
Kom Ombo
The double temple at first light, before the cruise ships arrive, and often the camel market at Daraw.
Visits Kom Ombo · Daraw
Day 5
Sail to Aswan
A slow final day on the water, mooring near Aswan.
Day 6
Disembark at Aswan
Disembark at Aswan after breakfast. The Aswan sites are not part of the river itinerary on an operator-sold sailing: Philae, the High Dam and Abu Simbel are added on either side, which is the main difference between this and an agency package.
Optional Philae · High Dam · Abu Simbel

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

10 cabins · up to 20 guests · whole-boat charter on request

At this size two or three families travel together without anyone being split between boats, and the crew cooks for your party alone. Tell us your dates, and how many adults and children, and we will price the whole of El Nil.

Price the whole boat

What El Nil costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$2,584 'A 6 day cruise from GBP 2,035 per person' - brand-level lead-in price across the Nour El Nil fleet, not specific to El Nil , checked on 2026-08-30.

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

What this figure is, and is not

Converted from the currency the operator quotes in, so it moves with the exchange rate.
This is the operator's own advertised rate, not a quote from us.
The published figure is quoted 'A 6 day cruise from GBP 2,035 per person' - brand-level lead-in price across the Nour El Nil fleet, not specific to El Nil, 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: Cabin - 2 units, 14.0 sqm
Cabin - 7 units, 11.4 sqm
Cabin - 1 units
Dining: All meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages included
Open-air deck dining
Facilities: Sun / cruise deck with shaded seating
Salon / lounge
Dining area
Open-air dining on deck
Swimming from the boat during sailing days
Itineraries: 5 nights / 6 days, Esna to Aswan, approx. 250 km: Day 1 Esna (Temple of Khnum, 9 m below street level; textile markets); Day 2 El Kab (temple of Nekhbet, decorated tombs) & Edfu (Temple of Horus); Day 3 sailing day, optional morning walk, swimming, desert walk; Day 4 Gebel Silsileh (sandstone quarries, temple of Horemheb, Nile at its narrowest); Day 5 Kom Ombo (Ptolemaic temple and Crocodile Museum); Day 6 disembark Aswan in the morning

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

Dahabiya Nile cruises explained How much a dahabiya cruise costs Best small-boat Nile cruises Nile River Cruise: the complete guide Nile cruise vs land tour

Good to know

El Nil questions, answered

How much does El Nil cost?

Advertised rates start from US$2,584 per person for 5 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does El Nil have?

10 cabins and 0 suites, for up to 20 guests.

What route does El Nil sail?

Esna - El Kab - Edfu - Gebel Silsileh - Kom Ombo - Aswan, departing Every Monday from Esna to Aswan; a Monday-to-Saturday 6-day cruise..

What's included on El Nil?

Included: transfer from Luxor hotel to the boats in Esna; entrance fees to the 5 sites visited on the route; official licensed Egyptian guide in the language requested; all meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages; crew and guide tips; return transfer from boat to Aswan mainland hotel. Not included