Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan
Etoile d'Egypte
Eight cabins under sail, Luxor to Aswan
Etoile d'Egypte is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Route d'Egypte. It has 8 cabins for up to 16 guests and sails itineraries of 3 or 4 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.
Good to know
Eight cabins under sail, Luxor to Aswan. An eight-cabin sailing dahabiya for up to sixteen guests, drifting the Luxor-Esna-Aswan reach past Edfu and Kom Ombo, available for private charter.
- Fleet
- Route d'Egypte
- Accommodation
- 8 cabins
- Guests
- Up to 16
- Route
- Luxor / Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae, High Dam), and the reverse
- Trip length
- 3 · 4 nights
- Departures
- Monday departures Luxor/Esna to Aswan and Friday departures Aswan to Luxor/Esna.
About Etoile d'Egypte
Etoile d'Egypte is an eight-cabin dahabiya, six doubles and two twins, carrying at most sixteen guests. Each cabin has a private bathroom, and the whole boat can be taken for private charter on request.
She sails the Luxor-Esna-Aswan reach, four nights southbound from Monday and three nights back from Friday, threading Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan for Philae and the High Dam before turning around.
The upper sun deck carries loungers and a Jacuzzi, with a bar and salon and a convivial dining space below. Dining is full board with non-alcoholic drinks included.
Highlights
- Eight cabins, up to sixteen guests
- Sails Luxor-Esna-Aswan, both directions
- Jacuzzi and loungers on the upper deck
- Full board with non-alcoholic drinks
- Whole boat available for private charter
At sail
Day by day
Etoile d'Egypte sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Luxor / Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae, High Dam), and the reverse Departures monday departures luxor/esna to aswan and friday departures aswan to luxor/esna.. 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
8 cabins · up to 16 guests · whole boat from about US$5,867 a night
About US$5,867 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$35,202 for a six-night sailing.
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 Etoile d'Egypte.
That is the arithmetic of Etoile d'Egypte'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 Etoile d'Egypte costs in 2026/2027
The published rate is US$1,100 per person, 3-night , checked on 2026-08-30.
We are not publishing a trip total for Etoile d'Egypte, for the reasons below. Ask us and we will quote the sailing you want.
What this figure is, and is not
- 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
- Cabine double - 6 cabins, double bed, 2 occupancy, private bathroom
- Cabine twin - 2 cabins, twin beds, 2 occupancy, private bathroom
- Dining
- Pension complete (full board) - breakfast, lunch and dinner included
- Non-alcoholic beverages included
- Facilities
- Upper sun deck with loungers
- Jacuzzi on the upper deck
- Bar and salon
- Lounge area
- Dining area ('espace repas convivial')
- Private bathrooms in all cabins
- Itineraries
- 5 days / 4 nights Luxor-Esna to Aswan, departing Monday
- 4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Luxor-Esna, departing Friday
- 4 days / 3 nights Aswan - Kom Ombo - Edfu - Esna - Luxor, departing Wednesday, with Philae Temple by motorboat, the High Dam, the Crocodile Museum, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak
- 4 days / 3 nights Luxor to Aswan via Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo
Keep planning
Plan your Nile cruise
Good to know
Etoile d'Egypte questions, answered
How much does Etoile d'Egypte cost?
Advertised rates start from US$1,100 per person for 3 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.
How many cabins does Etoile d'Egypte have?
8 cabins, for up to 16 guests.
What route does Etoile d'Egypte sail?
Luxor / Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan (Philae, High Dam), and the reverse, departing Monday departures Luxor/Esna to Aswan and Friday departures Aswan to Luxor/Esna..
What's included on Etoile d'Egypte?
Pickup and drop-off (Aswan airport, train station or hotel, to Luxor), air-conditioned transfers throughout, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees to nine sites (High Dam, Philae, Kom Ombo, Crocodile Museum, Edfu, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak), full board of 3 breakfasts, 4
What guests say
Independent traveller reviews of Etoile d'Egypte, quoted with attribution — we don’t collect these ourselves.
4.6 out of 5via Tripadvisor (84)
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