Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

La Rose

Lateen sails, Esna to Aswan

La Rose is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat). It sails itineraries of 3, 4 or 7 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Lateen sails, Esna to Aswan. A five-star sailing dahabiya with lateen sails and intimate river-view cabins, drifting Esna to Aswan via El Kab and Gebel Silsila, for a quiet, personal Nile.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Independent
Route: Esna, El Kab, Edfu, Gebel Silsila / Hagar Salsala, Kom Ombo, Aswan; Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Esna lock on the Luxor-Aswan routing, Philae at Aswan
Trip length: 3 · 4 · 7 nights
Departures: Monday ex Esna; Friday ex Aswan.
Season: Year-round.

About La Rose

La Rose is a five-star dahabiya that sails under lateen sails, keeping the pace slow and the scale small. Its air-conditioned cabins are intimate and face the river, and the boat is chartered by party size, making it well suited to couples, families or small groups travelling together.

The passage runs between Esna and Aswan over three or four nights, and on the longer Luxor routing takes in Karnak and Luxor Temple and the Esna lock, with Philae at Aswan. Along the way it calls at El Kab, Edfu, Gebel Silsila and Kom Ombo, reaching smaller shore sites that the larger cruisers pass by.

Dining is chef-prepared full board, with breakfast, lunch and dinner drawn from local and international ingredients and drinks included. A spacious sun deck with loungers and a deck dining area gives an easy place to watch the river go by.

Highlights

Five-star dahabiya under lateen sails
Intimate air-conditioned cabins with river views
Esna to Aswan via El Kab, Gebel Silsila
Chef-prepared full-board dining
Spacious sun deck with deck dining

At sail

Day by day

La Rose sails 3 published programmes. Its own route: Esna, El Kab, Edfu, Gebel Silsila / Hagar Salsala, Kom Ombo, Aswan; Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Esna lock on the Luxor-Aswan routing, Philae at Aswan Departures monday ex esna; friday ex aswan.. 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.

Esna or Luxor to Aswan, 5 nightsusually departs Monday

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

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

A small hull · 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 La Rose.

Price the whole boat

What La Rose costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$2,651 per person, 4-night , checked on 2026-08-30.

We are not publishing a trip total for La Rose, 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, 4-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: Priced by party size rather than cabin grade: solo traveller, 2-4 passengers, 5-8 passengers, 9-16 passengers
Cabins described only as air-conditioned and intimate with river views; no counts or sizes published
Dining: Chef-prepared full-board dining: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Tea, coffee and mineral water included
Meals from local and international ingredients
Facilities: Lateen sails
Spacious sun deck with loungers and a deck dining area
Air conditioning in cabins
Itineraries: 4 nights Esna to Aswan, departing Mondays
3 nights Aswan to Esna, departing Fridays
6 days Luxor to Aswan
7 nights Luxor to Aswan

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

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Good to know

La Rose questions, answered

How much does La Rose cost?

Advertised rates start from US$2,651 per person for 4 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

What route does La Rose sail?

Esna, El Kab, Edfu, Gebel Silsila / Hagar Salsala, Kom Ombo, Aswan; Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Esna lock on the Luxor-Aswan routing, Philae at Aswan, departing Monday ex Esna; Friday ex Aswan..

What's included on La Rose?

Accommodation, all meals, certified Egyptologist guide, site entrance fees, private transfers, beverages, taxes and service charges. Excludes tips, optional tours, extra drinks and flights. Children 0-5.99 free, 6-11.99 at 50%. Holiday surcharges apply.