Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Loulia

Twelve guests, four cabins and two suites

Loulia is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Djed Egypt Travel / Nile Dahabiya Boats. It has 6 cabins and 2 suites for up to 12 guests and sails itineraries of 3 or 4 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Twelve guests, four cabins and two suites. A five-star dahabiya for twelve guests in four cabins and two terrace suites, sailing Esna to Aswan, suited to travellers wanting antique-furnished cabins and private balconies.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 6 · up to 12 guestsBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Djed Egypt Travel / Nile Dahabiya Boats
Accommodation: 6 cabins · 2 suites
Guests: Up to 12
Dimensions: 38.5 × 6.75 m
Route: Esna, El Kab, Edfu (Temple of Horus), Gebel el Silsila, Kom Ombo (Sobek/Haroeris), Daraw, El Koubania, Aswan (Philae Temple, High Dam)
Trip length: 3 · 4 nights
Departures: Every Thursday ex Esna (4 nights upriver) and every Monday ex Aswan (3 nights downriver), guaranteed weekly through 2026 and 2027
Season: Year-round with seasonal pricing; October to April is the best season

About Loulia

Loulia is named after the dahabiya the British journalist Robert Hichens sailed through Egypt in the 1890s, and she keeps that period charm. She carries up to twelve guests in four spacious Nile-facing cabins and two larger terrace suites, all outside-facing with panoramic French windows and individual air conditioning. The two rear suites open onto private balconies over the river.

Cabins are decorated with a mix of local antiques, Egyptian artefacts and hand-woven rugs, and are large by Nile dahabiya standards. Below deck there is a salon and dining room with sofas and a dining table, and above there is a spacious sun deck with ample furniture and a shaded area.

The five-day upriver sailing runs from Esna to Aswan, calling at El Kab, Edfu, Gebel el Silsila, Kom Ombo and Daraw before Philae and the High Dam, with a shorter downriver trip in reverse. Full board covers Egyptian and international dishes cooked on board, served in the salon or al fresco on deck.

Highlights

Twelve guests in four cabins, two suites
Two terrace suites with private balconies
Antique furnishings and hand-woven rugs
Esna to Aswan via Gebel el Silsila
Full board cooked on board

At sail

Day by day

Loulia sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Esna, El Kab, Edfu (Temple of Horus), Gebel el Silsila, Kom Ombo (Sobek/Haroeris), Daraw, El Koubania, Aswan (Philae Temple, High Dam) Departures every thursday ex esna (4 nights upriver) and every monday ex aswan (3 nights downriver), guaranteed weekly through 2026 and 2027. 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

6 cabins · up to 12 guests · whole boat from about US$5,016 a night

About US$5,016 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$30,096 for a six-night sailing.

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 Loulia.

That is the arithmetic of Loulia'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.

Price the whole boat

What Loulia costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$418 per person per night , checked on 2026-10-07.

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

What this figure is, and is not

Published as a range rather than a single figure.
The operator publishes one rate across several boats in this fleet, so it is not specific to this hull.
Converted from the currency the operator quotes in, so it moves with the exchange rate.
Rates move with season, cabin and departure. We quote every sailing live, and there is no booking fee to ask.

The boat in detail

Cabin categories: Luxury Cabin x4 - Nile-facing, two twin beds or one king-size double, fine Egyptian linen, large French windows, en-suite bathroom with shower, toilet and bath, local antiques and hand-woven rugs, can take an extra child bed or baby cot
Terrace Suite x2 - at the rear of the boat, king-size brass double bed, four-poster antique bed, panoramic French windows and private balcony, en-suite bathroom with shower and tub, sleeps up to 3 (2 adults + 1 child under 12)
Dining: Full board - lunch on embarkation day through breakfast on disembarkation day
Egyptian and international dishes prepared on board by the ship's chef
Served in the salon/dining room or al fresco on the sun deck
Soft drinks, tea, coffee and bottled water included; alcohol not included
Facilities: Salon & dining room below deck with sofas and dining table
Spacious sun deck with ample furniture and a shaded area
All cabins and suites outside-facing with panoramic windows
Air-conditioned throughout with individual controls
Generator for electricity
Water filters for fresh water supply
Waste water recycling and sewage treatment system
Safety equipment: smoke detectors, emergency lighting, sprinkler system
Itineraries: 5 days / 4 nights upriver, Esna to Aswan
4 days / 3 nights downriver, Aswan to Esna

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

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Good to know

Loulia questions, answered

How much does Loulia cost?

From US$418 per person per night in a cabin at double occupancy, up to US$475 depending on the sailing. A suite runs US$494 to US$561, and sole occupancy from US$621. Full board, all sightseeing, entrance fees, an Egyptologist, Wi-Fi and transfers at both ends are included; alcohol and tipping are not.

How many cabins does Loulia have?

6 cabins and 2 suites, for up to 12 guests.

What route does Loulia sail?

Esna, El Kab, Edfu (Temple of Horus), Gebel el Silsila, Kom Ombo (Sobek/Haroeris), Daraw, El Koubania, Aswan (Philae Temple, High Dam), departing Every Thursday ex Esna (4 nights upriver) and every Monday ex Aswan (3 nights downriver), guaranteed weekly through 2026 and 2027.

What's included on Loulia?

Private cabin with bathroom, full board, licensed Egyptologist guide, all listed entrance fees, soft drinks and bottled water, private transfers from/to Luxor and Aswan, taxes and service charges. Excludes flights, alcohol, tips, optional activities.

What guests say

Independent traveller reviews of Loulia, quoted with attribution — we don’t collect these ourselves.

“Thank you very much for a wonderful cruise on the Loulia !! We enjoyed very much being on the Nile in the most beautiful boat with our excellent guide Hassan and the very friendly crew! And of course the delicious food YUMMY…”
— Susanne, Germany · via the operator