Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Mahrosa

A quiet sail between Aswan and Luxor

Mahrosa is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat). It carries up to 20 guests and sails itineraries of 3 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

A quiet sail between Aswan and Luxor. A small sailing dahabiya taking up to twenty guests between Aswan and Luxor over three nights, suited to travellers who want an intimate alternative to the big cruise ships.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Independent
Guests: Up to 20
Route: Aswan (High Dam, Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk), Kom Ombo, Esna Lock, Edfu, Luxor (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple); Abu Simbel offered as an excursion
Trip length: 3 nights
Departures: Fridays from Aswan; Mondays from Luxor for the reverse direction.

About Mahrosa

Mahrosa is a sailing dahabiya taking up to twenty guests on the quiet reach between Aswan and Luxor. The three-night run drifts past Kom Ombo, the Esna Lock and Edfu, with the temples and tombs of both cities framing either end of the journey, and the reverse Luxor-to-Aswan direction also runs.

The cabins face the river through large windows, and meals are full board, freshly prepared on board and eaten as the banks slide by. With a sun deck for the sailing hours and room for only a small party, she trades the scale of a cruise ship for a slower, more personal pace.

Departures leave Aswan on Fridays, with Monday sailings from Luxor for the reverse itinerary, and Abu Simbel can be added as an excursion.

Highlights

Up to twenty guests, small and personal
Sails Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, Luxor
Cabins with large Nile-facing windows
Full board, freshly prepared on board
Sun deck for the sailing hours

At sail

Day by day

Mahrosa sails one published programme. Its own route: Aswan (High Dam, Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk), Kom Ombo, Esna Lock, Edfu, Luxor (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple); Abu Simbel offered as an excursion Departures fridays from aswan; mondays from luxor for the reverse direction.. 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
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 · 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 Mahrosa.

Price the whole boat

What Mahrosa costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$1,075 per person, 3-night , checked on 2026-08-30.

We are not publishing a trip total for Mahrosa, 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

Dining: Full board - breakfast, lunch and dinner freshly prepared on board
Facilities: Sun deck
Cabins with large Nile-facing windows
Onboard dining
Itineraries: 3 nights / 4 days Aswan to Luxor
Reverse Luxor to Aswan itinerary referenced (Monday departures)

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

Mahrosa questions, answered

How much does Mahrosa cost?

Advertised rates start from US$1,075 per person for 3 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

What route does Mahrosa sail?

Aswan (High Dam, Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk), Kom Ombo, Esna Lock, Edfu, Luxor (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple); Abu Simbel offered as an excursion, departing Fridays from Aswan; Mondays from Luxor for the reverse direction..

What's included on Mahrosa?

Meet and greet, 3 nights full-board accommodation, licensed Egyptologist guide, all listed entrance fees, private air-conditioned transport, service fees and taxes. Excludes optional tours, personal spending and crew gratuities.