Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Mazaj Seba

Five keys and silent sailing to Aswan

Mazaj Seba is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Mazaj Cruises. It has 5 cabins and 1 suites for up to 10 guests and sails itineraries of 4, 5 or 7 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Five keys and silent sailing to Aswan. An intimate five-cabin dahabiya for up to ten guests, sailing Luxor to Aswan over four to seven nights, for travellers after quiet nights and a 60 sq m royal suite.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 5 · up to 10 guestsBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Mazaj Cruises
Accommodation: 5 cabins · 1 suites
Guests: Up to 10
Route: Luxor (Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon) - Esna - Edfu - Al Ramady Island - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - El Sheikh Fadl Island - Aswan (Philae, High Dam)
Trip length: 4 · 5 · 7 nights
Departures: Every Monday from Luxor for the 5-night Luxor-Aswan programme
Season: Departures listed from August 2026 through December 2028.

About Mazaj Seba

Mazaj Seba is an intimate five-key dahabiya carrying up to ten guests, with four cabins of 25 sq m and a 60 sq m royal suite, sailing the reach between Luxor and Aswan. The boat is built for serene nights and silent sailing, drifting with the wind and mooring at islands like Al Ramady and El Sheikh Fadl that the large cruisers pass by.

Cabins come well appointed, each with a Nespresso machine, safe, mini bar and private bathroom, and there is high-speed Wi-Fi throughout. The sundeck is set with sunbeds, and indoor and outdoor dining areas stay open around the clock, alongside a coffee and tea station, all-day fresh juices and seasonal fruit on full board.

Itineraries run four or five nights from Luxor to Aswan, or a seven-night round trip from Luxor, calling at Esna, Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila, Kom Ombo and Philae.

Highlights

Five cabins, up to ten guests
60 sq m royal suite; 25 sq m cabins
Moors at Al Ramady and El Sheikh Fadl
Indoor and outdoor dining, open 24/7
Four to seven nights, Luxor to Aswan

At sail

Day by day

Mazaj Seba sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Luxor (Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon) - Esna - Edfu - Al Ramady Island - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - El Sheikh Fadl Island - Aswan (Philae, High Dam) Departures every monday from luxor for the 5-night luxor-aswan programme. 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

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

5 cabins · up to 10 guests · whole boat from about US$8,250 a night

About US$8,250 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$49,500 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 Mazaj Seba.

That is the arithmetic of Mazaj Seba'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 Mazaj Seba costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$4,125 per person, 5-15 persons (effectively a whole-boat buyout tier), 5 nights / 6 days , checked on 2026-08-30.

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

What this figure is, and is not

This is the operator's own advertised rate, not a quote from us.
The published figure is quoted per person, 5-15 persons (effectively a whole-boat buyout tier), 5 nights / 6 days, 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: Seba Suite (Royal Suite), 1 cabin, 60 sqm / 646 sq ft, up to 4 adults. Smart TV, premium bedding, Nespresso machine, kettle, safe, hair dryer, private bathroom, branded toiletries, bathrobe, mini bar.
Mazaj Cabin (Luxury Cabin), 4 cabins, 25 sqm / 270 sq ft, 2 adults each. Smart TV, premium bedding, Nespresso machine, kettle, safe, hair dryer, private bathroom, branded toiletries, bathrobe, mini bar.
Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining areas available 24/7
24/7 coffee and tea station
All-day fresh juices and seasonal fresh fruits
Full board; happyegypt's package includes all meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on the last day, plus drinks
Facilities: Sundeck with sunbeds
Indoor and outdoor dining areas, 24/7
24/7 coffee and tea station
All-day fresh juices and seasonal fruit
High-speed Wi-Fi
Smart TV with marine satellite
Laundry service
Doctor on call on request
Fire alarm system and life jackets
Premium in-cabin amenities (Nespresso machine, kettle, bathrobes, branded toiletries, mini bar, safe)
Itineraries: 4 nights / 5 days, Luxor - Aswan
5 nights / 6 days, Luxor to Aswan
7 nights / 8 days, Nile Exploration round-trip from Luxor

Keep planning

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Good to know

Mazaj Seba questions, answered

How much does Mazaj Seba cost?

Advertised rates start from US$4,125 per person for 5 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Mazaj Seba have?

5 cabins and 1 suites, for up to 10 guests.

What route does Mazaj Seba sail?

Luxor (Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon) - Esna - Edfu - Al Ramady Island - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - El Sheikh Fadl Island - Aswan (Philae, High Dam), departing Every Monday from Luxor for the 5-night Luxor-Aswan programme.

What's included on Mazaj Seba?

All transfers in air-conditioned vehicles, licensed tour guide, service charge, city and sales taxes, entrance fees to all sites, full-board dahabiya cruise, all meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on the last day, drinks.