Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Merit II

Eight cabins on the quiet Nile reach

Merit II is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Merit Dahabiyas. It has 8 cabins and 0 suites for up to 16 guests and sails itineraries of 3, 4, 5 or 7 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Eight cabins on the quiet Nile reach. A sailing dahabiya of eight cabins for up to sixteen guests, sailing between Luxor and Aswan over three to seven nights; suits those wanting an especially intimate trip.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 8 · up to 16 guestsBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Merit Dahabiyas
Accommodation: 8 cabins · 0 suites
Guests: Up to 16
Dimensions: 50 × 7.5 m
Route: Luxor - Esna - Edfu - Al Ramady Island - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - El Sheikh Fadl Island - Aswan (Philae Island). Sites: Karnak and Luxor Temples, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Esna Temple, Unfinished Obelisk, High Dam.
Trip length: 3 · 4 · 5 · 7 nights
Departures: Saturdays from Luxor (southbound); Wednesdays from Aswan (northbound)
Season: Year-round; rate seasons of May-August and September-April

About Merit II

Merit II is one of the smaller boats on the river, with eight deluxe cabins of around eighteen square metres and space for just sixteen guests. Each cabin has a panoramic Nile-view window, private bathroom and its own air conditioning, and the low guest count keeps the whole boat quiet.

Sailings run four, five or seven nights up from Luxor and three nights down from Aswan, following the Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo reach and mooring at islands such as Al Ramady on the way. Meals are full board, served indoors or on the sundeck, with a bar and a reading lounge aboard.

The sundeck carries ten sun beds and an open-air heated Jacuzzi, and there is a small boutique on board. It is a slow, characterful alternative to the larger cruise ships, with the temples visited without the crowds.

Highlights

Just eight cabins, up to sixteen guests
Luxor to Aswan, three to seven nights
Moors at river islands and Gebel el-Silsila
Full board, indoor and sundeck restaurants
Sundeck Jacuzzi, reading lounge, boutique

At sail

Day by day

Merit II sails 3 published programmes. Its own route: Luxor - Esna - Edfu - Al Ramady Island - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - El Sheikh Fadl Island - Aswan (Philae Island) Departures saturdays from luxor (southbound); wednesdays from aswan (northbound). 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

8 cabins · up to 16 guests · whole boat from about US$5,328 a night

About US$5,328 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$31,968 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 Merit II.

That is the arithmetic of Merit II'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 Merit II costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$999 'from' price, 4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Luxor, Wednesday departures , checked on 2026-08-30.

We are not publishing a trip total for Merit II, 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 'from' price, 4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Luxor, Wednesday departures, 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: Deluxe cabin (8 units, 18 sqm): 4 with double bed and 4 twin-bedded. LCD satellite TV, individually controllable air conditioning, mini bar, internal phone, safe deposit box, fire alarm, panoramic Nile-view window; private bathroom with shower, hot and cold water, hair dryer, mirror, slippers.
Dining: Full board - all meals included
Indoor restaurant and sundeck restaurant
Bar on board
Mineral water and soft drinks included
Facilities: 24-hour front office service
Indoor restaurant and sundeck restaurant
Bar
Reading lounge
Open-air heated Jacuzzi
Sundeck with 10 sun beds
Free Wi-Fi
24-hour doctor on call
Fire safety systems (sprinklers, anti-fire treatment), first aid
Laundry service
Boutique / gift shop
In-cabin: LCD satellite TV, individual air conditioning, mini bar, safe, internal phone, panoramic window
Itineraries: 3 nights / 4 days, Aswan to Luxor, departs Wednesdays
4 nights / 5 days, Luxor to Aswan, departs Saturdays
5 nights / 6 days, Luxor to Aswan, departs Saturdays
7 nights / 8 days, Luxor - Aswan - Luxor round trip, departs Saturdays

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

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Good to know

Merit II questions, answered

How much does Merit II cost?

Advertised rates start from US$999 per person for 3 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Merit II have?

8 cabins and 0 suites, for up to 16 guests.

What route does Merit II sail?

Luxor - Esna - Edfu - Al Ramady Island - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - El Sheikh Fadl Island - Aswan (Philae Island). Sites: Karnak and Luxor Temples, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Esna Temple, Unfinished Obelisk, High Dam., departing Saturdays from Luxor (southbound); Wednesdays from Aswan (northbound).

What's included on Merit II?

3-4 nights on board, cabin amenities, temple and monument access, village and island visits. Excludes internal flights, beverages, personal spending and gratuities.

What guests say

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

4.9 out of 5via Tripadvisor (60)

“We were on merit 2, the new dahabiya boat. The boat is new and designed in a stylish way. And it has a very cosy feeling with lost of spaces to relax around… The staff on the boat are very attentive and friendly. Highly recommend them if anyone is thinking about going on a dahabiya versus the larger cruise ships for an experience of a lifetime.”
— Eric tan · via the operator