Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaLuxor → Aswan

Merit Star II

A 2024-built two-mast dahabiya, Luxor to Aswan

Merit Star II is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Merit Dahabiyas, built 2024. It has 12 cabins and 4 suites and sails itineraries of 4 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

A 2024-built two-mast dahabiya, Luxor to Aswan. Merit Star II is a 55-metre luxury dahabiya launched in 2024, with 8 deluxe cabins and 4 suites, sailing the intimate 4-night Luxor to Aswan route.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 12Route Luxor → Aswan

Fleet: Merit Dahabiyas
Accommodation: 12 cabins · 4 suites
Built: 2024
Dimensions: 55 × 8.5 m
Route: Luxor, Karnak, Luxor West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Aswan High Dam; Abu Simbel optional
Trip length: 4 nights
Departures: Saturdays for Luxor-to-Aswan sailings; Wednesdays for Aswan-to-Luxor sailings

About Merit Star II

Merit Star II is a 55-metre, two-mast dahabiya launched in November 2024, built to pair traditional Nile sailing with modern comfort. It carries just 8 deluxe cabins and 4 suites, two of them Presidential Suites with a private terrace and jacuzzi, so it stays intimate even at full capacity.

The shared spaces run to two restaurants, one indoors and one on the sun deck, a bar and a reading lounge, with an open-air heated jacuzzi and a sun deck laid out with 14 beds for the slow hours between temples. Deluxe cabins are around 22.5 square metres with a French panoramic window, and the suites open to about 44.

The 5-day, 4-night itinerary sails Luxor to Aswan, taking in Karnak and the Luxor west bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and the High Dam, with Abu Simbel offered as an optional visit.

Highlights

Launched November 2024, 55m two-mast dahabiya
Just 8 deluxe cabins and 4 suites
Two Presidential Suites with private terrace and jacuzzi
Two restaurants, indoors and on the sun deck
Open-air heated jacuzzi and a 14-bed sun deck

At sail

Day by day

Merit Star II sails one published programme. Its own route: Luxor, Karnak, Luxor West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Aswan High Dam; Abu Simbel optional Departures saturdays for luxor-to-aswan sailings; wednesdays for aswan-to-luxor sailings. 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
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

12 cabins · whole boat from about US$10,656 a night

About US$10,656 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$63,936 for a six-night sailing.

A boat this size carries a reunion or a celebration: grandparents, parents and children aboard together, the run of the deck, and one bill at the end. Tell us your dates and party size and we will price the whole of Merit Star II.

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

The published rate is US$1,776 per person, 4-night , checked on 2026-10-07.

We are not publishing a trip total for Merit Star II, 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.
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: Deluxe Cabin (approx. 22.5 m2), Junior Suite (approx. 44 m2), Presidential Suite (approx. 44 m2, private terrace and jacuzzi)
Dining: Two restaurants, one indoors and one on the sun deck, plus a bar and a reading lounge
Facilities: Open-air heated jacuzzi, sun deck with 14 sun beds, bar, reading lounge, free Wi-Fi, 24-hour front office
Itineraries: 5 days / 4 nights: Luxor to Aswan

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

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Good to know

Merit Star II questions, answered

How much does Merit Star II cost?

From US$1,776 per person for the five-day, four-night Luxor to Aswan programme, two sharing a deluxe cabin, and up to US$2,404. A presidential suite is quoted separately.

How many cabins does Merit Star II have?

12 cabins and 4 suites.

What route does Merit Star II sail?

Luxor, Karnak, Luxor West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Aswan High Dam; Abu Simbel optional, departing Saturdays for Luxor-to-Aswan sailings; Wednesdays for Aswan-to-Luxor sailings.

What's included on Merit Star II?

Accommodation aboard the dahabiya, private bathrooms and air-conditioning, temple and tomb visits, local village and island excursions. Excludes internal flights, beverages, personal expenses and gratuities.