Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Noor El Din

Newly built, ten rooms under sail

Noor El Din is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat), built 2023. It has 10 cabins and 2 suites for up to 16 guests and sails itineraries of 3 or 4 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Newly built, ten rooms under sail. A newly built sailing dahabiya of ten rooms for up to sixteen guests, sailing Luxor to Aswan over three to four nights, for travellers who want a fresh boat and a slow river.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 10 · up to 16 guestsBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Independent
Accommodation: 10 cabins · 2 suites
Guests: Up to 16
Built: 2023
Route: Luxor - Esna Lock - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan
Trip length: 3 · 4 nights
Departures: Monday from Luxor (5-day southbound); Friday from Aswan (4-day northbound)

About Noor El Din

Noor El Din is a newly built traditional dahabiya, launched in 2023, carrying up to sixteen guests across ten air-conditioned rooms with panoramic windows over the river, including two suites. A crew of eleven runs the boat, which sails the Luxor-to-Aswan reach with an Egyptologist along for the temples.

The days pass at sailing pace, drifting between the sites and mooring where the larger boats cannot. Onboard there is a lounge, a library, a jacuzzi and a sun deck with a bar, and the chef serves full-board meals in the dining area.

Itineraries run a four-night sail south from Luxor or a three-night northbound trip from Aswan, calling at Esna Lock, Edfu and Kom Ombo along the way.

Highlights

Built 2023; ten rooms, up to sixteen guests
Sails Luxor to Aswan with an Egyptologist
Panoramic windows in every room
Lounge, library, jacuzzi and sun-deck bar
Calls at Esna Lock, Edfu, Kom Ombo

At sail

Day by day

Noor El Din sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Luxor - Esna Lock - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan Departures monday from luxor (5-day southbound); friday from aswan (4-day 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.

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

10 cabins · up to 16 guests · whole boat from about US$6,267 a night

About US$6,267 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$37,602 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 Noor El Din.

That is the arithmetic of Noor El Din'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 Noor El Din costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$940 per person, 3-night , checked on 2026-08-30.

We are not publishing a trip total for Noor El Din, 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

Cabin categories: 8 cabins (air-conditioned, private bathroom, panoramic windows)
2 suites
Dining: Dining area with full-board meals prepared by on-board chefs
Facilities: Lounge
Jacuzzi
Dining area
Library
Sun deck with bar
Panoramic windows in all rooms
Air conditioning
Private bathrooms
Itineraries: 5 days / 4 nights Luxor to Aswan
4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Luxor

Keep planning

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Good to know

Noor El Din questions, answered

How much does Noor El Din cost?

Advertised rates start from US$940 per person for 3 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Noor El Din have?

10 cabins and 2 suites, for up to 16 guests.

What route does Noor El Din sail?

Luxor - Esna Lock - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan, departing Monday from Luxor (5-day southbound); Friday from Aswan (4-day northbound).

What's included on Noor El Din?

Full board on board, Egyptologist guide, all entrance fees (Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Luxor Temple, Hatshepsut, Philae, Edfu, Kom Ombo, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk), air-conditioned transport, meet and assist, taxes and service charges. Excludes optional tours, personal expenses, crew tips.