Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Princess Cleopatra

Ten cabins, forty metres, Esna to Aswan

Princess Cleopatra is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by No owning operator identified. It has 10 cabins and 2 suites for up to 20 guests and sails itineraries of 3 or 4 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Ten cabins, forty metres, Esna to Aswan. A forty-metre sailing dahabiya carrying twenty guests in eight twin cabins and two suites, sailing Esna to Aswan for couples and small groups.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 10 · up to 20 guestsBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: No owning operator identified
Accommodation: 10 cabins · 2 suites
Guests: Up to 20
Dimensions: 40 × 6.5 m
Route: Esna - Edfu - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan (with Luxor east and west bank sightseeing at the Luxor end and Philae, High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk at the Aswan end)
Trip length: 3 · 4 nights
Departures: Commonly Monday from Esna and Friday from Aswan; some charters run Saturday, Monday or Thursday from Esna and Monday, Wednesday or Friday from Aswan.

About Princess Cleopatra

Princess Cleopatra is a replica of a nineteenth-century Egyptian sailing boat, forty metres long and 6.5 metres wide, carrying twenty guests with a crew of ten. Accommodation runs to eight seventeen-square-metre twin cabins and two twenty-six-square-metre queen suites with private terraces, all behind large panoramic windows and with en-suite bathrooms.

The boat sails the quiet Esna-to-Aswan reach past Edfu, Gebel El Silsila and Kom Ombo with an Egyptologist on board, bookended by Luxor sightseeing at one end and Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk at the other. Full-board dining covers Egyptian and international cuisine, and the five-day itinerary includes an island dinner with a Nubian show.

Each cabin has individually controlled air conditioning, and complimentary Wi-Fi is available on board under a fair-usage policy.

Highlights

Eight twin cabins and two suites, twenty guests
Forty-metre replica sailing boat, crew of ten
Sails Esna to Aswan via Gebel El Silsila
Suites with private terraces
Island dinner with a Nubian show

At sail

Day by day

Princess Cleopatra sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Esna - Edfu - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan (with Luxor east and west bank sightseeing at the Luxor end and Philae, High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk at the Aswan end) Departures commonly monday from esna and friday from aswan; some charters run saturday, monday or thursday from esna and monday, wednesday or friday from aswan.. 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.

The fine print

What's included and what isn't

Unlike most Nile cruises, this fare does not cover temple and monument entry tickets - budget for those separately. The Egyptologist guide and the transfers at each end are included. Published by the operator for its whole fleet; confirm what your own booking covers before you travel.

Included

Full board aboard: all meals, with tea and coffee
An air-conditioned cabin with a private bathroom
An Egyptologist guide for all the listed visits
Transfers between the airport, your hotel and the boat
Wi-Fi aboard, on fair use
Filtered drinking water throughout
All sailing and mooring fees

Not included

Temple and monument entry tickets, which are paid separately
Soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits
Gratuities for the crew and the guide
International and domestic flights, and your Egyptian entry visa
Optional excursions: Abu Simbel and the hot-air balloon

Take the whole boat

10 cabins · 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 Princess Cleopatra.

Price the whole boat

What Princess Cleopatra costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$200 per person per night , checked on 2026-09-05.

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

What this figure is, and is not

Our sources disagree on this boat's rate, so we are not publishing 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: Twin cabin (8, 17 m2 / 5 m x 3 m, en-suite bath, shower and WC, large panoramic outside windows)
Queen/double suite (2, 26 m2 / 6 m x 3 m, en-suite, private terrace)
Dining: Full-board dining on board
Egyptian and international cuisine
Island dinner with a Nubian show on the 5-day itinerary
Facilities: Individually controlled air conditioning
Complimentary WiFi (fair usage policy)
On-board electricity generation
Fresh-water filtration
Waste-water recycling and sewage treatment
Smoke detectors, emergency lighting and sprinkler system
Sun deck
Private terraces on the two suites
Itineraries: 5 days / 4 nights Esna (Luxor) to Aswan
4 days / 3 nights Aswan to Esna
8-day Luxor-Aswan and Aswan-Luxor packages

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

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Good to know

Princess Cleopatra questions, answered

How much does Princess Cleopatra cost?

Advertised rates start from US$200 per person for 3 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Princess Cleopatra have?

10 cabins and 2 suites, for up to 20 guests.

What route does Princess Cleopatra sail?

Esna - Edfu - Gebel El Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan (with Luxor east and west bank sightseeing at the Luxor end and Philae, High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk at the Aswan end), departing Commonly Monday from Esna and Friday from Aswan; some charters run Saturday, Monday or Thursday from Esna and Monday, Wednesday or Friday from Aswan..

What's included on Princess Cleopatra?

Meet and assist, transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, full board, excursions per itinerary, entrance fees, English-speaking guide, service charges and taxes. Excludes flights, beverages, gratuities.