Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Rihana

Eight cabins under sail to Aswan

Rihana is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat), built 2009. It has 8 cabins for up to 16 guests and sails itineraries of 3 or 7 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Eight cabins under sail to Aswan. A two-masted sailing dahabiya of eight deluxe cabins for up to sixteen guests, running the Luxor-Aswan reach with island moorings, for a traditional small-group Nile.

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

Fleet: Independent
Accommodation: 8 cabins
Guests: Up to 16
Built: 2009
Dimensions: 50 × 7.5 m
Route: Luxor, Esna, Edfu, El Sheikh Fadl Island, Al Ramady Island, Kom Ombo, Aswan (Philae, Elephantine)
Trip length: 3 · 7 nights
Departures: Every Saturday ex Luxor; every Wednesday ex Aswan

About Rihana

Rihana is a two-masted sailing dahabiya of eight deluxe cabins over two decks, carrying up to sixteen guests. Six cabins hold twin beds and two hold a large bed, each served with an in-cabin coffee and tea tray.

The boat sails between Luxor and Aswan on trips of three to seven nights, calling at Esna and Edfu and mooring at river islands such as El Sheikh Fadl and Al Ramady on the way to Kom Ombo and Aswan, with its Philae and Elephantine sites. Departures run weekly from Luxor and from Aswan.

Meals are full-board and served aboard, and the deck carries an open-air jacuzzi, a dining room, bars and a reading lounge, with a boutique and a doctor on call.

Highlights

Eight deluxe cabins, up to 16 guests
Two-masted sailing dahabiya over two decks
Moors at El Sheikh Fadl and Al Ramady islands
Full-board dining served aboard
Open-air jacuzzi and reading lounge

At sail

Day by day

Rihana sails 3 published programmes. Its own route: Luxor, Esna, Edfu, El Sheikh Fadl Island, Al Ramady Island, Kom Ombo, Aswan (Philae, Elephantine) Departures every saturday ex luxor; every wednesday ex 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.

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$5,120 a night

About US$5,120 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$30,720 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 Rihana.

That is the arithmetic of Rihana'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 Rihana costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$320 per person per night , checked on 2026-08-30.

Sailing	Per person, from
3 nights	US$960
7 nights	US$2,240

The boat in detail

Cabin categories: Twin-bedded cabin (6)
Large-bed cabin (2)
Dining: Full-board basis, all meals served on board
In-cabin coffee and tea tray service
Facilities: Open-air jacuzzi
Dining room / restaurant
Bars
Reading lounge
Boutique and gift shop
24-hour doctor on call
Laundry service
Marine satellite channels / music system
Itineraries: 3 nights ex Aswan (Aswan - Kom Ombo - Esna Lock - Luxor)
4 / 5 / 7 nights ex Luxor (Luxor - Esna - Edfu - Al Ramady Island - Sheikh Fadl Island - Kom Ombo - Aswan)

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

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Good to know

Rihana questions, answered

How much does Rihana cost?

Advertised rates start from US$320 per person; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Rihana have?

8 cabins, for up to 16 guests.

What route does Rihana sail?

Luxor, Esna, Edfu, El Sheikh Fadl Island, Al Ramady Island, Kom Ombo, Aswan (Philae, Elephantine), departing Every Saturday ex Luxor; every Wednesday ex Aswan.

What's included on Rihana?

Full board accommodation on board; excludes tips, laundry, beverages