Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya

A five-star sail, Luxor to Aswan

Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Sonesta Cruise Collection, built 2009. It has 7 cabins and 2 suites for up to 12 guests and sails itineraries of 7 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

A five-star sail, Luxor to Aswan. A five-star sailing dahabiya of nine cabins for twelve guests, built in 2009, running the seven-night Luxor-Aswan reach in both directions, suited to travellers wanting comfort and calm.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 7 · up to 12 guestsRoute Esna → Aswan
Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya, a Nile dahabiya
Fleet
Sonesta Cruise Collection
Accommodation
7 cabins · 2 suites
Guests
Up to 12
Built
2009
Route
Luxor - Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan (and reverse)
Trip length
7 nights
Departures
Every Saturday from Luxor and every Saturday from Aswan, with a minimum of 4 guests
Season
2026 and 2027 sail dates published; no closed season.

About Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya

Built in 2009 and styled after the dahabiyas of a century ago, Sonesta Amirat carries five deluxe cabins with panoramic windows and two elegant suites, each with a private lounge and terrace over the water, for up to twelve guests.

She sails the seven-night reach between Luxor and Aswan in both directions, past Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, with daily guided excursions to the temples, tombs and ruins along the way. A spacious, partly shaded sun deck holds an open-air oriental-style Jacuzzi, with a lounge beside the lobby.

Meals run from breakfast and lunch buffets to a la carte dinners in the main dining room, with in-cabin dining until midnight. Wi-Fi reaches every cabin and suite. Saturday departures leave from both Luxor and Aswan.

Highlights

  • Five-star, built 2009; nine cabins for twelve guests
  • Suites with private lounge and terrace
  • Seven nights, Luxor-Aswan both directions
  • Open-air oriental-style Jacuzzi on deck
  • Daily guided temple excursions

At sail

Day by day

The canonical 5-day / 4-night rhythm on the Esna to Aswan reach; Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya sails itineraries of 7 nights on the same water. Days flex with wind and mooring rights, which is half the point of a sailing boat.

  1. Day 1

    Embark at Esna

    Transfer in, settle into your cabin, and a first sail south as the crew raises the lateen sails.

    Lunch · Dinner

  2. Day 2

    Edfu · Temple of Horus

    The best preserved temple in Egypt in the morning quiet, then onward to an island mooring.

    Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

  3. Day 3

    The quiet Nile

    A sailing day: village walks where the boat moors, swimming off the deck where conditions allow, tea as the sails come down.

    Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

  4. Day 4

    Kom Ombo

    The double temple to Sobek and Horus late in the day, then a last night on the water short of Aswan.

    Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

  5. Day 5

    Disembark at Aswan

    Ashore after breakfast. Philae Temple sits twenty minutes away, and Abu Simbel works as an extension.

    Breakfast

Take the whole boat

7 cabins · up to 12 guests · whole boat from about US$6,238 a night

About US$6,238 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$37,428 for a six-night sailing.

A boat this size is a single family. Everyone eats at one table, the deck is yours alone, and the boat moves when your party is ready rather than when a schedule says so. Tell us your dates, and how many adults and children, and we will price the whole of Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya.

That is the arithmetic of Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya'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.

What Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$3,119 per person, 7-night , checked on 2026-08-30.

We are not publishing a trip total for Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya, 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, 7-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
  • Cabin - 5 units
  • Cabin - 2 units
Dining
  • Main Dining Room - breakfast and lunch buffets, a la carte dinners
  • Sun Deck Bar - cocktails and beverages until sunset
  • Lounge - cocktails and beverages
  • In-cabin dining available until midnight
Facilities
  • Spacious, partially shaded sun deck
  • Sun Deck Bar
  • Lounge adjacent to the lobby
  • Open-air oriental-style Jacuzzi
  • In-cabin dining until midnight
  • Laundry service and housekeeping
  • 24-hour doctor on call
  • Entertainment programming
Itineraries
  • 7 nights / 8 days between Luxor and Aswan, operated in both directions
  • 8-day programme calls at Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Esna, Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo, Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

Good to know

Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya questions, answered

How much does Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya cost?

Advertised rates start from US$3,119 per person for 7 nights; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya have?

7 cabins and 2 suites, for up to 12 guests.

What route does Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya sail?

Luxor - Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan (and reverse), departing Every Saturday from Luxor and every Saturday from Aswan, with a minimum of 4 guests.

What's included on Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya?

Accommodation, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), guided tours, entrance fees and ground transfers

More dahabiyas to compare

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Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya

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