Nile dahabiyaSailing dahabiyaEsna → Aswan

The Orient

Ten guests on a two-masted sailing boat

The Orient is a Nile dahabiya (a traditional wind-powered sailing boat) operated by Djed Egypt Travel / Nile Dahabiya Boats. It has 4 cabins and 1 suites for up to 10 guests and sails itineraries of 3 or 4 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Ten guests on a two-masted sailing boat. A five-star two-masted dahabiya of four cabins and a terrace suite for ten guests sailing Esna to Aswan, suited to travellers wanting the smallest, most intimate boat in the fleet.

Best for couples · unhurried travellersCabins 4 · up to 10 guestsBoard full boardRoute Esna → Aswan

Fleet: Djed Egypt Travel / Nile Dahabiya Boats
Accommodation: 4 cabins · 1 suites
Guests: Up to 10
Dimensions: 36.5 × 6.5 m
Route: Luxor, Esna, Edfu (Temple of Horus), Kom Ombo (Temple of Sobek), Gebel El Silsila, Aswan (Philae Temple, High Dam); Karnak and the Valley of the Kings visited on the land portion
Trip length: 3 · 4 nights
Departures: Every Saturday ex Esna (4 nights upriver to Aswan) and every Wednesday ex Aswan (3 nights downriver to Esna), guaranteed weekly through 2026 and 2027

About The Orient

The Orient is a traditional two-masted sailing boat built in colonial style, based on a dahabiya design from the late 18th and early 19th century. She is the smallest boat in the fleet, carrying just ten guests in four double cabins of seventeen square metres and one twenty-six-square-metre suite with a private terrace, all outside-facing and en-suite.

The heart of the boat is the half-shaded sundeck with wooden deck chairs, the place to watch the landscape glide by. Below there is a cosy salon with comfortable sofas, backgammon and a small library of books about the Nile and Egypt.

The four-night sailing runs from Esna, or Luxor, to Aswan, calling at Edfu, Kom Ombo and Gebel El Silsila before Philae and the High Dam, with a shorter three-night trip in reverse. Full board covers Egyptian and international dishes served in the dining room or on deck.

Highlights

Smallest in the fleet, ten guests
Four cabins and one terrace suite
Two-masted traditional sailing boat
Half-shaded sundeck with deck chairs
Esna to Aswan via Gebel El Silsila

At sail

Day by day

The Orient sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Luxor, Esna, Edfu (Temple of Horus), Kom Ombo (Temple of Sobek), Gebel El Silsila, Aswan (Philae Temple, High Dam); Karnak and the Valley of the Kings visited on the land portion Departures every saturday ex esna (4 nights upriver to aswan) and every wednesday ex aswan (3 nights downriver to esna), guaranteed weekly through 2026 and 2027. 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 Esna, 3 nights

Day 1
Aswan, embark, and Kom Ombo
Collected from any address in Aswan at 09:00 and aboard the same morning. The first sail stops at a small island for a walk in the fields, then continues to Kom Ombo for the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris, and on to moor at Gebel el-Silsila, where large cruise boats are not permitted to stop. Dinner is served ashore on the bank.
Visits Kom Ombo · Gebel el-Silsila
Optional a walk on a Nile island
Day 2
Gebel el-Silsila and Edfu
The morning is spent at Gebel el-Silsila itself, at the rock-cut chapels of Horemheb, Seti I, Ramses II and Merenptah and the sandstone quarries that built much of pharaonic Egypt. The boat then sails to Edfu for the temple of Horus before mooring at an island for the night, where the water is shallow enough to swim. Dinner is on board or around a fire on the bank.
Visits Gebel el-Silsila rock chapels · Gebel el-Silsila sandstone quarries · Edfu
Optional swimming from the mooring
Day 3
El Kab, and into Esna
El Kab, the ancient town of Nekheb, with its temple remains and tombs cut into the cliffs. Lunch is served on deck on the run down to Esna, where the afternoon is free for the souk and the lanes behind it. The last night is on board.
Visits El Kab (ancient Nekheb) · Esna
Optional the Esna souk
Day 4
Esna, disembark for Luxor
Breakfast aboard, then off at 10:00 and by road to any address in Luxor, 45 km north, about an hour, arriving around 11:00.

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

Published by the operator. Confirm what your own booking covers before you travel.

Included

Transfers to/from any address in Luxor or Aswan
Sightseeing
ALL ENTRANCE FEES
English-speaking guide services on board
Full board accommodation
Tea, coffee, mineral water and soft drinks throughout the voyage
Complimentary wireless internet

Not included

Alcoholic beverages
Tipping/gratuities. CHILDREN (sharing cabin/suite with adults): 1-4 years free, 5-12 years 20% discount

Take the whole boat

4 cabins · up to 10 guests · whole boat from about US$3,344 a night

About US$3,344 a night for the whole boat, or roughly US$20,064 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 The Orient.

That is the arithmetic of The Orient'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 The Orient costs in 2026/2027

The published rate is US$418 per person per night , checked on 2026-10-07.

We are not publishing a trip total for The Orient, 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.
The operator publishes one rate across several boats in this fleet, so it is not specific to this hull.
Converted from the currency the operator quotes in, so it moves with the exchange rate.
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: Twin/Double Luxury Cabin x4 - 17 sq m, two large antique beds or one king-size, fine Egyptian cotton, two large windows with louvre shutters, en-suite bathroom with bath, shower, toilet and tiled floor, individually decorated with local antiques
Double Terrace Suite x1 - 26 sq m, at the back of the boat with a private terrace, large antique double bed, regional fabrics and furniture, private bathroom with bath, shower and toilet
Dining: Full board - lunch on embarkation day through breakfast on disembarkation day
Chef-prepared Egyptian and international dishes served in the dining room or on deck
Turkish coffee and Alexandrian wine mentioned in the salon; tea, coffee and non-alcoholic drinks included, alcohol not included
Facilities: Half-shaded sundeck with wooden deck chairs - the heart of the boat
Cosy salon with a small library of books about the Nile and Egypt, comfortable sofas, backgammon
Salon & dining room
All cabins and the suite outside-facing with panoramic windows
Every cabin and the suite has a private en-suite bathroom with bath, shower and toilet
Air-conditioned throughout with individual controls
Generator for electricity
Water filters for fresh water supply
Waste water recycling and sewage treatment system
Safety equipment: smoke detectors, emergency lighting, sprinkler system
Itineraries: 4 nights Esna/Luxor to Aswan
3 nights Aswan to Esna (road transfer to Luxor)

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

Dahabiya Nile cruises explained How much a dahabiya cruise costs Best small-boat Nile cruises Nile River Cruise: the complete guide Nile cruise vs land tour

Good to know

The Orient questions, answered

How much does The Orient cost?

From US$418 per person per night in a cabin at double occupancy, up to US$475 depending on the sailing. A suite runs US$494 to US$561, and sole occupancy from US$621. Full board, all sightseeing, entrance fees, an Egyptologist, Wi-Fi and transfers at both ends are included; alcohol and tipping are not.

How many cabins does The Orient have?

Four double cabins and one terrace suite, five rooms in all, for up to 10 guests. Two cabins have twin beds and two have a king-size double; the suite sits at the stern with its own terrace. Every room has a private bathroom with bath and shower, and its own air-conditioning control. The hull is 36.5 metres by 6.5, which is why she can moor at Gebel el-Silsila and the river islands where the large cruise ships are not permitted to stop.

What route does The Orient sail?

Luxor, Esna, Edfu (Temple of Horus), Kom Ombo (Temple of Sobek), Gebel El Silsila, Aswan (Philae Temple, High Dam); Karnak and the Valley of the Kings visited on the land portion, departing every Saturday ex Esna (4 nights) and every Wednesday ex Aswan (3 nights), guaranteed weekly through 2026 and 2027.

What's included on The Orient?

Full-board accommodation, all guided tours and entrance fees, Egyptologist throughout, transfers to/from the boat, all taxes and service charges. Excludes alcohol, tipping, optional tours, personal expenses, domestic flights. Holiday surcharges at Christmas, New Year and Easter. Indicative only. NOT

Is a departure on The Orient guaranteed?

Yes. The operator guarantees every confirmed Dahabiya departure with no minimum number of guests, and does not add fuel or currency surcharges once a booking is confirmed. Note that passport copies are needed in advance to obtain the sailing permits.

What guests say

Independent traveller reviews of The Orient, quoted with attribution — we don’t collect these ourselves.

“This was exactly the Nile cruise experience that we had hoped for. We sailed on the Orient. A fantastic trip. Relaxing but with enough day trip tours to keep it interesting.”
— Karen & Chris · via the operator