Itinerary
A 10-day Egypt trip built around a dahabiya
Spend three nights in Cairo, fly to Luxor for two nights, then sail four nights by dahabiya from Esna to Aswan and fly home from there. It sees everything a first trip should, and the river part is slow, quiet and on a boat of only a handful of cabins. Choose the boat first: each sails on a fixed weekday, and the rest of the trip is built around it.
The plan
Ten days, day by day
| Day | What you do |
|---|---|
| Day 1: Cairo | Arrive and rest. An evening walk by the Nile or dinner in Zamalek. |
| Day 2: Giza | The pyramids and the Sphinx in the morning, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Tutankhamun galleries in the afternoon. |
| Day 3: Saqqara or old Cairo | The step pyramid at Saqqara and Memphis, or Islamic and Coptic Cairo. Evening flight to Luxor. |
| Day 4: Luxor, East Bank | Karnak in the morning, Luxor Temple as the lights come on. |
| Day 5: Luxor, West Bank | Optional balloon at dawn, then the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon. |
| Day 6: Esna, board the dahabiya | Transfer to Esna, see the newly cleaned Temple of Khnum, and sail. |
| Day 7: El Kab and Edfu | The rock tombs of El Kab, which the big ships pass by, then the Temple of Horus at Edfu. |
| Day 8: Gebel el-Silsila | The ancient sandstone quarries and shrines, lunch on deck and a night moored by an island. |
| Day 9: Kom Ombo | The double temple of Sobek and Horus, then on towards Aswan. |
| Day 10: Aswan | Disembark, visit Philae, and fly on, or stay a night for Abu Simbel. |
The stops between Esna and Aswan vary a little by boat and by the river, and the captain chooses the moorings. See the sites a dahabiya visits.
Departures
Which dahabiya sails on which day
Pick the sailing day that fits your flights, then set the Cairo and Luxor nights around it.
| Boat | Upriver to Aswan (4 nights) | Downriver from Aswan (3 nights) |
|---|---|---|
| Loulia | Thursdays from Esna | Mondays from Aswan |
| Nora | Sundays from Esna | Thursdays from Aswan |
| The Orient | Saturdays from Esna | Wednesdays from Aswan |
| Zekrayaat | Mondays from Esna | Fridays from Aswan |
| Lazuli Karnak | Sundays and Mondays from Esna | Fridays from Aswan |
| Iris | Mondays from Luxor | Fridays from Aswan |
See Loulia, Nora, The Orient, Zekrayaat, Lazuli Karnak and Iris. Loulia, Nora, The Orient and Zekrayaat are sister boats with guaranteed weekly sailings; compare them in Loulia vs Nora vs The Orient vs Zekrayaat. Akhnaton also sails three and four nights; ask us for its days.
Reversed
Sailing downriver instead
Fly from Cairo to Aswan, sail three nights downriver to Esna, then spend two or three nights in Luxor and fly home. Downriver is a night shorter because the current helps. It suits travellers who want to finish in Luxor, or anyone heading on to the Red Sea, since Luxor is the closer end to the Hurghada coast. See a Nile cruise and the Red Sea.
With more time
Stretching it to two weeks
- Abu Simbel: add a night in Aswan. See Abu Simbel with a Nile trip.
- Dendera and Abydos: a long day from Luxor; add a night there.
- The Red Sea: three to five nights on the coast at the end.
- A longer sail: Lazuli Karnak sails up to seven nights; ask us about a longer programme.
Prices
What it costs
Dahabiyas run about US$140 to US$1,500 per person per night, usually with meals and guided visits on board. Cairo and Luxor hotels, the domestic flights and tips come on top. Tell us your dates and we will price the whole ten days. See ten things to know before you book a dahabiya.
Asked often
A dahabiya trip, answered
- How do you fit a dahabiya into an Egypt itinerary?
- Spend three nights in Cairo and two in Luxor, then sail four nights by dahabiya from Esna to Aswan and fly home from Aswan. Choose the boat first, because each sails on a fixed weekday.
- Where does a dahabiya cruise start?
- Most start at Esna, a short drive south of Luxor, which spares the boats the queue at the Esna lock. Sailing downriver, they start at Aswan and end at Esna.
- How many nights is a dahabiya cruise?
- Usually four nights upriver from Esna to Aswan, or three nights downriver from Aswan to Esna. A few boats, such as Lazuli Karnak, also run longer sailings.
- Is 10 days enough for Egypt with a dahabiya?
- Yes. Ten days fits three nights in Cairo, two in Luxor and four on a dahabiya, with Aswan at the end. Add a night for Abu Simbel or a few days on the Red Sea if you have more time.
