Nile cruise shipLuxury flagshipsLuxor → Aswan

Mövenpick MS Darakum

Moroccan-styled interiors on the Nile

Mövenpick MS Darakum is a Nile cruise ship operated by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (Accor), built 2008. It has 52 cabins and 8 suites for up to 104 guests and sails itineraries of 3, 4, 12 or 14 nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.

Good to know

Moroccan-styled interiors on the Nile. A five-star, five-deck ship of 52 cabins and eight suites with Moroccan-inspired interiors, sailing both the short Luxor–Aswan route and long Cairo runs.

Class Luxury flagshipsCabins 52 · up to 104 guestsRoute Luxor → Aswan

Mövenpick MS Darakum, a Nile cruise ship

Operator: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (Accor)
Accommodation: 52 cabins · 8 suites
Guests: Up to 104
Decks: 4 passenger decks.
Dimensions: 72 × 15 m
Built: 2008
Route: Short cruise: Luxor, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan. Long cruise (Aswan-Cairo): Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor, Qena, Naga Hammadi, Sohag, Tel El Amarna, Minya, Beni Suef, Cairo. Long cruise (Cairo-Aswan): Cairo, Beni Suef, Minya, Tel El Amarna, Assyut, Sohag, Naga Hammadi, Qena, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan.
Trip length: 3 · 4 · 12 · 14 nights
Departures: Short cruise: Fridays from Aswan (3 nights), Mondays from Luxor (4 nights). Long-cruise departure days not published.
Season: Short cruise November-February and long cruise February-November; sailing-date schedules published for 2026 (long and short) and 2027 (long)
Wi-Fi: Complimentary WiFi in all cabins; Panorama and Senior Suites additionally receive an exclusive MiFi device

About Mövenpick MS Darakum

Built in 2008, Mövenpick MS Darakum is a five-deck ship with Moroccan-inspired interior design and 52 cabins plus eight suites. Standard Classic, Superior and Deluxe cabins run to 20 m², rising through junior suites of 26 m² to senior and panorama suites of 34 to 40 m². A low-draft hull lets it sail the full length between Cairo and Aswan.

The main restaurant serves buffet breakfasts and lunches with themed dinner buffets, alongside a lounge bar for afternoon tea, cocktails and evening entertainment, and a sun-deck bar. On deck there is a swimming pool and a leisure area, with a mini gym on the upper deck and a lounge that converts to conference space with a 100-inch projection screen. A passenger elevator serves the decks.

Short cruises run three and four nights between Luxor and Aswan via Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, while long cruises of 12 to 14 nights link Aswan and Cairo through Middle Egypt. Complimentary Wi-Fi reaches all cabins, and Panorama and Senior Suite guests receive an exclusive MiFi device.

Highlights

Moroccan-inspired interior design
Suites from 26 m² to 40 m²
Sun-deck pool and leisure area
Long Cairo–Aswan cruises available
Passenger elevator on board

At sail

Day by day

Mövenpick MS Darakum sails 2 published programmes. Its own route: Short cruise: Luxor, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan Departures short cruise: fridays from aswan (3 nights), mondays from luxor (4 nights). long-cruise departure days not published.. 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, 3 nightsusually departs Friday

Day 1
Luxor, embark and the east bank
Board before lunch. Karnak and Luxor Temple the same afternoon, which is the one thing the three-night sailing does not cut.
Visits Karnak · Luxor Temple
Day 2
West bank, then sail south
The tombs at first light, back on board for lunch, and the ship sails south through the Esna lock the same day. On the four-night programme this is two days; here it is one, and it is a long one.
Visits Valley of the Kings · Hatshepsut · Colossi of Memnon · Esna lock
Optional hot-air balloon at dawn
Day 3
Edfu and Kom Ombo
Edfu from the mooring at dawn, usually by horse-drawn carriage, then Kom Ombo in the afternoon with its double temple standing above the water.
Visits Edfu · Kom Ombo
Day 4
Aswan and disembark
The Aswan cluster on the final morning before disembarkation. Abu Simbel means a pre-dawn start and is normally sold as a separate day.
Visits High Dam · Philae · Unfinished Obelisk
Optional Abu Simbel

Aswan to Luxor, 3 nightsusually departs Friday

Day 1
Aswan, embark
Board before lunch, then the Aswan cluster in the afternoon.
Visits High Dam · Philae · Unfinished Obelisk
Optional felucca among the islands
Day 2
Kom Ombo and Edfu
Sail north. Kom Ombo sits at the mooring; Edfu is a short carriage ride inland.
Visits Kom Ombo · Edfu
Optional Abu Simbel, pre-dawn by road or air
Day 3
Through Esna to Luxor, east bank
The Esna lock can hold the fleet for a while; the east-bank temples follow on arrival.
Visits Esna lock · Karnak · Luxor Temple
Day 4
West bank and disembark
Check out after breakfast, then the west bank before departure.
Visits Valley of the Kings · Hatshepsut · Colossi of Memnon
Optional hot-air balloon at dawn

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.

Cabin pricing

Rates by season

Indicative per-person USD rates from the boat's published 2026/27 programme (single published source). Your exact fare depends on dates and cabin — we quote every sailing live, with no booking fee to ask.

4 days / 3 nights · Luxor–Aswan corridor

Cabin	High season · Sep–Apr	Low season · May–Aug
Double cabin (per person)	$2,582	$2,237
Single cabin (sole use)	$4,388	$3,802
Triple cabin (per person)	$2,530	$2,192

5 days / 4 nights · Luxor–Aswan corridor

Cabin	High season · Sep–Apr	Low season · May–Aug
Double cabin (per person)	$3,289	$2,829
Single cabin (sole use)	$5,591	$4,809
Triple cabin (per person)	$3,223	$2,772

Cabins are allocated by the operator at confirmation; tell us your preferred deck and we will ask.
Longer itineraries are priced as the sailings combined, confirmed on your quote.

The fine print

What's included and what isn't

Many ship fares bundle guided shore excursions with an Egyptologist; it varies by package, and your quote states exactly what applies.

Included

Accommodation aboard Mövenpick MS Darakum in the cabin booked
Meals aboard per the boat's published programme
Sun deck, pool, spa, gym and lounge throughout
Wi-Fi on board

Not included

Drinks beyond water, tea and coffee served with meals
Gratuities for the crew
Temple entrance fees and Egyptologist guiding, unless your package states them
Transfers and extensions such as Abu Simbel, unless quoted

The boat in detail

Cabin categories: Classic Cabin (first floor, two porthole windows, 20 sqm)
Superior Cabin (second floor, panoramic windows, 20 sqm)
Deluxe Cabin (third floor, panoramic windows, 20 sqm)
Junior Suite (2 units, 26 sqm, second floor)
Senior Suite third floor (2 units, 40 sqm)
Senior Suite fourth floor (2 units, 34 sqm)
Panorama Suite (2 units, 34 sqm)
Dining: Main Restaurant - buffet breakfast and lunch, themed dinner buffets
Lounge Bar - afternoon tea, cocktails, evening entertainment
Sun Deck bar - beverages and snacks
Facilities: Swimming pool
Sun deck with leisure area
Mini gym
Lounge bar convertible to conference space with 100-inch projection screen
Library and salon
Gift shop
Passenger elevator
24-hour reception
Laundry service
Medical service
Water purification system
Fire alarm and sprinkler system
Low-draft design allowing full Cairo-to-Aswan navigation
Spa · pool · gym: Swimming pool / plunge pool on sun deck and a mini gym on the Upper Deck. No spa listed.
Itineraries: Short cruise: Luxor to Aswan / Aswan to Luxor (3 nights and 4 nights)
Long cruise 12 nights / 13 days: Aswan to Cairo
Long cruise 14 nights / 15 days: Cairo to Aswan

Keep planning

Plan your Nile cruise

Nile River Cruise: the complete guide Luxury Nile cruises Nile cruise vs land tour The cheapest time to cruise the Nile

What guests say

Independent traveller reviews of Mövenpick MS Darakum, quoted with attribution — we don’t collect these ourselves.

4.7 out of 5via Tripadvisor (21)

★★★★★
“The MS Darakum's crew were superb - very professional but also friendly. We ate very well - buffets for breakfast and lunch; in the evening a mix of silver service, BBQs on deck and buffets concluding with Movenpick's famous icecream.”
— Susan P, United Kingdom · via Tripadvisor

Good to know

Mövenpick MS Darakum questions, answered

How much does Mövenpick MS Darakum cost?

Advertised rates start from US$4,949 per person; prices vary by season and cabin.

How many cabins does Mövenpick MS Darakum have?

52 cabins and 8 suites, for up to 104 guests.

What route does Mövenpick MS Darakum sail?

Short cruise: Luxor, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan. Long cruise (Aswan-Cairo): Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor, Qena, Naga Hammadi, Sohag, Tel El Amarna, Minya, Beni Suef, Cairo. Long cruise (Cairo-Aswan): Cairo, Beni Suef, Minya, Tel El Amarna, Assyut, Sohag, Naga Hammadi, Qena, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan., departing Short cruise: Fridays from Aswan (3 nights), Mondays from Luxor (4 nights). Long-cruise departure days not published..

What's included on Mövenpick MS Darakum?

Not specified on the source page