Travelling with a pet

Taking your dog on a Nile cruise

Most Nile cruise ships do not allow pets, and no boat on the river publishes a pet policy. A few boats, mostly dahabiyas and smaller vessels, will take a small dog or cat when it is agreed in advance. We keep the list of boats that accept pets and check it for you: send us your pet's breed, weight and a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you which boats will have you both.

This is the question guests give up on. One wrote to us after being turned down by every regular cruise she had asked: she was travelling with a four-pound Yorkshire terrier. We asked for a photo, checked with the boats and found one that would take them both. Pets on the Nile are not a policy you can look up. They are a conversation with the right boat, and we have already had it.

1. 1. You message us on WhatsApp with your dates, the type of animal, its breed and weight, and a photo.
2. 2. We check our list of boats that accept pets and confirm with each one for your dates, so you get only the boats that have said yes.
3. 3. You get the terms in writing: any fee, which cabin, where your pet can and cannot go on board, and who looks after them during the temple visits.
4. 4. We register your pet with the boat against your cabin when you confirm, so nothing is left to the day of embarkation.

There is no charge for asking. If no boat on our list fits your dates, we tell you that too.

Egypt admits dogs and cats with the paperwork in order, and a pet that meets the rules is not quarantined. Plan on a rabies vaccination given within the last 12 months and at least 30 days before you land, an official veterinary health certificate issued in your home country within about two weeks of travel and endorsed by your government vet service, and an ISO microchip. Some official checklists say Egypt does not insist on the chip, others say it does, so fit one anyway. Pets arrive through Cairo International Airport, where the vet can examine an animal that looks unwell at the owner's cost.

Two things catch people out. Egypt restricts some dog breeds, including pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds and huskies, so check with the Egyptian embassy before you plan around a large or guarding breed. And leaving Egypt needs its own export health certificate from Egypt's veterinary authority, which means a vet visit in Egypt before you fly home.

Your airline is often the harder part. Many carriers take only a small pet in the cabin, and an animal travelling in the hold can be refused when it is hot on the runway, which rules out much of the Egyptian summer. Sort the flight before the cruise, then tell us your arrival date and we will build the sailing around it. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements with your vet and the Egyptian embassy before you book.

Can you take a dog on a Nile cruise?

Yes, on the right boat, but not on most of them. The large Nile cruise ships do not take pets, and none of the boats on the river publishes a pet policy you can book against. A small number of boats, mostly dahabiyas and smaller vessels, will accept a small, well-behaved dog when asked in advance. We keep the list of boats that have said yes, so send us your dog's breed, weight and a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you which boats will take them on your dates.

Which Nile cruise boats allow pets?

There is no public list, because the boats that accept pets agree to it case by case rather than advertising it. We keep our own list of the boats that have taken pets with our guests and check it against your dates, the size of your animal and the cabin you want. Message us on WhatsApp and we will come back with the boats that fit.

Can I bring a cat on a Nile cruise?

It is rarer than a dog, but the same rules apply: small, calm, kept in your cabin or carrier, and agreed with the boat before you book. Tell us about your cat and we will ask the boats on our list.

Is a service animal treated differently from a pet?

Usually, yes. Boats on our list have registered a service dog against the guest's cabin at no extra charge. Egypt has no equivalent of the US or EU rules that oblige a boat to accept one, though, so it still has to be agreed with the boat before you book, with the animal's details and paperwork.

Is there an extra charge for bringing a pet?

It depends on the boat. Boats we work with have registered a service dog at no charge, while for a pet a boat may add a fee or ask you to book a larger cabin or the whole boat. We tell you the full cost before you confirm, so there is nothing to discover on the gangway.

Can I take my dog into the temples?

No. Egypt's antiquities authority does not allow animals or pets into its sites, so Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae are all off limits to them. The boat will not want your dog left alone in the cabin for hours either, so we agree with the boat in advance that a crew member looks after them during the site visits.

What is the best time of year to cruise the Nile with a dog?

November to February. Afternoons in Luxor and Aswan run past 40°C from May to September, which is hard on any animal, and decks and riverbank paths get hot underfoot. A winter sailing keeps walks ashore and time on deck comfortable.

Also useful: when to go and every dahabiya on the Nile.