8days
5★ offer
Aswan · Cairo & Giza · Luxor
Legends of the Nile 5★ – Flash Sale
From€700
Nile Charms by Dahabiya
Sail the Nile the way travellers did a century ago: four nights on a traditional dahabiya with a handful of cabins, stopping where the big ships cannot.
Duration10 days / 9 nights
DestinationsAswan, Cairo & Giza, Luxor
GuideEgyptologist (EN / ES)
From€2,150per person
Overview
A dahabiya is a wooden sailing boat with two large sails and usually fewer than ten cabins. It has no engine noise, no queue for the buffet and no schedule set by a hundred other passengers. It also moors at small islands and sites the large cruise ships cannot reach, such as the rock tombs of El Kab and the quarries of Gebel el-Silsila.
The trip starts with two nights in Luxor, with a full day on both banks. You then board in Esna and sail south for four nights, with Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan along the way, meals served on deck and evenings moored by quiet riverbanks. It ends with three nights in Cairo and a guided visit to the Pyramids.
If you have already done a classic cruise, or simply want the Nile at its most peaceful, this is the trip.
Highlights
- Four nights on a traditional sailing dahabiya
- El Kab and Gebel el-Silsila, sites big ships skip
- Meals on deck and nights moored by quiet islands
- Two nights in Luxor with both banks fully visited
- The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
Day by day
Day 1 Arrival in Luxor
Arrival in Luxor, assistance at the airport and transfer to your hotel on the East Bank. Free time to stroll along the Corniche, where the feluccas tie up at sunset.
Day 2 Luxor: both banks of ancient Thebes
Your guide picks you up at the hotel for a full day of visits. On the West Bank, the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon; on the East Bank, the immense hypostyle hall of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3 Esna: boarding the dahabiya
Drive to Esna to see the temple of Khnum, sunk below the level of the modern town, and board your dahabiya, a traditional two-masted sailing boat with only a handful of cabins. Lunch on deck as you set sail; in the evening the boat moors at a quiet island.
Day 4 El Kab and Edfu
Morning walk to the rock tombs of El Kab, rarely visited by the big cruise ships, with scenes of daily life painted 3,500 years ago. Sail on to Edfu and its Temple of Horus.
Day 5 Gebel el-Silsila
A day under sail to Gebel el-Silsila, the sandstone quarries that supplied most of the temples of Upper Egypt, with shrines carved into the cliffs. Swim from the boat if the weather allows, and dinner on deck under the stars.
Day 6 Kom Ombo and arrival in Aswan
Visit the double temple of Kom Ombo and sail the last stretch to Aswan. In the afternoon, the High Dam and the island temple of Philae. Final night on board the dahabiya.
Day 7 Aswan to Cairo
Breakfast on board and disembarkation. Transfer to Aswan airport for the flight to Cairo, where our team takes you to your hotel. Free evening; Khan el-Khalili and its cafés are a good place to start.
Day 8 The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
The day you have been waiting for. Your guide takes you to the plateau of Giza to see the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure up close, then to the panoramic viewpoint where all three line up against the desert. Finish at the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre. Afternoon free.
Optional: entry inside a pyramid (extra ticket) or an afternoon at Saqqara and Memphis.
Day 9 Cairo at your own pace
A free day. Ask us about optional visits: the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the Citadel and Islamic Cairo, Saqqara and Memphis, or a day trip to Alexandria on the Mediterranean.
Day 10 Departure from Cairo
Breakfast and, depending on your flight time, a last coffee in the city. Transfer to Cairo airport with assistance for your flight home.
What is included
- Scheduled international flights (one 20 kg bag)
- Domestic flight Aswan – Cairo
- 2 nights in Luxor with breakfast
- 4 nights on a dahabiya, full board plus one extra lunch (drinks not included)
- 3 nights in Cairo with breakfast
- All visits, entrance fees and transfers in the itinerary
- Spanish- or English-speaking guide on all visits
- Airport assistance and air-conditioned transfers
- 24-hour phone assistance, airport taxes and basic travel insurance
Not included
- Egypt entry visa (we can process it for you)
- Tips for guides, drivers and crew (customary in Egypt)
- Drinks, except where stated
- Excursion to Abu Simbel (available as an optional extra)
- Optional excursions, such as the sunrise balloon flight over Luxor
- Tickets to go inside the pyramids or the tomb of Tutankhamun
- Personal expenses
- Extended cover and cancellation insurance
Gallery
FAQ
How is a dahabiya different from a cruise ship?
A dahabiya carries around ten to twenty guests instead of a hundred or more, sails mainly under wind power and stops at small sites the big ships cannot. The pace is slower and the atmosphere far more personal.
Does the dahabiya rely on wind?
Mostly, but every dahabiya is accompanied by a small tug that keeps the schedule on calm days, so you will always reach the planned visits.
How do I book this trip?
Send us an enquiry with your dates and number of travellers. We confirm availability and the final price in writing within 24 hours, before you pay anything.
When is the best time to visit Egypt?
October to April is the most comfortable period, with warm days and cool evenings. Summer is very hot in Luxor and Aswan, but there are fewer visitors and prices are lower; visits are scheduled early in the morning.
From€2,150
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