7-Day Nile Dahabiya Cruise from Luxor – 6 Nights
Dahabiya route from Luxor: Luxor → Esna → El Kab → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan
| Boutique dahabiya for just 8–12 guests | All-inclusive Nile cruise | Private English-speaking Egyptologist guide | Abu Simbel excursion included
This 7 day Nile Dahabiya cruise from Luxor is a journey through Egypt on a traditional sailing boat, with 6 nights on board. It is a chance to discover the picturesque landscapes of the Nile Valley and soak up the atmosphere of travelling along one of the world’s most famous rivers. Explore the detailed itinerary, accommodation, price and booking options below.
- departure from Luxor
Why Book With Us?
- Easy online booking
- Best price guarantee
- English-speaking tour representative
- 24/7 customer support
- Insurance included
Highlights of the 7 Day Nile Dahabiya Cruise from Luxor
- Karnak Temple – the largest temple complex of ancient Egypt
- Luxor Temple and the famous Avenue of Sphinxes
- Passing through the historic Esna lock
- The Temple of Khnum at Esna with its astronomical reliefs
- El Kab – rarely visited ancient rock tombs
- The Temple of Horus at Edfu – Egypt's best-preserved temple
- Philae Temple of the goddess Isis on a Nile island
- The Aswan High Dam and famous Lake Nasser
- The Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan
- An authentic Nubian village and a motorboat ride
- The temples of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel included
Key Information – Nile Dahabiya Cruise from Luxor
(only 8–12 guests)
What Is a Dahabiya?
A dahabiya is a traditional Egyptian sailing boat that has plied the Nile for centuries. In the 19th century, famous figures such as Gustave Flaubert, Florence Nightingale and Agatha Christie travelled through Upper Egypt on these elegant boats.
Today, a dahabiya cruise from Luxor combines the romance of bygone days with modern comfort. Instead of large cruise ships, you discover the Nile calmly and exclusively, far from mass tourism.
Arrival and Pick-Up
You arrive independently. Our team picks you up directly from Luxor or Hurghada airport.
From Hurghada, the transfer to Luxor is by private air-conditioned vehicle. The drive takes about 3.5–4 hours (approx. 290 km), with a short break at a roadside rest stop.
Itinerary: Nile Dahabiya Cruise from Luxor – 7 Days / 6 Nights
Day 1 – Arrival in Luxor – Boarding – First Evening
Arrival at Luxor or Hurghada airport (transfer approx. 4 hours). Then you board the dahabiya and meet the group and crew. Dinner made from fresh Egyptian produce follows.
Dinner | Overnight in Luxor
Day 2 – Luxor: Karnak Temple – Luxor Temple – Avenue of Sphinxes
Early in the morning, before the large groups arrive, you explore Karnak with your private guide. In the afternoon, you visit Luxor Temple and the Avenue of Sphinxes, reopened in 2021. In the evening, the dahabiya sets sail.
Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple is the largest religious complex of antiquity. For about 2,000 years, pharaohs of the Middle and New Kingdoms and the Late Period expanded this complex of around 100 hectares. At its heart is the Great Hypostyle Hall, with 134 huge papyrus columns up to 21 metres tall. Karnak was also the cult centre of the state god Amun-Ra and the seat of New Kingdom power.
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple was built mainly under Pharaoh Amenhotep III (c. 1390–1352 BC) and later expanded by Tutankhamun and Ramesses II. Ramesses II also had the impressive gateway (pylon) decorated with scenes of the Battle of Kadesh (1274 BC). The 2.7 km Avenue of Sphinxes leading to Karnak reopened in 2021 after decades of excavation and restoration.
Full board | Overnight on the Nile
Day 3 – Esna Lock – Temple of Khnum – El Kab
Passing through the historic Esna lock is quite a spectacle, as the dahabiya only just fits.
The Temple of Khnum at Esna
The temple at Esna is dedicated to the creator god Khnum and lies in the middle of the old town, about 6 metres below today’s street level. The visible parts date mainly from the Roman period (1st–3rd century AD). Its ceiling reliefs with astronomical scenes are among the most beautiful in Egypt.
El Kab
El Kab (ancient Nekheb) was an important city in early Egyptian history and the cult centre of the vulture goddess Nekhbet. Its rock tombs from the Middle and New Kingdoms (c. 2000–1300 BC) show scenes of daily life with remarkable precision. What’s more, El Kab is one of the least visited archaeological sites in Upper Egypt.
Full board | Night at anchor on the Nile
Day 4 – Edfu – Kom Ombo
Traditionally, you travel to the temple at Edfu by horse-drawn carriage from the Nile landing stage.
The Temple of Horus at Edfu
The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the best-preserved temple in Egypt. It was built between 237 and 57 BC in the Ptolemaic style, on the foundations of an older New Kingdom sanctuary. Its complete complex of pylons, hypostyle halls and black granite sanctuary shows better than anywhere else how an ancient Egyptian temple looked and worked.
The Double Temple of Kom Ombo
The temple at Kom Ombo is unique in Egyptian architecture, as it is divided symmetrically into two mirror-image halves. One is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, the other to the sky god Haroeris (a form of Horus). The building dates mainly from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods (c. 332 BC – AD 395). The neighbouring Crocodile Museum displays more than 50 mummified sacred crocodiles.
Full board | Night on the Nile
Day 5 – Aswan: Philae – High Dam – Unfinished Obelisk – Nubian Village
Arrival in Aswan, followed by a full day in Egypt’s southernmost major city.
Philae Temple (Temple of Isis)
Philae Temple stands on Agilkia Island in Lake Nasser. The oldest surviving parts date from the reign of Pharaoh Nectanebo I (c. 380 BC, 30th Dynasty), while the main temple was created by the Ptolemaic rulers. When the level of Lake Nasser rose after the High Dam was built, an international UNESCO campaign (1972–1980) saved the entire complex. It was moved stone by stone to neighbouring Agilkia Island.
The Aswan High Dam
The Aswan High Dam was built between 1960 and 1970 with Soviet support and officially opened on 15 January 1971. It controls the Nile’s annual floods, generates electricity and created Lake Nasser, about 500 km long and one of the largest reservoirs in the world. However, its construction required the resettlement of around 100,000 Nubians.
The Unfinished Obelisk
In the granite quarries north of Aswan lies an obelisk that was never completed. It is almost 42 metres long and weighs around 1,168 tonnes, so it would have been the heaviest stone monument the Egyptians ever moved. During carving, about 3,500 years ago, cracks appeared in the granite and the project was abandoned. Today, the obelisk is the best evidence of ancient Egyptian stoneworking techniques.
Nubian Village
The Nubians are the oldest people of the Nile, and their homeland stretches from Aswan to Sudan. After the High Dam was built, many villages were flooded and their inhabitants resettled. Today, Nubian communities live on the west bank near Aswan, in colourful houses, with hand-woven textiles, their own language and cuisine. That is why a visit by motorboat is one of the most authentic experiences of the whole Nile cruise.
Full board | Overnight in Aswan
Day 6 – Abu Simbel – Last Evening
Early departure at around 3:00 am by private vehicle (approx. 3 hours each way), returning to Aswan around midday. In the evening, a farewell dinner on the dahabiya under the Egyptian starry sky.
Abu Simbel – the Temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari
Ramesses II (reigned c. 1279–1213 BC) had both temples carved into the Nubian sandstone around 1264 BC. The Great Temple has four colossal statues, each about 20 m tall. Above all, it is a masterpiece of astronomy: on 22 February and 22 October, the morning light shines deep into the sanctuary and illuminates three of the four statues of the gods. Only Ptah, the god of darkness, stays in shadow. Between 1964 and 1968, fifty countries working for UNESCO dismantled both temples into more than 1,000 blocks and rebuilt them 65 metres higher. Since 1979, they have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Breakfast and dinner | Last night on the Nile
Day 7 – Disembarkation in Aswan
A final breakfast on board, then disembarkation and transfer to Aswan airport or, on request, back to Hurghada. This is how your 7 day Nile Dahabiya cruise from Luxor to Aswan comes to an end. Discover more Nile cruises.
Breakfast | Disembarkation before noon
Prices per Person
An exclusive Nile dahabiya cruise with a private Egyptologist, premium all inclusive and a small boutique group.
Included in the Trip
- 6 nights on the dahabiya (premium all inclusive)
- Private Egyptologist guide – exclusively for your group
- Abu Simbel excursion by private vehicle
- Motorboat and felucca rides as per the itinerary
- All entrance tickets as per the itinerary
- All transfers
- All taxes and service charges
Not Included
- International flights
- Entry visa (approx. 25 USD)
- Tomb of Tutankhamun (special ticket)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Payment
Payment is conveniently made in cash on pick-up (not available for pick-ups from Safaga port). We accept the following currencies: