dahabiya dream nile cruise reviews

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Dahabiya Dream Luxury Nile Cruise   Reviews

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Reviews 4.8.

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A dreamy cruise

A professional service from start to finish. Linda's communication was the best I have experienced for a holiday. Amazingly responsive and warm in her communications. Our time in Cairo including the luxury Kempiniski was fabulous and our guide Mohammed was amazing. Our time on the Dahabiya Dream felt like being part of one big family. Mahmoud is a champion of a host. Ahmed a legend of hieroglyphics. Joe, Aladeen, Mimi, Adam and all the fantastic crewman are a credit to the company and treated us like Royals. We will always remember our time on your boat as you truly gave us a trip of a lifetime. For anyone considering this company. You will certainly not regret it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The Evans clan.

Date of experience : 08 April 2024

An amazing week on the Dahabiya Dream

What an amazing week we have just had on the Dahabiya Dream. We were assured that it was absolutely safe to go, given the problems in the Middle East at the moment, and that was our experience. We felt totally safe and at no point had any cause for concern. Everything went as smoothly as it possibly could have. The Dream was absolutely wonderful and all the staff so courteous and helpful. The food was excellent, Mahmoud was great, always making sure we were happy and had everything we needed and our Egyptologist Ahmed was also fabulous and incredibly knowledgeable. Both had a good sense of humour and together they helped make the holiday the success it was. Also, I mustn’t forget the 3 nights we had in Cairo. It was absolutely the right choice to have our first day at leisure relaxing in the hotel and then our guide for the rest of the time in Cairo was also excellent. We’ve come away inspired to learn more about Egypt’s incredible ancient civilisation. Thank you to all concerned.

Date of experience : 26 February 2024

The ‘Dream’ experience.

From the moment we arrived on Dream until we left a week later we couldn’t fault our holiday. The crew were great, every meal was fabulous, cabin extremely comfortable with good shower and loads of hot water. Our guide on board was incredibly knowledgeable and brilliant at getting us round the many temples and museums. With only 12 passengers if you like ‘small’ couldn’t recommend this cruise enough.

Date of experience : 13 February 2023

Dream Cruise

We have been on Nile cruises several times and this was by far our best experience. The boat is delightful and very well equipped, manned by staff who are very helpful, friendly and professional. We very much enjoyed being in a small group and the sailing experience (mostly tugged) was a welcome contrast with the large cruise boats. Meals and other services very good indeed. They were very flexible and accommodating to personal dietary needs, particularly for one of our friends who is coeliac. Apart from 4 nights on the boat the company organised 9 nights in hotels in Aswan, Luxor and Cairo and all arrangements worked perfectly. If we plan another trip to Egypt we will certainly use Explore Egypt again.

Date of experience : 13 November 2023

Reply from Dahabiya Dream Luxury Nile Cruise

Thank you Alan very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

Cairo and The Nile - just perfect

We travel in March to Cairo and then flew to Luxor for a cruise to Aswan and back. From start to finish, it was fabulous - helpful assistance, knowledgeable guides and great crew - it really was the memorable holiday we wanted for our milestone birthdays. Special thanks for Mohammed, tour manager, and Ahmed, Egyptologist and guide. And Linda who did all the booking and communication. We meet some lovely couples in Cairo who travelled on to Luxor with us, and we all had a great trip. The boat was perfect, we had a private balcony for our room, and the communal dining on deck was perfect. We'll definitely look at the other destinations for 2024!

Date of experience : 25 March 2023

Such a fabulous week

Such a fabulous week. The boat and rooms are beautiful, the staff very attentive and the food lovely. Our gentle cruise down the Nile was so peaceful watching water buffalo, bird life, fisherman and their families. Our Egyptologist was very knowledgeable and filled us with his passion. The other guests on the boat were great company and we have all exchanged details! If you have the chance go, you will never regret being treated like Kings and Queens…..

Date of experience : 10 October 2022

Just returned from the most wonderful…

Just returned from the most wonderful holiday on the Dream. What an elegant way to drift down the Nile on a small 120 year old sail boat. We were pampered with freshly cooked eggs for breakfast, welcome smoothies upon our return from an outing, wonderful food and a fantastic helpful crew. The itinerary covered everything you need to see guided by a very knowledgeable guide who brought it all to life. The hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings was spectacular and most memorable. Holiday of a life-time

Date of experience : 02 April 2022

What an amazing experience!

What an amazing experience!! The crew were so incredible and so welcoming and couldn’t do enough for you. We were so grateful for them all for going above and beyond, especially with the older members of our family. Also, we learned A LOT about Ancient Egypt and it was all so interesting. Obviously once we started to hear about the problems in Gaza we were initially worried, but we genuinely had nothing to worry about. We followed the UK government guidelines and as far as we were concerned, if they were happy for us to travel, we were happy to travel and it was soooo worth it. The trip of a lifetime and would highly recommend. Do not let the war in Israel stop you from visiting Egypt. You will regret missing out on all the fun!! It was so great, we have already booked again!!

Date of experience : 11 December 2023

Thank you Clare very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

Everything about this trip was 5 star

Everything about this trip was 5 star. The boat beautiful, cabins comfortable, the food delicious, the staff who went out of their way to make everything perfect. The sites visited are amazing in themselves, but brought to life by our fantastic Egyptologist. Plus the amazing experience of sailing down the Nile! Bravo to all who made it happen! Eileen

Date of experience : 12 March 2022

What a fantastic experience

What a fantastic experience. We spent an extra two days in Cairo and visited Sakkara. Our brilliant guide Mohammed brought it alive. The Nile cruise was exceptional. Lovely boat, brilliant food. We learnt so much from our first-class Egyptologist, Ahmed. Special thanks must go to Mahmoud, our excellent captain and his wonderful crew. They were so friendly and helpful. Thank you!

Date of experience : 15 March 2022

A Dream holiday!

Stunning temples, service with big smiles, and total serenity. This is how I would describe our experience on the Dahabiya Dream - what a dream it was! Everything about our time on board exceeded our expectations, from the brilliant food, the company and sense of humour of the staff, to the knowledge and guidance of our wonderful Egyptologist. What experts you all are in the different roles you provide to make the holiday extra special. This started with excellent information and communication with Explore Egypt from day 1 of our enquiry with you. We enjoyed our time in Cairo - the pyramids could not fail to impress! And the Oberoi is beautifully quiet and the perfect place to relax, with the added bonus of the stunning house reef which we enjoyed every day. Please pass our thanks again to everyone. We would not hesitate to recommend Explore Egypt to family and friends.

Date of experience : 24 November 2023

Thank you very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

This is the way to see the highlights of Egypt

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the way to see the highlights of Egypt. The crew and back office team must have worked so hard to make everything run perfectly...accommodating Covid test requirements, storm conditions on the Nile, special trip requests. Special mentions for Mahmood and Linda. Food excellent. Dahabiya is a wonderful vessel with views so much better that from behind patio doors on a multi-story cruise ship and so much quieter as we were towed/sailed. With so few passengers, fellow travellers could make or break the trip...we considered all on board to now be friends.

Date of experience : 16 November 2021

Thank you so very much Mr Roberts, it was such a pleasure to sail the Nile with all of you

Why would you go on a big ship?

If you are going to Egypt, and want personal attention, then use Explore. The Dream is a delight, but it's a low-stated luxury. If you want hot tubs, a big cabin, fancy dining and an onboard gym then go on a big cruise ship. But the 9 of us on this boat watched the endless parade of huge cruise liners and just felt smug. Be warned that if there is not enough wind you will be towed as there is no engine on board. But the 'tuggi tuggi' is on a long tow rope, and the engine noise was not an issue. Waking up and opening the shutter so I could sit in bed and watch the Nile go past, with egrets and pied kingfishers right outside was the perfect start to the day.

Date of experience : 28 October 2023

Thank you Lesley very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

What a fantastic holiday from start to…

What a fantastic holiday from start to finish. The crew were amazing as was our Egyptologist. None of us had any tummy troubles and the food was very plentiful and really tasty. Nothing was too much trouble. We cannot recommend this trip enough!! We visited so many wonderful places including flying to Abu Simbel. It was so peaceful being on a small boat that could moor where it wanted rather than in a large port. All the transportation was well organised and the transfers were all in air conditioned mini buses. The help given to us before we went was exceptional too. A once in a lifetime trip!

Date of experience : 31 May 2022

Slipping down the Nile on Dahabiya Dream

Slipping down the Nile on Dahabiya Dream was the most exhilarating, fun, educational and exotic experience. Our gentle, polite, charming crew and guides could not have been more attentive. The food was delicious. All freshly prepared daily. The whole week was the perfect mix of relaxation, history and new friendships. If you are wavering about going, do not hesitate.

Date of experience : 08 October 2021

A wonderful holiday on board Dahabiya Dream

My wife and I had a most wonderful holiday on board Dahabiya Dream and afterwards in Cairo. The ancient sites that we visited were fascinating and unforgettable. Cruising on this well run Victorian-style dahabiya was for us the perfect way to experience this magical river. The staff were unfailingly attentive, friendly and helpful, the guide was enthusiastic and informative, and and the food was excellent. The holiday surpassed our expectations.

Date of experience : 21 February 2024

Ideal for great family gathering

WOW! Perfection in every tiny detail... from beauty of the "Dream" to the smiling and expert crew. Our family of 8 senior/retired adults sailed the Nile as titled gentry of old must have done. Only, this was in modern luxury and comfort unequalled.Each member of the entire crew performed duties as the pros they are, with the single goal of making us comfortable, enlightened. informed and HAPPY! The Egyptian culture and magnificent history was alive with Ahmed's enthusiastic and informative description of each site of this rich excursion down the river of dreams. From the fantastic food prepared expertly by Aladdin to the smooth and picturesque voyage, Mahood and his crew ensure our entire venture was flawless. As a family who tries to take a special trip every two or three years, this is the ultimate! Each member fell in love with Egypt and the "Dream." Once more, please.

Date of experience : 05 January 2023

An unforgettable experience..

First of all, don't let the events in Gaza put you off taking this amazing trip. After reassurance from Linda at Explore Travel & Cruises, and reading FCO advice, we decided to go ahead with the holiday, and never regretted it for a moment. We didn't experience any security or safety problems whatsoever. As for the Dahabiya Dream experience, it was wonderful! This is definitely the best way to cruise down the Nile and see all of Egypt's iconic sights. After 2 manic days in Cairo, it was good to kick back and enjoy a more leisurely pace as we sailed peacefully down the Nile watching life go by. It was definitely an advantage to be able to dock away from all the big cruise ships that travel up and down the river, and certainly made the holiday a more unique and pleasant experience. The boat is comfortably furnished, with the upper deck offering many places to sit, relax or enjoy the sun. There is also a comfortable inside lounge for those chillier days and evenings. Meals were usually eaten on the upper deck, and the food was authentic Egyptian and always first class. But what makes the Dream experience so special, is definitely the staff and crew. They were all polite, welcoming and good fun. Nothing was too much trouble and we were soon put at ease and made to feel part of the Dream 'family'. Our boat manager, Mahmoud, was always attentive and made sure we always had everything we needed. And Ahmed, our very knowledgeable and professional onboard Egyptologist, did an amazing job in introducing us to the complexities of ancient Egyptian history, but always kept us laughing with his great sense of humour. All the trips to see the sights were very well organised and ran like clockwork. If you want a unique Nile experience, book this trip! I will definitely be recommending it to friends and family, and would love to go back one day

Date of experience : 19 February 2024

Thank you Karen for your feedback, we are so happy that you have enjoyed your holiday with us and we would love to have you onboard again. Thank you

Honestly its there in the title DREAM

Honestly its there in the title, Dream. The trip was amazing. The crew onboard were amazing from start to finish making sure we had everything we needed, even giving us a wonderfull supprise dinner on the banks of the nile filled with good food, Music and dancing. The guide was amazing and made the trip that much more enjoyable knowing more about the history of each temple. The boat its self was an amazing 1920s? boat that actually carried some of the early explores over 100 years ago. It was an incredible experience from start to finish, one week was not long enough.

Date of experience : 14 November 2022

Enjoyable trip

After two years and at the third attempt we recently spent a very enjoyable week on the Dream. We were allocated the William Flinders Petrie cabin which while I wouldn't describe as luxurious was clean, comfortable and well equipped. The upper deck is the USP for the boat, a beautifully furnished space in which to relax and watch the daily life of local Egyptians unfold on the banks of the glorious river Nile. This was the highlight of the tour for us. The food on board was excellent, plentiful and varied. The cocktails superb. The pace of the tour was ideal, starting off gently and building up to the busier days at Luxor, Karnak and Valley of the Kings. We did the optional road trip to Abu Simbel, which is expensive but well worth the long drive. We travelled in a comfortable minibus and had a very competent driver. Although there is no engine on the boat there are two generators which make a low level droning noise which can be disturbing at night. We solved this by using our earplugs. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip which was worth the wait.

Dahabiya Nile Cruises

Dahabiya Nile cruises might not be the cheapest option for those who are longing to cruise the world’s longest and most famous river, but they are well and truly in a league of their own.

Dahabiya boats plying the Nile in one form or another have been a sight for thousands of years. When you decide to go to Egypt yourself, you should really consider joining the privileged number of people who have already enjoyed the magic of a private Dahabiya Nile cruise. They are all about the memories…

Dahabiya Nile Cruise Tour Packages

11-Day Dahabiya Luxury Cruise and Cairo

11-Day Dahabiya Nile Sailing Luxury Vacation w/ Cairo Tour

8-Day Luxury Cairo and Dahabiya on the Nile Experience

8-Day Luxury Small Boat Nile Cruise and Cairo Highlights Tour

The best dahabiya nile cruise boats.

8-Day Nuut or Nuun Dahabiya Cruise

8-Day Merit Dahabiya from Luxor-Aswan-Luxor

8-Day Sonesta Amirat Dahabiya from Aswan to Luxor

8-day sonesta amirat dahabeya from luxor to aswan.

6-Day Nour El Nil Dahabiya from Esna to Aswan

6-Day MS Donia Dahabiya from Esna to Aswan

5-Day Merit Dahabiya Itinerary: Luxor-Aswan

5-Day MS Amoura Dahabiya from Esna to Aswan

5-Day Sai Dahabiya Lake Cruise from Aswan to Abu-Simbel

4-Day MS Amoura Dahabiya from Aswan to Esna

4-Day Sai Lake Cruise From Abu Simbel to Aswan

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Dahabiya?

Dahabiyas are traditional river yachts that typically have two masts, one front and one rear. They rely entirely on wind and have no engines apart from a generator for on-board electricity.  

Are Dahabiya cruises safe?

Yes, they are very safe. All cruises, including Dahabiya cruises, are protected by the Egyptian government as are the attractions you visit during your cruise along the Nile.

Is a Dahabiya Nile cruise worth it?

Absolutely! If you want luxury and exclusivity, then there is no better way to sail on the Nile River than to do so aboard one of these traditional two-mast river yachts.

Do Dahabiya boats have Wi-Fi?

Most tourist Dahabiyas have free Wi-Fi available on board, sometimes throughout the boat and sometimes only in public spaces. The quality can vary wildly depending on location.

What to wear on a Dahabiya cruise?

There is no specific dress code, so just wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. Many passengers tend to dress somewhat conservatively since Egypt is a conservative country.

What to expect on a Dahabiya Nile cruise?

Expect peace and quiet, excellent dining, and lots of breathtaking sightseeing at numerous ancient monuments. You may also visit places that are off limits for the large passenger cruise boats.

Click here to learn more about Dahabiya Nile Cruises...

Dahabiya Nile Cruises – This Side of Paradise

The Nile River is famous as the world’s longest river, but is also known for the history that seems to spring up along its Egyptian shores.

If a traveler sailed from Cairo to Aswan, affectively traversing the entire length of modern Egypt, they would encounter ancient temples, monuments and other historical sites constructed over a period of 5,000 years and more.

It is this fascinating history that makes Egypt, and especially the Nile Valley, such a popular destination, and many people opt for a cruise on the Nile in order to experience the land in the same way as the ancients. One way to ensure an experience similar to the ancient Egyptians is to take advantage of today’s luxurious Dahabiya Nile cruises.

Today, private Nile cruises are rising in popularity among those who are longing to explore the River Nile and its fascinating shores, but be warned: they are quite expensive.

Routes And Itineraries Of Dahabiya Cruises

Dahabiya Nile River cruises in Egypt will generally follow the same routes as the larger luxury Nile cruise ships – meaning points of departure at Luxor or Aswan and then several days or weeks sailing between the two points. Even though felucca are smaller boats, they too are not able to make the long trip from Cairo and south to Luxor or beyond.

This is primarily due to the locks and cataracts that make it nearly impossible for boats and ships to pass. This does not mean however, that a visitors will have to miss out on Cairo since there are many felucca tours and other sailing options in the area each day.

Just like passengers on the large cruise ships, travelers who book private Dahabiya Nile cruises will also be able to visit the legendary Valley of the Kings , and see the tomb of Tutankhamen among many other important sites.

They will likewise get to visit the temple at Philae , Karnak Temple , and depending on the type of tour package you book, you may also get to see the fabulous Abu Simbel temples , which were rescued from oblivion during the flooding of Lake Nasser and the construction of the Aswan Dam .

Keeping It Simple

One of the benefits in choosing Dahabiya Nile River cruises is the small size of the boats. Generally there will be from eight to twenty passengers aboard the Dahabiya which can mean a far more attentive experience as well as a bit more time and control over visits to specific sites.

For example, anyone on a larger Nile cruise ship may have to visit areas in group tours and stick to very strict schedules and time constraints. The private Dahabiya Nile cruises however can be a great deal more flexible, and a visitor hoping for some “solo” time at a site will generally be able to arrange for such an experience.

Create Your Dream Dahabiya Nile Cruise Package

All our cruise and stay holidays are private and fully customizable. You can have your Dahabiya Nile cruise your way when you travel with Egypt Tours Plus.

Dahabiya Nile cruises can also be incorporated into any of the Egypt tour packages currently offered on our site, including package tours that feature a trip to other Middle Eastern destinations such as Jordan; Israel, Turkey or Dubai.

Dahabiya Nile Cruises = Lifetime Memories Guaranteed!

Last Updated on April 29, 2024

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Dahabiya Dream Luxury Nile Cruise   Reviews

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Reviews 4.8.

Most relevant

A dreamy cruise

A professional service from start to finish. Linda's communication was the best I have experienced for a holiday. Amazingly responsive and warm in her communications. Our time in Cairo including the luxury Kempiniski was fabulous and our guide Mohammed was amazing. Our time on the Dahabiya Dream felt like being part of one big family. Mahmoud is a champion of a host. Ahmed a legend of hieroglyphics. Joe, Aladeen, Mimi, Adam and all the fantastic crewman are a credit to the company and treated us like Royals. We will always remember our time on your boat as you truly gave us a trip of a lifetime. For anyone considering this company. You will certainly not regret it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The Evans clan.

Date of experience : 08 April 2024

An amazing week on the Dahabiya Dream

What an amazing week we have just had on the Dahabiya Dream. We were assured that it was absolutely safe to go, given the problems in the Middle East at the moment, and that was our experience. We felt totally safe and at no point had any cause for concern. Everything went as smoothly as it possibly could have. The Dream was absolutely wonderful and all the staff so courteous and helpful. The food was excellent, Mahmoud was great, always making sure we were happy and had everything we needed and our Egyptologist Ahmed was also fabulous and incredibly knowledgeable. Both had a good sense of humour and together they helped make the holiday the success it was. Also, I mustn’t forget the 3 nights we had in Cairo. It was absolutely the right choice to have our first day at leisure relaxing in the hotel and then our guide for the rest of the time in Cairo was also excellent. We’ve come away inspired to learn more about Egypt’s incredible ancient civilisation. Thank you to all concerned.

Date of experience : 26 February 2024

The ‘Dream’ experience.

From the moment we arrived on Dream until we left a week later we couldn’t fault our holiday. The crew were great, every meal was fabulous, cabin extremely comfortable with good shower and loads of hot water. Our guide on board was incredibly knowledgeable and brilliant at getting us round the many temples and museums. With only 12 passengers if you like ‘small’ couldn’t recommend this cruise enough.

Date of experience : 13 February 2023

Dream Cruise

We have been on Nile cruises several times and this was by far our best experience. The boat is delightful and very well equipped, manned by staff who are very helpful, friendly and professional. We very much enjoyed being in a small group and the sailing experience (mostly tugged) was a welcome contrast with the large cruise boats. Meals and other services very good indeed. They were very flexible and accommodating to personal dietary needs, particularly for one of our friends who is coeliac. Apart from 4 nights on the boat the company organised 9 nights in hotels in Aswan, Luxor and Cairo and all arrangements worked perfectly. If we plan another trip to Egypt we will certainly use Explore Egypt again.

Date of experience : 13 November 2023

Reply from Dahabiya Dream Luxury Nile Cruise

Thank you Alan very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

Cairo and The Nile - just perfect

We travel in March to Cairo and then flew to Luxor for a cruise to Aswan and back. From start to finish, it was fabulous - helpful assistance, knowledgeable guides and great crew - it really was the memorable holiday we wanted for our milestone birthdays. Special thanks for Mohammed, tour manager, and Ahmed, Egyptologist and guide. And Linda who did all the booking and communication. We meet some lovely couples in Cairo who travelled on to Luxor with us, and we all had a great trip. The boat was perfect, we had a private balcony for our room, and the communal dining on deck was perfect. We'll definitely look at the other destinations for 2024!

Date of experience : 25 March 2023

Such a fabulous week

Such a fabulous week. The boat and rooms are beautiful, the staff very attentive and the food lovely. Our gentle cruise down the Nile was so peaceful watching water buffalo, bird life, fisherman and their families. Our Egyptologist was very knowledgeable and filled us with his passion. The other guests on the boat were great company and we have all exchanged details! If you have the chance go, you will never regret being treated like Kings and Queens…..

Date of experience : 10 October 2022

Just returned from the most wonderful…

Just returned from the most wonderful holiday on the Dream. What an elegant way to drift down the Nile on a small 120 year old sail boat. We were pampered with freshly cooked eggs for breakfast, welcome smoothies upon our return from an outing, wonderful food and a fantastic helpful crew. The itinerary covered everything you need to see guided by a very knowledgeable guide who brought it all to life. The hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings was spectacular and most memorable. Holiday of a life-time

Date of experience : 02 April 2022

What an amazing experience!

What an amazing experience!! The crew were so incredible and so welcoming and couldn’t do enough for you. We were so grateful for them all for going above and beyond, especially with the older members of our family. Also, we learned A LOT about Ancient Egypt and it was all so interesting. Obviously once we started to hear about the problems in Gaza we were initially worried, but we genuinely had nothing to worry about. We followed the UK government guidelines and as far as we were concerned, if they were happy for us to travel, we were happy to travel and it was soooo worth it. The trip of a lifetime and would highly recommend. Do not let the war in Israel stop you from visiting Egypt. You will regret missing out on all the fun!! It was so great, we have already booked again!!

Date of experience : 11 December 2023

Thank you Clare very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

Everything about this trip was 5 star

Everything about this trip was 5 star. The boat beautiful, cabins comfortable, the food delicious, the staff who went out of their way to make everything perfect. The sites visited are amazing in themselves, but brought to life by our fantastic Egyptologist. Plus the amazing experience of sailing down the Nile! Bravo to all who made it happen! Eileen

Date of experience : 12 March 2022

What a fantastic experience

What a fantastic experience. We spent an extra two days in Cairo and visited Sakkara. Our brilliant guide Mohammed brought it alive. The Nile cruise was exceptional. Lovely boat, brilliant food. We learnt so much from our first-class Egyptologist, Ahmed. Special thanks must go to Mahmoud, our excellent captain and his wonderful crew. They were so friendly and helpful. Thank you!

Date of experience : 15 March 2022

A Dream holiday!

Stunning temples, service with big smiles, and total serenity. This is how I would describe our experience on the Dahabiya Dream - what a dream it was! Everything about our time on board exceeded our expectations, from the brilliant food, the company and sense of humour of the staff, to the knowledge and guidance of our wonderful Egyptologist. What experts you all are in the different roles you provide to make the holiday extra special. This started with excellent information and communication with Explore Egypt from day 1 of our enquiry with you. We enjoyed our time in Cairo - the pyramids could not fail to impress! And the Oberoi is beautifully quiet and the perfect place to relax, with the added bonus of the stunning house reef which we enjoyed every day. Please pass our thanks again to everyone. We would not hesitate to recommend Explore Egypt to family and friends.

Date of experience : 24 November 2023

Thank you very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

This is the way to see the highlights of Egypt

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the way to see the highlights of Egypt. The crew and back office team must have worked so hard to make everything run perfectly...accommodating Covid test requirements, storm conditions on the Nile, special trip requests. Special mentions for Mahmood and Linda. Food excellent. Dahabiya is a wonderful vessel with views so much better that from behind patio doors on a multi-story cruise ship and so much quieter as we were towed/sailed. With so few passengers, fellow travellers could make or break the trip...we considered all on board to now be friends.

Date of experience : 16 November 2021

Thank you so very much Mr Roberts, it was such a pleasure to sail the Nile with all of you

Why would you go on a big ship?

If you are going to Egypt, and want personal attention, then use Explore. The Dream is a delight, but it's a low-stated luxury. If you want hot tubs, a big cabin, fancy dining and an onboard gym then go on a big cruise ship. But the 9 of us on this boat watched the endless parade of huge cruise liners and just felt smug. Be warned that if there is not enough wind you will be towed as there is no engine on board. But the 'tuggi tuggi' is on a long tow rope, and the engine noise was not an issue. Waking up and opening the shutter so I could sit in bed and watch the Nile go past, with egrets and pied kingfishers right outside was the perfect start to the day.

Date of experience : 28 October 2023

Thank you Lesley very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

What a fantastic holiday from start to…

What a fantastic holiday from start to finish. The crew were amazing as was our Egyptologist. None of us had any tummy troubles and the food was very plentiful and really tasty. Nothing was too much trouble. We cannot recommend this trip enough!! We visited so many wonderful places including flying to Abu Simbel. It was so peaceful being on a small boat that could moor where it wanted rather than in a large port. All the transportation was well organised and the transfers were all in air conditioned mini buses. The help given to us before we went was exceptional too. A once in a lifetime trip!

Date of experience : 31 May 2022

Slipping down the Nile on Dahabiya Dream

Slipping down the Nile on Dahabiya Dream was the most exhilarating, fun, educational and exotic experience. Our gentle, polite, charming crew and guides could not have been more attentive. The food was delicious. All freshly prepared daily. The whole week was the perfect mix of relaxation, history and new friendships. If you are wavering about going, do not hesitate.

Date of experience : 08 October 2021

A wonderful holiday on board Dahabiya Dream

My wife and I had a most wonderful holiday on board Dahabiya Dream and afterwards in Cairo. The ancient sites that we visited were fascinating and unforgettable. Cruising on this well run Victorian-style dahabiya was for us the perfect way to experience this magical river. The staff were unfailingly attentive, friendly and helpful, the guide was enthusiastic and informative, and and the food was excellent. The holiday surpassed our expectations.

Date of experience : 21 February 2024

Ideal for great family gathering

WOW! Perfection in every tiny detail... from beauty of the "Dream" to the smiling and expert crew. Our family of 8 senior/retired adults sailed the Nile as titled gentry of old must have done. Only, this was in modern luxury and comfort unequalled.Each member of the entire crew performed duties as the pros they are, with the single goal of making us comfortable, enlightened. informed and HAPPY! The Egyptian culture and magnificent history was alive with Ahmed's enthusiastic and informative description of each site of this rich excursion down the river of dreams. From the fantastic food prepared expertly by Aladdin to the smooth and picturesque voyage, Mahood and his crew ensure our entire venture was flawless. As a family who tries to take a special trip every two or three years, this is the ultimate! Each member fell in love with Egypt and the "Dream." Once more, please.

Date of experience : 05 January 2023

An unforgettable experience..

First of all, don't let the events in Gaza put you off taking this amazing trip. After reassurance from Linda at Explore Travel & Cruises, and reading FCO advice, we decided to go ahead with the holiday, and never regretted it for a moment. We didn't experience any security or safety problems whatsoever. As for the Dahabiya Dream experience, it was wonderful! This is definitely the best way to cruise down the Nile and see all of Egypt's iconic sights. After 2 manic days in Cairo, it was good to kick back and enjoy a more leisurely pace as we sailed peacefully down the Nile watching life go by. It was definitely an advantage to be able to dock away from all the big cruise ships that travel up and down the river, and certainly made the holiday a more unique and pleasant experience. The boat is comfortably furnished, with the upper deck offering many places to sit, relax or enjoy the sun. There is also a comfortable inside lounge for those chillier days and evenings. Meals were usually eaten on the upper deck, and the food was authentic Egyptian and always first class. But what makes the Dream experience so special, is definitely the staff and crew. They were all polite, welcoming and good fun. Nothing was too much trouble and we were soon put at ease and made to feel part of the Dream 'family'. Our boat manager, Mahmoud, was always attentive and made sure we always had everything we needed. And Ahmed, our very knowledgeable and professional onboard Egyptologist, did an amazing job in introducing us to the complexities of ancient Egyptian history, but always kept us laughing with his great sense of humour. All the trips to see the sights were very well organised and ran like clockwork. If you want a unique Nile experience, book this trip! I will definitely be recommending it to friends and family, and would love to go back one day

Date of experience : 19 February 2024

Thank you Karen for your feedback, we are so happy that you have enjoyed your holiday with us and we would love to have you onboard again. Thank you

Honestly its there in the title DREAM

Honestly its there in the title, Dream. The trip was amazing. The crew onboard were amazing from start to finish making sure we had everything we needed, even giving us a wonderfull supprise dinner on the banks of the nile filled with good food, Music and dancing. The guide was amazing and made the trip that much more enjoyable knowing more about the history of each temple. The boat its self was an amazing 1920s? boat that actually carried some of the early explores over 100 years ago. It was an incredible experience from start to finish, one week was not long enough.

Date of experience : 14 November 2022

Enjoyable trip

After two years and at the third attempt we recently spent a very enjoyable week on the Dream. We were allocated the William Flinders Petrie cabin which while I wouldn't describe as luxurious was clean, comfortable and well equipped. The upper deck is the USP for the boat, a beautifully furnished space in which to relax and watch the daily life of local Egyptians unfold on the banks of the glorious river Nile. This was the highlight of the tour for us. The food on board was excellent, plentiful and varied. The cocktails superb. The pace of the tour was ideal, starting off gently and building up to the busier days at Luxor, Karnak and Valley of the Kings. We did the optional road trip to Abu Simbel, which is expensive but well worth the long drive. We travelled in a comfortable minibus and had a very competent driver. Although there is no engine on the boat there are two generators which make a low level droning noise which can be disturbing at night. We solved this by using our earplugs. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip which was worth the wait.

Dahabiya Nile Sailing

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Dahabiya Nile Sailing - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan – 4 Day Nile Dahabiya Review

Last Updated March 13, 2023 William Tang

You are here: Home » Transportation » Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan – 4 Day Nile Dahabiya Review

Are you planning a trip to Egypt and trying to decide on a Nile cruise?  If you’re like me, you are also overwhelmed with how many boats there are along the Nile along with the fact that there are two distinct styles of cruising – the standard river cruise ship and the dahabiya.  I’m here to break down the options for you in hopes of making the decision easier for you.

This article is also going to dive deep into my experience with Djed Egypt Travel and our dahabiya Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan aboard the Loulia .  I’ll talk about what to expect on this traditional sail boat, behind-the-scenes tips from someone that has done this cruise twice, and also try to convince you that this is the best way to see the river when compared to the larger ships.

Read more about Egypt

• The ultimate 10 day Egypt Itinerary
• What to pack for a trip to Egypt
• The first time I went to Egypt

Where to stay in Luxor?

• Since you’ll be starting in Luxor, I’d recommend either staying in the West Bank where it’s much quieter and has more of a local feel to it such as at the Villa Nile House or you can be on the city side (East Bank) at the Winter Palace .

In This Article

Cruise Ships

Traditional dahabiya, why choose the cruise ship, why choose the dahabiya, list of nile cruise operators in egypt, traditional dahabiya, why dahabiya over cruise ship, which direction should i go for our dahabiya nile cruise, meeting point in esna, boarding the dahabiya, salon/library/dining room, what’s on the top deck, how your day will flow, connectivity, what to pack for a nile cruise, what you don’t need for the nile cruise, why book with djed egypt travel, differences between dahabiya boats, suites vs. cabins, what if i’m a group of 3, what if i’m travelling solo, when are departure dates, are departures guaranteed, do children under 12 get a discount, more helpful tips and advice, tipping guideline, cost breakdown, where to stay in luxor, where to stay in aswan, picking a nile cruise.

When you think about cruises, you naturally think of the giant ships that dominate the seas around the Caribbean, and Mediterranean.  For a river however, you have the smaller river cruises like the ones you find on the Danube, Seine, or the Rhine.  The Nile in Egypt is a little bit different in the choices that are available so it’s worth going through the two main types of cruises you’ll find.

This is your standard variety river cruise ships except adapted for the river.  These are a fraction of the size of the massive city-ships that you’ll find in the open sea but have the same principles of being a ship that ferries you along the Nile while providing top-level comforts that’ll allow you to play and relax.

Top features of these cruise ships are the food choices you can have at the restaurant, comfortable cabins that are designed liked Western-style hotel rooms, plenty of places to lounge, pool, and nightly entertainment.

These ships normally have 50 or more cabins which means you can expect 100 or more people onboard.

Those that love this style of cruising will adapt to this quite easily however my biased opinion is that there’s a much better option that you’ll only find in Egypt.

Instead of being in a massive floating mass ferried from site to site and completely disconnected from the surroundings of the Nile, an alternative is a traditional sailing boat known as a dahabiya.

In the 19th century, the wealthy, aristocrats, archeologists, patrons could charter luxurious Nile houseboats to get from Cairo to Aswan.  The journey would take roughly 6-8 weeks.  By about the 1820’s, these houseboats evolved into luxurious forms of transportation preferred for many and tailored to every comfort.  These were later overtaken by steamboats which were faster and cheaper.

Today, there’s been a massive revival of this traditional method of seeing Egypt and the Nile.  These replicated dahabiyas feature two large sails, one on the bow and one at the stern.  These boats have no engines just like back in the day and the direction is controlled by roles on pulleys to maneuver a giant wooden rudder.

While tug boats are used to keep the ship moving when winds aren’t favourable, what hasn’t changed is the charm, atmosphere, service, and luxury that the dahabiya has always been for.

There’s a beautiful open air upper deck with sun loungers, chairs, tables, and a hammock as the ship cruises past riverside villages and ancient site along the Nile.  Below, you have elegantly furnished cabins, a cosy salon with a library that has more books on Ancient Egypt than you’ll be able to go through in one cruise.

This is the type of boats featured on the Guardian and what you can call a much more immersive experience.

Picking Between a Cruise Ship or Dahabiya

When deciding how to do your Nile cruise, there are a few key things that I’d like to boil down for you to help you decide which makes sense for you.

• Enjoy the traditional cruise experience
• Like to have lots of options for things to do including spa and entertainment
• Buffet meals
• Pool and/or jacuzzi
• Comfortable and modern cabins
• Don’t enjoy large crowds
• More personal experience with the crew and passengers
• Ability to dock in more places which means an itinerary that allows you to see much more along the Nile
• Less hectic pace with a focus on actually seeing what is passing by on the river
• Quieter cruise experience since no engines are on board
• Have an experience that really does bring you back to the early 19th century for a throwback to the early exploration days of Egypt travel

Ultimately for me, I would choose the dahabiya any day.

Nile Cruise Operators

I am sure I am not the only person that has said that the best way to see Egypt is by boat.  You being here is proof of that but of course the follow up question to that is – which Nile cruise should I pick?

Now that you know a bit more about the types of passenger ships that run along the Nile, the next question is who to book with.

There are a ton of options to choose from and it’s doubly complicated in Egypt because there are so many “resellers” out there.  What I mean by that is that you could be looking booking with a global group operator such as Intrepid, G Adventures, or On The Go Tours but I’ve been on the ground and you learn that there are only a small group of companies that run these cruise ships and sail boats.  You’ll also learn that most charter from other companies.  They sure don’t make it easy to find though.

So who are the real players?

In researching this, I was incredibly frustrated at how hard it was to find this information.  Here’s a breakdown of the categorization of ships that are available.

Luxury River Cruise Ships

These are considered to be luxury if that’s what you’re looking for but as you dig into each of these companies, the cruise ships are all of the same design – barge style river ships.

These are ships that are owned and operated by high-end cruise or resort operators and are almost all well-kept and packed with amenities.

• Mövenpick – Under the same umbrella of the hotel chain, these guys have 8 luxury cruise ships.
• Viking River Cruises – Well-known in Europe, they also have 3 cruise ships on the Nile of drastically different styles.  With Viking, you’re typically buying into an entire tour package from Cairo to Cairo.
• Sanctuary Retreats – Owner of Sanctuary Sun Boat IV.
• Abercrombie & Kent – Charters Santuary Retreats’ ship.  These are full end-to-end packages.
• Uniworld – They currently operate River Tosca and S.S. Sphinx.
• Oberoi – Operated by the Oberoi Hotels group, The Oberoi Philae is considered to be a Luxury Nile Cruiser.
• Mayfair Cruises – They own 3 luxury cruise ships M.S. Mayfair, Esplanade, and Mayflower
• Sonesta – Under the Sonesta Hotels and Resort group, they own the St. George, Star Goddess, and Moon Goddess
• Amwaj – Also under a hotel brand, they own the MS Amwaj Living Stone
• Jaz Hotel Group – This hotel group owns 6 different cruise ships and is also the same guys that own the Iberotel Luxor Hotel and many resorts in Egypt.

Standard Cruise Ships

And then you have a hot mess of cruise ships that seem to be run by much smaller agencies and targeted to different countries.  From what I’ve found so far, it looks like there are local Egypt operators if you wanted to book direct but they’re represented/affiliated with larger agencies in companies that promote them (e.g. Spain, France, Germany).

From what I gather, these ships are much older, not as well-kept, and run a pretty generic program.  The interiors of these ships can vary drastically but the idea is similar to the luxury cruise ships where they run a packed program of activities and there are many areas within the ship to explore.

The big difference with these is in price and quality which are both lower.  In addition, some will offer 1 day journeys for those that are on short on time whether you’re going from Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor.

• Nile Jewel – Run by Italian Express Tourist Services.
• Nile Dolphin – Run by Italian Express Tourist Services.
• Emilio – This is part of Emilio Group but again pretty basic website from the early 2000’s with similar features to the others
• Beau Soleil
• Royal Esadora
• You get the picture…

When it comes to these traditional sail boats, there aren’t as many compared to the cruise ships but there are still a number of operators.  Each come at their own price point and style so it’s worth taking a look around.

• Djed Egypt Travel – This is the company that owns 3 (soon to be 4) classic dahabiya sail boats and who we cruised with on the Nile.  It is also worth nothing that Nile Dahabiya is the same company as Djed.
• Nile Sailing – The competing dahabiya company that owns 4 dahabiyas of varying sizes.  The design of these ships is very similar to Djed however the decor is not as classic as they’ve tried to blend in modern finishes.
• Nile Dahabeya – Owner of 4 dahabiyas, these boats are furnished and designed with modern touches that has elements of feeling like you are on a larger cruise ship.  They also have a separate website just for the Princess Donia .
• Merit Dahabiya – This is just the one boat named the Merit.  They have more modern wood finishes and feels like a hybrid with a cruise ship.  They even have a jacuzzi on the top deck but one drawback is that the top deck is not covered.
• Nour el Nil – Owner of 4 dahabiyas, these are marketed as luxury sailing expeditions and as a result carry a much higher price tag despite being the same style of ships used by Djed Egypt Travel.
• Explore Travel & Cruises –  They seem like a small operation that owns the Dahabiya Dream.  Their dahabiya has more modern touches in the cabin with a few classic touches on the top deck and lounge.  It is also worth nothing that they only go from Luxor to Aswan.  Main customer base is from the UK.
• Rihana Dahabiya
• El Amira Dahabiya
• Agatha Christie Dahabiya
• Creative Om Kolthom
• El Hanem Dahabiya
• Hadeel Dahabiya
• Nile Spirit Dahabiya
• and many more…

I’ve done my research on the large cruise ships, I’ve talked to local guides on the ground, and I’ve done the dahabiya experience not once but twice so I have some experience in this department.  What it comes down to are these things when you’re trying to figure out how you want to cruise the Nile.

• Spend more time taking in the majesty of the Nile instead of getting lost inside a large cruise ship.
• Authentic sailing experience aboard a traditional-style ship.
• Maximum of 12 or less fellow travellers that will never feel crowded and everyone will have their own private space.
• Dedicated knowledgeable Egyptologist.
• You won’t be ushered around Ancient Egyptian sites around like your typical cruise ships where you have to wear wireless headsets or struggle to listen from the back because the group sizes are small.
• Incredible food cooked by the chef on board that is also completely authentic and local.
• Since dahabiyas are smaller, they can moor anywhere along the Nile.  This opens many more possibilities when it comes to exploring local villages and sites such as Gebel el Silsila which are inaccessible by large cruise ships.
•  Slow-paced  compared to some of the cruise ships which power through this stretch of the Nile in a day where you basically don’t get to anything.
• Can be more affordable than luxury cruise options with an impossibly better luxurious experience.

Who am I kidding, I’m here to tell you that the dahabiya experience is way better than the large cruise ships and you’re here to learn more about our experience so below is a full run down of our 4 night Nile cruise with Djed Egypt Travel aboard the Dahabiya Loulia during our epic 10 day Egypt itinerary .

READ THIS NEXT

As a companion piece to this packing guide, make sure to head to the full breakdown of our entire trip to Egypt including what we did, where we ate, and where we stayed.

READ THE ITINERARY

Now that you’ve decided that the dahabiya is the way to go for your upcoming Egypt vacation, you might not realize it yet but the direction you end up going is going to be an important decision.

One of the things that really tripped me up when I was planning for Egypt is what is considered to be “upriver” and “downriver”.  When you look at the map, up intuitively is north and down is south.  Erase that thought because it’s the opposite.  A Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan (going south) is considered to be “upriver” and Aswan to Luxor (going north) is “downriver”.

The direction matters when planning your trip primarily because of logistics but there are a few other things to think about that I’ll detail below.

Luxor to Aswan

Technically, Luxor’s point of departure is in the neighbouring city of Esna.

For most operators, going upriver always takes longer because you’re going against the flow of the river.  In the case of Djed Egypt Travel , the Nile cruise is 4 nights and 4 days.

One advantage of going this direction is that the winds are usually more favourable and blowing south which is why there is a higher chance of using the sails for wind power instead of using the tug boat.

Aswan to Luxor

If you’re thinking of going the other direction, the itinerary for the most part will be the same but there will be small tweaks when it comes to the villages that you’ll visit.

Since you’ll also be going with the direction of the river, you’ll be moving a lot faster which is why Nile cruises from Aswan to Luxor are usually fewer days.  In Djed Egypt Travel’s case, this is 3 nights and 3 days.

If you want more time on the Dahabiya, think about going from Luxor to Aswan but if it makes sense to start from the south and move your way back up to Cairo, start from Aswan.  There’s honestly no right or wrong way to do it.

The Dahabiya Experience

If you’ve read our entire 10 day itinerary of Egypt , you’ll know that our entire trip was put together with Djed Egypt Travel which turned out to be one of the best decisions we made in the trip planning because it was incredibly seamless starting from landing in Cairo to our dahabiya Nile cruise.

For everything below, I’ll speak specifically about my experience going of doing the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan Djed aboard the Loulia.  I apologize in advance that I won’t be able to touch on the competing dahabiyas but most of this should apply.

Almost all passengers on the scheduled dahabiya cruise use Djed Egypt Travel for their Egypt trip and so what you’ll find is that all travellers will be staying at one of two hotels recommended by the company – Villa Nile House or Sofitel Winter Palace .

Taking separate vans, everyone converges on the town of Esna which is south of Luxor.

The introductions will have to be saved for later because your land excursion of Esna begins right away which I admit feels a little rushed and abrupt but just run with it.

Your Egyptologist will tee things up and you’ll get a chance to explore Esna Temple (aka Temple of Khnum) and the hectic local markets.  You’ll quite enjoy Temple of Khnum for one that’s small, incredibly well-preserved, and distinctively several stories underground from modern-day street level.

TIP:   When preparing your luggage and backpacks in Luxor, make sure you have what you need for your walk around Esna because everything else will be loaded on the dahabiya.

During your exploration of Esna, the crew will move everything onto the dahabiya so there’s nothing to worry about once you arrive back at the wharf.

A special touch of hospitality that I love is that almost every time you board the boat, they’ll have a refreshing beverage ready for you.

TIP:   The boarding of the ship will happen pretty quickly so if you’d like to take photos of the boat, make sure you get in front of the group so you can get your shots in since they’ll be waiting for everyone to get together on deck to do initial crew introductions.

You’ll take off your shoes and put everything in a straw basket and at this point you’ll organically say hello to your fellow passengers if you haven’t done that already.

HEADS UP:  No shoes are allowed on the ship so be prepared to walk bare feet or with socks.  If you’re curious, we didn’t see anyone use slippers or flip flops on board.

After your Egyptologist does a quick introduction of your dahabiya, everyone will be lead to the lower deck to the salon/library/dining room where all of your bags have been moved to.  They’ll also tell you what time the group should meet back upstairs for lunch.

What surprised us at this point was how there was no process for room assignments unless you booked a suite.  All of a sudden we realized it was a free-for-all so you just had to pick whatever room was still available.  Since we were the last ones to walk through the cabin hallway, our group of 4 had to take what was left.   We ended up taking the double bed cabin and our friends took the twin bed cabin.

TIP:   You can ask your Egyptologist for a specific type of room but in all likelihood you’ll need to think ahead of time and be one of the first ones to grab a room.  There’s no real difference between the 4 cabins but if you have a specific preference of twin vs. double bed, act fast!

Once you’ve secured your room and grabbed the key that’s sitting in the keyhole, you’ll go back out to the salon to move your bags in.

Until lunch, you’ll have free time to get settled in and organized.  When ready, everyone will slowly make their way to the top deck to chat with others or find your own corner to chill.

I don’t have any experience with the suites so I’ll focus on the standard cabins.

There’s a real elegance and a strong connection with the dahabiya past here.   You’ll fall in love with the decor here as it really ties together the theme of the ship being a traditional way of travel in the turn of the 20th century with perfectly sourced furniture and accents throughout.

For a small sail boat, you’ll be surprised with how much space you have.  You’ll either have two twin beds or a double bed that is flanked with a nightstand.

There are also two windows to let in plenty of light during the day.  These are shuttered wooden panels that slide in and out but I did notice that they don’t provide a perfect seal.  While this isn’t a problem, you are encouraged to not leave your lights on when you leave the room because in certain seasons, I can see flies to be attracted to the light and come in through the gaps.

If you have the double room, you’ll have a carpet in front and this is the perfect spot to place to place your suitcases for easy access.

In the corner is a closet where one half of it has hangers for your clothes and the other half has shelving to place miscellaneous items or more clothes.

When you first arrive, the crew will help you get set up with the air condition so you never really need to touch the settings.  It’s recommended to just keep it on the lowest temperature and constantly on so that it automatically kicks in when the generators turn on.

The bathroom is also surprisingly spacious consisting of a sink, toilet, bathtub that has a sliding door so you can use it as a shower, and beautifully patterned tiles.

For the all-important electrical outlets, there are two plugs in the room and two in the bathroom.

TIP: A nifty feature that’s easy to miss is the light switches in the room and bathroom.  Each is equipped an LED light that only works when there is no power.  Simply press the circular button on the light and it’ll light your way.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that the door lock is a traditional keyhole.  This means not only do you need to use the key to unlock the door but you’ll also need to use it on the inside to lock it.

TIP: If you’re paranoid, you should keep the key in from the inside when you’re in the room so nobody can peek through the keyhole.

In front of the cabin hallway is a multi-purpose room that doesn’t typically get a lot of use but it’s available to you.

In one corner is a bookcase with a ton of books related to Ancient Egypt and travelling along the Nile.

That same side has a large sofa if you’d like to hang out in the shade and is great for large groups.

Lastly is the dining table.  On both of my trips we rarely used this unless it wasn’t nice to be out in the open air.

The food is flat out amazing on the dahabiya.  With your dedicated chef, you’ll be treated with what will seem like an endless amount of food.

All of the food cooked is freshly made and authentically Egyptian.  You’ll also be able to try a wide variety of dishes on your cruise.

If you have any dietary restrictions, they have no issues with making something special for you or to tailor the menu to include more of what you’re able to eat.

The dining arrangements on the dahabiya are family-style which means that everyone will sit around a long table and you’ll share the dishes with the other passengers.  While it may not be everyone’s preference, I found this to be a great way to dine especially on a boat of this size.  With 13 people sitting around the table (12 + 1 Egyptologist), you’ll quickly get to know everyone and build relationships that’ll make the cruise that much more enjoyable.

There is usually enough food for everyone and even with a long table, all the dishes are accessible because they have the same dishes spread between both ends of the table.

What you’ll find surprising is just how much food comes out the little kitchen in the bow of the boat.  I had a chance to watch him cook lunch and the amount of work he had to do without too much assistance was incredible.

TIP:   Here are a couple of meal tips that will really help you make the most of your meals

• There’s no fixed seating around the table despite it initially feeling like you had to sit at the exact same spot on your first meal.  This’ll occur organically but feel free to move around the table meal to meal so you get to talk to everyone or sit closer to the company you enjoy more than others.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for extras of any dishes if they run out.  The chef usually has extras of dishes in the kitchen or can whip it up quickly.  Don’t be shy!
• Order the drinks you want.  They don’t always come around to take your order so if you’d like to have coffee, a fresh fruit drink, pop, or tea, just ask.
• You can order drinks outside of meal time and it’s something we definitely take advantage enough of.  Fresh fruit juices are perfect in the afternoon when sailing.

Lastly, the timing of these meals will vary to day depending on the day’s itinerary but all of them will be roughly be around these times.  The most variable will be afternoon tea depending on how long the afternoon excursion is.  Sometimes it’ll be before the excursion and sometimes it’ll be after.

• Breakfast – 8AM
• Lunch – 1PM
• Dinner – 7PM

Of all the meals, this one will be the most consistent but will also come with a few surprises.

Every morning, you’ll have bread, jams, yogurt, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, hardboiled eggs, milk, instant coffee, and tea.

What changes day to day are the fresh juices that are blended and hot dishes that vary from Egyptian beans, scrambled eggs, omelettes, and crepes.

TIP:   If you’d like to have Turkish coffee, make sure to order it.

This was often my most favourite meal of the day because the weather is great and you’re usually pretty hungry at this point especially if there was a morning excursion.

Here are a few photos to give you an idea of what lunches are like.

Afternoon Tea

It was rare that we were hungry when this was rolled out but it was certainly a nice touch to be able to pour yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee and munch on a few biscuits while hanging out on top deck.

By the time dinner comes around, the sun will have set, the ship’s power generators will be on, and the temperatures will have dropped as well.

Dinner will always start with hot soup and from there you’ll have the chef’s selection of dishes that will consist of Egyptian tajin (stew/casserole in clay pot), salad, rice, pita, meat dish.  You’ll finish with a pastry dessert.

TIP:  While certainly not mandatory, we noticed that most passengers wore nicer clothes at dinner.  There’s no requirement for this but this is a good chance to wear fresh clothes, long sleeves to stay warm, and stay classy.

Up until this point, everything is included in the price of your Nile cruise.  The only thing that isn’t included is alcoholic beverages.  There are bottles of wine on board that you can add to your tab.  For those looking for beer, they also cans available including the Egyptian beer, Stella.

The alcohol tab is taken care of on the last night of the cruise.

If you want to know all the things that you’ll get to do on the 4 day cruise, make sure to check out the full 10 day Egypt itinerary which includes the 4 day Nile cruise with Djed Egypt Travel .

The upper deck of a traditional dahabiya and how it’s set up in particular by Djed Egpyt Travel is what you see in the gallery above.  What you’ll love about it is that it’s broken up into distinct zones and areas to hang out and have conversation.

• Dining table – This is a long rectangular table with wooden chairs and soft seat covers where you’ll have all your meals but you can also use it to chat and set up the laptop if you need to.
• Beach chairs – The front of the deck has 7 sun loungers that you can pull in and out of the shade as needed.  Fresh towels are provided every day and you can raise and lower the headrest angle.
• Chairs and coffee table – To the left is a cluster of wooden chairs, love seat, and coffee table that is almost straight out of an Egyptian family’s home.
• Sit down and sprawl zone – A large circular coffee table on a rug is surrounded by giant cushions and is a great place to lie down and chill.
• Hammock – This is a hammock for 1 but surprisingly comfortable and perfect for a nap.
• Rear living room chairs and couch – The left rear of the ship has another 4 chairs and 1 3 person couch surrounding a coffee table that’s a bit more comfortable than the other zone with the coffee table.
• Rudder control carpet – When nobody’s manning the rudder, you can sprawl out on the rug.
• Chess board table – There’s a chess board on a table here alongside a few other card games if anyone’s up for a match.

The top deck is yours to explore and find your own favourite nook.  Since there are only a maximum of 12 passengers on board, it never felt crammed since half of the group preferred to rest in their cabins.

Pun intended of course.  It won’t take long to get used to life aboard a dahabiya and compared to the type of pace you’ll experience in Luxor and Cairo, you’ll be incredibly thankful to have things slow down and truly be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Nile.

When it comes to how your days will go, it’ll have similar rhythms.

• Morning excursion
• Sailing if the winds are favourable and time to relax
• Afternoon tea
• Afternoon excursion
• Clean up and shower
• Pre-dinner free time
• Chat and hang out

TIP: From an efficiency standpoint and the hottest water, we learned that taking a shower right after returning from your afternoon excursion the best time.  Everyone races to shower at this time and usually it slowly  became lukewarm towards dinner time.

At the end of the day, the dahabiya is a traditional sail boat and to keep it as authentic as possible and inadvertently also make it an experience where travellers can stay in-the-moment instead of being on their devices all the time.

This is why there is no power on the boat except for mornings and evenings.  This is something that might be a  surprise to some that don’t read the details  but is definitely a big deal for you to be aware of.

The general times that power is on is 7AM-8:30AM and 6PM-10:30PM .

In addition to all the good reasons for not having constant power, the other reason is that diesel generators are loud and they would ruin the ambiance of the dahabiya.

From experience, this works perfectly fine but you definitely want to do a few small things to make your life easier:

• Have depleted batteries and chargers already plugged in so that when the power kicks on, you’ll be charging right away.
• Bring powerbanks like this o ne for your phones and other USB-powered devices.
• Laptops are great for charging during non-generator hours so you can leave USB-powered devices plugged in the cabin to charge while you’re away during the day.

TIP: If you have a lot of electronic devices that need charging, make sure you bring enough European plug adapters and chargers.  There are 4 outlets in the cabin but if you want to keep things centralized, bring a portable power bar .

As much as you’ll want to stay disconnected during your trip, you’ll inevitably succumb to wanting to share photos on social media, chat with friends and family, begrudgingly check your email, or check the score for your favourite team.  Here’s how you can do it aboard the dahabiya.

I went into the cruise assuming there wouldn’t be wifi onboard and needing to leverage my SIM card but there is actually free wifi.  Now the quality of the wifi varies quite considerably and it has to do with where you are along the Nile and where you are within the ship.

The wifi is provided by a hotspot that everyone connects to.  Your Egyptologist will plug it in when there is power on the boat and most of the time he has it on the top deck which is why you get the best signal up there.  The signal drops to close to nil once you get to your cabin which does get frustrating so if you need wifi, you’ll have to camp out upstairs to use it.

Expect the signal to be generally good enough to check your e-mails, use social media, and browse basic pages but if you want to do any streaming or download large files, you might be out of luck.

TIP: Camp out on the top deck after power has gone off to get the best speeds for wifi because everyone else will be sleeping if you have data-critical needs.

ANOTHER TIP: Sometimes you won’t get signal on the boat but that’s because the hotspot device has run out of power.  It doesn’t hurt to ask your guide to check on it to make sure it’s still on.

Cellular Signal

Another way to get access to data is through your phone’s SIM or your very own hotspot device.  The type of signal you’ll get throughout the Nile will be 3G and 1 to 2 bars at most.  It will constantly fluctuate along the Nile as you get closer and farther away from towns with cell towers so don’t expect this to be the most reliable but at least you won’t be limited to the range and congestion of the shared wifi hotspot on the boat.

Local SIM cards are quite affordable and you can do this once you arrive in Cairo.  There’s a Vodafone stand at the luggage carousels and the tourist bundle they sell are:  250 EGP for 10GB of data or 500 EGP for 30GB.

Alternatively, if you plan on bouncing around between countries on your trip, it may make more sense to invest in a pocket wifi hotspot device like the PokeFi or Skyroam .  My latest fascination has been with the PokeFi so check out my latest product unboxing where you can get 5GB for only $5 USD and they have coverage in Egypt and other parts of Africa and the Middle East.

TIP: 4G is almost non-existent in Egypt and so to avoid your phone from constantly hunting and flipping between 3G and 4G/LTE, just force your phone to only use 3G by going into your settings.

Nile Cruise Packing List

For a comprehensive look at what you need to bring for a trip to Egypt, make sure to check out the full Egypt packing list .  When it comes to things that specifically matter for the dahabiya, I’ve listed the most important things – some obvious and others not so much.

• European plug adapters – There are 4 outlets in each cabin so if you have many devices to charge, definitely bring more of these to make sure you can take advantage of the time when the generator is on.
• Swimsuit – You have the opportunity to swim in the Nile so bring your swim gear if you plan on doing this.
• Long sleeves and pants – Despite soaring temperatures during the day, it drops down rapidly once the sun goes down.  If you get cold easily or are prone to bites, this is highly recommended.
• Bug spray – While you might not be going during “mosquito season”, there are still a lot of bugs that don’t get attracted to the blue fly zapper.  If you get easily bitten, it’s still a good idea to have this in case in combination with long layers.
• Nicer set of clothes – How many sets is up to you but generally people changed to slightly less casual clothes for dinner.  This is by no means a rule but this is a great way to change into something different.
• Moisturizer and chapstick – This applies to all of Egypt but it is dry AF here.  Keep these handy.
• Day bag – I was super happy with my Peak Design 5L Sling but essentially you’ll need something that’ll work well for the excursions you go on and can carry your essentials.  You don’t want this to be too big or heavy because it’ll take a bigger toll than you think because of the heat.
• Hairdryer – If you need one, pack a travel-sized one because there isn’t one on-board.
• Hat – A must-have with how much sun you get when you’re not on the boat.
• Towel – These are provided in each cabin so if you want to pack lighter, there’s no need to bring this on your trip.
• Flip flops – While I used these more as slippers in our cabin, there aren’t many other opportunities to use them unless you feel comfortable doing extended walking in them.  There’s a no-shoe-policy onboard the dahabiya.
• Snacks – I added this in jest but seriously there’s such an abundance of food on a Nile cruise that you’ll never be hungry.
• Binoculars – Unless you’re a birder wanting to get up close along the Nile, we didn’t feel like we were missing this on our trip.

Not going to lie, this post is incredibly biased because I’ve only travelled with Djed and aboard their dahabiyas (originally on the Orient and this time on the Loulia) so to say that I have experience with every single competitor would be a lie.

What I can say is that I’ve done a ton of research and like you, you’re going to be making the best decision based on your travel style, budget, and favourable reviews.

Below, I’ve tried to grab some basic information about each dahabiya company.  To try to make the comparison apples-to-apples I’ve broke the cost down to the per night per person costs.  Based on this, the average cost per person is $230 USD/person/night.

If we judge a company by their websites, you can eliminate every single company here except for two:  Nour el Nil and Djed Egypt Travel .  It was honestly painful to go through the other websites where I couldn’t get the basic information I was looking for.  There was one that had a completely broken website.  Having a good website is make or break.

From there, the decision is really easy to make.  If you buy into the flash of the money they’ve spent on the website and photography, you might be drawn to Nour el Nil but if you look deeper at their itinerary and ship you quickly realize that Djed Egypt Travel is a close match.  The differences are this:

• Djed Egypt Travel’s dahabiyas are significantly more affordable.
• Nour el Nil’s itineraries are 5 nights vs Djed’s 3 and 4 nights.
• Djed’s dahabiyas stick to old traditions where as Nour el Nil brings in more modern glam.
• Djed is a full-fledge tour operator whereas Nour el Nil only focuses on their dahabiyas and guesthouse – this makes a difference if you want someone to handle your entire journey in Egypt.
• I can’t speak for Nour el Nil but it’s the crew and in particular the Egyptologist that truly make the experience great.  Abdulla Yosef from Djed is simply the best in the business because he’s able to take ancient Egyptian history and make it come alive with his storytelling, live-translation of hieroglyphs, and the energy in describing scenes and animated expressions.

The choice is ultimately yours but to me, Djed and their Nile dahabiyas are best-in-class overall.

Frequently Asked Questions

When you start looking across the various companies that have dahabiyas, you realize that there are only 2-3 varieties of ship designs.

All of Djed Egypt Travel’s dahabiyas are of the same style that consist of two decks where the top deck is where you’ll be eating and hanging out.  The front of the lower deck of the dahabiya is mainly used by the crew

Most dahabiyas will have a choice between the standard cabin or a more luxurious suite.

On both of my experiences with Djed, I experienced the cabin and it’s anything but basic.  These rooms are beautifully appointed with antique furniture, Egyptian rugs, and handmade tapestries to match the era of travel the dahabiya represents.  The cabin has either two twin beds or a king-sized double bed.   The bathroom has plenty of space with its bath tub/shower, sink, and toilet.

If privacy and more space is what you covet then the suite is what you want to consider.  The centrepiece of the suite is the open and private terrace views from the rear of the boat that gives you increased panoramic views compared to the windows of the cabin.   The suite is slightly larger all around and full of character with its brass accents, traditional fabrics and oriental furniture.

Travelling in groups of 3 is always tough one and so a common question is whether you can squeeze 3 people in a cabin or suite.

If you’re travelling with a child 12 or under, dahabiyas like the one with Djed will have a roll-in child bed.  If you’re three adults however, you’ll be out of luck and you’ll have to book two cabins.

All of their standard rates for cabins are for double occupancy.  Solo occupancy rates are going to be higher and this is par for the course in the industry.  The prices aren’t quite double but it is a significant hike.

Another aspect of logistics for these cruises is that they run on specific dates in addition to direction of travel.

If we’re focusing on the Djed Egypt Travel dahabiyas, you have departures that look like this:

• Every  Saturday  on board  Dahabiya The Orient
• Every  Monday  on board  Dahabiya Zekrayaat
• Every  Thursday  on board  Dahabiya   Loulia
• Every Wednesday on board Dahabiya The Orient
• Every Friday on board Dahabiya Zekrayaat
• Every Monday on board Dahabiya Loulia

The great thing about Djed Egypt Travel is that their dahabiyas are guaranteed regardless of how many passengers book.

For my first trip to Egypt and on the Dahabiya The Orient, there were only 4 of us total onboard.  Contrast that to this year when it was a full boat of 12.

Seasonally, you might want to consider a time of month when less people go to Egypt (February – April) versus when it’s busier (October – December).

This policy does vary between companies but generally, kids aged 1 to 4 are free if they’re sharing a cabin with the adults.

Children 5-12 cruise on a 20% discount with Djed.

Travelling with Djed Egypt Travel

While you can try to do Egypt solo, my personal experience with the country is one where I found that travel is much easier and smoother if you go with a local tour company.  You’ll have to read the piece to get the full picture but trust me, you’ll need it especially if you only have a certain number of days to work with.

CHECK OUT DJED

I’ve mentioned many tips so far.  For everything else that I haven’t yet, I’ve dropped them down below.

• The electrical outlets on the boat seem to be made for both Europe and North American class of plugs but since I wasn’t sure, I always used my European plug adapter.
• Air condition is set to run on full blast (unless you change it) when power is on.  This is a good idea because once power cuts, the temperatures slowly rise.  For us, by the time morning hit, we were quite warm.
• Water pressure in the shower is pretty good throughout but it’s the hot water that runs out quickly so again my suggestion is to shower before dinner when the generators come on.  If hot water does run out, wait until the end of the night when the hot water tank fills up and reheats again.
• If you depart early on your final day, you don’t need to worry about breakfast because the chef will prepare breakfast boxes for you.
• The only other thing that’s not included is the horse carriage ride to Edfu Temple.  Your guide will collect the cash from you in the morning and pay the operators accordingly.  You will also have to tip the horse carriage driver yourself.

When it comes to tipping, your Nile cruise operator will most likely give you guidelines before or at the start of the trip.  If you can, I’d try to get the guidelines before you leave so that you can better plan how much of each currency you need.

In Egypt, tipping is almost preferred in USD but EUR or GBP are welcome.  That doesn’t mean local currency isn’t wanted but my theory is that they make more money on foreign currency.

Luckily for us, Djed Egypt Tour provided a tipping guide as part of our pre-departure package.  We followed this to the letter so for those wondering, this’ll help prepare you.

• Egyptologist – $7-$10 USD per traveller per day
• Drivers – $3-$5 USD per traveller per day
• City representatives – $2-$4 USD per traveller per day
• Nile cruise crew – $10-$15 USD per traveller per cruise day (this is shared between all of the crew except your Egyptologist)
• 10% tip at restaurants and hotel room service
• 20 EGP for porters, luggage carriers and hotel cleaning staff

These are general Egypt tipping guidelines.  The ones relevant for the dahabiya are the Egyptologist and the Nile cruise crew .

One thing we noticed was that the guide said the same numbers on the boat but instead of USD they said EUR which isn’t 1 for 1 so honestly it’s up to you how you want to interpret the above.  Tipping at the end of the day is at your discretion based on how you felt the service was for your Nile cruise trip.

TIP: Since these guidelines are provided in USD, it will help to pre-calculate how much USD you need to set aside.  What I recommend is that you have an envelope prepared just for this and break it out between your dahabiya cruise, Cairo team, Luxor team, and Aswan team.  If you take a look at our entire itinerary with Djed , each segment of the trip has a distinctly different team so at the end of each leg, you’re expected to tip each person according to the guidelines.

The tipping process itself is usually the awkward handshake with cash cupped by your palm pass over.  On the dahabiya however, your Egyptologist will provide you with envelopes which makes the process straightforward.

How Much Does It Cost?

This is always on the top list of questions I’ve received about our Nile cruise experience.  Here’s a breakdown of the costs if I focus just on the dahabiya itself and not on any other add-ons.  These costs are for two people and the 4 night upriver cruise from Luxor to Aswan aboard the Loulia.

• Cruise costs:  $1700
• Alcoholic beverages:  90 EGP = $5.60
• Tips:  $210
• Horse carriage ride and tips: 50 EGP = $3.10

Total: $1918.70 USD

This means that per person, the cost is $959.35 USD.

Whether you’re taking a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor, you’ll need a place to stay in the ancient city of Thebes .  Here are my top picks.

I STAYED HERE

VILLA NILE HOUSE

Located on the West Bank of Luxor, this B&B type of hotel boasts an outdoor pool, sun terraces, garden, free wifi, and free breakfast.  They are 400m from the boat ramp and in a much quieter part of the city which is an advantage.

TripAdvisor

Booking.com

BOB MARLEY PEACE HOTEL

For those looking for budget accommodations, this is a hotel/hostel where dorms and private rooms are available.  Located in the centre of the city, it’s convenient to walk to Luxor Temple, super cheap and they include breakfast as well.

HILTON LUXOR RESORT & SPA

This is a great resort by Hilton on the Nile and close to Karnak Temple.  Here you get the benefit of the high quality and standards Hilton sets while being able to collect/redeem points and also being out of the chaos of Luxor’s downtown streets.

Hilton Direct

SOFITEL WINTER PALACE

This is Luxor’s penultimate hotel, stunning example of Victorian architecture, and a short walk to Luxor Temple.  With grand staircases, high ceilings, and regal decor, you’ll be pampered with the pool, palm trees, and incredible service.

Likewise, you might also need a night in Aswan if you’re wanting to see Abu Simbel or explore the Nubian heritage that surrounds the city.  Take a look at these properties.

WE STAYED HERE

BASMA HOTEL

A great balance for those looking for a quality western hotel in the city that’s also affordable.  I was really impressed with their pool, lounge areas inside and out, and the included breakfast which had a ton of food options.  You can also request breakfast boxes if you don’t have enough time in the morning.  Great value!

THE MANGO GUESTHOUSE

For something a little different, this guesthouse is located on Elephantine Island and is set in a Nubian village.  Free breakfast and wifi is included.  “Loved the location, loved the guest house, loved my room and the breakfast was very good. Only stayed 2 nights but I hope to return to Aswan and will definitely stay here again.”

This is an great option for those looking for a hotel but on a budget. ““Really surprised how upscale it was for the price. Had room with Nile view, and it was worth it! Great, big room and bathroom. Modern a/c unit … Staff was friendly – excellent all around.”

SOFITEL LEGEND OLD CATARACT

The #1 hotel in Aswan and for good reason.  This is the most luxurious and historic Victorian property in the city with pink granite facade with a modernized interior.  It’s opposite to the Nubian Museum and meets its luxury status in every way.

Have you booked with Djed Egypt Travel or have more questions cruising along the Nile in a dahabiya?  Drop a comment with any lingering questions that you might have!

What you should read next

• The Best Way To See The Nile – Dahabiya Nile Cruise
• 10 Day Egypt Itinerary – Best of Egypt with Djed and Dahabiya Nile Cruise
• Egypt Packing List – What To Wear, Camera Gear, and more!
• Best Way To Do The Nile Cruise And Stay Experience
• Things to Know Before Going to Egypt – The Travel Guide

About William Tang

William Tang is the Chief of Awesome behind the award-winning Going Awesome Places which is focused on outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring photography and videos, and writing detailed itineraries and travel guides. He is a member of Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), and Travel Massive. He has also been featured in publications such as Reader's Digest, Entrepreneur, Men's Journal, and Haute Living. Make sure to learn more about William Tang to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

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Nicole Stock says

December 10, 2023 at 9:20 PM

William your article was fantastic. Your explanations, tips and suggestions are so useful. As was pointed out in the beginning of the article, it has been a tedious process finding the right fit for us. Nothing seemed to ‘gel’ until I read your post. I now feel confident in going ahead with a booking and am now quite excited about experiencing Egypt, The Nile and what it has to offer.

William Tang says

December 11, 2023 at 5:41 PM

Thank you for your kind words and I’m glad you find something that’ll fit with your upcoming Egypt itinerary! Exciting!!!

Our Freedom Years says

July 25, 2023 at 10:21 AM

I’ve spent the last fews days online trying to understand the dahayiba cruise experience and finally found your comprehensive overview. This gave me all the information I needed – thanks for the fine work!

July 25, 2023 at 12:02 PM

Awesome, I’m so glad that this was helpful! The dahabiya experience was truly amazing – hope you get to go soon!!

Deirdre says

July 17, 2022 at 10:52 AM

Absolutely fabulous post. Helpful for us as we sorry out all the details. #grateful

July 18, 2022 at 10:23 AM

You’re welcome! I hope you get to go on this cruise soon!!

Lorraine Theodos says

July 15, 2022 at 8:41 AM

Hope you have any ideas – we received a secure link that was filled out incorrectly, we sent multiple emails requesting the changes to it without replies. We even tried to call today, Friday. Possibly they are closed Friday and Sat? The confirmation letter stated deposit due by 11/07 but the website states 2 weeks which would be 27/07. We don’t want to do a bank deposit if they have canceled us. Any suggestions on how and when to get ahold on someone so we can confirm our reservation?

July 15, 2022 at 9:07 AM

Yes, it’s possible they were closed when you call. I just reached out to my contact there and hopefully they’ll get back to you soon!

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What It’s Like on a Nile Cruise

A nile cruise is an essential part of most trips to egypt, and a dahabiya sailboat cruise is the way to get more out of the experience..

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A dahabiya is a shallow-bottomed wooden sailboat that offers a different kind of Nile cruise experience.

Courtesy of Dylan Chandler/Nour el Nil

The Nile River is full of a variety of cruise ships: large tourist vessels, midsize hotel boats, luxury vessels with gorgeous decor and air-conditioning throughout, some even with swimming pools on top. They all travel between Luxor and Aswan in three or four nights, on itineraries packaged with land exploration that may include time in Cairo as well. But my friends and I wanted more time on the river itself, and something more intimate—like the kind of wooden boat Cleopatra might have sailed on. That’s why we booked a Nile cruise on a dahabiya .

A dahabiya is a great way to experience the river and the sites along its banks, as long as you are willing to forgo some higher-end luxury trappings for a more local, rustic experience.

What is a dahabiya?

Freshly made meals and snacks are included in the price of the trip; alcohol costs extra.

The word dahabiya is derived from the Arab word for “gold,” highlighting its ancient royal origins. The wooden sailboats, with only two decks and shallow bottoms, have been an option for travelers on the Nile since the 19th century and are based on designs that go back millennia.

The company my friends and I chose for our Nile experience was Nour El Nil, which has been around for more than a decade and operates seven dahabiyas with distinctive red-and-white striped sails fore and aft. The company was the brainchild of three partners: a Parisian interior designer who does the decor, a Mexican-born businessman, and an Egyptian sailor who oversees construction of the vessels.

Their boats have 8 to 12 cabins (accommodating 16 to 24 passengers), and they sail under wind power when the weather cooperates and are pulled by a small tugboat when there’s little breeze (which happened frequently on our sailing).

Nour El Nil has gained a reputation as a luxury operator, and in some ways it is, but in other ways the experience is on the rugged side, appealing to travelers like me with a sense of adventure.

The opulence is in the small-ship and small-group experience, with everyone dining at a long table on the open deck, waving at one of the 13 crew members for a drink, docking at historical sites and villages that larger ships can’t access, and exploring ancient ruins with expert guides.

The onboard experience

The open-air top deck serves as living room, dining room, and a place to relax.

Photo by Fran Golden

We were five couples traveling together for a friend’s birthday celebration. Our boat was the 12-cabin Adelaïde , and we shared it with 12 other travelers.

Most of the time, we found ourselves lounging on the plush, colorful, fabric-covered chairs, sofas, and daybeds on the open deck, which is shaded by tarps and festooned with chandeliers for an environment that is practical, with a touch of class. Unlike the hotel ships with indoor dining rooms, the deck was our dining space and lounge. This is where you catch views, feel occasional breezes (including from ceiling fans), admire the sails, spend time chatting or reading or playing games such as Scrabble and Hearts with your sail mates. If you’re me, it’s where you might stretch out in the hammock and fantasize about Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile (written at the famed Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan) and imagine backstories for your fellow passengers—which in our case hailed from the United States, Germany, France, Poland, and Brazil.

The boat had 10 rooms like this and 2 panoramic suites.

The cabins are all on the lower deck, with soft white linens, chandeliers, and Old World–style artwork, windows with sliding shutters and screens, and a mirrored bathroom reminiscent of nautical heads (the shower had no curtain or door, so the bathroom got wet when you used it). The boat also has two “panoramic suites,” each with floor-to-ceiling windows and an indoor sitting area. There aren’t private balconies as on some of the hotel ships. Portable air-conditioning units kept the rooms cool, though they get turned off in the middle of the night when the boat cuts its main generator to save on gas (ceiling fans and lights, on a separate system, remain on).

Sense of place was a constant. Our Egyptian crew, dressed in flowing galabiyas of various hues, sometimes struggled with English but were always willing to figure out what you wanted. If the fabrics on deck were end-of-season dusty and faded, they matched the colors of desert. Other views were surprisingly green riverbanks and mangroves, and as we lazed around with cocktails, we enjoyed watching village life go by: water buffalo wading in the river, fishermen angling in their small boats, farmers in carts pulled by donkeys. Sometimes, we’d hear calls for prayer ring out from minarets.

Part of the fun of a dahabiya is getting to know the crew, who take care of everything from sailing the boat to cooking fresh meals.

You knew it was mealtime when a crew member walked around the ship ringing a little bell. We were served family-style on a table set with textiles and pottery, with a delicious menu based on whatever was fresh and available from farmers and fishermen along the route. One day that might be lamb, another roasted ducks or fried Nile perch. There was an array of flavorful vegetable stews, whether eggplant, okra, or zucchini. And bowls of tahini, french fries, and flatbread were constants on the table.

All meals were included in the price of the trip, but booze cost extra. Still, it was a bargain: a gin or vodka tonic made from local liquor was less than $2.50, a bottle of local wine was about $13 ($19.50 if you wanted to upgrade to a bottle imported from South Africa).

Another bargain: massages for about $44, delivered by a crew member in the ship’s little used indoor lounge on the cabin deck.

Ancient sites and shoreside activities

Sometimes we pulled up to villages or off-the-beaten path areas.

Courtesy of Dylan Chandler/Nour El Nil

Of course, a very nice boat experience is one thing, but if you’ve come all the way to Egypt, you also expect to tour ancient historic sites and learn a thing or two. Nour El Nil’s contract Egyptologists deliver small-group tours with aplomb. For us English speakers, there was Adel Abu ElHagag, an expert on hieroglyphics who was determined to teach us to recognize the symbols for Cleopatra, among others.

While hotel ships follow a set route (you’ll see them docking at the same sites at basically the same times), our dahabiya cruise was a tad more improvised and able to include key sites on and off the standard tourist path. Our small boat could tie up to a tree, so shoreside exploration went beyond the river cruise norm, and with no printed itinerary, every day brought a sense of adventure. Crew leant a hand as we sometimes walked the plank or up dirt hillsides. Sometimes, we walked across two other Nour El Nil boats that we at times sailed with in a convoy.

Because of its small size and less rigid schedule, dahabiyas can stop at spots along the Nile that bigger ships can’t access, such as the tombs at El Kab.

For instance, the typical Nile cruise does not visit El Kab, the site of colorfully painted tombs and temples where Adel read hieroglyphics detailing the life stories of nobles and priests. “It’s like buying confession,” he said of the artistic depictions, dating from 1550 to 1050 B.C.E. “What you did in your life. Did you look at your neighbor’s wife?” But we also hit main sites such as the temple to the falcon god Horus in Edfu.

Some of my friends would say a highlight of the dahabiya cruise—and definitely not offered by the larger river ships—was swimming in the Nile. I am too much of a germophobe to try that.

My magical moment came one day in the early evening, when about 15 of us passengers disembarked at a narrow point in the Nile River near the temple of Gebel el-Silsila and its sandstone quarry that provided much of the material for several of the temples and tombs we’d see on our trip. We passed through a dusty brick village and walked higher into a moonscape of imposing sand dunes to watch the sunset. Biblical stories came to mind, even though our trek of a few miles crossed a small piece of the Nubian Desert, not the Sinai. The off-the-beaten-path setting was breathtaking in its sparseness, especially as the sun, a fiery orange orb, dipped below a distant dune. This is the way to cruise the Nile.

How to book

Sunset near the temple of Gebel el-Silsila and its sandstone quarry

Nour El Nil is one of a few companies offering a dahabiya experience on the Nile. The seven boats range from 16 to 24 passengers. Wi-Fi, meals, and shore excursions are all included; alcohol and tips for the crew are not (I spent about $140 on tips).

Additional options

Cairo-based Nile Dahabiya Boats has four 10- to 15-passenger boats doing a three- or four-night route between Esna and Aswan, double occupancy fares from $360 per person.

Luxor and Aswan Travel represents 11 dahabiyas, fares from $835 per person for a three-night cruise.

Dahabiya Cruise - Sailing Dahabiya Nile Cruise

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Dahabiya Dream Luxury Nile Cruise   Reviews

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Reviews 4.8.

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A dreamy cruise

A professional service from start to finish. Linda's communication was the best I have experienced for a holiday. Amazingly responsive and warm in her communications. Our time in Cairo including the luxury Kempiniski was fabulous and our guide Mohammed was amazing. Our time on the Dahabiya Dream felt like being part of one big family. Mahmoud is a champion of a host. Ahmed a legend of hieroglyphics. Joe, Aladeen, Mimi, Adam and all the fantastic crewman are a credit to the company and treated us like Royals. We will always remember our time on your boat as you truly gave us a trip of a lifetime. For anyone considering this company. You will certainly not regret it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The Evans clan.

Date of experience : 08 April 2024

An amazing week on the Dahabiya Dream

What an amazing week we have just had on the Dahabiya Dream. We were assured that it was absolutely safe to go, given the problems in the Middle East at the moment, and that was our experience. We felt totally safe and at no point had any cause for concern. Everything went as smoothly as it possibly could have. The Dream was absolutely wonderful and all the staff so courteous and helpful. The food was excellent, Mahmoud was great, always making sure we were happy and had everything we needed and our Egyptologist Ahmed was also fabulous and incredibly knowledgeable. Both had a good sense of humour and together they helped make the holiday the success it was. Also, I mustn’t forget the 3 nights we had in Cairo. It was absolutely the right choice to have our first day at leisure relaxing in the hotel and then our guide for the rest of the time in Cairo was also excellent. We’ve come away inspired to learn more about Egypt’s incredible ancient civilisation. Thank you to all concerned.

Date of experience : 26 February 2024

The ‘Dream’ experience.

From the moment we arrived on Dream until we left a week later we couldn’t fault our holiday. The crew were great, every meal was fabulous, cabin extremely comfortable with good shower and loads of hot water. Our guide on board was incredibly knowledgeable and brilliant at getting us round the many temples and museums. With only 12 passengers if you like ‘small’ couldn’t recommend this cruise enough.

Date of experience : 13 February 2023

Dream Cruise

We have been on Nile cruises several times and this was by far our best experience. The boat is delightful and very well equipped, manned by staff who are very helpful, friendly and professional. We very much enjoyed being in a small group and the sailing experience (mostly tugged) was a welcome contrast with the large cruise boats. Meals and other services very good indeed. They were very flexible and accommodating to personal dietary needs, particularly for one of our friends who is coeliac. Apart from 4 nights on the boat the company organised 9 nights in hotels in Aswan, Luxor and Cairo and all arrangements worked perfectly. If we plan another trip to Egypt we will certainly use Explore Egypt again.

Date of experience : 13 November 2023

Reply from Dahabiya Dream Luxury Nile Cruise

Thank you Alan very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

Cairo and The Nile - just perfect

We travel in March to Cairo and then flew to Luxor for a cruise to Aswan and back. From start to finish, it was fabulous - helpful assistance, knowledgeable guides and great crew - it really was the memorable holiday we wanted for our milestone birthdays. Special thanks for Mohammed, tour manager, and Ahmed, Egyptologist and guide. And Linda who did all the booking and communication. We meet some lovely couples in Cairo who travelled on to Luxor with us, and we all had a great trip. The boat was perfect, we had a private balcony for our room, and the communal dining on deck was perfect. We'll definitely look at the other destinations for 2024!

Date of experience : 25 March 2023

Such a fabulous week

Such a fabulous week. The boat and rooms are beautiful, the staff very attentive and the food lovely. Our gentle cruise down the Nile was so peaceful watching water buffalo, bird life, fisherman and their families. Our Egyptologist was very knowledgeable and filled us with his passion. The other guests on the boat were great company and we have all exchanged details! If you have the chance go, you will never regret being treated like Kings and Queens…..

Date of experience : 10 October 2022

Just returned from the most wonderful…

Just returned from the most wonderful holiday on the Dream. What an elegant way to drift down the Nile on a small 120 year old sail boat. We were pampered with freshly cooked eggs for breakfast, welcome smoothies upon our return from an outing, wonderful food and a fantastic helpful crew. The itinerary covered everything you need to see guided by a very knowledgeable guide who brought it all to life. The hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings was spectacular and most memorable. Holiday of a life-time

Date of experience : 02 April 2022

What an amazing experience!

What an amazing experience!! The crew were so incredible and so welcoming and couldn’t do enough for you. We were so grateful for them all for going above and beyond, especially with the older members of our family. Also, we learned A LOT about Ancient Egypt and it was all so interesting. Obviously once we started to hear about the problems in Gaza we were initially worried, but we genuinely had nothing to worry about. We followed the UK government guidelines and as far as we were concerned, if they were happy for us to travel, we were happy to travel and it was soooo worth it. The trip of a lifetime and would highly recommend. Do not let the war in Israel stop you from visiting Egypt. You will regret missing out on all the fun!! It was so great, we have already booked again!!

Date of experience : 11 December 2023

Thank you Clare very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

Everything about this trip was 5 star

Everything about this trip was 5 star. The boat beautiful, cabins comfortable, the food delicious, the staff who went out of their way to make everything perfect. The sites visited are amazing in themselves, but brought to life by our fantastic Egyptologist. Plus the amazing experience of sailing down the Nile! Bravo to all who made it happen! Eileen

Date of experience : 12 March 2022

What a fantastic experience

What a fantastic experience. We spent an extra two days in Cairo and visited Sakkara. Our brilliant guide Mohammed brought it alive. The Nile cruise was exceptional. Lovely boat, brilliant food. We learnt so much from our first-class Egyptologist, Ahmed. Special thanks must go to Mahmoud, our excellent captain and his wonderful crew. They were so friendly and helpful. Thank you!

Date of experience : 15 March 2022

A Dream holiday!

Stunning temples, service with big smiles, and total serenity. This is how I would describe our experience on the Dahabiya Dream - what a dream it was! Everything about our time on board exceeded our expectations, from the brilliant food, the company and sense of humour of the staff, to the knowledge and guidance of our wonderful Egyptologist. What experts you all are in the different roles you provide to make the holiday extra special. This started with excellent information and communication with Explore Egypt from day 1 of our enquiry with you. We enjoyed our time in Cairo - the pyramids could not fail to impress! And the Oberoi is beautifully quiet and the perfect place to relax, with the added bonus of the stunning house reef which we enjoyed every day. Please pass our thanks again to everyone. We would not hesitate to recommend Explore Egypt to family and friends.

Date of experience : 24 November 2023

Thank you very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

This is the way to see the highlights of Egypt

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the way to see the highlights of Egypt. The crew and back office team must have worked so hard to make everything run perfectly...accommodating Covid test requirements, storm conditions on the Nile, special trip requests. Special mentions for Mahmood and Linda. Food excellent. Dahabiya is a wonderful vessel with views so much better that from behind patio doors on a multi-story cruise ship and so much quieter as we were towed/sailed. With so few passengers, fellow travellers could make or break the trip...we considered all on board to now be friends.

Date of experience : 16 November 2021

Thank you so very much Mr Roberts, it was such a pleasure to sail the Nile with all of you

Why would you go on a big ship?

If you are going to Egypt, and want personal attention, then use Explore. The Dream is a delight, but it's a low-stated luxury. If you want hot tubs, a big cabin, fancy dining and an onboard gym then go on a big cruise ship. But the 9 of us on this boat watched the endless parade of huge cruise liners and just felt smug. Be warned that if there is not enough wind you will be towed as there is no engine on board. But the 'tuggi tuggi' is on a long tow rope, and the engine noise was not an issue. Waking up and opening the shutter so I could sit in bed and watch the Nile go past, with egrets and pied kingfishers right outside was the perfect start to the day.

Date of experience : 28 October 2023

Thank you Lesley very much for your feedback. We are very happy that you had enjoyed your holiday with us. Thank you

What a fantastic holiday from start to…

What a fantastic holiday from start to finish. The crew were amazing as was our Egyptologist. None of us had any tummy troubles and the food was very plentiful and really tasty. Nothing was too much trouble. We cannot recommend this trip enough!! We visited so many wonderful places including flying to Abu Simbel. It was so peaceful being on a small boat that could moor where it wanted rather than in a large port. All the transportation was well organised and the transfers were all in air conditioned mini buses. The help given to us before we went was exceptional too. A once in a lifetime trip!

Date of experience : 31 May 2022

Slipping down the Nile on Dahabiya Dream

Slipping down the Nile on Dahabiya Dream was the most exhilarating, fun, educational and exotic experience. Our gentle, polite, charming crew and guides could not have been more attentive. The food was delicious. All freshly prepared daily. The whole week was the perfect mix of relaxation, history and new friendships. If you are wavering about going, do not hesitate.

Date of experience : 08 October 2021

A wonderful holiday on board Dahabiya Dream

My wife and I had a most wonderful holiday on board Dahabiya Dream and afterwards in Cairo. The ancient sites that we visited were fascinating and unforgettable. Cruising on this well run Victorian-style dahabiya was for us the perfect way to experience this magical river. The staff were unfailingly attentive, friendly and helpful, the guide was enthusiastic and informative, and and the food was excellent. The holiday surpassed our expectations.

Date of experience : 21 February 2024

Ideal for great family gathering

WOW! Perfection in every tiny detail... from beauty of the "Dream" to the smiling and expert crew. Our family of 8 senior/retired adults sailed the Nile as titled gentry of old must have done. Only, this was in modern luxury and comfort unequalled.Each member of the entire crew performed duties as the pros they are, with the single goal of making us comfortable, enlightened. informed and HAPPY! The Egyptian culture and magnificent history was alive with Ahmed's enthusiastic and informative description of each site of this rich excursion down the river of dreams. From the fantastic food prepared expertly by Aladdin to the smooth and picturesque voyage, Mahood and his crew ensure our entire venture was flawless. As a family who tries to take a special trip every two or three years, this is the ultimate! Each member fell in love with Egypt and the "Dream." Once more, please.

Date of experience : 05 January 2023

An unforgettable experience..

First of all, don't let the events in Gaza put you off taking this amazing trip. After reassurance from Linda at Explore Travel & Cruises, and reading FCO advice, we decided to go ahead with the holiday, and never regretted it for a moment. We didn't experience any security or safety problems whatsoever. As for the Dahabiya Dream experience, it was wonderful! This is definitely the best way to cruise down the Nile and see all of Egypt's iconic sights. After 2 manic days in Cairo, it was good to kick back and enjoy a more leisurely pace as we sailed peacefully down the Nile watching life go by. It was definitely an advantage to be able to dock away from all the big cruise ships that travel up and down the river, and certainly made the holiday a more unique and pleasant experience. The boat is comfortably furnished, with the upper deck offering many places to sit, relax or enjoy the sun. There is also a comfortable inside lounge for those chillier days and evenings. Meals were usually eaten on the upper deck, and the food was authentic Egyptian and always first class. But what makes the Dream experience so special, is definitely the staff and crew. They were all polite, welcoming and good fun. Nothing was too much trouble and we were soon put at ease and made to feel part of the Dream 'family'. Our boat manager, Mahmoud, was always attentive and made sure we always had everything we needed. And Ahmed, our very knowledgeable and professional onboard Egyptologist, did an amazing job in introducing us to the complexities of ancient Egyptian history, but always kept us laughing with his great sense of humour. All the trips to see the sights were very well organised and ran like clockwork. If you want a unique Nile experience, book this trip! I will definitely be recommending it to friends and family, and would love to go back one day

Date of experience : 19 February 2024

Thank you Karen for your feedback, we are so happy that you have enjoyed your holiday with us and we would love to have you onboard again. Thank you

Honestly its there in the title DREAM

Honestly its there in the title, Dream. The trip was amazing. The crew onboard were amazing from start to finish making sure we had everything we needed, even giving us a wonderfull supprise dinner on the banks of the nile filled with good food, Music and dancing. The guide was amazing and made the trip that much more enjoyable knowing more about the history of each temple. The boat its self was an amazing 1920s? boat that actually carried some of the early explores over 100 years ago. It was an incredible experience from start to finish, one week was not long enough.

Date of experience : 14 November 2022

Enjoyable trip

After two years and at the third attempt we recently spent a very enjoyable week on the Dream. We were allocated the William Flinders Petrie cabin which while I wouldn't describe as luxurious was clean, comfortable and well equipped. The upper deck is the USP for the boat, a beautifully furnished space in which to relax and watch the daily life of local Egyptians unfold on the banks of the glorious river Nile. This was the highlight of the tour for us. The food on board was excellent, plentiful and varied. The cocktails superb. The pace of the tour was ideal, starting off gently and building up to the busier days at Luxor, Karnak and Valley of the Kings. We did the optional road trip to Abu Simbel, which is expensive but well worth the long drive. We travelled in a comfortable minibus and had a very competent driver. Although there is no engine on the boat there are two generators which make a low level droning noise which can be disturbing at night. We solved this by using our earplugs. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip which was worth the wait.

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Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Amazing luxury small boat nile cruise.

Do you like quiet? Do you like the Nile of Egypt? A Dahabiya Nile Cruise is a great way for a memorable trip on the Nile between Luxor , Aswan , and Esna. Away from the crowds and pre-packaged entertainment on the big ships, enjoy exclusive comfort and privacy. A Dahabiya Nile Boats is a 2-masted ship sailing with the wind, sometimes towed by a tugboat if the wind is calm. It is a small boat ideal for small groups, friends, individuals, and newlyweds. Families also use it as a private cruise or boat/family home with high-end privacy, private tours, special food, and special memories of the Nile and the people.

Through Dahabiya Cruise, you will explore the attractions of the most amazing sites on the banks of the Nile such as Karnak Temples , Luxor Temple , Hatshepsut temple , High Dam , Temple of Philae , and Temple of Kom Ombo .

Thus, a Dahabiya can dock at the most inaccessible sites, not to be seen in advance! So, this is an opportunity to discover several must-see sites, but also to see the rural life on the banks of the Nile. The Dahabiya is built on the traditional sailing model of ancient Egypt and include new means of comfort and convenience.

Let yourself be sailed in a refined and warm atmosphere and choose your trip on the Nile. Show More

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Tailor-made holiday to egypt, dahabiya nile cruise at a glance.

Dahabiya Nile Cruise in Egypt is definitely one of the most luxurious experiences to be included in your trip to Egypt, an opportunity to relax and make the trip unforgettable through the history of ancient Egypt. So here we have, a few tips for you when booking any Luxury Small Boat Nile Cruise as we want you to make the most of your trip to this land.

What are the available Nile cruise packages in Egypt?

If you are bored of visiting the ancient monuments, you can take up Nile River Cruises in Egypt for a change. These are fun activities and can be very refreshing. Here are some best picks-

• Egypt Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor
• Egypt Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan
• Dahabiya Boats
• River cruise tour through Cairo, Giza, Aswan
• A river cruise through Cairo, Luxor, Dendera

What is a Nile Cruise?

A Nile Cruise is a river cruise on the Nile, the most common route between Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt. The ship makes several stops at different stations to allow its passengers to visit the ancient Egyptian monuments. It is the best way to take a trip into the past to get close to the pharaonic culture and enjoy the breathtaking nature of the Nile Valley.

As already mentioned, most Nile cruise ships operate between Luxor and Aswan. The trip south from Luxor to Aswan takes 5 days and vice versa from Aswan to Luxor takes 4 days.

During the journey, the most important monuments in Upper Egypt are visited. In Luxor, one visits the Luxor temple and the Karnak temple, one of the biggest temple arrangements of Egypt on the eastern Nile shore Theben east. On the western side in Thebes-West the temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, and the Valley of the Kings.

In Aswan, the dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the Philae Temple on Elephant Island are visited. Between both cities, the Horus Temple in Edfu and the double temple of the two gods Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo are visited.

When the ship docks at Aswan, passengers can make an optional excursion to Abu Simbel on Lake Nasser to visit the impressive temple complex of Ramses II.

There are very few ships that sail the route in a different period and then make a few more sights, but here we have introduced you to what most ships do.

Also, there is the big or long Nile cruise that goes from Aswan or Luxor to Cairo or of course vice versa. This takes place however only at certain times because of the Nile level, which is why most visitors to Egypt prefer a short stay in Cairo, after or before the Nile cruise in Upper Egypt, if you want to see the sights of all Egypt.

How does the Nile Cruise work?

The duration of a Nile cruise varies according to the route the ship takes. There is either the small Nile cruise, which only goes in Upper Egypt from Luxor to Aswan or vice versa, and the long or large Nile cruise, which goes from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan and vice versa. From Luxor to Aswan it takes 5 days and from Aswan to Luxor 4 days.

It is also possible to go from Luxor to Aswan and back to Luxor and in this case the trip takes 8 days. The same is valid of course for the journey Aswan-Aswan. The ships that make the long Nile cruise are considerably less than those that travel between Luxor and Aswan, and besides, this cruise is only possible at certain times of the year due to the level of the Nile.

There are very few fleets of ships, among which the two Oberoi Nile cruise ships Philae and Zahra, which make the route between Luxor and Aswan at a different time of year. They sail from Luxor to Aswan or vice versa in 6 or 7 days. With all the rest of the ships the journey takes the same time as mentioned above, the only difference is the day of the week when the respective ship starts the journey.

On the way between Aswan and Luxor, one visits different beautiful sights for example, in Thebes-East (Karnak and Luxor Temple), then in Thebes-West (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Memnon Colossus). Afterward one visits the legendary Horus Temple in Edfu and the double temple in Kom Ombo. Do not miss the chance and take part in one of our Nile cruises.

Which deck to choose on the Nile Cruise?

Actually, you are only in the cabin for sleeping and therefore you should not pay too much attention to it, but we still want to give you some useful tips and advice on how to choose the right cabin.

In general, cabins in the middle deck are the most popular because it is the quietest there. On the upper deck, you will be disturbed by the pattering on the sun deck and you can hear it when tables or sunbeds are pushed.

On the Nile deck, you may hear the engines in the cabins in the stern. But it is important to mention that the ship almost always sails during the day and therefore the engines are off at night while the guests are sleeping.

For the same reason it is rather unimportant on which side your cabin is, because the ship sails almost exclusively during the day, you will have a view on the Nile anyway.

During the times when your ship will be onshore and the view from another ship is blocked on one side, you will either be on a sightseeing tour or you will sleep.

As we told you above, the guests are in their cabins almost only at night to sleep, otherwise, you are either on a tour, in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, in the bar, or lying by the pool on the sun deck.

When is the best time for a Nile Cruise?

The Nile Cruise is a river cruise on the Nile, the most frequent between Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt. The ship makes several stops at different stations to allow its passengers to visit the ancient Egyptian monuments. It is the best way to take a trip into the past to get close to the pharaonic culture and enjoy the breathtaking nature of the Nile Valley.

The best time for a Nile cruise in Upper Egypt can not be determined, because it depends on the interests of the visitor and his resilience in heat. One could only say that the Nile Valley in summer (May to September) can be too hot for most European visitors. The temperatures in Luxor and Aswan are about 45° and therefore it is not suitable for a Nile cruise especially for people who cannot stand the heat or who have circulation problems.

In the months from October to April, the maximum temperature is 30° and therefore one could say that this is the optimal time for a Nile cruise. If you plan bathing stay at the Red Sea after or before the Nile cruise in Upper Egypt, you should consider that it can be rather too cold for bathing in the winter months (December to February). At this time the temperatures in Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheik can sink up to 10°.

But it is also worth mentioning that the heat in Upper Egypt is dry and that the above mentioned high temperatures are only under the sun and that it is mostly bearable in the shade. Therefore, despite the heat, some travelers still decide to go on a Nile cruise in the summer months.

The ships are seldom fully occupied and one can avoid the crowds at the monuments. Most of the sightseeing tours take place early in the morning and the tour guide always looks for a place in the shade if he wants to explain something to the group. Also, the prices fall at this time and one finds a lot of special offers for a Nile cruise in Upper Egypt.

What clothes do you pack for the Nile Cruise?

Every place has its matching clothes, even on the sundeck. Because of this, you should consider appropriate clothing if you want to travel. For example, half-naked during temple visits are not normal and customary. On high-quality luxury Nile cruises, you can choose something more festive to wear. Your suitable, carefully chosen clothes will distinguish you from the ship’s restaurant crew and you will, therefore, follow the dress code correctly.

Every place has its suitable clothes, even on the sun deck. Because of this, you should consider appropriate clothing when you travel. For example, half-naked during temple visits are not normal and customary. On high-quality luxury Nile cruises, you can choose something more festive to wear.

Your suitable, carefully chosen clothes will distinguish you from the ship’s restaurant crew and you will, therefore, follow the dress code correctly.

As far as women are concerned, unlike most Upper Egyptian cities, it is quite alright for women to walk in shorts and spaghetti straps, or to lie down comfortably in Bikini by the pool. Luxor and Aswan are two of the most important tourist destinations in the world and their inhabitants have been used to the European way of dressing for a long time and show a great tolerance towards different cultures.

However, shorts and flip-flops or sandals are forbidden for men as well as for women in the restaurant of the ship. You do not necessarily have to wear a suit or an evening dress for lunch, but you are expected to wear at least a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

Onboard, the program includes a Nubian show, Galabya party, or belly dance show. There are nice costumes, which you can buy with the help of your guide from the market during the excursions.

On excursions, you should pay attention to appropriate clothing, so miniskirts or shorts are not recommended. Half-naked through the temples does not go down well.

A further hint would be sturdy shoes for the sightseeing tours. Please note that the monuments you will visit are located in the desert. You will also often have to walk a distance until you reach the temple or until you have seen all parts of the huge temple complexes. Many women in Egypt wear a hijab/headscarf, but this is not required for tourists. You will need to cover your head with a headscarf when you visit a mosque.

Don’t miss the chance and choose one of our Egypt Nile Cruise Packages, where you will learn about the ancient fascinating history.

Tipping on a Nile cruise

Is it customary to tip on a Nile cruise? As is common in the cruise world, it is customary, or rather expected, to tip on board. The staff on the ship will do their best to make the stay of their guests as pleasant as possible, and are therefore happy to receive the tip in appreciation of this.

Is it obligatory to tip on board? You can never say that tipping is obligatory, but unfortunately, it has come to pass that the staff of the ships see tipping as a fixed part of their remuneration due to the low payments in Egypt. But as already mentioned, this is not mandatory and if you think at the end of the trip, which is very rarely the case, that the staff has not earned the tip, then tell the Reileiter and tell him the reason right away.

Who should I give the money to? The tour guide will come to you at the end of the trip and ask nicely and politely about the tip, which is collected from the guests and then distributed among the crew. It is therefore collected so that everyone gets something because the guests do not come into contact with all the staff on board. It would be possible to tip the bartender directly during the cruise, but in this case, it would be unfair to cooks or machinists you don’t usually meet.

How much should I tip? There are of course no exact figures as to how much you should pay, but about 5$ per day per person, for every adult in the family, is reasonable. If you think this amount is too much, imagine there are about 50 people on board to make sure you feel comfortable during the trip.

Things to Read.

Full Guide For Visiting Egypt in January 2024/2025

Explore Top 5 Hidden Gems in Egypt

Beaches in Egypt: Your Ultimate Guide to Egyptian Beaches

Ancient Egyptian Festivals 

Best 8 Sights in Old Cairo: Historic Landmarks and Attractions

Egypt Nile Cruise Tips

Nile Cruise Itinerary

How to Enjoy A Perfect Vacation in Egypt With Friends

How to Enjoy a Classic Holiday in Egypt

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• Nile River Cruise - Egypt Nile Cruise 2024/2025

Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Dahabiya Nile Cruises is the most exclusive and luxurious way to experience the river, Cruise down the Nile on a Dahabiya Nile Cruise is the most luxurious way to experience the river. Dahabiya Nile Cruise : the classic way to see the Nile. Sail into the past on Dahabiya Nile Cruise and travel the Nile like the pioneering voyagers aboard a traditional Dahabiya. A Dahabiya Nile Cruise offers the romance of the past with modern comfort and convenience. It’s a leisurely way to get between Luxor and Aswan and brings together superb sightseeing, sailing, delicious traditional meals and attentive personal service. Life on board a Dahabiya Nile cruise is peaceful and idyllic A day on board a traditional Dahabiya has many pleasures. You can lie in a deck chair, read a book or watch children playing and women doing their washing. Every day there is a chance to walk around villages, visit local markets or explore monuments along the Nile. Meals are freshly prepared on board and served on the sundeck, in the dining room or on a beautiful spot on the banks of the Nile. There’s nothing better than an evening dining under a twinkling night sky by the light of a campfire. You are far away from the fancy-dress parties of the large cruisers. You’ll find no flashing disco’s here, but it might be possible to attend a show by local musicians under the stars. A perfect blend of tradition and luxury in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Book now Luxury Small Boat Nile Cruise.

Sacred Lotus Dahabiya

Three Pyramids Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Three Pyramids Dahabiya. Luxury Dahabiya Nile cruise in Egypt, sailing the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, explore fascinating Egyptian monuments.

Sonesta Amirat Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Meroe Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Malouka Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Nour El Nil Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Amoura Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Abundance Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Merit Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Assouan Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Jasmine Dahabiya Nile Cruise

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The Dream Dahabiya Nile Cruise - Nile River Valley Forum

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Let me know your thoughts on this boat as I think it is an unknown gem.

The crew, boat, guide and itinerary made this a memorable vacation.

If you are thinking of a 'special' trip, then make it with 'Explore Egypt' for peace of mind from start to finish and with the personal touch.

I thank all concerned and will definitely be joining them on future endeavours.

We are now planning a return visit to Egypt and would definitely travel with Explore Egypt again.

I have to echo the all sentiments of fellow passenger Tony L about our recent Dahabiya "Dream Holiday".

So much more personal than on bigger boats*, with access to places where they *couldn't moor up.

A friendly atmosphere on board, attentive and happy crew and an excellent Egyptologist guide - Gouda. Everyone made us feel very welcome.

Great food and spotless luxurious cabins.

Would certainly recommend this tour.

Welcome to the forum.

The sort of things that the members are interested in are questions such as:-

What did you all see on the trip?

Where did you stop?

The places we stopped and the exact itinerary can be seen on the www.exploreegypt website. There are so many places we saw with our small group it would take pages, just check dahabiya dream pages xxxx

I hope my last thoughts on this earth are remembering dancing to Egyptian music in the moonlight on sands from the Sahara!!

Tripadvisor staff removed this post either because the author requested it, or because it did not meet Tripadvisor's forum guidelines.

This thread reads like a dream advert. I don't think I will be checking out Explore Egypt's web pages any time soon.

Well, I wouldn't want to be on the Dream with you then!

I am a very satisfied customer and I loved it. Do you expect satisfied customers to moan???

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Nile River Valley Hotels and Places to Stay

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• Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Dahabiya Nile Cruise – Authentic Sailing Experience on the Nile

Our Boats – Recommended by Experts » Rough Guide recommended & highlighted as the “Author’s Pick” » Lonely Planet recommended » Marco Polo Guide recommended » Travel Article on Egypt in  The Huffington Post » And Travel Blog So Much More to See

Dahabiya Nile Cruise: the classic way to see the Nile . Sail into the past and travel the Nile like the pioneering voyagers aboard a traditional Dahabiya. A Dahabiya Nile cruise offers the romance of the past with modern comfort and convenience. It’s a leisurely way to get between Luxor and Aswan and brings together superb sightseeing, sailing, delicious traditional meals and attentive personal service.

Life on board a Dahabiya Nile cruise is peaceful and idyllic A day on board a traditional Dahabiya has many pleasures. You can lie in a deck chair, read a book or watch children playing and women doing their washing. Every day there is a chance to walk around villages, visit local markets or explore monuments along the Nile. Meals are freshly prepared on board and served on the sundeck, in the dining room or on a beautiful spot on the banks of the Nile. There’s nothing better than an evening dining under a twinkling night sky by the light of a campfire. You are far away from the fancy-dress parties of the large cruisers. You’ll find no flashing disco’s here, but it might be possible to attend a show by local musicians under the stars.

A perfect blend of tradition and luxury in a warm and welcoming atmosphere Accommodation on board consists of four comfortable, large cabins and one or two spacious suites. All are individually decorated with authentic oriental furniture. They have their own bathroom and can accommodate up to two people. Our Dahabiya boats are fully air-conditioned and heated with individual controls. The half-shaded sun-deck is the heart of the Dahabiya, with chairs, a divan, sun beds and dining tables. This is the perfect place to enjoy daily life on the riverbanks and watch the landscape gliding by.

Pure Wind Power – not motorized Our traditional two-masted Dahabiya boats are based on the design of original Dahabiya boats from the late 18th and early 19th centuries and are powered by the wind only. No engines! You only hear the sound of the breeze through the sail and the water breaking over the bow.

Scheduled Dahabiya Journeys – 100% Guaranteed Weekly Departures Our three Dahabiya boats sail up and down the Nile between Esna and Aswan. We offer a guaranteed choice between two itineraries. Upriver from Esna to Aswan, 4 nights and downriver from Aswan to Esna, 3 nights. No minimum number of passengers, with fixed dates for each trip on each Dahabiya Nile cruise.

Sightseeing & Activities

Nile dahabiya boats – a visual celebration of sailing past and present.

We’re the proud owners of 3 beautifully crafted traditional Dahabiya boats, with 5-6 luxurious cabins & suites each. They are also available for private charter. See also our  Nile Dahabiya Boats  website.

Between Esna and Aswan Dahabiyas sail back and forth on the Nile between Esna and Aswan. Along this part of the river, you will find a high concentration of monuments. For example the well-preserved temple of Horus in Edfu and the legendary double temple of Kom Ombo. Both temples are also visited with a regular Nile cruise.

Stopping at sights others don’t see But the relatively small, manoeuvrable Dahabiyas are also able to get to less accessible monuments, islands in the river and villages along the banks, where the huge cruise ships never moor or come. Among them is El Kab, the ancient city of Nekheb with temples and rock tombs from the Old Kingdom. Gebel el Silsila is another jewel that the huge Nile cruisers pass by.

Far away from the crowds Our Nile Dahabiya cruises will carry you to secluded spots, picturesque and quiet, far away from the crowds. You can go for a walk, visit a local market or explore the Egyptian countryside. An English-speaking Egyptologist will guide you. The tour price includes all excursions and entrance fees.

Gebel el Silsila

Daraw Camel Market

Upriver 4 nights

Guaranteed weekly departures – if you’re booked, you’re going.

Every Saturday on board Dahabiya The Orient   –  4 cabins and 1 suite Every Sunday  on board Dahabiya Nora  – 4 cabins and 2 suites Every Monday on board Dahabiya Zekrayaat  – 4 cabins and 2 suites Every Thursday on board Dahabiya Loulia  – 4 cabins and 2 suites

Price Guide – Upriver Journeys, 4 nights

Included in rates »  Full board accommodation, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner »  Sightseeing, entrance fees and English-speaking guide services on board »  Transfers to and from any address in Luxor or Aswan to the Dahabiya, depending on the itinerary

Upriver from Esna to Aswan – 4 Nights Itinerary 

Day 1 » Boarding in Esna – El Kab – Quessia Departure from any address in Luxor to Esna (50km south), home port of the Dahabiya. Embarkation on the Dahabiya for a 4-day cruise along the Nile between Esna and Aswan. A visit to the Esna temple and a short walk through the local markets. Sail to El Kab, the ancient town of Nekheb, to visit the remains of its temples and some of the tombs cut into the cliffs. Set sail for a small island where the boat will moor for the night. You will have dinner on board the Dahabiya or on the tranquil banks of the Nile. First night on board.

Day 2 » Edfu – Wadi el Shat Sail for Edfu and visit the temple of Horus, the best-preserved of all the temples in Egypt. Set sail for a small island where the boat will moor for the night; later stops will take you to small villages and the desert. Second night on board.

Day 3 » Gebel el Silsila – Kom Ombo – Maniha Sail to Gebel el Silsila and explore the ancient sandstone quarries and rock-cut chapels of Horemheb, Seti I, Ramesses II and Merenptah. The journey up the Nile continues towards the double temple of Haroeris and Sobek in Kom Ombo. Set sail for the island of Maniha, where the Dahabiya will moor for the night. Third night on board.

Day 4 » Daraw – El Koubania, Aswan Sail to Daraw and take a walking tour to the village to visit the markets of Daraw, once the last stop on the famous 40-day desert road between Sudan and Egypt. Sailing continues to the Nubian village of El Koubania, near Aswan. Fourth and last night on board.

Downriver 3 nights

Every Wednesday on board Dahabiya The Orient  – 4 cabins and 1 suite Every Thursday  on board Dahabiya Nora  – 4 cabins and 2 suites Every Friday on board Dahabiya Zekrayaat  – 4 cabins and 2 suites Every Monday on board Dahabiya Loulia  – 4 cabins and 2 suites

Price Guide – Downriver Journeys, 3 nights

Downriver from aswan to esna – 3 nights itinerary.

Day 1 » Boarding in Aswan – Kom Ombo – Gebel el Silsila Transfer to and embarkation on the Dahabiya for a 3-day cruise along the Nile between Aswan and Esna. The first day’s sailing takes you to a small Nile island for a walk in the countryside. After lunch on board or on the island, continue sailing towards Kom Ombo to visit the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris. Then cruise towards Gebel el-Silsila. First night on board.

Day 2 » Edfu – El Fawaza After breakfast visit the rock-cut chapels of Horemheb, Seti I, Ramses II and Merenptah and explore the sandstone quarries at Gebel el-Silsila. The sail continues to Edfu where you can visit the temple of Horus, the best-preserved of all the temples in Egypt. Travel on to a small island where the boat will moor for the night. You will have dinner on board the Dahabiya or round a campfire on the tranquil banks of the Nile. Second night on board.

Day 3 » El Kab –  Esna Cruise to El Kab, the ancient town of Nekheb, one of the oldest and most significant archaeological sites on the Nile. Visit the remains of its temples and some of the tombs cut into the cliffs. Return to the boat and set sail for Esna. Third and last night on board.

Day 4 » Disembarkation in Esna End of the Nile Dahabiya cruise journey in Esna after breakfast on board. Transfer to any address in Luxor.

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