A Dahabiya Nile cruise is the slow, quiet way to sail between Luxor and Aswan. A dahabiya is a traditional two-masted sailing boat – the “golden boat” that 19th-century travellers hired to explore Upper Egypt. Today’s dahabiyas carry only a handful of cabins, so it feels like your own yacht on the river. Most trips take 4 to 6 nights and moor where big cruise ships can’t: quiet islands, village landings and riverside temples, with an Egyptologist to guide you at Edfu and Kom Ombo.
Dahabiyas travel under sail whenever the wind allows, so the journey is quiet and unhurried.
Usually 4 to 12 cabins, so service is personal and the sun deck never feels crowded.
The Ptolemaic Temple of Horus at Edfu and the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris at Kom Ombo.
Ancient sandstone quarries and rock-cut shrines on the riverbank – a stop most large cruise ships skip.
Moor at quiet Nile islands and walk through riverside villages, far from the busy docks.
Add Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Philae Temple or Abu Simbel before or after your sailing.
A licensed Egyptian tour operator based in Cairo.
World Travel Awards 2020 & 2021 and 2,500+ five-star Tripadvisor reviews.
Licensed Egyptologists who bring history to life.
Your own air-conditioned car and driver, with hotel pickup.
Combine your dahabiya with Cairo and the Pyramids in one of our Egypt tour packages, or see all Nile cruises and our Cairo Nile dinner cruises.
