Per cabin · Cabins are sold individually — book just your own cabin, sharing the boat with a handful of other guests.
Lazuli Luxor Dahabiya
A 5-star intimate dahabiya with lateen sails, chef-prepared full-board dining, and quiet Nile stops beyond larger cruisers.
The short answer
Lazuli Luxor is a 5-Star Ultra Deluxe dahabiya. Embark in Aswan on a Friday for 3 nights to Esna, or in Esna on a Monday for 4 nights to Aswan. Prices start at $2,516 per person sharing a double cabin, including full board, guided sightseeing and transfers.
02Overview
A first look
By late afternoon, the lateen sail fills above the Nile and the riverbank settles into palms, fields, and mud-brick villages. Aboard Lazuli Luxor Dahabiya, the pace leaves room to listen to the water, watch fishermen work from small boats, and let a chef-prepared meal mark the end of the day.
Our Egyptologists bring the ancient landscape into focus during shore visits, including places larger Nile cruisers cannot reach easily, such as El Kab and Gebel Silsila. We arrange the vessel, shore transport, meals, and guiding as one coordinated trip, with a licensed Egyptian tour operator available on the ground when you need us.
Routes
Where this ship sails
Each route this ship sails. The direction changes the order of the temples, the number of nights and which city you fly out of. Embarkation days and prices are in the table below.
Cruise lengths, embarkation days and prices
Prices are per person in USD, from 2 people sharing a double cabin. Each price covers the whole cruise, the guided sightseeing program along the route, and your arrival and departure transfers between the ship and the local airport or train station.
| Cruise | October – Aprilcurrent season | May – September |
|---|---|---|
| 3 nights · Aswan → Esnaembarks Fridays | October – April: from $2,516double cabinsingle cabin $4,174 | May – September: from $2,224double cabinsingle cabin $3,784 |
| 4 nights · Esna → Aswanembarks Mondays | October – April: from $3,262double cabinsingle cabin $5,472 | May – September: from $2,872double cabinsingle cabin $4,952 |
Choose your cruise and date in the booking panel for the exact price.
Cabin allocation
- Nile vessels do not have interconnecting cabins.
- Book early and we will ask the vessel to place your party together — usually adjacent, or directly opposite.
- Cabin numbers are confirmed by the vessel at check-in.
Indicative rates only – pricing and cabins fluctuate. Please enquire for live rates on your specific dates.
On board
Detailed itinerary
- 1
On arrival at Luxor airport or train station, your Egyptologist guide takes you on a full day of sightseeing in Luxor: the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple. In the afternoon you're driven to Esna to board your dahabiya, welcomed aboard by the crew for your first night moored at Esna.
- 2
Breakfast at leisure as the dahabiya sails towards Edfu, arriving around midday. Visit the Temple of Horus by horse-drawn caleche — one of Egypt's largest and best-preserved monuments, its entrance flanked by two granite falcon statues — then browse the bazaar for spices, souvenirs and perfume.
After lunch on board, continue sailing towards the temple at Gebel el-Silsila, with dinner served in the temple grounds, on a nearby island, or on the sun deck.
- 3
Breakfast at leisure, then sail to Kom Ombo to visit the Greco-Roman double temple shared equally between the falcon god Haroeris and the crocodile god Sobek. Continue sailing towards Aswan, watching river life along the banks — water buffalo, donkeys and birdlife — and moor for the night close to the city.
- 4
After breakfast on board, spend the day exploring Aswan — the island Temple of Isis at Philae and the Aswan High Dam — with time to wander the Aswan bazaar. Return to the boat for your final evening and overnight in Aswan.
- 5
After breakfast, disembark and transfer to Aswan airport or train station for your onward departure.
- 1
On arrival at Aswan airport or train station, your Egyptologist guide takes you on a day of sightseeing in Aswan — the island Temple of Isis at Philae and the Aswan High Dam, with time to browse the Aswan bazaar. In the afternoon you board your dahabiya and enjoy lunch on deck as the boat sets sail for Kom Ombo, mooring there for the night.
- 2
Breakfast at leisure, then visit the Greco-Roman temple at Kom Ombo — a perfectly symmetrical double temple with matching halls and sanctuaries dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris and the crocodile god Sobek. Sail on to the quieter temple at Gebel el-Silsila, mooring alongside the rock-cut Speos of Horemheb; dinner is served in the temple grounds or on the sun deck, weather and mood allowing.
- 3
After breakfast, visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu by horse-drawn caleche — one of Egypt's largest and best-preserved monuments, its entrance flanked by two granite falcon statues — then explore the bazaar for spices, souvenirs and perfume.
The dahabiya moors at a quiet island for a themed Egyptian evening: dinner by the riverbank or on the sun deck, Arabic music, and the option to dress in a gallabeya for the occasion, before sailing on gently towards Esna overnight.
- 4
After breakfast, disembark at Esna and drive to Luxor for a sightseeing day — the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple — before your transfer to Luxor airport or train station for departure.
Bundled in
- Sun Deck
- Restaurant
- All entry tickets
- Private transfer
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Accommodation aboard the lazuli Luxor Dahabiya
- All sightseeing tours with licensed Egyptologist
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) on board
- All entrance fees to listed sites
- Private transfers from/to Luxor or Aswan
- Sailing permissions and taxes
Not included
- International or domestic flights
- Tipping for crew and guides
- Drinks, including water, are not included, even with meals
- Optional tours or activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Add before or after your cruise
The ship sails between Luxor and Aswan. The Pyramids, and most flights home, are in Cairo. These short add-ons join the two.
After you dock
Aswan to Cairo flight and one hotel night
Two nights in Cairo with a day in Alexandria
3-Day Egypt Short Break: Cairo & Luxor
3-Day Cairo & Alexandria Tour
3-Day Luxor Tour from Marsa Alam
3-Day Cairo Tour from Sharm El Sheikh- 3-Day Luxor & Cairo Tour from Hurghada
2-Day Luxor to Cairo Post-Cruise Stay
3-Day Luxor to Cairo Post-Cruise Tour with Alexandria
Compare
Similar ships to compare
Ships of the same class with the closest prices. Prices are per person, sharing a double cabin, October to April.
- Merit 1 Dahabiya Nile Cruise
5-Star Ultra Deluxe dahabiya
Embarks Wed from Aswan / Sat from Esna
From $2,481 per person
- Azhar Dahabiya Nile Cruise
5-Star Ultra Deluxe dahabiya
Embarks Mon from Esna / Fri from Aswan
From $2,357 per person
- Abundance Dahabiya Nile Cruise
5-Star Ultra Deluxe dahabiya
Embarks Mon from Esna / Fri from Aswan
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The route
Esna and Aswan
- EdfuThe Temple of Horus
- Kom OmboThe Temple of Sobek
Choose your direction
- Esna → Aswan4 nightsupstream, against the current
- Aswan → Esna3 nightsdownstream, with the current
Snapshot
Good to know
- Destinations
- Esna · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan
- Guide languages
- Arabic · English · French · German · Italian · Spanish
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Valid passport and printed travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- High SPF sunscreen and a wide-brim hat
- Lightweight layers for cool mornings and evenings
- Small daypack for shore excursions
- Any personal medication plus a printed prescription
- Plug adapter (Type C and F) and spare phone battery
What to wear
- Lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in natural fabrics
- Long trousers or skirts and covered shoulders for temples and mosques
- A light sweater or fleece for early-morning breezes on deck
- Closed-toe shoes for archaeological sites and uneven quays
- A sun hat and UV sunglasses
Children & families
Children 0–5.99 years travel free; 6–11.99 years pay 50%; 12 years and above pay the full adult price. Children must share a cabin with their parents, maximum one child per cabin; two or more children require their own cabin. Strollers are practical for airport transfers but are often impractical on shore landings due to uneven quays and steps; portable child seats are not provided aboard the dahabiya. Please advise ages at time of booking so we can confirm cabin arrangements and any child-oriented meals.
Accessibility
Who can join this
A dahabiya is an intimate, traditionally rigged sailing boat with narrow corridors and low doorways; boarding usually requires negotiating a gangway and one to three steps. Expect uneven stone quays, loose gravel and short flights of stairs at many smaller landing points such as El Kab and Gebel Silsila, and cobbled surfaces at temple approaches. Wheelchair users will find the vessel and most shore landings challenging; full wheelchair transfer onboard is not possible on many dahabiyas. If you have reduced mobility we can arrange a more suitable Nile cruiser or a bespoke itinerary, and our representative will meet you at the airport to discuss practical options. Please contact us before booking so we can assess lifts, ambulance access, and any medical equipment you may bring.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
We arrange this route using sail-powered dahabiyas, vessels that rely on lateen sails to reduce engine hours while underway between Luxor and Aswan, and therefore lower fuel consumption on sailing days. On inland transfers we use modern air-conditioned minibuses meeting local emissions standards; vehicle size is chosen to match group numbers so we avoid half-empty coaches. Our local partners include family-owned boat crews, village guides at El Kab and Gebel Silsila, and a chef employed by the vessel: these bookings provide direct income to small suppliers. We ask guests to avoid single-use plastics aboard, and we encourage responsible photography at sensitive archaeological sites. If you would like to offset additional travel emissions we can recommend verified programs at time of booking.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how early you tell us and on the type of trip. Read our current cancellation and refund policy
Last updated Product ID: CRU-NIL-015167
At a glance
- Length
- 3 or 4 nights
- Embarks
- Mon in Esna · Fri in Aswan
- Board
- Full Board
- Class
- 5-Star Ultra Deluxe
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