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Nile CruiseEsna → Aswan

Lazuli Luxor Dahabiya

A 5-star intimate dahabiya with lateen sails, chef-prepared full-board dining, and quiet Nile stops beyond larger cruisers.

At a glance

Length
5 days · 4 nights
Embarks
Mon, Fri
Board
Full Board
Class
5-star

Private charter · Available as a private charter only — the whole boat, exclusively for your party.

Snapshot

Good to know

Destinations
Esna · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan
Guide languages
Arabic · English · French · German · Italian · Spanish

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.

The route

Luxor and Aswan

  1. LuxorKarnak & the Valley of the KingsEmbark
  2. EsnaThe temple & the river lock
  3. EdfuThe Temple of Horus
  4. Kom OmboThe Temple of Sobek
  5. AswanPhilae Temple & the High DamDisembark

The route

Where this ship sails

The stretch of river this vessel works, and what the sailing is like end to end.

On board

Detailed itinerary

Based on embarkation from Luxor and disembarkation in Aswan.

  1. 1

  2. 2

  3. 3

  4. 4

  5. 5

Bundled in

  • Sun Deck
  • Restaurant

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

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

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.

Cabin pricing

Rates on request

We don't have current published rates for this ship. Send us your dates and we'll come back with a live price for the cabin you want.

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.

How extensions work

If plans change

Cancellation and refunds

What you get back if you cancel depends on how far ahead of your trip you tell us and the type of trip you book. Read our current cancellation and refund policy

Location

On the map

Luxor and Aswan — where it sails in EgyptMediterranean SeaRed SeaWestern DesertEastern DesertLake NasserLuxorEsnaEdfuKom OmboAswanCairoAbu SimbelN
Cairo lies north; your cruise is the gold stretch in the south. The Nile flows north, so sailing upstream means heading south.

Editorial review

Reviewed by Khaled Mansour

Product ID: CRU-NIL-188316

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