musk-dahabiya
A 5-star sail-powered dahabiya with an intimate setting, lateen sail, and chef-prepared full-board dining.
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 morning, the Nile carries the soft creak of rigging and the shade of Musk Dahabiya’s lateen sail across the water. The pace leaves room to watch villages, palms, and limestone banks pass quietly while your chef-prepared lunch is served aboard. Shore visits reach places larger Nile cruisers cannot, including El Kab, Gebel Silsila, and the Hagar Salsala quarry, with time to notice carved stone, desert wind, and the changing light along the river.
We carefully select and arrange the vessel, shore excursions, meals, and transfers for you. Our Egyptologists add context on land, while the captain sets a slower course between each stop. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we coordinate the practical details before you sail.
The route
Luxor and Aswan
- EsnaThe temple & the river lock
- EdfuThe Temple of Horus
- Kom OmboThe Temple of Sobek
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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Bundled in
- Lounge
- Restaurant
- Sun Deck
- Wi-Fi
- Air Conditioning
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Accommodation onboard Musk Dahabiya
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Certified Egyptologist guide
- Entrance fees to all listed temples and sites
- Private transfers to/from the Dahabiya
- Taxes and service charges
Not included
- Tipping for guide and crew
- Optional excursions (hot air balloon, Abu Simbel, felucca rides)
- Personal purchases and additional beverages
- Domestic or international flights
- Any items not mentioned in the inclusion list
- Drinks, including water, are not included, even with meals
Accessibility
Who can join this
This dahabiya itinerary requires moderate mobility, not full wheelchair accessibility. Boarding and disembarkation involve 4 to 10 low wooden or gangway steps at docks and quays, and some shore visits require walking on compacted sand, loose gravel and uneven ancient stone surfaces. Riverbanks, temple forecourts and quarries often have stairs without handrails. The vessel itself has narrow companionways and cabin thresholds of 5 to 15 centimetres. If you use a mobility scooter, speak with us before booking so we can assess feasibility and advise on transfers. We arrange assistance at the arrival airport and help with luggage onto the vessel, but we cannot guarantee wheelchair ramp availability at all landing points.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
We use motorised road transfers with modern, air-conditioned minibuses and Mercedes or Toyota minibuses for airport and shore transfers; the dahabiya sails using lateen sails for much of the itinerary, reducing engine fuel use while underway. Local suppliers include small, family-run cafes and licensed Egyptologists from Luxor and Aswan; seafood and produce served aboard are sourced from regional markets where seasonally available. Crew employment follows local contracts with wages paid in Egypt, and fuel consumption for repositioning motors is logged to monitor usage. Where possible we favour sites that manage visitor numbers to reduce erosion at fragile quarries and archaeological paths. Please ask for specific supplier details when you book, we can share the names of the hotels, restaurants and Egyptologists involved on your departure.
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, photocopy and emergency contact details
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sunscreen SPF30 or higher and a wide-brim hat
- Reusable water bottle, refillable on board
- Lightweight daypack for shore visits
- Medication and a basic first-aid kit
- Power adapter and charged phone with local SIM if needed
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for daytime heat
- Long sleeves and long trousers for temple visits and sun protection
- Covered shoulders and knee-length skirts or trousers for mosques or conservative villages
- A light fleece or jumper for cooler early mornings on deck
- Sturdy closed shoes for archaeological sites and quarries
Children & families
Children aged 0 to 5.99 years travel free. Children aged 6 to 11.99 years pay 50% of the adult price. Children aged 12 years and above pay the full adult price. All children must share a cabin with their parents, with a maximum of one child per cabin; two or more children require their own cabin. Strollers are practical on the vessel but are less useful ashore where there are cobbles, stairs and soft sand.
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.
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
Product ID: CRU-NIL-180858
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