4-Day Dahabiya Nile Cruise Aswan to Luxor: Temple visits included

Four days sailing between ancient temples, sleeping on the Nile

A 4-day Nile river cruise from Aswan to Luxor aboard a 5-star dahabiya (traditional sailing boat) with guided visits to Philae Temple, Kom Ombo, Edfu's Temple of Horus, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple. The boat carries you between sites; an Egyptologist guide leads the temple tours; all meals, accommodation and entrance fees are included, and hotel pickup in Aswan is arranged before you board.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Philae Temple and Kom Ombo visit

• Pick up from hotel in Aswan
• Visit Philae Temple
• Board Dahabiya sailing boat
• Walk on small Nile island
• Lunch on board
• Sail to Kom Ombo
• Visit Kom Ombo Temple
• Continue sailing towards Gebel el-Silsila

Day 2: Gebel el-Silsila and Edfu Temple

• Enjoy sunrise on sundeck
• Breakfast on board
• Sail to Gebel el-Silsila
• View rock-cut chapels and quarries
• Sail to Edfu
• Visit Edfu Temple
• Moored at Besaw island for night

Day 3: El Kab visit and sail to Esna

• Breakfast on board
• Sail to El Kab
• Visit ancient town of El Kab
• Board Dahabiya and sail to Esna

Day 4: West Bank tour and check out

• Breakfast on board
• Check out from Dahabiya
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• Visit Colossi of Memnon
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Transfer to Luxor drop-off

The experience

The dahabiya leaves Aswan with a visit to Philae Temple, the sanctuary devoted to the goddess Isis on an island in the Nile. After boarding, the boat sails to a small island for a walk, then continues downriver to Kom Ombo, where the temple sits on a promontory at a bend in the river. Built for two gods (the crocodile god Sobek and Horus the Elder). It is one of the Nile Valley's most beautifully sited temples. You sleep on board that night as the boat sails toward Gebel el-Silsila.

Day two begins with sunrise on the sundeck. At Gebel el-Silsila, you watch from the boat the rock-cut chapels of Horemheb, Seti I, Ramses II and Merenptah, and the sandstone quarries cut into the cliffs. The boat then sails to Edfu, where the Temple of Horus awaits: the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt, built on the site where the falcon-headed god avenged his father's murder. The boat moors at Besaw island for the night.

On day three, you visit El Kab, the ancient town of Nekheb, one of the oldest archaeological sites on the Nile, where temple remains and cliff-cut tombs line the riverbank. The boat then sails to Esna. On the final morning, you disembark and travel by air-conditioned car to the west bank near Luxor. You enter three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, see the Temple of Hatshepsut (built by the only female pharaoh to rule Egypt), pass the Colossi of Memnon (two 18-meter statues cut from single blocks of stone), and end at Karnak Temple, a complex covering more than 2 square kilometers with sanctuaries, pylons and obelisks built over nearly 1,500 years. A transfer takes you to your choice of hotel, airport or station in Luxor.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Aswan.
• 3 nights on a 5-star dahabiya with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
• guided tours of Philae Temple, Kom Ombo, Edfu's Temple of Horus, El Kab, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple.
• an Egyptologist guide in your chosen language.
• all entrance fees to the sites.
• tea, coffee and natural water on board.
• transfer from Esna to your Luxor hotel, airport or station.

Information

Lasts 4d, runs Wednesday and Friday, 5 start times, from US$ 2,000 per person, with live guides in 7 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 6 days before.

Days and timesWednesday and Friday5 departure times: 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, 09:30 and 10:00Last departure this season: 23 DecOther times ›

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years): free · Infant (under 3)

GroupPrivate8 in a group ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and ArabicOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.You can choose from 46 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tour Egypt Club - Private Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book this dahabyia if you want to wake up at a different temple each morning: the boat moves overnight so your days stay focused on exploring sites rather than traveling between them.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years): free; Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 6 days before the start.

What is included in the 4-day dahabiya cruise from Aswan to Luxor?

The cruise includes 3 nights on a 5-star dahabiya with full board (all meals, tea and coffee); pickup from your Aswan hotel, airport or station; guided tours of Philae Temple, Kom Ombo, Edfu's Temple of Horus, El Kab, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple; an Egyptologist guide; all entrance fees; and transfer to your Luxor destination at the end.

What is the Temple of Kom Ombo and why is it unique?

Kom Ombo stands on a promontory at a bend in the Nile and is unique in Egypt because it is dedicated to two gods instead of one: Sobek, the local crocodile god, and Haroeris (Horus the Elder). In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank nearby, and the temple is considered one of the Nile Valley's most beautifully sited temples.

How does the boat move between temple sites during the cruise?

The dahabiya is a traditional sailing boat that moves under sail and motor between stops. You sleep on board each night as the boat travels downriver, waking to sunrise on the sundeck and sailing to the next temple site. This means you unpack once and the boat carries you to each destination.

What happens on the final day in Luxor?

On day four, you check out of the dahabiya after breakfast and travel by air-conditioned car to visit the west bank sites: three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak Temple. A guide accompanies you throughout. At the end, you are transferred to your choice of hotel, airport or train station in Luxor.

What is Karnak Temple and how large is it?

Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad and the pharaohs. It covers more than 2 square kilometers (large enough to contain about 10 cathedrals), and was built, added to and decorated over nearly 1,500 years, making it the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom.