Overview
Tour Description
Nine days that combine Cairo’s great sights with five nights on a luxury dahabiya, a traditional Nile sailing boat with only a few cabins. You fly to Luxor, spend a night on land so you can see Karnak and the Valley of the Kings fresh, then board in Esna and sail slowly south to Aswan, stopping at riverside islands and quiet temples.
Highlights
- Your tour manager meets you before passport control and arranges your entry visa
- The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Khan el-Khalili bazaar in Islamic Cairo
- Karnak and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor
- 5 nights on a luxury dahabiya with Edfu, Gebel el-Silsila and Kom Ombo
- Philae Temple and the High Dam in Aswan
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cairo
Your tour manager meets you at Cairo International Airport, helps with your entry visa and escorts you to your 5-star hotel in a private deluxe vehicle. He helps you check in and confirms the plan and pick-up times for the days ahead.
Overnight: 5-star hotel, Cairo.
Day 2: Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx
After breakfast your guide takes you to the Giza Plateau for the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple beside it.
Meals: Breakfast. Overnight: 5-star hotel, Cairo.
Day 3: Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili and fly to Luxor
You spend the morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the full Tutankhamun collection. After lunch at a local restaurant you drive to Islamic Cairo to explore Khan el-Khalili, the city’s oldest bazaar. In the evening you fly to Luxor and are taken to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch. Overnight: 5-star hotel, Luxor.
Day 4: Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and board the dahabiya in Esna
After breakfast and check-out, your guide takes you to Karnak, the largest temple complex ever built and the religious heart of ancient Thebes. You then cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings and its painted royal tombs. In the afternoon you drive to Esna to board your dahabiya.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: dahabiya, Esna.
Day 5: Sailing to Edfu
After breakfast you visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best-preserved temple in Egypt, with its pylon, roof and sanctuary still intact. The afternoon is spent sailing, and the boat moors for the night at El Fawaza Island.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: dahabiya, El Fawaza Island.
Day 6: Gebel el-Silsila and a barbecue dinner
A morning under sail to Gebel el-Silsila, the ancient sandstone quarries where you see shrines and inscriptions cut into the cliffs. The crew prepares a barbecue dinner and the boat ties up at Beshir Island.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: dahabiya, Beshir Island.
Day 7: Kom Ombo and Herdiab Island
You visit Kom Ombo, the double temple of Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, on a bluff above the river. Then you sail on to Herdiab Island for a relaxed lunch and an afternoon on the sandbank.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: dahabiya.
Day 8: Aswan: Philae and the High Dam
You reach Aswan and visit Philae Temple by boat, the temple of Isis rescued from the rising water and rebuilt on Agilkia Island, and the High Dam, completed in 1971.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: dahabiya, Aswan.
Day 9: Fly home via Cairo
After breakfast you leave the boat and are taken to Aswan Airport for your flight to Cairo and onward home.
Meals: Breakfast.
Included and Excluded
- Meet and assist at all airports and guest relations support during your stay
- Domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo
- 2 nights in a 5-star hotel in Cairo with breakfast
- 1 night in a 5-star hotel in Luxor with breakfast
- 5 nights on a luxury dahabiya, full board
- Tea, coffee and soft drinks with meals on board
- Private sightseeing in Cairo with an Egyptologist
- Sightseeing on the dahabiya with the boat’s Egyptologist
- Entrance fees to all sites in the itinerary
- Lunch at a good local restaurant in Cairo
- All transfers by private air-conditioned deluxe vehicle
- Bottled water during tours and transfers
- All service charges and taxes
- International flights and Egypt entry visa
- Optional tours
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips for guides, drivers and crew
- Personal expenses
Prices:
What will it cost you?
Prices per person change with the season and how many of you travel. Set yours and see the real number — no email needed.
Note:
All the accommodation in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan hotels and Nile cruises are 5* ultra deluxe accommodations
Tour Attractions
FAQs
How much does the 9-day Cairo and dahabiya tour cost?
From $8,000 per person sharing a double cabin from May to September, and $10,000 per person from October to April. Single travelers pay $12,000 in summer and $14,000 in winter.
Why does the dahabiya start in Esna and not Luxor?
Most dahabiyas begin in Esna, about an hour south of Luxor, because it avoids the busy lock and gives more time sailing through the quietest stretch of the river. You see Luxor's main sites on land before you board.
Is sightseeing private on the dahabiya?
Your Cairo and Luxor tours are private. On board, the boat's Egyptologist guides the small group of guests, usually no more than 20 people. You can charter the whole boat for full privacy.
What should I pack for a dahabiya cruise?
Light, breathable clothes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for the day, and a warm layer for evenings on deck, especially from November to February. Comfortable shoes for temple visits and modest clothing for Islamic Cairo.
What is included in a luxury tour?
VIP airport service, private guides and vehicles, 5-star hotels, a deluxe cruise or dahabiya, and internal flights.
