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Luxury Travel, Timeless Egypt

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  • Egypt Rest Tours (ERT) Prince Tower, 1st Floor, Office 4A El Mahafza Street, Nile Corniche Next to Steigenberger Hotel East Luxor, Luxor, Egypt
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  • +20 100 001 3425
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Egypt journeys, designed by local experts

info@egyptresttours.com +20 100 001 3425
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Temple architecture of the Nile Valley
Dahabiya Cruises

Dahabiya 5 Nights: Esna to Aswan

Nights
5
Destinations
6
THE JOURNEY AT A GLANCE

Five nights upriver from Esna to Aswan, the unhurried version of the classic Nile, with a day given almost entirely to the river and a desert walk at dusk.

Five nights is the version of this cruise we recommend if the Nile is the point of the trip rather than a gap between two flights. It gives you one day that is mostly sailing, a second unhurried morning at Edfu, and a long stretch of desert at dusk that most itineraries skip entirely.

It also solves the awkwardness of the shorter runs. On four nights you are constantly aware of the count and the last afternoon is compressed. On five nights the pace settles, and the boat starts to feel like it belongs to you rather than to your itinerary.

  • A full day on the river — The third day has no temple at all. It is the one guests remember afterwards.
  • Floodlit Gebel el-Silsila — The boat moors at the foot of the quarries, lit at night, with no other boat there.
  • A desert walk at dusk — A guided walk through a desert valley framed by boulders as the light goes.
  • Kom Ombo Crocodile Museum — Mummified crocodiles, and a plain explanation of why the Sobek cult was here.
  • The narrowest point of the Nile — At Gebel el-Silsila the river runs between two mountain ranges at its tightest.
Ancient Egyptian temple columns
EGYPT REST TOURSA closer connection to Egypt.
THE RIVER, DAY BY DAY

A journey worth taking slowly.

5 Nights / 6 Days - Esna to Aswan
Esna → Aswan 5 nights Price on request

5 Nights / 6 Days - Esna to Aswan

Day01
Esna

Boarding at Esna and the temple below street level

Meet your host at any address in Luxor at 09:00 for the 50 kilometre drive south to Esna, a thriving merchant town and the site of the small Temple of Khnum, which lies nine metres below street level. You board there and take a walk through streets of textiles and spices before an afternoon on board.

Overnight
Moored at Esna
Meals included
Lunch and dinner on board
Day02
El Kab and Edfu

The early capital, then the best-preserved temple

Sailing early, the boat reaches El Kab on the east bank, once the capital of Upper Egypt, with the temple of Nekhbet and a row of decorated tombs cut into the mountain slope. You go ashore to walk the necropolis through a small fishing village. In the afternoon the boat arrives at Edfu, home to the Greco-Roman temple of Horus, among the best-preserved in Egypt. Horse and carriage take you through the busy streets to the site. The day ends at a small island.

Overnight
Moored on a small island
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board
Day03
The river

A day for the Nile itself

This day belongs to the river. After an optional early walk and breakfast the boat simply sails, the desert closing in on both sides. In the afternoon the crew finds a secluded bank for a walk or a swim. As dusk begins you are taken on a desert walk through a valley framed by boulders, watching the last light go off the dunes. At night the boat moors at the foot of the floodlit temples of Gebel el-Silsila, which is a genuinely striking sight and something large ships cannot do.

Overnight
Moored at Gebel el-Silsila
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board
Day04
Gebel el-Silsila and Kom Ombo

The quarries, then the double temple

You wake beside the quarries, and this is often the moment the trip clicks for people: the boat is the only one here, because big ships may not stop. You walk the quarries where ancient Egyptians cut stone for some of their most famous temples, then sail on to Kom Ombo, the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to Sobek, built on the site of an older one at one of the most beautiful bends on the river. After the temple, the Crocodile Museum explains why this cult was so important here. Then a riverbank stop for lunch and swimming.

Overnight
Moored on a riverbank
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board
Day05
Aswan bridge

Sailing to Aswan

The desert closes in on the river as you approach the Aswan bridge. An easy day of sailing with the crew, and the fifth night moored in Aswan, which is where every dahabiya is required to spend its last night.

Overnight
Aswan
Meals included
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board
Day06
Aswan

Disembarkation

A final breakfast on board, then transfer to any address in Aswan.

Meals included
Breakfast on board
Make this journey yours.Choose this itinerary ↗
FOUR WAYS TO SAIL

FIND YOUR IDEAL NILE CRUISE

Choose your category and departure date here. Your details and payment come next.

Ship photo coming soon
01
THE NILE COLLECTION

Standard

Comfortable cruising with essential services.

Price on request
Ship photo coming soon
02
THE NILE COLLECTION

Deluxe

Enhanced comfort and a refined onboard experience.

Price on request
Ship photo coming soon
03
THE NILE COLLECTION

Ultra Deluxe

Elevated comfort, service and amenities.

Price on request
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04
THE NILE COLLECTION

Luxury

Exceptional ships, service and amenities.

Price on request
Dahabiya 5 Nights: Esna to Aswan
ABOUT THE SHIP

Dahabiya 5 Nights: Esna to Aswan

Five nights upriver from Esna to Aswan, the unhurried version of the classic Nile, with a day given almost entirely to the river and a desert walk at dusk.

See dates & prices ↗
PART OF YOUR JOURNEY

The details, considered.

Included

  • Private pickup in Luxor and drop-off in Aswan
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board throughout
  • Entrance fees to all temples, the quarries and the Crocodile Museum
  • English-speaking Egyptologist guide throughout
  • Bottled water and tea or coffee on board
What is not included +
  • Gratuities for guides and crew
  • Personal expenses
  • Optional visits not in the itinerary
FIND YOUR DEPARTURE

Dates & prices

Choose a departure date and your preferred cruise category.

Esna → Aswan · 5 nights
Available departure dates

Choose a category above, then choose one of these dates.

YOUR SELECTIONRequired: select a cruise category and a departure date.Both selections are required before you can continue to booking.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

A few things worth knowing.

Pickup and drop-off

Collection from any address in Luxor at 09:00, and drop-off at any address in Aswan.

The Aswan overnight

By Egyptian regulation all dahabiyas must overnight beside the Aswan bridge. It is a less scenic mooring than the other nights, but it is required.

Onboard

Air-conditioned cabins, private or twin share, with en-suite facilities, a dining room and a shaded sun deck.

Why five nights

The extra night buys you the unprogrammed river day and a second, unhurried morning at Edfu. It is the version most guests rate highest afterwards.

Why must the boat spend the last night in Aswan? +

It is a legal requirement, not a choice. All dahabiyas are required to moor beside the Aswan bridge, so the final night is in the city rather than at an island.

Is the third day really free? +

Yes. There is no temple on day three. The boat sails, stops for a swim, and you walk in the desert at dusk. It is the day people mention most.

Can we see the floodlit Gebel el-Silsila? +

Yes, the boat moors at the foot of the quarries at night. The lighting is worth staying up for.

KEEP EXPLORING

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