• Dahabiya Nile Sailing •
Brève description: Une croisière en Dahabiya sur le Nil est la manière la plus unique, authentique et exclusive de découvrir le Nil avec élégance et confort. Les Dahabiyas sont des bateaux à voile en bois traditionnels avec des cabines privées avec salle de bain attenante, conçus à l’origine pour transporter les voyageurs du XIXe siècle le long du Nil avec confort. Pour ceux qui veulent découvrir la culture, l’histoire et la détente en traversant la vallée du Nil, il n’y a pas de meilleure façon qu’une croisière en Dahabiya.
Jour 1 (généralement lundi)
Pour rejoindre la Dahabiya, qui fait partie du gouvernorat de Louxor, nous roulons environ une heure de Louxor à Esna. Nous visitons le temple d’Esna et le caravansérail restauré et le marché, puis nous embarquons sur la Dahabiya et naviguons vers le village d’El Hegz pour une expérience culturelle unique. Déjeuner et dîner à bord de la Dahabiya.
Jour 2
Petit-déjeuner à bord, navigation vers El Kab. Transfert pour voir les immenses murs de l’ancienne ville de Nekheb et explorer les tombes du Nouvel Empire. Navigation vers Edfou, trajet pour visiter le temple d’Horus. Navigation avec dîner et temps libre pendant la nuit à bord de la Dahabiya.
Dîner barbecue.
Jour 3
En descendant de la Dahabiya à l’île et au village de Bisaw, nous faisons une promenade tranquille à travers une ferme, rencontrons des femmes et des enfants et apprenons comment le pain au soleil unique est cuit dans les maisons ici. Nous sommes accueillis par les pêcheurs locaux sur leurs bateaux, découvrant les compétences de ces hommes qui vivent en harmonie avec le Nil. Les poissons pêchés peuvent être dégustés lors du dîner de ce soir-là.
Navigation vers El Selsela où nous faisons une courte marche parallèle au Nil pour visiter les sanctuaires et une immense carrière. De grandes quantités de grès ont été extraites ici pour la construction des temples à Thèbes (Louxor). Taillée dans la roche se trouve la speos (chapelle) d’Horemheb avec son sanctuaire contenant des sanctuaires rupestres et diverses stèles et inscriptions. L’énorme carrière donne un contexte à la quantité de matériaux de construction provenant de cette zone. Il y a aussi une zone de sable ici où les enfants (et les grands enfants) peuvent glisser et jouer.
Nous naviguons jusqu’à l’heure d’un dîner barbecue atmosphérique au clair de lune et une autre nuit paisible à bord.
Jour 4
Petit-déjeuner à bord. Visite du temple de Kom Ombo et du musée du crocodile. Dans la ville voisine de Daraw, vous apprendrez à faire du shopping comme un local au marché, visiterez une étable pour rencontrer des chameaux et en apprendrez davantage sur le commerce des chameaux, et visiterez une ville nubienne. À mesure que nous naviguons plus près d’Assouan, si vous le souhaitez, il y a une possibilité de nager ou de faire du kayak. Dîner d’adieu et navigation vers notre destination finale, Assouan.
Jour 5
Petit-déjeuner à bord et débarquement de la Dahabiya.
We will drive to Esna. Here we explore the Temple dedicated to the ram headed god Khnum. The temple sits below street level within the town, as it was excavated from layers of earth. Enjoy discovering heritage craft traditions including beautiful textiles as we visit the restored Wekalet Al-Geddawi, a caravanserai, and the Ottoman era market of Al-Qissariya.
We then check in to the Dahabiya and enjoy lunch on board as we sail for about 4-5 hours to El Hegz Village. This is an opportunity for true cross cultural exchange as we visit a local family who are excited to have visitors from the wider world. Your guide will translate so you can ask them questions and enhance your understanding of village culture. Dinner and your first night on the Nile, enjoying the comforts of the dahabiya.
NOTE: Departure takes place from any address in Luxor to Esna, home port of the Dahabiya. At Esna there are two dams, one from the colonial period and a new dam that has two locks. This is why we prefer starting dahabiya tours from Esna - so that we can avoid going through the locks.
At El Kab remains of ancient settlements date from about 3,000 BC (possibly centuries earlier) to Roman rule. The site is one of the most unique in Egypt because ancient villages and cities are rarely found. As we move inland you will see remains of the impressive mud brick walls and the long valley lined with tombs and shrines, including temples dedicated to Nekhbet and Thoth. We enter the decorated tombs of New Kingdom officials from the area.
We board the dahabiya for lunch and sail towards Edfu. Ride to the imposing Temple with its grand spaces and many hieroglyphic inscriptions. View Tell Edfu to the West of the temple, which includes houses dating from the Old to New Kingdom. If time allows we also stroll through the local market.
We sail again, time to relax with dinner, and drift into dreams as you are now becoming part of the rhythms of the Nile.
Stepping off the dahabiya at Bisaw Island and the village, we take a leisurely walk through a farm, meet some of the women and children, and learn how the unique sun bread is baked in homes here. We are welcomed by the local fishermen to their boats, learning of the skills of these men who live in harmony with the Nile. Fish caught can be enjoyed as part of dinner that evening.
Sail to El Selsela, where we take a short walk parallel to the Nile to visit shrines and a massive quarry. Large amounts of sandstone were quarried here for temple buildings in Thebes (Luxor). Cut into the rock are the speos (chapel) of Horemheb, with its sanctuary containing rock shrines and various stelae and inscriptions. The huge quarry gives context to how much building material was sourced from this area. There is also an area of sand here where children (and children at heart) can slide and play.
We sail until it is time for an atmospheric barbecue dinner by moonlight and another tranquil night on board.
A short walk from the dahabiya dock, the Temple of Kom Ombo is dedicated to the crocodile-featured god Sobek and the god Horus. The connection to the power of the Nile is unmistakable as you look towards the temple. We also visit the Crocodile Museum which includes some impressive mummified crocodiles.
In nearby El Daraw we plan dinner for that night and you learn how to shop Egyptian style, then try your new skills in the market shopping for ingredients for dinner. We also visit a camel barn to learn about these fascinating animals and about the camel trade.
We visit a Nubian Town. From about 7,000 BC, communities evolved from African Nile Valley civilisations to form the Nubian, Ancient Egyptian and Kushite civilizations. There are several Nubian communities near Daraw. Nubian civilization is one of the oldest in the Nile River valley. Nubians are a distinct ethno-linguistic group indigenous to southern Egypt and northern Sudan, but Nubians in Egypt who were displaced by the construction of the High Dam near Aswan now mostly live north of Lake Nasser. Although Nubians are historically and culturally distinct from other Egyptians, they have long been interconnected with Egypt. While many Egyptian pharaohs colonized Nubia at various times, Nubian pharaohs from the Kingdom of Kush ruled Ancient Egypt in the 7th Century BC.
As we near Aswan you have the opportunity to swim or kayak. If you wish to kayak please advise us two days before the dahabiya tour begins so we can be sure to have kayaks available.
We set sail on the final stretch of the dahabiya cruise, with lunch and time to reflect on your dahabiya experience. By the farewell dinner, we are sure you will want to return to see more of Egypt, and we hope this was not your last night on board the dahabiya.
Rive Ouest: La rive ouest de Louxor abrite d’innombrables tombes, temples et le village des ouvriers qui ont construit et décoré les tombes et les temples. En explorant la rive ouest, notre première visite est aux Colosses de Memnon. Ces deux imposantes statues en grès indiquent le site du temple funéraire du pharaon Amenhotep III de la 18e dynastie (1386 – 1353 av. J.-C.).
Vallée des Rois qui fait partie de la nécropole de l’ancienne Thèbes. C’est un site classé au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. Pendant plus de mille ans, les rois, reines et nobles du Nouvel Empire (1500 – 1070 av. J.-C.) ont choisi d’y être enterrés.
Temple d’Hatchepsout Pendant son règne, la pharaonne Hatchepsout (1473 – 1458 av. J.-C.) a construit un temple funéraire à Deir el Bahari, situé directement en face du temple de Karnak, qui était le sanctuaire principal du dieu Amon. Beaucoup le considèrent comme l’un des plus beaux temples construits en Égypte.
Ancien village des ouvriers Deir el-Medina est le nom arabe du village où vivaient les artisans et artistes qui ont travaillé sur les tombes et autres monuments de la rive ouest, y compris ceux de la Vallée des Rois et de la Vallée des Reines.
Vol en montgolfière Vol en montgolfière au-dessus de la rive ouest de Louxor pour le lever du soleil. (environ 50 minutes de vol).
Temple de Karnak Le temple est immense, le site couvre plus de 100 hectares. La construction à Karnak a commencé au Moyen Empire (2000 – 1700 av. J.-C.) et s’est poursuivie jusqu’à l’époque ptolémaïque (305–30 av. J.-C.). Sa taille et sa diversité sur le site le rendent extraordinaire.
Temple de Louxor situé à environ trois kilomètres au sud du temple de Karnak. Ces temples étaient reliés par une voie processionnelle bordée de sphinx, aujourd’hui connue sous le nom d’Avenue des Sphinx. C’est le seul temple au monde où les religions égyptienne ancienne, les cultes grecs et romains, le christianisme et l’islam ont été pratiqués. Le temple a été principalement construit par Amenhotep III (vers 1390–1352 av. J.-C.) et Ramsès II (1279–1213 av. J.-C.).
Dendera et Abydos si vous souhaitez explorer Dandara ou Abydos, nous pouvons organiser vos visites les jours précédant la Dahabiya, ce qui pourrait ajouter une journée supplémentaire à Louxor.
Philae: giving you a picturesque approach to the site. During the 1960s, the monuments on this island were relocated from the original Philae island nearby so they would not be flooded because of the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Philae includes many structures, mostly dating to the Ptolemaic era (332–30 BC).
Unfinished Obelisk. Obelisks are four-sided, tapered monuments that were called tekhenu by the Ancient Egyptians. It is estimated that the unfinished obelisk would have measured 42 metres and weighed 1200 tons, which would have made it the largest obelisk constructed by the ancient Egyptians.
the High Dam and enjoy views of the Old Aswan Dam and the Nubian Lake (Lake Nasser). Seeing the High Dam and lake adds to your understanding of how the changing flow of the Nile has influenced Egyptian history. The dam was built to control the flooding of the Nile, increase water storage for irrigation, and generate hydroelectricity. However, the large area flooded caused the relocation of more than 100,000 people. Many archaeological sites were submerged.
The Elephantine Island archaeological site This is one of the most unique sites in upper Egypt because here you can see across 4,000 years of Egypt’s history, from 3,000 BC until late mediaeval times (12th to 14th centuries). Remains on the island date from prehistory, including the oldest temple in Egypt.
Nubian village and visit the Animalia House Museum, which is an excellent place to learn about Nubian culture and the changes that came about with the building of the High Dam.
A Felucca ride on the Nile River is a leisurely boat trip with views of the Nobles’ tombs, the Agha Khan Mausoleum, and Plantation Island. As you sail, you will also see the Old Cataract Hotel.
We can also include a visit to the Aswan Souk (market).
Other sights: The following attractions need at least an extra day in Aswan.
Abu Simbel temples: Lying Abu Simbel town, 3 hours drive from Aswan to the south about 230 km (140 mi) southwest of Aswan, part of the UNESCO Nubian world heritage sites and including two massive rock-cut temples dating back to Ramses II of the 19th dynasty, Abu Simbel temples were relocated with the help of archaeologists as construction of the dam began in 1960 in a rescue operation .
The Nubian Museum:will give you more insights into the multifaceted history of this area and how monuments and edifices were made.
Lying in Abu Simbel town, 3 hours drive (each way) from Aswan to the south about 230 km (140 mi) southwest of Aswan, part of the UNESCO Nubian world heritage sites including two massive rock-cut temples dating back to Ramses II of the 19th dynasty, Abu Simbel temples were relocated by archaeologists as construction of the dam began in 1960 in a rescue operation .
Temples of Kalabsha: Also known as thMandulis, ite Temple of Mandulis was originally located at Bab al-Kalabsha, about 50 kilometres south of Aswan. The temple was on the UNESCO Nubian Sites list together with other outstanding examples of Nubian architecture, including the ones in El Seboua and Amada. The temple was moved to its current location just across from the High Dam.
will give you more insights to the multifaceted history of this area, and of how monuments and edifices were made.
| Price per person in double cabin | |
| Euro 890 |
- All Tours on board (professional English speaking guide on board
the Dahabiya). Other languages are available on request. - Transfers - Dahabiya accommodation in a double cabin 4 nights with all meals and drinks included (Shared Dahabiya). - All Entry Fees. |
| Euro 680 | - Single supplement per person per cabin |
| Euro 315 | - Dahabiya Suite supplement per suite for 4 nights (when available) |
| Not including |
- Optional tours and activities. - Alcohol on board (You can bring your own) . - Gratitude. - Any other thing not mentioned above. |
| Notes |
- Private Dahabiya is available, as for a tailored quote. - The Dress code is conservative while visiting the local villages. - The above prices are subject to change if a high inflation rate happens as a result of government practices, pandemic or economic problems. - In case of any complication in sailing, some changes in the itinerary might happen. - If there are any unforeseen circumstances and the boat assigned for your tour is unable to sail, Dahabiya Nile Sailing/Real Egypt is responsible for arranging a similar boat for your tour. |