• Dahabiya Nile Sailing •

Highlights of Egypt, Nubia and Dahabiya sailing on the Nile in 7 Days.

7 Days - 6 nights: Cairo - Abu Simbel - sailing the Nile on board Dahabiya - Luxor

Guaranteed Departure

Day by Day Itinerary

Short Description: A Dahabiya Nile Cruise is the most unique, authentic and exclusive way to experience the Nile in elegance and comfort. Dahabiyas are traditional wooden sailing boats with private cabins with ensuite, originally designed to take 19th Century travellers along the Nile in comfort. For those who want to experience culture, history, and relaxation as they pass along the Nile Valley, there is no better way than a Dahabiya cruise.

Day 1

Visit Saqqara. Include the Step pyramid, Titi pyramid, the Nobles tombs.

Visit Dahshur. Include the bent pyramid and the Red pyramid.

Lunch at Saqqara- a good place to try Egyptian food. Normally they serve a mix grill, kofta, and lots of small dishes filled with appetizers.

Visit Giza. view the Great Pyramid, The Sphinx, Khara pyramid, Menkawra pyramid and, the nobles tombs

Night stay in Cairo .

The tour duration is 8-9 hours.

Day 2

Check out from the hotel after breakfast.
Noon: check into the Dahabiya. Lunch and sailing. Dinner and overnight on board in Daraw.

Day 3

Breakfast on board. In the town of Daraw you learn how to shop like a local at the market, visit a barn to meet camels and learn about the camel trade, and visit a Nubian Town. Visit Kom Ombo temple. Lunch on board. Sailing to El Selsela ancient sandstone quarry and shrines. Dinner and overnight on board near Bisaw

BBQ Dinner.

Day 4

Breakfast in a local home or on board. Explore Bisaw Island, walk through farms and meet the villagers. Join the men in their boats to share the experience of Nile fishing. Sail to Edfu, Ride to visit the Temple of Horus. Lunch on board. Dinner and night stay on board in El Hegz.

Day 5

Breakfast on board. Sail to Esna. Check out the dahabiya after breakfast. We visit the Temple, restored caravanserai and market. Esna is part of the Luxor governorate, we drive about an hour from Esna to Luxor.

Visit Karnak and Luxor temple.

Day 6

Check out the hotel

Visit The Valley of the Kings, The Colossus of Memnon and Hatshepsut temple.

The tour duration is 5-6 hours.

Lunch at a farmer’s house. A good chance to meet local people. The lunch includes a brief cookery lesson. You can replace this with lunch in a regular restaurant.

Transfer to Luxor airport and fly to Cairo.

Arrive in Cairo airport and transfer to the hotel.

Night stay in Cairo.

Day 7

Visit the Egyptian museum. Including King Tut Ankh Amon collection and The Animals mummies room.

lunch at Abo Tarek, famous for Koshri as the most common fast food in Egypt, mix of rice, pasta, lentils , chickpeas, fried onion, and tomato sauce.

Walking tour in Downtown Cairo. The most famous among the area is Tahrir square, the birth place of Egypt’s great revolution and visit the places where important evens happened during Egypt revolution.

Visit the citadel. Including the Alabaster mosque of Mohamed Ali.

Walking tour in El Moez St, of Medieval Cairo. The most preserved area with medieval Islamic architecture such as Mosques, Houses, markets, and other Medieval architecture. It’s a perfect place to experience the local culture of Egypt today.

Visit Khan El Khalili market.

The tour duration 9-10 hours.

Detailed days

Day 1

30 km (19 miles) from Cairo, Saqqara is an archaeological site which continues to
reveal its treasures through new discoveries. The site covers 7km (4.4 miles) on the West bank
of the Nile. Best known for its step pyramids, Saqqara was the necropolis of the capital,
Memphis. Buried here were people and also many sacred animals. Construction here continued from 3,050 BC with 1st Dynasty funerary structures to 6th century AD Coptic monasteries. The highlights of the site are the step pyramid (pyramid of Djoser), pyramid of Unas, and the Nobles tombs. Other sites may be visited depending on time and availability, such as the Serapeum and Imhotep Museum.

10 km (6 miles) south of Saqqara we visit Dahshur, which shows the change from the step pyramid method of construction to the true pyramid shape. Two of the pyramids here are
among the oldest, largest and best preserved in Egypt. These were commissioned by 4th Dynasty king Snefru (2649-2609 BC). Highlights of the site include the Bent pyramid, Red pyramid
which is second in size only to the great Giza Pyramid, and other pyramids. Lunch at Saqqara, a good place to try Egyptian food.

The Giza pyramids are the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world, more than 4,000 years after their construction they still leave visitors in fascinated awe. The Great pyramid
of Khufu (2609-2584 BC) is the largest pyramid in Egypt and the world and the oldest of the Giza pyramids, 138 metres (453 feet) high. We also see the pyramids of Khafre, Menkaure, and pyramids of the Queens. Entering the Great pyramid is an option and a memorable experience, however this is not recommended if you experience claustrophobia or are not in good health.
The interiors of the pyramids are not decorated but are noteworthy for the advanced engineering involved in their construction. Other attractions include the tombs of the Nobles, the Sphinx and its Temple. The Sphinx was carved from one piece of limestone and is 60 meters (197 feet) long and 20 meters (66 feet) wide.
Overnight in Cairo.

Optional extras

Going Inside the great pyramid
Camel rides
Attend Giza sound and light show in the evening.

Transfer to Cairo airport and fly to Aswan. About 1 hour flight.

Night Stay in Aswan

Day 2

Optional activities: ( please notify us before hand of optional tours you would like )

Early morning travel to visit Abu Simbel temple (3-4 hours drive each way)

Day 6

Optional Tours :-

Hot air balloon ride over the west bank during the sun rise. The tour duration is about 2 hours, include 50 minutes flight.

OPTIONAL TOURS AND ACTIVITIES

LUXOR

West Bank: West bank of Luxor is home to countless tombs, temples and the village of the workmen who built and applied their artistry to the tombs and temples. As we start exploring the West Bank our first visit is to the Colossi of Memnon. These two imposing sandstone statues that indicate the site of the mortuary temple of 18th dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III (1386 – 1353 BC).

Valley of the Kings which is part of the necropolis of ancient Thebes. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more than a thousand years the kings, queens and nobles of the New Kingdom (1500 – 1070 BC) chose to be buried here.

Temple of Hatshepsut. During her reign the female pharaoh Hatshepsut (1473 – 1458 BC) built a mortuary temple at Deir el Bahari, situated directly across the Nile from Karnak Temple which was the main sanctuary of the god Amun. Many find it one of the most beautiful of all the temples constructed in Egypt.

Ancient Workmen Village. Deir el-Medina is the Arabic name for the village where the craftsmen and artisans who worked on the tombs and other monuments of the West bank lived, including those in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

Hot Air Balloon ride. Hot Air Balloon ride over Luxor West Bank for the sun rise. (about 50 min flying).

Karnak Temple Temple is huge, the site covers more than 100 hectares. Construction at Karnak began in the Middle Kingdom (2000 – 1700 BC) and continued into the Ptolemaic era (305–30 BC). Its size and variety within the site that make it extraordinary.

Luxor Temple located approximately three kilometers south of Karnak Temple. These temples were linked with a processional way bordered with sphinxes, now known as Avenue of the Sphinxes. It is the only temple in the world where ancient Egyptian religions, Greek and Roman cults, Christianity and Islam have been practiced. The temple was substantially built by Amenhotep III (c.1390–1352 BC) and Ramesses II (1279–1213 BC).

Dendera and Abydos if you wish to explore Dandara or Abydos, we can organize your tours on the days before the Dahabiya, which might add another extra day in Luxor.

ASWAN

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.

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 Other sights: The following attractions need at least an extra day in Aswan.

The Nubian Museum:will give you more insights into the multifaceted history of this area and how monuments and edifices were made.

Abu Simbel temples

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

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.

The Nubian Museum

will give you more insights to the multifaceted history of this area, and of how monuments and edifices were made.

-                                        Dahabiya Tour Detailed Quote
-                                        Euro 890 Per Person in Double Cabin
-                                        - 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.