Cruising the Nile on a Dahabiya

Description

Embark on a Nile cruise aboard a luxurious dahabiya, an experience reminiscent of the times when European elites explored the Nile Valley on similar vessels. Enjoy tranquil voyages, visit temples and tombs inaccessible to larger ships, and avoid the crowds typically encountered at popular attractions due to a different schedule. Along the way, explore idyllic islands and lively villages along the Nile. With friends and family, you will have the entire dahabiya exclusively for your group, savouring exceptional cuisine and taking in the landscapes along the Nile from the deck. You will sail from Luxor to Aswan, visiting all the major Upper Egypt attractions, including the Karnak, Luxor, Hatshepsut, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae temples, as well as the Valley of the Kings tombs.

Day 1:
Arrival to Luxor At Luxor Airport, a representative from the RTS agency will be there to welcome you. They will transfer you to a and assist you with check-in. After dinner, an RTS agency representative will be waiting for you at the reception at the agreed-upon time and will introduce you to the local guide. Together, you will visit the Luxor Temple. The temple is dedicated to the sun god Amon, and its main entrance is adorned with one of the world’s largest preserved obelisks. In addition to impressive colonnades and reliefs, you will also have the opportunity to get up close to the large statues of pharaohs. From the Luxor Temple to Karnak, there is a recently discovered avenue of sphinxes; the most beautifully preserved ones are right by the temple. After the tour, you will return to the hotel; overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2: Luxor After breakfast, you will check-out from the hotel. At the agreed-upon time, a guide will be waiting for you at the reception and you will embark on a full-day tour of Luxor’s West Bank, where the sights are related to the afterlife. These sites are guarded by the Colossi of Memnon, two giant statues carved from a single stone depicting the seated pharaoh Amenhotep III. You will visit the the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Queen Hatshepsut’s temple is notable for its unique design, as it was carved into the rock face and combines classic Egyptian elements with modern and innovative forms, featuring an impressive terraced structure that rises along the hillside. Next, you will explore the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, where many New Kingdom pharaohs, including Tutankhamun and Ramesses II, are buried in elaborately decorated tombs that display rich symbolism, religious scenes, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. After the West Bank tour, you will drive to the docking place and embark on Dahabiya for your first lunch on the boat. After lunch, a guide will be waiting for you at the agreed-upon time and you will drive to visit Karnak, one of the largest and most impressive religious complexes in the world. It was built and expanded over 2,000 years during the reign of approximately thirty pharaohs. The Karnak temples include sanctuaries, halls, obelisks, statues, pools, and other structures. The main temple with monumental columns is dedicated to the god Amon. After the visit, you will return to dahabiya, have dinner and spend the night on the dahabiya.

Day 3: Nile Cruise After breakfast, you will enjoy a full day of sailing with lunch and dinner on the dahabiya. During the tranquil voyage, passing through rural towns and villages, you will be able to observe the lively life along the Nile. You will also cross the locks at Esna, where the water level of the Nile is raised and lowered to allow ships to pass smoothly. Continuing the journey towards Edfu, you can relax with afternoon tea on the deck while watching the sunset. You will moor on an island near Edfu for the night.

Day 4: Nile Cruise After breakfast, you will be driven by carriage or vehicle (depending on traffic) with your guide to visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. It was built during the Ptolemaic dynasty and the New Kingdom in a traditional style with columns, courtyards, and sanctuaries. A monumental tower marks the entrance to the temple, and the inner courtyard is surrounded by tall columns featuring depictions of gods and pharaohs. The reliefs on the walls illustrate mythological scenes, religious rituals, and ceremonies associated with Horus, the falcon god. After returning to the dahabiya, you will have lunch and continue sailing towards Gebel El-Silsila. You will moor near Silsila for the night, have dinner and spend the night on the dahabiya.

Day 5: Nile Cruise After breakfast, you will explore the sights of Silsila, a location known for its sandstone quarries that provided most of the material for famous temples like Karnak and Luxor. You will also visit shrines and temples carved into the rocks. Then, you will continue your tranquil cruise towards the Munihah Peninsula, where you will have lunch and afternoon tea on the dahabiya. The green and blue riverbanks will gradually transform as the green strip along the Nile diminishes, giving way to golden sand dunes glistening in the sun. You will dock near Munihah, enjoy dinner, and spend the night on the dahabiya.

Day 6: Nile Cruise – Aswan During breakfast, you will enjoy a short cruise, and then, with your guide, you will visit the unique double temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god. The temple’s fascinating reliefs depict ancient Egypt’s religion, culture, and healing practices. After the visit, you will continue your cruise to Aswan, having lunch on the dahabiya. Upon arrival in Aswan, the RTS agency representative will assist you with disembarking. You will then go on an afternoon excursion to the Philae Temple and the Aswan High Dam. The Philae Temple is located on Agilkia Island, where it was relocated during the construction of the High Dam in Aswan and the creation of the artificial Lake Nasser. It is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved Egyptian temples. This stunning temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, showcases the architectural and artistic prowess of ancient Egypt. Its impressive collonaded façade, columns, and intricate carvings depicting mythological scenes, religious rituals, and the lives and reigns of pharaohs represent a unique blend of pharaonic, Hellenistic, and Roman influences. After the tours, you will return to Aswan and take a boat to your hotel on an island in the middle of the Nile. The RTS agency representative will assist you with check-in at the hotel, and you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7: Aswan After breakfast, you will have some free time to enjoy the hotel facilities, including the pool with a magnificent view of the Nile, sailboats, and golden sandy shores. Alternatively, you can take a morning excursion to Abu Simbel (available at an additional cost), which the RTS agency representative can arrange. You will take a motorboat ride to a Nubian restaurant on an island near Elephantine for lunch. After lunch, you will sail on a felucca (traditional sailboat) to Kitchener’s Island, which houses a botanical garden established in 1860. Here, you can admire lush tropical plants and magnificent trees that provide shade from the strong sun. Next, you will take a motorboat ride through the Nile’s national park with its famous cataracts, concluding your day with a visit to a welcoming Nubian village. You will enjoy dinner in a Nubian house. After dinner, a motorboat will take you back to the hotel for the night.

Day 8: Departure from Aswan After breakfast, check out from the hotel (no later than 11:00) and enjoy some free time until your departure to the airport (typically 3 hours before your flight). At the agreed-upon time, a representative from the RTS agency will be waiting for you at the hotel reception. You will be driven to the airport, where they will assist you with the check-in for your flight. This marks the conclusion of your trip with a flight to your chosen destination.

*Please note that we reserve the right to make programme changes due to public transportation schedules, weather conditions, and other circumstances beyond our control.

Price

The price of the package per adult sharing a double room /tent

10 persons : 1,799 €
16 persons : 1,999 €
20 persons : 1,599 €
Discounts for children: up to the completed 2nd year free of charge; for children from 2 to the completed 12th year, the price of the package is 940 € if they share a room with parents.

Supplement for a single room: 390 €.

Accommodation

1x overnight stay at the 5* Steigenberger Achti Resort in Luxor (half board).
4x overnight stay at a private dahybiya (full board).
2x overnight stay at the 5* Mövenpick hotel in Aswan (1x half board, 1x bed and breakfast).or 2x overnight stay at the 5* Movenpick Media City in Cairu (1x half board, 1x bed and breakfast).

Location

Terms and conditions

Payment:
• 30% of the package price when the reservation is confirmed (with an additional 22 € for the registration fee) • the remaining 70% to be paid at 15 days prior to departure

Cancellation:
• Cancellation is free of charge until 35 days prior to departure • Afterwards 100% cancellation charges will apply

Included/not included

Included:
1x overnight stay at the 5* Steigenberger Achti Resort in Luxor (half board).
4x overnight stay at a private dahybiya (full board).
2x overnight stay at the 5* Mövenpick hotel in Aswan (1x half board, 1x bed and breakfast).or 2x overnight stay at the 5* Movenpick Media City in Cairu (1x half board, 1x bed and breakfast).
1x lunch in Luxor,
1x lunch and 1x dinner in Aswan,
2x lunch and 1x dinner in Cairo.
All transfers and sightseeing in the programme (except entrance fees to enter inside any of the pyramids and some thombs in the Valley of the Kings where there is an extra charge).
English-speaking local guides for all sightseeing in the programme (except for the entrance fee for inside the pyramids).
Accompanying and assistance by an English-speaking representative from the RTS agency for the whole trip;
assistance at airports and all check-ins/check-outs.
24-hour availability over the phone of an English-speaking representative from the RTS agency.
Costs of arranging and organizing the journey.

Not Included :
Any international flights.
Any local flights.
Entry visa to Egypt ($25).
Personal expenses.
Other sightseeing and transfers not included in the programme.
Entrance fees to enter inside any of the pyramids and some thombs in the Valley of the Kings where there is an extra charge.
Customary tipping (€70–80 per person).

Further information

• Hotel address : Abdeen, Egypt
• Duration : 7 nights
• Contact details : botler@boticonline.com

Recommended equipment:
– Comfortable footwear; if dustiness bothers you, keep it closed and not sandals or flip flops.
– Lighter, loose clothing made from natural materials for sightseeing..
– Warmer clothes for the evening/night or for heavily cooled rooms in hotels/on ships.
– Layered clothing for flexibility as temperatures can change rapidly due to the strong sun.
– Sun protection cover, sunglasses, sun cream with a high protection factor.

Agency

BOT SAS