Cairo - Giza - Saqqara - Alexandria - Luxor - Esna - El Kab - Gebel el Silsila - Kom Ombo - Aswan - Cairo
Cairo, Saqqara and a day in Alexandria, then five nights on a small traditional sailing boat, a dahabeya, from Esna to Aswan: quiet mooring places, villages, tombs and temples the big ships pass by, and the Grand Egyptian Museum to finish.
A dahabeya is a small wooden sailing boat with only a few cabins, the way travellers explored the Nile a century ago. It moors wherever the river is most beautiful, so you reach places the large cruise ships cannot stop at: the rock tombs of El Kab, the ancient quarries of Gebel el Silsila, quiet islands and farming villages.
Before sailing you see Cairo, Giza and Saqqara and spend a day by the Mediterranean in Alexandria. After Luxor and the Valley of the Kings you board in Esna and sail slowly to Aswan, then fly back to Cairo for the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Meeting at Cairo airport and private transfer to your hotel.
Morning at Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Djoser, then the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx in the afternoon light.
Drive to Alexandria on the Mediterranean: the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, Pompey's Pillar, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Qaitbay Citadel, with a seafood lunch on the corniche. Back to Cairo in the evening.
The Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Al-Muizz Street and Khan el-Khalili, and Old Cairo with the Hanging Church.
Morning flight to Luxor: the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and Karnak. Transfer to Esna to board your dahabeya and spend the first night on the river.
Sail south under the white sails. Walk to the rock tombs of El Kab, painted with scenes of daily life, and spend the evening moored by a quiet island.
Visit a farming village on the river bank and the ancient sandstone quarries of Gebel el Silsila, where the stone for the temples was cut. In the evening the crew shows you how to cook a traditional Egyptian dish.
Sail to Kom Ombo and visit its temple of Sobek and Horus. Swim in the Nile from the boat when the river is calm (with the crew's guidance).
Reach Aswan after a last morning of sailing. Visit a Nubian village with its painted houses, and the Temple of Philae.
Disembark and fly to Cairo. Afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum and the treasures of Tutankhamun.
Private transfer to Cairo airport for your flight home.
Prices for this cruise depend on your dates and cabin. Send your dates and we will email you a quote.
This journey is private and planned around you: your dates, hotels (4 or 5 stars) and pace. Send us your dates and number of travellers and we will email you a quote within 24 hours.
No payment to request a booking. We confirm availability and the final price by email.
Ask for a priceEvery trip can be adjusted: more days, different hotels, or extra sights. Tell us what you have in mind.
