6-Day Nour El Nil Dahabiya from Esna to Aswan

When you saved long and hard for what could very well be a once in a lifetime vacation, you should not have to worry about a thing, and with Egypt Tours Plus, you really don’t have to. This classic Nour El Nil Dahabiya Nile Cruise is going to be everything you could ever want it to be, and more.

Arriving in a strange place can be quite a daunting experience for many people, so when you arrive at the airport or the train station in Luxor, the tour manager who was assigned to you when you booked your cruise will be right there waiting for you. They will give you a warm welcome, and then you will be escorted to Esna where you will be boarding the luxurious Nour El Nil Dahabiya boat.

An Expert guide will also take you on a guided tour. This will begin with a short leisurely stroll to see the ancient Temple of Khnum which is locate approximately 9 meters below street level. After explore the temple for a while, you will then be taken for a stroll through the streets where you will see many vendors and merchants selling beautiful textiles and a vast variety of other exotic goods.

After a very pleasant day out and about in Esna, you will return to your Dahabiya in time for a scrumptious dinner. Tonight you will be sleeping in your cabin on the water at Esna.

Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner

Wake up to a wonderful onboard breakfast and enjoy your meal while the boat sails quietly along the Nile River to El Kab which was at one point in history the capital of Upper Egypt. Located on the Nile’s East bank, El Kab is perhaps best known for its ancient necropolis which is home to the temple of Nekhbet and a row of beautifully decorated tombs which were carved into the mountain slope.

When your Dahabiya boat arrives at El Kab, you will be disembarking for a very pleasant stroll through an old fishermen village that will lead you to the necropolis. After visiting and exploring this site, you will make your way back to your boat, and it will then sail on towards Edfu, with an excellent lunch being served along the way.

When you reach Edfu, your Dahabiya will tie up, and you will enjoy a visit to Edfu Temple which is an ancient Greco-Roman style temple which was dedicated to the god, Horus. A horse and carriage will be taking you for a wonderful ride through the streets of Edfu to the temple. Prepare to be thoroughly amazed when you see this temple. At some point in history, the Romans abandoned in, and Mother Nature to its course, resulting in the temple being buried beneath the sand for more than 2,000 years. As a result, it is now the best-preserved temple in all of Egypt.

Following your visit to the temple, you will return to the boat, and it will sail to a tiny but very beautiful island in the Nile River where it will then tie up for the night. Being away from any city or town means you will really be able to enjoy absolute peace and tranquility beneath a star-studded sky. As usual, dinner will be served on board the boat, and this is where you will be spending this night of your Nour El Nil Dahabiya Nile Cruise.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The 3rd day of your Nour El Nil Dahabiya Nile Cruise is all about you, and of course, seeing to it that you have a wonderfully relaxing day. In the morning, before breakfast is served, you will have the chance to go for a walk on the tiny island, but this is, of course, completely optional.

At around lunchtime your Dahabiya will then start sailing towards Gebel Silsileh, but will visit another small picturesque island where it will stop for a while. While you are there, you can go for a walk on the island or enjoy a nice and refreshing swim, or even both if you want. After spending some time here, you will sail a short distance and then your Dahabiya will make another stop shortly before dusk, and you will have the opportunity to go for a short walk into the desert.

This walk takes you along a valley which is lined with large boulders that are quite literally covered with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and inscriptions that date all the way back to the stone-age. These fascinating boulders actually mark the beginning of a trail that goes all the way through the desert to Libya. Despite being the shortest trail to Libya, the journey used to take about 28 days in ancient times.

Your Dahabiya will then sail for a short distance more, and it will tie up for the night at the foot of the Temple of Gebel Silsileh. At night this temple is completely illuminated, and it is try a sight to behold. Enjoy your dinner and another good night’s rest on the tranquil waters of the Nile River.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today is set to be another wonderfully relaxing day. Once daybreak arrives, you will be able to see that you are on the water between two mountain ranges, and the area where your Dahabiya is tied up, is the narrowest part. One of the perks of being here on a Dahabiya is the fact that you and the handful of other passengers on the boat will almost certainly be the only ones here. The larger cruises ships are forbidden to tie up here.

Not only will you have spend the night here at the foot of the temple of Gebel el Silsila, but today you will also be going ashore to visit this small temple of Horemheb and the nearby stone quarries where in ancient times, Egyptians cut stone for many of the famous temples which one sees today.

After visiting the quarries, you will then be taken to a delightful café where you can enjoy some tea, and also a traditional Shisha pipe if you happen to be a smoker. Next, you will make your way back to the Dahabiya, and it will sail to a very picturesque part of the riverbank where it will tie up until the morning.

Shortly after the boat has tied up, another delicious lunch will be served, and then you will have the afternoon to yourself. Go for a swim and a stroll along the riverbank, or simply relax and unwind onboard the boat. In the evening you will once again be served a mouthwatering dinner and you will be spending this of your cruise on the water under a star lit sky.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Today is the last full day of your Nour El Nil Dahabiya Nile Cruise, and it is going to be a fantastic one. Shortly after breakfast, your Dahabiya will start sailing towards Kom Ombo. On arrival, you will first enjoy a visit to the famous Kom Ombo Temple which dates back to the Ptolemaic period. Although this complex is described as a single temple, it is essentially two identical temples in one, with one being a mirror image of the other. The reason for this was because the temple was to be dedicated to two different gods: Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the falcon-headed god.

After you have had time to explore this amazing site, you will then be taken to visit the area’s newly opened Crocodile Museum where you will be able to see several mummified crocodiles. Mummification was a very costly process, and seeing the mummified crocodile helps to show just how important these creatures were in Ancient Egypt.

Next, you will return to your Dahabiya, and you will enjoy another delicious lunch while it sails to Aswan. Tonight you will be sleeping on the water at Aswan.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Sadly, all good things come to an end, and your truly unforgettable Nour El Nil Dahabiya Nile Cruise is no exception. However, before you disembark, for enjoy one last onboard breakfast and some relaxation. Then, at the appropriate time, you will have to disembark, and of course your tour manager will be there waiting for you so that they can escort you to the airport or train station in a clean and modern air-conditioned vehicle.

You magical Dahabiya Nile cruise may have come to an end, but the memories you have gained will live on forever. Thank you for choosing Egypt Tours Plus, and we wish you a safe and pleasant onward journey.

Meals Included: Breakfast