Choosing your cruise: Nile cruiser, dahabiya or Lake Nasser

Three ways to sail

A Nile cruise replaces several hotel nights and the transfers between Luxor and Aswan: you sleep on board, and the boat takes you from one temple to the next. Three formats exist side by side, each suited to a different trip.

Sabaro's Nile cruise page describes the stops, from Luxor to Aswan, and the seasons.

Choosing for your trip

By the time available. A cruise ship fits into a week that starts in Cairo. On the Oberoi Zahra, Aswan-Luxor takes 3 nights, with the current, and Luxor-Aswan 4 nights; the Oberoi Philae does both directions in 4 nights. A dahabiya needs 5 nights, plus the transfer from Luxor to Esna, about 53 km south: it suits a trip of ten days or more, or a second trip to Egypt.

By the way you like to visit. On the Oberoi ships, the sights of Luxor and Aswan are part of the programme: Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Luxor Temple, Philae and the High Dam, as well as Edfu and Kom Ombo. Days start early. A dahabiya trades the big sites of the two cities for the river: El Kab and Gebel Silsileh, served only by dahabiyas, walks through villages, swimming stops on quiet banks. It pairs well with two or three nights in Luxor before boarding, for the West Bank and Karnak.

By direction. Ending in Luxor leaves time for the West Bank and a flight to Cairo; ending in Aswan lets you continue to Abu Simbel or Lake Nasser. Nour El Nil dahabiyas sail from Esna to Aswan only.

With children. The Oberoi ships do not accept children under 7, and each child occupies a separate cabin at the full rate. On Nour El Nil dahabiyas, the Deluxe Suites on the larger boats sleep up to four, which suits a family.

Abu Simbel. On the Oberoi Zahra, Abu Simbel is an optional excursion during the Aswan day of the 7-night programmes; the 3- and 4-night programmes do not include it. Otherwise, an extra night in Aswan allows the return trip, by road or by air, or there is the Lake Nasser cruise.

Longer itineraries and the river level

The 6- and 7-night programmes add the temples north of Luxor: Dendera on the Oberoi Zahra, Dendera and Abydos on the Oberoi Philae. The latter programme depends on the level of the Nile: in low-water periods, when the ship cannot sail down to Qena, it stays in Luxor, Dendera is reached by coach and the Temple of Hatshepsut replaces Abydos. When booking, ask which version will apply.

Dahabiyas also adjust their itinerary to the river level and the instructions of the Nile authorities. They must spend their last night at a quay near the Aswan bridge.

Booking: timing and terms

Oberoi's terms weigh on the choice of dates:

A last-minute booking is paid in full. Any change of name, cabin or dates counts as a cancellation, and a booking cannot be transferred from one ship to another. Sabaro recommends cancellation insurance that covers these amounts from the first payment.

With Nour El Nil, the price covers full board, excursions, site entrance fees, the Egyptologist guide and crew tips; alcohol is extra.

Lake Nasser

South of the Aswan High Dam, Lake Nasser is lined with the Nubian temples moved when it was flooded: Kalabsha, Wadi es-Sebua, Amada, Derr, and the citadel of Qasr Ibrim, now an island, seen from the deck. With no road or town around most of these temples, the boat is the simplest way to see them.

The cruise lasts 4 nights from Aswan to Abu Simbel, or 3 nights in the other direction. Its great advantage is Abu Simbel: day trips from Aswan arrive around 8 am local time and leave in the morning, while the boat visits the temples in the afternoon, once they empty, and spends the night at the foot of the site. Sabaro's trip idea "Lake Nasser cruise to Abu Simbel, 5 days" follows the shorter direction, with a Friday departure.

Safety on board

Accidents have been reported, caused by overcrowding and poor safety standards on Nile cruises. Sabaro's selection includes established companies with boats of a few dozen cabins at most; on board, locate the life jackets and exits on the first day.