The Oberoi Zahra

A hotel that moves

The Oberoi Zahra is a river cruise ship operated by Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, the Indian hotel group. It has 28 cabins and suites.

In 2025 and 2026, Travel + Leisure readers ranked it first among river cruisers (World's Best Awards); Condé Nast Traveler (US edition) readers voted Oberoi best river cruise line in the same years, and the UK's Telegraph gave it the same title in 2025.

Every cabin faces the Nile. The Luxury Cabin, the most common, is 26.4 m²; the two suite categories reach 92 m² (two bedrooms) and 115 m² (private terrace with heated whirlpool).

Choosing direction and length

Departures are on Tuesdays and Saturdays, in three formats:

• 3 nights, Aswan to Luxor. The shortest option, sailing with the current. The pace is brisk: the High Dam and Philae temple on the afternoon you board, Kom Ombo and Edfu the next day, Luxor's West Bank then the Luxor and Karnak temples on day three.
• 4 nights, Luxor to Aswan. One more night, sailing upstream. The last day in Aswan adds the botanical garden and a dinner with a Nubian show.
• 7 nights, in either direction. The only format that includes the temple of Hathor at Dendera, the Valley of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina (the village of the royal tomb builders) and Hatshepsut's temple, with an evening on a private island near Aswan. A day in Aswan leaves room for the optional Abu Simbel excursion.

Our reading: the 3-night trip suits travellers combining the cruise with Cairo and the Red Sea who don't mind a fast pace; the 4-night gives a little more breathing space; the 7-night is a journey in its own right, for those who want two mornings on Luxor's West Bank and nothing skipped in Aswan.

Boarding is at the Mirotel dock on El Boghdady Road in Luxor, and the Sheraton dock on the Corniche in Aswan. Oberoi allows 25 minutes from the dock to Luxor airport and 35 minutes in Aswan.

The rhythm of a day

An Oberoi cruise runs to a precise timetable built around the sailing. Times below are local; Egypt is on UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer, which is 2 hours ahead of London.

Boarding is at noon, lunch at 12.30, and the first visit starts around 2.15 pm. The ship often sails at night or very early: towards Luxor at 2 am on the 3-night trip, towards Edfu or Aswan at 4 or 5 am on the others. Visits then take place in the morning, at 7 or 9 am, and again around 3 pm. On the last morning you disembark at 8 am after breakfast.

Between temples, life moves to the upper deck. The 11 m temperature-controlled pool is open from 8 am to 8 pm, with loungers and drinks service, shaded by a large canopy during the day. The pool bar serves from 9 am to 7 pm, and lunch is served there on sailing days, from 12.30 to 3 pm.

The restaurant, open from 7 am to 10 pm, serves an international menu that changes daily, behind large windows on the river. The Club Lounge (10 am to 11 pm) offers tea and board games (backgammon, chess, Scrabble), and hosts a cocktail reception with music and a Nubian show on every cruise. The Library Lounge, for reading or conversation, serves until midnight. Special diets are catered for with advance notice.

The spa, for passengers only, is open from 9 am to 8 pm: massages drawing on Eastern and Western techniques, facials, scrubs and wraps, and longer treatments of 90 to 150 minutes. Bookings are needed 24 hours ahead, which takes some planning on such a full programme. The air-conditioned gym, facing the river, is open from 7 am to 7 pm.

Which cabin

The Luxury Cabin (26.4 m², king or twin beds) is enough for a couple: it's mostly for sleeping, with the days spent on deck or ashore. The Luxury Suite (115 m², 50 m² of it indoors) changes the trip with its terrace, lounger and heated whirlpool, welcome during long hours of sailing. The Luxury Suite with Two Bedrooms (92 m²) is the family answer: children must have their own cabin at the full rate, and the suite keeps them next door.

Season, clothing and paperwork

Oberoi describes a desert climate with mild winters and very hot summers: from June to August the temperature reaches about 40 °C.

For visits, Oberoi recommends loose clothing in natural fabrics that covers shoulders and knees, and a hat.

The currency is the Egyptian pound; euros, sterling and dollars are widely accepted, but change comes in pounds. European travellers need a visa for Egypt: an e-visa, applied for on visa2egypt.gov.eg, or a visa on arrival, USD 30 for a single entry; details by nationality are in our guide Visa for Egypt.

Booking

Payment comes in three stages: 25% within 7 days of booking, 50% 180 days before departure, then 25% at 91 days; last-minute bookings are paid in full. Bookings cannot be moved to another ship, and any change of name, cabin, date or ship counts as a cancellation.

Sabaro's view

For whom: couples and families with children aged 7 and over who want to see the great temples of Upper Egypt with the comfort of a hotel.

Strengths: every cabin faces the Nile; suites up to 115 m²; a 7-night programme with Dendera; airport transfers included.

Good to know: prices are not published; the 4.4/5 Tripadvisor rating rests on 11 reviews; the short programmes start early in the morning.