# The Nile by dahabiya, from Esna to Aswan, 6 days Five nights aboard a Nour El Nil dahabiya, a Nile sailing boat with nine or ten cabins, from Esna to Aswan: about 250 km heading south, pushed by the north wind, with the temples of Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, stops at El Kab and Gebel Silsileh, and nights moored near the islands. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/egypt-dahabiya-esna-aswan-6-days/ ## Moving with the wind Between Luxor and Aswan the Nile flows north, and the prevailing wind blows from north to south. The dahabiya, the sailing boat on which travellers sailed up the river in the 19th century, uses that wind: a flat-bottomed hull, two masts, and at Nour El Nil, red-and-white striped sails. That is why the company sails in one direction only, from Esna to Aswan. The pace is the wind's. The cruise covers about 250 km in six days; in the same direction, the Oberoi Zahra, a motor boat, sails Luxor–Aswan in four nights. A tug follows the dahabiya: it pulls her off the quay, drops the line when the sails catch the wind, and takes her back in tow when the wind drops or the current pushes her towards the bank. The programme therefore leaves plenty of room for the river itself, its banks, its villages and the islands where you moor at night. Times in this text are the company's, in local time: 2 hours ahead of London. ## The day before, in Luxor The cruise begins with a pickup at 09:00 from a Luxor hotel. Nour El Nil strongly recommends arriving the day before: that night comes on top of the six days, and the airport transfer is extra. The transfer from the hotel to the boat is included: Esna is about 53 km south of Luxor, an hour's drive. ## Five days on the water **Esna, the first temple.** The Temple of Khnum, the ram-headed god, lies 9 m below street level: the modern town was built on top of it. Since 2018 an Egyptian and German team has been removing two thousand years of soot; by 2023 the ceiling had regained its colours, with hundreds of astronomical figures. After the visit, the market streets, then the first night on board, at Al Hegz. **El Kab and Edfu.** In the morning you walk through a fishing village to reach the decorated tombs cut into the mountain and the Temple of Nekhbet, the vulture goddess. The large boats do not stop at El Kab. In the afternoon a horse carriage takes you to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, built from 237 to 57 BC and long buried under the debris of houses, which explains its state of preservation. Night on Al Fawazah Island. **The river.** An almost full day under sail, with no temple. A stop on a remote bank to walk or swim, then, at dusk, a walk in a valley of boulders on the edge of the desert. In the evening the boat moors at the foot of Gebel Silsileh. **Gebel Silsileh.** Here the river narrows between two ranges of sandstone hills, where more than a hundred quarries supplied the stone for many temples. You visit the Speos of Horemheb, a temple cut into the rock, and the rock chapels of senior New Kingdom officials. Only dahabiyas stop at this site. Sailing in the afternoon, lunch and a swim on a bank; night on Meneha Island. **Kom Ombo.** The double temple of Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, Horus the Elder, has two axes and two sanctuaries side by side; the Crocodile Museum next door displays mummified crocodiles. The boat arrives near the Aswan bridge between 17:00 and 19:00, where the dahabiyas spend their last night moored. The order of the stops may change with the river level and the rules of the Nile authorities. ## Life on board Nour El Nil's boats have nine or ten cabins, and each cabin takes two guests at most, four in the Deluxe Suites of the larger recent boats. A whole group fits around one table. The cooking uses produce bought each day from the river's farmers and fishermen: Nile perch, handmade falafel, lunch served family-style, a three-course dinner. The indicative price includes meals, soft drinks, entry to the five sites, a licensed Egyptian guide and the crew's and guide's tips. Alcohol is extra. Rates are set in euros, per cabin and per cruise. The Nour el Nil Dahabiyas page compares the nine boats and their cabins. For a couple, a Panoramic Suite, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, is worth it on this cruise: you spend the hot hours watching the river. Swimming takes place at spots chosen by the crew, during sailing breaks. It is optional; guests are advised not to swallow the water and to shower afterwards. ## The last morning, in Aswan Disembarkation is before 09:00, with an included transfer to an Aswan hotel. What follows depends on the time of your flight home: - **a flight in the evening or the next day** leaves time for the tour listed in this idea: Philae Temple, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, in five hours, with a guide. Philae, the Temple of Isis, was dismantled and rebuilt on Agilkia Island during the construction of the High Dam; - **an early-afternoon flight** leaves time for the felucca ride listed in this idea, 40 minutes around Elephantine Island. The Aswan–Cairo flight takes about 1 h 25. For Abu Simbel, about 280 km to the south, you need an extra night in Aswan. ## The season Nour El Nil sails from October to April and has no departures from June to August, because of the heat. The company recommends October–November and December–February for comfort, March–April for those who like warmth. The 1991–2020 normals of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) give the measure. In January the average maximum temperature is 22.8 °C in Luxor and 23.2 °C in Aswan, and nights drop to 7.1 °C in Luxor and 10 °C in Aswan: bring a jumper for the deck in the evening and at dawn. In April, Aswan reaches an average maximum of 35.5 °C. In 2026–2027, Nour El Nil's high season runs from 19 October to 29 November, then covers Christmas and New Year, February, and March–April around Easter. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can the cruise be done from Aswan to Luxor? With Nour El Nil, the cruise runs only from Esna to Aswan, with the prevailing wind, so the boat can move under sail. To sail down from Aswan to Luxor, the Oberoi Zahra makes the trip in 3 nights, under engine. ### Should I arrive in Luxor the day before? Yes, Nour El Nil strongly recommends it: pickup is at 09:00 local time from a Luxor hotel. That night comes on top of the six days of this idea, and the airport transfer is extra. ### What does the cruise price include? The transfer from the Luxor hotel to the boat, entry to the five sites, a licensed Egyptian guide, meals and soft drinks, the crew's and guide's tips, and the transfer from the boat to the Aswan hotel. Alcohol and airport transfers are extra. ### Is the cruise suitable for a family? Yes, on the boats with Deluxe Suites, Najafa, Poppee, Roman and Adelaïde, which can be set up as two bedrooms for four people. ### Which temples will I see that a large boat does not show? El Kab, with its decorated tombs and the Temple of Nekhbet, and Gebel Silsileh, with its sandstone quarries and the Speos of Horemheb. Large cruise boats do not stop there.