DAY 1

Luxor.
We will meet you at your hotel. We drive to the West Bank and stop to see the Colossi of Memnon. We visit the Valley of the Kings, where we will lead you to the most important tombs among the currently open tombs in the valley.
We visit three of the more than 10 tombs that are currently open. We visit Hatshepsut’s temple and Colossi of Memnon.
Then, we visit a local traditional house for lunch. (You also have the option to replace this with lunch at a regular restaurant.) Visit the Ancient Workmen’s Village (Deir El Medina). Overnight stay in a hotel in Luxor. Tour duration: 7-8 hours.

DAY 2

After breakfast and check out of your hotel, we visit Karnak Temple and then Luxor temple.
To join the dahabiya, which is part of the Luxor governorate, we drive about an hour from Luxor to Esna. We visit the Temple of Esna and restored caravanserai and market, then check in to the dahabiya and sail to El Hegz Village for a unique cultural experience. Lunch and dinner are on board the dahabiya.

DAY 3

Breakfast on board, sailing to El Kab. From the village, we walk (or you can go by donkey, motorized tricycle, or tuk tuk) to see the massive walls of the ancient town of Nekheb and explore the New Kingdom tombs. Sail to Edfu in horse-drawn carriages to visit the Temple of Horus. Sailing with dinner and free time as you overnight on the dahabiya.

a family on their way back home in Aswan with their donkey
At El Kub, remains of ancient settlements date from about 3,000 BC (possibly centuries earlier) to Roman rule. The site is one of the most unique in Egypt because ancient villages and cities are rarely found. As we move inland, you will see the remains of the impressive mud brick walls and the long valley lined with tombs and shrines, including temples dedicated to Nekhbet and Thoth. We enter the decorated tombs of New Kingdom officials from the area.

We board the dahabiya for lunch and sail towards Edfu. Horse-drawn carriages take us to the imposing temple with its grand spaces and many hieroglyphic inscriptions. View Tell Edfu to the West of the temple, which includes houses dating from the Old to New Kingdom. If time allows, we also stroll through the local market.
We sail again. Time to relax with dinner and drift into dreams as you are now becoming part of the rhythms of the Nile.

DAY 4

Breakfast on board. Visit Bisaw Island and the village; join the men in their boats to share the experience of Nile fishing; walk through farms; and meet the villagers. Sailing to El Selsela, an ancient sandstone quarry and shrines A special barbeque dinner by moonlight

in bisaw island aswan a local women
Stepping off the dahabiya at Bisaw Island and the village, we take a leisurely walk through a farm, meet some of the women and children, and learn how the unique sun bread is baked in homes here. We are welcomed by the local fishermen to their boats, learning of the skills of these men who live in harmony with the Nile. Fish caught can be enjoyed as part of dinner that evening.

Sail to El Selsela, where we take a short walk parallel to the Nile to visit shrines and a massive quarry. Large amounts of sandstone were quarried here for temple buildings in Thebes (Luxor). Cut into the rock are the speos (chapel) of Horemheb, with its sanctuary containing rock shrines and various stelae and inscriptions. The huge quarry gives context to how much building material was sourced from this area. There is also an area of sand here where children (and children at heart) can slide and play.

We sail until it is time for an atmospheric barbecue dinner by moonlight and another tranquil night on board.

DAY 5

Breakfast on board. Visit the Kom Ombo Temple and the Crocodile Museum. In the nearby town of Daraw, you learn how to shop like a local at the market, visit a barn to meet camels and learn about the camel trade, and visit a Nubian village. As we sail closer to Aswan, if you wish, there is an opportunity to swim or kayak.
Farewell dinner and sail to our final destination, Aswan.

kom ombo sound and light show
A short walk from the Dahabiya dock, the Temple of Kom Ombo is dedicated to the crocodile-featured god Sobek and the god Horus. The connection to the power of the Nile is unmistakable as you look towards the temple. We also visit the Crocodile Museum, which includes some impressive mummified crocodiles.

In nearby El Daraw, we plan dinner for that night, and you learn how to shop Egyptian style, then try your new skills in the market shopping for ingredients for dinner. We also visit a camel barn to learn about these fascinating animals and the camel trade.
We set sail on the final stretch of the Dahabiya cruise, with lunch and time to reflect on your Dahabiya experience. By the farewell dinner, we are sure you will be wanting to return to see more of Egypt and wishing this was not your last night on board the Dahabiya.

DAY 6

Breakfast on board and check out of the Dahabiya Visit the Philae Temple.
Visit the unfinished obelisk. Lunch. Visit a Nubian village. From about 7,000 BC, communities evolved from African Nile Valley civilizations to form the Nubian, Ancient Egyptian and Kushite civilizations. There are several Nubian communities In Aswan. Nubian civilization is one of the oldest in the Nile River valley. Nubians are a distinct ethnolinguistic group indigenous to southern Egypt and northern Sudan, but Nubians in Egypt who were displaced by the construction of the High Dam near Aswan now mostly live north of Lake Nasser. Although Nubians are historically and culturally distinct from other Egyptians, they have long been interconnected with Egypt. While many Egyptian pharaohs colonised Nubia at various times, Nubian pharaohs from the Kingdom of Kush ruled ancient Egypt in the 7th century BC.
Elephantine Island archaeological site. During your visit to Nobian village you have a view to the Nobles’ tombs, the Agha Khan Mausoleum, the Plantation Island, and the Old Cataract Hotel.