Nile cruise or dahabiya: which suits you?

Between Luxor and Aswan, the Nile passes some of the finest temples in Egypt. There are two main ways to travel this stretch: a classic Nile cruise boat or a dahabiya, a traditional sailing boat. Both visit the great sites. The difference is in how the days feel.

The classic Nile cruise boat

These are multi-deck river boats, usually with a restaurant, a sun deck and a pool. They follow an established schedule between Luxor and Aswan, with guided visits at each stop. The common lengths are 3 nights from Aswan to Luxor, 4 nights from Luxor to Aswan, and 7 nights for the round trip.

• A wide choice of departure dates
• More on-board facilities
• Good value for the number of sites included

The dahabiya

A dahabiya is a flat-bottomed sailing boat with a handful of cabins. It sails when the wind allows and moors at quieter places the larger boats pass by: small temples, villages and islands. A typical dahabiya voyage runs 4 to 5 nights, often between Esna and Aswan.

• Small groups, or the whole boat for your own party
• A slower, more personal pace
• Stops such as El Kab and Gebel el-Silsila that large boats usually skip

What you see on either

Both usually include the essentials: Karnak and Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the double temple at Kom Ombo, and Philae at Aswan. From Aswan, many guests add a day trip to Abu Simbel.

A Nile cruise lasts several nights, so it fits before or after your ocean cruise, not during a single port call. During a call at Safaga, a day trip to Luxor is the realistic option.

How to choose

Choose a cruise boat if you want more dates, more facilities and a well-trodden route. Choose a dahabiya if you value quiet, a small group and time in places few visitors reach. Either way, tell us your ocean cruise dates and we will suggest options that connect comfortably. Start on our Nile cruises page.