11-Day Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo Tours

DAY 1 – Arrive in Cairo for your Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo Holiday

Be met by your assigned tour manager at Cairo International Airport when you arrive. He or she will provide your entry visa for Egypt, and then you will be transferred to the boutique hotel where you will be staying while you are in Cairo.

When you get to the hotel, you will be assisted with check-in. Your tour manager will also review your Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo holiday itinerary with you and confirm pick-up times for your upcoming tours. After this, you will have the rest of the day for yourself.

DAY 2 – Giza Pyramids and the Djozer Step Pyramid Tour

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then you will be heading to the infamous Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx with one of our expert guides and one of your certified drivers. During this Giza Pyramids tour, you will also visit the Valley Temple. You can also enjoy a camel ride at the site, but this is optional and not included in the price of our Cairo and Dahabiya Nile cruise packages.

It’s also possible to go inside one or more of the pyramids but a separate ticket is required. We don’t include this in our package tour because we have found that most visitors are happy to just see the pyramids from the outside.

After your tour at the pyramids, you break for lunch which will be had at a good local restaurant [included]. Next will be a short drive to Saqqara to visit another ancient royal burial ground. This is where you will see the Step Pyramid of pharaoh Djozer. This was the very first pyramid ever built in Egypt.

With no other tours scheduled for this day of your Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo trip, your guide and driver will get you back to your hotel in air-conditioned comfort.

Meals Include – Breakfast & Lunch

DAY 3 – Egyptian Museum and Khan el Khalili Bazaar

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, and then your guide and driver will fetch you and take you to see the famous Egypt Museum. The museum is located right in the heart of the city, just across the road from Cairo’s now famous Tahrir Square. With so much to see at the museum, expect to be there until just before lunch.

Enjoy lunch [included] at a good local restaurant again, and the you will be taken to the Islamic Quarter to see the vibrant Khan el Khalili Bazaar. This is one of the biggest and oldest bazaars in the entire Middle East. It’s also where most ordinary Egyptians in Cairo shop for the day to day essentials.

When you have seen enough of the bazaar, let your guide know, and then you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Meals Included – Breakfast & Lunch

DAY 4 – Cruise Embarkation and Luxor East Bank Tour

Today you will need to have breakfast and then check-out quite early so that we can get you to the airport in time for your flight to Luxor [included]. When you arrive in Luxor, one of our tour representatives and a driver will meet you and then take you to board your luxury Dahabiya cruise.

Enjoy your first delicious lunch on this exquisite boat shortly after you board. A little bit later, your expert guide will accompany you and a small group of other passengers on a visit to the East Bank. Visit the breathtaking Luxor Temple first, and then the massive Karnak Temple complex, Egypt’s second-most visited ancient site.

After your tour, you head back to the Dahabiya and you will have the rest of the day for yourself. A delicious handcrafted dinner will be served in the evening, and you will spend this night of your Cairo and Dahabiya Nile cruise holiday on the river at Luxor.

Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 5 – Luxor West Bank Tour and Sail to Esna

Enjoy your first breakfast aboard your Dahabiya and then it will be time for a visit to three ancient monuments on the West Bank at Luxor. Your tour begins with a visit to an ancient royal burial ground known as the Valley of Kings. There are more than 60 tombs here, many belonging to Egypt’s powerful pharaohs during the New Kingdom period. This is also where Tutankhamen was laid to rest.

After the Valley of Kings, you will then visit the nearby mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This huge terraced temple was one of the grandest temples ever built by the ancient Egyptians. It’s also considered to be one of the “incomparable monuments of Ancient Egypt.”

On your way back to the Dahabiya, you will also visit two towering statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. Once everyone is back on the boat, it will then start sailing towards Esna with lunch being served along the way.

The remainder of the day is spent sailing. Enjoy a massage, go for a dip in the Jacuzzi, or simply relax and enjoy the passing scenery. This night of your Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo vacation will be spent on the water a short distance from the Esna Lock.

Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 6 – Esna Temple and Leisure Cruise to Hegaz

Enjoy breakfast while your Dahabiya crosses the Esna Lock, and then shortly after that you will be taken to see the ancient Esna Temple. After your visit to the temple, you return to the Dahabiya, and then you will sailing for most of the day towards Hegaz Village. Enjoy a good freshly made lunch and afternoon tea out on the water. Dinner on board at the usual time and tonight will be spent on the river near Hegaz Village.

Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7 – Edfu Temple and Bassawa Island

Enjoy breakfast while you are sailing to Edfu. When you reach Edfu you will disembark, and a traditional horse-drawn carriage will then take you through a small village to see Edfu Temple. This is the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt. It is truly a stunning site with two massive granite statues of the falcon-headed god towering over the entrance that you enter through.

Once back on board the Dahabiya, it will then sail to Bassawa Island with lunch served along the way. On arrival, you will leave the boat for an opportunity to mix and mingle with the locals. You will also visit the home of one of the local families. This is a wonderfully authentic Egyptian experience.

Later in the day, you will say goodbye to the family and you will head back to your Dahabiya in time for another delicious handcrafted dinner. This night of your Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo holiday will be spent on the water near the island.

Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 8 – Temple of Hormoheb and Kom Ombo Temple

Enjoy another delicious breakfast on your luxury Dahabiya while you are sailing to Gebel Silsela. When you reach the ancient Silsela you will visit the mystical Temple of Hormoheb. From here, you will go on a leisurely hike to the top of Silsela mountain to enjoy the breathtaking view. Once everyone is ready, you will then return to the Dahabiya and it will sail to Kom Ombo.

On arrival, you will disembark again, and then go for a slow stroll through the small town until you reach Kom Ombo temple. This ancient temple complex was devoted to two gods. One half was dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god, while the other identical half was dedicated to Horus the falcon-headed god.

After visiting the temple, you will head back to your Dahabiya, and it will start sailing to Aswan. A delicious dinner will be served while you are sailing, and this night of your Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo itinerary will be spent on the river at Aswan.

Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 9 – Aswan Tour and Leisure Time

After breakfast, your guide will take you to see different sites. First you will visit the Aswan High Dam and then you will head off to see the Unfinished Obelisk. Your third and final stop will be at the breathtaking Temple of Philae that was dedicated to two different goddesses: Isia and Hathor.

With your tour now over, you return to the Dahabiya in time for some lunch, and then you will have the rest of the day for yourself. This night is spent aboard the Dahabiya out in the middle of the river.

Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 10 – Free Time in Aswan or Optional Abu Simbel Temples Tour

There are no scheduled tours on this day of your luxury Dahabiya Nile cruise and Cairo holiday. Once you have had your breakfast you can go and explore Aswan on your own or simply relax on board the Dahabiya. We also offer an optional tour to the magnificent rock-cut Abu Simbel Temples. This is an optional tour so it isn’t included in listed price of our luxury Dahabiya Nile cruise and Cairo package.

The trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel takes roughly 3.5 hours in each direction, and it is done in one of our deluxe air-conditioned vehicles.

Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 11 – Return to Cairo and Final Departure

Your Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise and Cairo vacation ends today, so once you have enjoyed your breakfast, it will be time for you to check-out and disembark. We then drive you to the airport to board a flight back to Cairo for you final departure from Egypt.