Cairo & Dahabeya Cruise (Luxor – Aswan)

Discovery of Cairo and cruise aboard a sailboat ⛵️

Here is a tour that offers us an authentic adventure through the remarkable sites of Egypt. For 10 days, we experience unforgettable moments of adventure and discovery that begin in Cairo and on the Giza plateau. There, we have the opportunity to admire one of the 7 wonders of the world: the pyramids of Egypt! The adventure continues with visits to Luxor, Esna, El Hegz, and El Kab. The latter is a city dating back to the Neolithic era and allows us to observe rock-cut tombs carved into the mountainside. This trip also offers the discovery of the attractions of Edfu, Fawaza, Ramadi, Gebel Silsila, Horemheb, and Kom Ombo. We stroll in Aswan before returning to Cairo.

Trip Description

10 Days - 9 Nights Tour (including 5 nights on board a Dahabeya in an equipped cabin) Our price includes: - Visa on arrival (for European passports valid for 6 months or more) - All transfers - Domestic flights (Cairo – Luxor / Aswan – Cairo) - Excursions mentioned in the program - Meals as mentioned according to the program - French-speaking guide during the mentioned visits ("Private" except during the cruise) Not included: - International flights - Guide gratuity left to the discretion of the clients - Usual tips (approx. 3 euros per person per day) - Tip for the Dahabeya and tugboat staff (€35 per employee, there will be 10 to 12 in total depending on the size of the boat)

Accomodation

4 or 5 star hotels (local standard) and cruise aboard a dahabeya.

Stay program

day 1
Your destination – Cairo
Welcome and assistance by our local representative upon your arrival, then transfer to your hotel. Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.
day 2
Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the visit of the famous Giza plateau. Discovery of the majestic pyramids: Khufu, the largest of the three; Khafre; and Menkaure, much more modest, but still retaining, at its base, part of its original casing. Beside them stands the impressive Sphinx with a human head (57 meters long), whose role was to protect the entrance to the tombs from looters. Lunch in a typical restaurant, then visit to the National Museum of Cairo. Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.
day 3
Cairo - Luxor
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Cairo airport and flight to Luxor (about 1h flight). Upon arrival, departure for the visit of the Valley of the Kings, which has sixty-two tombs (visit of 3 tombs), then the Valley of the Queens, which has seventy-five (visit of 2 tombs). The morning continues with the discovery of the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Lunch in a typical restaurant, then visit of the Luxor temple in the afternoon. Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.
day 4
Louxor – Esna – El Hegz (boarding scheduled on a Sunday)
Early in the morning, departure from the hotel for the visit of the Karnak temple. The god Amun reigned supreme over the Egyptian pantheon for nearly 2,000 years, and each ruler wished to erect their own monument there in his honor. Then, head towards Esna, home port of our sailboats. Welcome aboard! Warm welcome by the crew, tour of the boat and settling into your cabin. Start of the navigation, in complete tranquility, at the rhythm of the wind. Let yourself be carried away... Your stop for the night will be at El Hegz.
day 5
El Hegz – Fawaza
This morning, sailing to El Kab. Surrounded by an enclosure of sun-dried mud bricks, built between 747 and 332 BC, the city is believed to have been founded as early as the Neolithic period. Walk on foot to discover the rock-cut tombs carved into the mountainside. Enjoy this moment, the site is magnificent. Resumption of sailing and lunch on board. Docking at Edfu for a visit to the temple dedicated to the god Horus of Behedet, symbolized by a solar disk with falcon wings. It is one of the largest (26 m high, 137 m long, and 79 m wide) and best preserved in Egypt. Continuation of your sailing. Night at Fawaza.
day 6
Fawza – Gebel Silsila
Morning of navigation. Beautiful walk in Ramadi, around the marshes and in the heart of the fields, meeting farmers working in their alfalfa fields, sugar cane, or at the foot of the date palms. Return on board. After lunch, or at the end of the day, stroll in the charming and very welcoming village of Bassaw. Night in Bassaw or at the foot of the speos of Horemheb, depending on the mooring possibilities at the time.
day 7
Gebel Silsila – Maniha
After breakfast, departure to discover the quarries of Djebel Silsileh, which provided the stone for the construction of the main temples of Egypt. After a short navigation, you will set off for a walk of about 2 hours through the palm groves to Farès. Along the way, you will come across a wide variety of fruit trees and plants: doum palms, date palms, calotropis, etc. Return on board then lunch, while the sailboat continues its smooth navigation to Maniha, your stopover for the night.
day 8
Maniha – Kom Ombo – Aswan
Morning navigation to Kom-Ombo, whose promontory overlooking the Nile offers a strikingly romantic setting. Dedicated to two deities — Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god — the temple reveals a perfectly symmetrical architecture. Take the time to admire this marvel! A change of atmosphere follows with a visit to the village of Daraw, undoubtedly one of the most memorable moments of the trip. You will stroll through the heart of its popular market, a true labyrinth of colors and scents where the Orient and Africa mingle, to the delight of your eyes and nose. Return on board for lunch, then navigation along the peaceful Nubian banks towards Aswan. Last night on board, a few kilometers north of the city. A typical evening on the banks of the Nile, shared with your crew whom you will leave the next day, will bring this beautiful adventure to a close.
day 9
Aswan – Cairo
After breakfast, disembarkation, then departure by vehicle for the visit of the Philae temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis and located on an island 5 km south of Aswan. Its bas-reliefs, frescoes, and capitals make it one of the most remarkable sanctuaries in Egypt. A moment of guaranteed emotion. Lunch during the day, then transfer to Aswan airport and flight to Cairo (about 1h30 flight). Dinner and overnight in Cairo, near the airport.
day 10
Cairo - your destination
After breakfast, transfer to Cairo airport and return flight to your destination.