Luxury Egypt5 Day Dahabiya Cruise from Luxor to Aswan
This 5 day dahabiya cruise by Roxana Travel runs from Luxor to Aswan in five days and four nights at $1,750 per person. All four nights are on board a 5-star dahabiya on a full board basis, with an Egyptologist guide and entrance fees to every sight between Luxor and Aswan included. The tour visits Karnak, Hatshepsut Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and the High Dam. It is private, wheelchair accessible and rated 4.8 from 21 verified reviews. This page sets out what the price covers, what it does not, what the days actually look like and who should book something else. Compare it with the other Egypt luxury tours.
About This Tour
Roxana Travel sells a private 5-day, 4-night sailing from Luxor to Aswan on a 5-star dahabiya, the sailing-barge style of boat that dominated Nile travel until the 1870s. An Egyptologist guides the whole journey. The sightseeing list covers Karnak Temple, Queen Hatshepsut Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae Temple and the High Dam.
The price is $1,750 per person. Entrance fees to all sights between Aswan and Luxor, all fees and taxes, full board for four nights and transfers in a modern air-conditioned deluxe vehicle are inside the price. Tipping and personal expenses are not. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and a peak-period fee applies from December 20 to January 7, though the listing does not give the amount.
$1,750 per person, private group, rated 4.8 from 21 verified reviews
5 days, 4 nights, all 4 nights on board the dahabiya
Hotel pickup included in Luxor, the exact time is not stated, check availability for starting times
Private group with an Egyptologist guide during the journey, no shared bus
4 nights on a 5-star dahabiya on full board, breakfast, lunch and dinner included, no hotels on land
Tipping, personal expenses, any extras not in the program, an unstated peak fee from December 20 to January 7, no domestic flights, no Abu Simbel, no balloon
Check Dates and Availability
The listing sells one option with pickup included, and starting times appear when you check a date. Cancel free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This 5 day dahabiya cruise costs $1,750 per person for 5 days and 4 nights, all on board, full board, private, with entrance fees and an Egyptologist included.
Key takeaways
- Cancel free up to 24 hours before departure. See what the price covers in the inclusion table.
- No domestic flights, no Abu Simbel and no balloon are in this listing. Flights in the price appear on tours such as the 8-Day Egypt Highlights with Balloon.
- Want the reverse direction in fewer days? The 4-Day Luxury Dahabiya Cruise runs Aswan to Luxor for $1,100.
- What a dahabiya actually is, with its sails and history, is explained in the guide to the dahabiya Nile cruise.
What the Price Actually Covers
The listing is clear about its inclusions and exclusions. Here is each line, plus the extras travellers often expect and do not get here.
Inside the $1,750
The price includes an Egyptologist guide during the journey, all four nights on the 5-star dahabiya on full board, entrance fees to all sights between Aswan and Luxor, all fees and taxes, all excursions in the itinerary, and all transfers in a modern air-conditioned deluxe vehicle. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are covered. So is the assistance of the operator's personnel. The listing also states that service animals are allowed and all areas are wheelchair accessible.
What is not in the price: tipping, personal expenses and any extras not in the program. No domestic flights are included. Abu Simbel is not stated in the inclusions. No hot air balloon appears in the program, even though the notes mention a $25 per person refund if a balloon is cancelled for weather. That line sits in the fine print with no matching excursion, so treat it as leftover text and ask the operator before you book.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptologist guide | Yes | During the journey, private group |
| 4 nights on the dahabiya, full board | Yes | Breakfast, lunch and dinner included |
| Entrance fees, Luxor to Aswan sights | Yes | All sights between Aswan and Luxor |
| Transfers | Yes | Modern air-conditioned deluxe vehicle |
| Domestic flights | No | None stated in the listing |
| Abu Simbel | No | Not in the inclusions |
| Hot air balloon | No | Refund note only, no balloon in the program |
| Drinks | Not stated | The listing does not say |
| Tips and personal expenses | No | Listed exclusions |
| Visa | No | Buy on arrival, US$30 per the FCDO or US$45 since the late 2025 rise, earlier listings gave US$25 |
| Peak-period fee | Extra | From December 20 to January 7, amount not stated |
| Cancellation | Free 24h | Full refund up to 24 hours before departure |
Budget for the Gaps
Set money aside for tips, which the listing excludes. One tipping guide suggests EGP 250 to 500 a day for a private guide, while sources disagree on cruise crew tips, from US$5 to 10 up to US$10 to 15 per person per night. Hotel porter figures run EGP 20 to 50 or EGP 50 to 100 per bag depending on the source.
Budget your own flights to Luxor and out of Aswan, your visa, and drinks, since the listing does not state that any are included. Solo travellers should also note the room rule: a solo traveller who wants a private room books a single, and a group of three shares one triple room.
Sources: UK FCDO travel advice: Egypt, Wikipedia: Egypt
A white dahabiya with a lateen sail on the Nile. Photo: Votpuske, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing names the sights but gives no clock times and does not assign them to days, so the order below follows the route from Luxor to Aswan and is not the operator's own schedule.
Day 1, Luxor East Bank
The tour starts in Luxor with pickup included, the time not stated. Karnak Temple is one of the listed sights, and its Great Hypostyle Hall spans 5,000 m2 with 134 columns in 16 rows. You board the dahabiya in Luxor for the first of four full-board nights.
The listing does not name a meeting point, only that pickup is included.
Day 2, Luxor West Bank
The west bank day takes in Queen Hatshepsut Temple and the Valley of the Kings, where royal burials ran from about 1539 BC to 1075 BC and about 20 of the 65 tombs held kings. Transfers run in the air-conditioned vehicle. The night is again on board.
The standard Valley of the Kings adult ticket is EGP 750 on the ministry price list, though this tour bundles entrance fees.
Days 3 and 4, Sailing to Edfu and Kom Ombo
The dahabiya works its way south from Luxor to Aswan, a road distance of 213.8 km per Rome2Rio. Edfu Temple and Kom Ombo Temple are the two stops, both listed among the entrances included. A dahabiya is a shallow-bottomed barge-like boat with two or more sails.
Nights three and four are on board, full board throughout.
Day 5, Aswan
The final day covers Philae Temple and the Aswan High Dam, 3,830 m long and 111 m high, finished in 1970. The tour ends in Aswan. The listing states no return point or end time, so confirm the drop-off with the operator when you book.
A Dahabiya Cruise Between Luxor and Aswan
A boutique dahabiya cruise between Luxor and Aswan, from the boat to the temple stops. Third-party video by Egypt Adventures Travel. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing is genuinely broad on access, but several practical points will push some travellers to a different tour.
Who Fits and Who Does Not
Access is good. The listing says the tour is wheelchair accessible, all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, transport is wheelchair accessible, it suits all fitness levels, infants can ride in a pram or stroller, specialised infant seats are available and service animals are allowed. The Viator age bands, infant 0 to 5, child 6 to 11, adult 12 to 99, are pricing bands, not age limits.
The real filters are elsewhere. There is no Abu Simbel in this program, so travellers who want Ramesses II's temple, whose four seated colossi stand 20 m tall, should look at the 4-Day Nile Cruise with Abu Simbel or the private 12-Day Luxury Egypt Nile Tour. There are no domestic flights, so you arrange Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo yourself, or pick a tour like the 8-Day Private Egypt Nile Cruise Tour that includes them. Solo travellers pay for a single to get their own room, and the amount is not stated. The December 20 to January 7 peak fee has no published amount, so ask before booking holiday dates. Summer heat is serious: Luxor averages above 40 C in June through August, so most sailing happens October to February. Compare seasons in the guide to the best time to visit Egypt.
Carved papyrus capitals on the columns of Philae Temple near Aswan. Photo: Hesham Farouk Ragab, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
You reach Luxor and leave from Aswan on your own, since no flights are included. Both cities are straightforward.
Getting to Luxor
Most international arrivals land in Cairo. From there, Rome2Rio puts a Cairo to Luxor flight at 3h13m door to door, the road at 637.2 km, the train at 10h45m and the bus at 8h55m. The overnight sleeper train leaves Giza at 20:00 and 20:30 and takes about 9 hours to Luxor or 12 to Aswan, though Rome2Rio lists 10h45m and 14h15m for the same legs.
Luxor Airport, LXR, sits about 6 km east of downtown, and your included vehicle transfer covers the ride to the boat. Because the tour starts in Luxor, many travellers add Cairo days first, which is what the private 3-Day Private Cairo Pyramids Tour does.
Leaving Aswan and Adding Days
Aswan Airport is listed at about 10 km from the city centre in one source and 16 km southwest in another. Aswan connects by air to Cairo in about 3h48m door to door with roughly 1h25m in the air.
Two additions pay off. Abu Simbel is about 230 to 290 km from Aswan depending on the source, usually done as an early road trip, and the temple opens 6:00 to 17:00 on the ministry schedule, with entry at EGP 750 for foreign adults on the price list. Read the Abu Simbel guide before you commit to the pre-dawn start. On the Cairo side, the Grand Egyptian Museum now holds the Tutankhamun collection, with foreign adult tickets reported at both EGP 1,450 and EGP 1,000, and the late hours fall on different days depending on which source you trust, so check the ticket site. Saqqara, about 30 to 40 km south of Cairo, adds the step pyramid for an EGP 600 area ticket on the ministry list. For how the cruise leg works in general, see the Nile river cruise explainer.
Day by Day
The listing gives no clock times and does not assign sights to days, so the steps below follow the route order with pickup, sailings and the overnights marked.
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Start
Luxor pickup and Karnak
Hotel pickup is included in Luxor, the exact time not stated. Visit Karnak Temple with the Egyptologist. First of four nights on board the 5-star dahabiya, dinner included.
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Day 2
West bank, Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings
Cross by air-conditioned vehicle to Queen Hatshepsut Temple and the Valley of the Kings, entrance fees included. Second full-board night on the dahabiya.
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Day 3
Sail south to Edfu
The dahabiya sails toward Edfu. Visit Edfu Temple, one of the included entrances. Night three on board.
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Day 4
Kom Ombo
Continue downriver to Kom Ombo Temple, entrance included. Fourth and last full-board night on the dahabiya.
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Day 5
Philae, the High Dam and Aswan
Visit Philae Temple and the Aswan High Dam with the guide, then the tour ends in Aswan. No return point or end time is stated, so confirm the drop-off when booking.
Strengths and Trade-offs
An honest read of the listing, with the fixes where the cons can be managed.
What we genuinely like
- Genuinely private, with an Egyptologist guide and no shared group
- Entrance fees to all sights between Aswan and Luxor are inside the $1,750
- Four full nights on a 5-star dahabiya, full board, no hotel changes
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
- Fully wheelchair accessible, including transport, and suitable for all fitness levels
The honest downsides
- No domestic flights, no Abu Simbel and no balloon, so the package is thinner than the 8 to 12 day tours
- A peak-period fee applies from December 20 to January 7 and the listing does not say how much
- The notes mention a $25 balloon weather refund but no balloon appears in the program, which is confusing fine print
- Drinks are not stated as included, so bar bills are on you
- Solo travellers must book a single to get their own room, with no stated supplement amount
- No clock times, meeting point or end point are published, so confirm the details with the operator
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want Abu Simbel, domestic flights and Cairo sightseeing bundled into one price, which is what the 8 to 12 day tours sell.
Questions About This Dahabiya Cruise
How much does the 5 day dahabiya cruise cost?
The listing price is $1,750 per person for 5 days and 4 nights, private, with entrance fees and full board. An extra fee applies from December 20 to January 7 in an amount the listing does not state. For a cheaper sailing the other way, see the 4-Day Luxury Dahabiya Cruise from Aswan to Luxor at $1,100.
Is Abu Simbel included in this tour?
No. The inclusions cover sights between Aswan and Luxor, and Abu Simbel is not stated. If the temples of Ramesses II are a priority, the 4-Day Nile Cruise with Abu Simbel includes them at $690. The Abu Simbel guide explains the early start and ticket prices.
What should I know about the balloon refund note?
The notes promise a $25 per person refund if the hot air balloon is cancelled for bad weather, but no balloon appears in the description, itinerary or inclusions. Treat it as leftover text and ask the operator directly. If you want the flight included, the 8-Day Egypt Highlights with Balloon has one on day 5, or read the Luxor hot air balloon guide.
Do I need to book my own flights to Luxor?
Yes. No domestic flights are included, and the tour starts in Luxor and ends in Aswan. A Cairo to Luxor flight runs about 3h13m door to door per Rome2Rio, and the overnight sleeper from Giza leaves at 20:00 and 20:30 and takes about 9 hours on one source and 10h45m on Rome2Rio. The dahabiya Nile cruise guide covers how these boats fit into a longer trip.
Is the boat and the tour suitable for wheelchairs?
The listing states the tour is wheelchair accessible, all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and the transportation options are wheelchair accessible. It is also suitable for all fitness levels, and service animals are allowed. Confirm cabin access on the dahabiya itself with the operator before booking.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund, which is more forgiving than the no-refund terms on some 5-day cruises. Book through the platform and check availability for dates.
Is a dahabiya slower than a cruise ship?
Yes, and that is the point. A dahabiya is a shallow-bottomed barge-like boat with two or more sails, and it was the standard Nile transport for tourists until the 1870s. Five days covers the Luxor to Aswan stretch, 213.8 km by road per Rome2Rio. The comparison of all luxury Egypt tours on the homepage shows the faster cruise-ship options next to it.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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