The Akhenaton dahabiya is a 5-star traditional Nile sailing boat with two white sails and just two cabin categories, run as a private, full-board program. It sails from Aswan to Luxor in 3 nights every Friday, or from Luxor to Aswan in 4 or 7 nights every Monday. It is the most affordable of the three dahabiyas Explora Egipto offers, from US$1,639 per person in a Double Deluxe cabin on the 3-night route, regular departures.
A dahabiya is the old sailing houseboat of the Nile, smaller and slower than the motor ships that line the docks at Luxor and Aswan. You travel with canvas overhead and the deck close to the water, so the river stays in view from breakfast to sunset. The Akhenaton keeps that feel with two tall white sails and shaded wooden terraces along its decks.
What makes this boat different from its two sister dahabiyas is simplicity and price. There are only two cabin categories to choose from, and on every route it has the lowest fares of the three. The private guide, the private vehicle and the entrance tickets are the same ones you would get on the more expensive boats, so the saving comes from the cabins, not from the sightseeing.
You will also see the name written as Akhenaton dahabeya, and the boat type itself is sometimes spelled dahabieh. All three spellings point to the same kind of vessel, and on this page we use the most common one.
If you are still deciding between a sailing boat and a larger ship, our guide to the Nile dahabiya cruise explains how the two experiences differ, and our Nile cruise overview covers the classic ships.
Choosing a cabin on the Akhenaton is a one-question decision: do you want your own outdoor space or not. Both categories are doubles, both come with the same full-board program, and both put you on the same boat with the same guide. The difference is the veranda, and the price that goes with it.
The Double Deluxe is the entry cabin and the one behind the lowest prices on this page. The photos show a double bed, a polished wooden floor and a window that frames the river at bed height. It is a calm, practical room for travelers who plan to spend their daylight hours on the open deck anyway.
Storage is simple and solid: one photo shows a wooden wardrobe beside the bed, with the Nile filling the window next to it. For a short sailing trip, most people find this is all the cabin they need.
The Double with veranda adds a private terrace outside your cabin. In the photos it holds two chairs turned toward the water, a small, quiet spot that belongs only to you. That is the real value of the upgrade: you can watch the palm-lined banks slide past, read at first light or sit out after dinner without heading up to the shared deck.
On the 3-night route the price step between the two categories is small, so the veranda is an easy treat for couples who like a slow morning. On the 7-night route the gap is wider, but you also get more days to enjoy that private space. Our team confirms cabin availability and the detailed program with your quote, so you can compare both options for your exact dates.
All prices below are in US dollars, per person, for each cabin category and season. Regular departures cover most of the sailing year; festive departures are the Christmas, New Year and Easter dates listed further down this page.
| Route | Departs | Cabin category | Regular departures, per person | Festive departures, per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aswan to Luxor, 3 nights | Friday | Double Deluxe cabin | from US$1,639 | from US$1,889 |
| Aswan to Luxor, 3 nights | Friday | Double with veranda | from US$1,719 | from US$1,979 |
| Luxor to Aswan, 4 nights | Monday | Double Deluxe cabin | from US$1,749 | from US$2,099 |
| Luxor to Aswan, 4 nights | Monday | Double with veranda | from US$1,879 | from US$2,209 |
| Luxor to Aswan, 7 nights | Monday | Double Deluxe cabin | from US$2,099 | from US$2,689 |
| Luxor to Aswan, 7 nights | Monday | Double with veranda | from US$2,389 | from US$2,889 |
On the 3-night Aswan to Luxor route the two cabins sit very close: from US$1,639 per person in the Double Deluxe cabin against from US$1,719 per person in the Double with veranda, on regular departures. At festive dates the same pair reads from US$1,889 and from US$1,979 per person.
On the 4-night Luxor to Aswan route, regular departures run from US$1,749 per person in the Double Deluxe cabin and from US$1,879 per person with a veranda. Festive departures on that route start from US$2,099 and from US$2,209 per person respectively.
The gap is widest on the 7-night trip: from US$2,099 per person in the Double Deluxe cabin and from US$2,389 per person in the Double with veranda on regular departures, or from US$2,689 and from US$2,889 per person at festive dates. One detail worth noticing: a regular 7-night sailing in the Double Deluxe cabin starts at the same figure, US$2,099 per person, as a festive 4-night sailing in that cabin.
Payment and booking conditions are agreed directly by our team with each traveler when the booking is confirmed.
The best way to picture life on this boat is to walk through its photos. They show a vessel built around the view, with shaded seating outside and wide windows inside.
The upper terraces sit under wooden awnings, which matters on the Nile, where the afternoon sun is strong for much of the year. From there the river turns gold at the end of the day, and the photos catch exactly that moment, with the sky reflected in slow water.
Elsewhere on deck, sofas heaped with cushions and low tables make an open-air living room. It is the natural place to gather between temple visits, to talk over what you saw at Edfu or Kom Ombo, or simply to watch farmers, herons and feluccas go by.
Indoors, the lounge is lined with sofas and large windows, so even on a breezy evening you keep the river in front of you. It reads as a quiet room for a book or a conversation after a long day at the sites.
The dining room in the photos is set around one long table facing the windows, the kind of setting where guests end up sharing stories from the day. Full board means your meals on board are part of the program, so there is nothing to arrange once you have sailed.
Between the public rooms and the cabins, a narrow corridor hung with a painting of sailboats gives the interior a warm, homey touch. For more on the daily rhythm of these boats, read our piece on what a dahabiya experience is like.
Whichever cabin and route you choose, the core of the trip does not change. Every Akhenaton program is private and includes:
The visits on the programs cover the great names of Upper Egypt: the temple of Philae on its island near Aswan, Abu Simbel far to the south, the riverside temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu, and on the Luxor side Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
International flights are not included, since Explora Egipto does not sell them. Your trip begins in Luxor or Aswan, and the section on getting there below explains the easiest ways to arrive.
The Akhenaton Nile cruise runs on the stretch of river between Aswan and Luxor, in one of two directions. The shorter trip sails downstream from Aswan; the longer trips head upstream from Luxor.
| Route | Nights | Departure day | Double Deluxe cabin, regular departures, per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aswan to Luxor | 3 | Every Friday | from US$1,639 |
| Luxor to Aswan | 4 | Every Monday | from US$1,749 |
| Luxor to Aswan | 7 | Every Monday | from US$2,099 |
The 3-night Aswan to Luxor dahabiya suits travelers with a tight schedule who still want a real taste of sailing. You start near Philae and Abu Simbel, pass Kom Ombo and Edfu, and end among the temples and tombs of Luxor.
The Luxor to Aswan dahabiya, 4 or 7 nights, reverses the direction and gives you more time on the water. The 7-night version is the one to choose if the slow pace of the river is the whole point of your trip. In both cases the team confirms which visit falls on which day when it sends your program.
The name comes from one of the most debated pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Akhenaton ruled during the 18th Dynasty, in the 14th century BC, and is remembered for raising the Aten, the disk of the sun, above the other gods of Egypt. He founded a new capital in Middle Egypt, Akhetaten, whose ruins are known today as Amarna, which is why historians call his reign the Amarna period.
Much about him is still argued over, from the nature of his religious reforms to how they ended. After his death his changes were largely reversed, and blocks from buildings he raised for the Aten at Karnak are thought to have been reused in later construction. Amarna itself lies north of the dahabiya route, but you will walk through the temple complex he once transformed when you visit Karnak in Luxor.
This boat was made for travelers who want the dahabiya experience without paying for extra layers of luxury they may not use. It fits especially well if you are in one of these groups.
Couples are well served too, especially in a Double with veranda; our page on the honeymoon Nile cruise has ideas for a romantic trip. If you picture a larger suite or a royal-category cabin, one of the other two boats will suit you better.
All three are 5-star dahabiyas sailing the same routes on the same days, with the same private inclusions. The choice comes down to cabins and budget.
| Boat | Cabin categories | Aswan to Luxor, 3 nights, Double Deluxe cabin, regular departures |
|---|---|---|
| Akhenaton | 2: Double Deluxe; Double with veranda | from US$1,639 per person |
| Iris | 4: Double Deluxe; Junior on the main deck; Junior on the upper deck with veranda; Royal on the upper deck with veranda | from US$1,849 per person |
| Per-ba | 2: Double Deluxe; Junior with veranda | from US$2,059 per person |
The Iris dahabiya offers the widest range, up to Royal cabins with a veranda on the upper deck, for travelers who want more room. The Per-ba dahabiya has a white hull and bright interiors, with Junior cabins that include a veranda. The Akhenaton is the one to pick when you want the sailing, the temples and the private guide at the lowest price. The full side-by-side view is on our Nile dahabiya cruise page.
The Akhenaton sails through the cooler half of the Egyptian year. Regular prices apply in the windows below, and festive prices apply on four specific departure dates.
| Dates | Type of departure |
|---|---|
| October 1 to December 21, 2026 | Regular |
| Monday, December 21, 2026 (Christmas) | Festive |
| Monday, December 28, 2026 (New Year) | Festive |
| January 1 to 31, 2027 | Regular |
| February 1 to April 30, 2027 | Regular |
| Friday, March 26, 2027 (Easter) | Festive |
| Monday, March 29, 2027 (Easter) | Festive |
| May 1 to 31, 2027 | Regular |
The Monday departure on December 21, 2026 is priced as the Christmas sailing. Christmas and New Year fall on Mondays, the Luxor to Aswan departure day, while Easter offers both a Friday sailing from Aswan and a Monday sailing from Luxor.
Winter months tend to bring the mildest days in Upper Egypt, which makes long temple visits more comfortable. Spring is warmer, and May can be hot in Aswan and Luxor, so shaded decks and early starts become part of the rhythm. Our list of what to pack for a Nile cruise helps you prepare for either.
Your Akhenaton trip starts in Aswan or Luxor, depending on the route. Explora Egipto does not sell international flights, so you book your own arrival into Egypt and we take over from there. Once you are in Luxor or Aswan, your private vehicle handles every transfer on the program.
Many travelers from the United States land in Cairo first and spend a few days there; our guide to what to see in Cairo helps you plan that stop. From Cairo, a short hop on a domestic flight in Egypt brings you to either city. Before you go, check the Egypt visa requirements for your passport.
If you want to arrive early or stay on, see what to see in Luxor and what to see in Aswan. Our page on Egypt tours from the USA gathers practical tips for American travelers.
Booking starts with a WhatsApp message to our team. Tell us your preferred route, your dates, the cabin category you have in mind and how many people are traveling.
We reply with a quote that includes cabin availability and the full program for your departure. Payment and booking conditions are agreed with you personally, so there are no surprises later.
Want to add a few days in Cairo or extra nights in Luxor or Aswan? We can build the Akhenaton into a custom Egypt tour around your dates.
Prices start from US$1,639 per person in a Double Deluxe cabin on the 3-night Aswan to Luxor route, regular departures. The 4-night Luxor to Aswan route starts from US$1,749 per person and the 7-night route from US$2,099 per person, both in a Double Deluxe cabin on regular departures. The full table by cabin and season is above.
A private terrace outside your cabin, set with two chairs facing the river. Everything else, from full board to the private guide and entrance tickets, is identical in both categories.
On the 3-night route the price step is small: from US$1,639 per person for the Double Deluxe cabin and from US$1,719 per person for the Double with veranda, regular departures. For couples who enjoy quiet time on their own, many would call that a reasonable upgrade.
The 3-night Aswan to Luxor sailing leaves every Friday. The 4-night and 7-night Luxor to Aswan sailings leave every Monday.
Your cabin on a 5-star dahabiya with full board, a private English-speaking guide, a private air-conditioned vehicle for every visit and transfer, and all entrance tickets. The visits cover Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
No. Explora Egipto does not sell international flights. Your trip starts in Luxor or Aswan, which you can reach by a domestic flight from Cairo.
They are the Christmas sailing on Monday, December 21, 2026, the New Year sailing on Monday, December 28, 2026, and the Easter sailings on Friday, March 26, 2027 and Monday, March 29, 2027. These dates have their own price table, for example from US$1,889 per person in a Double Deluxe cabin on the 3-night route.
Yes, especially if budget matters, since it has the lowest fares of the three dahabiyas. Tell us how many people are traveling and our team confirms which cabins are available for your group.
All three share the same routes, departure days and private inclusions. The Iris has four cabin categories up to Royal, the Per-ba offers Junior cabins with a veranda, and the Akhenaton keeps things simple with two categories and the lowest prices.
Yes. Many travelers add Cairo before the sailing or extra days in Luxor or Aswan. Our team can design the whole trip around your Akhenaton departure, or you can browse our Egypt tour packages for ideas.
Two white sails, shaded decks, a private guide at every temple and the lowest fares of our three dahabiyas. Send us your dates and preferred cabin, and we will reply with availability and your full program.
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