The Luxor to Aswan dahabiya, 4 or 7 nights, leaves Luxor every Monday and sails upstream to Aswan on one of three 5-star boats: the Iris, the Akhenaton or the Per-ba. It is full board, with a private English-speaking guide, a private air-conditioned vehicle and every entrance ticket included. Prices start from US$1,749 per person for 4 nights and from US$2,099 per person for 7 nights, in a Double Deluxe cabin on the Akhenaton in the regular season.
There are two ways to sail between Egypt's two great temple towns on a dahabiya with Explora Egipto. The short one runs downstream from Aswan to Luxor in 3 nights. This page is about the other one: the upstream route, which starts in Luxor on a Monday and finishes in Aswan after 4 or 7 nights.
Sailing upstream means heading south, against the current, from the Theban temples toward the granite and palm islands of the First Cataract. A dahabiya is a traditional Nile sailing boat with a shallow hull and tall sails, the kind of vessel that carried travelers along this same water long before the steamers came. It is a far smaller and quieter world than a cruise ship, and the rhythm of the trip follows the boat.
If you are comparing it with the large Nile ships, our Luxor to Aswan cruise guide for the big Nile ships covers that option. For everything about the three dahabiyas, the two routes and how they fit together, start from the Nile dahabiya cruise overview.
What sets this route apart is choice. The departure day is fixed, the start and end points are fixed, and the list of sites is the same whichever length you pick. What you decide is how much time you want on the river: 4 nights for a full, well-paced journey, or 7 nights for a slow one.
This is the question almost every traveler asks first, so here is the honest answer. The 7 night dahabiya cruise does not add a secret list of extra temples. Both lengths include the same visits: Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon around Luxor, then Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way south, then Philae and Abu Simbel from Aswan.
What the three extra nights give you is time. The same distance is spread over more days, so the pace slows down. You spend longer at each stop instead of moving on as soon as the visit ends, and more of every day is simply spent on the water, watching the banks go by from the deck.
The 4 night dahabiya covers the whole route and every included site. Days are fuller, with visits following each other at a comfortable but purposeful pace. It suits travelers who want the dahabiya experience inside a larger Egypt itinerary, with Cairo before and perhaps a few days in Aswan after.
You still get the essential pleasures of the river: early mornings on deck, the light changing on the cliffs of the West Bank, the stillness of a small boat after a morning among columns and tombs.
With 7 nights, the river becomes the main event rather than the link between temples. There are more hours under sail, more quiet afternoons with a book and a view of the fields, and more room in each day for the visits to breathe. You arrive at a temple rested rather than rushed.
For many travelers, the unhurried days on the water end up being the heart of the trip. The detailed program for each length, including how the days are arranged, is confirmed by our team together with your quote.
The route follows the Nile south through Upper Egypt. The table below shows which included sites belong to each stretch of the river. It is a geographic guide, not a timetable: the order and timing of the visits on your departure are part of the detailed program our team sends with the quote.
| Stretch of the river | Included sites | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Luxor, East Bank | Karnak | Karnak Temple guide |
| Luxor, West Bank | Valley of the Kings, temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon | Valley of the Kings tombs, Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, Colossi of Memnon |
| Between Luxor and Aswan | Edfu, Kom Ombo | Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple |
| Aswan | Philae | Philae Temple |
| South of Aswan | Abu Simbel | Abu Simbel visit guide |
Luxor is ancient Thebes, and the start of this route puts its two banks at the center of the first part of the trip. On the East Bank stands Karnak, a forest of stone columns built and rebuilt over many centuries. Across the river, the West Bank holds the royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings, the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut set against the cliffs, and the two seated giants known as the Colossi of Memnon. Our guide to what to see in Luxor goes deeper into each one.
Heading south, the valley narrows and the desert comes closer to the water. Edfu is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt, dedicated to the falcon god Horus. Kom Ombo sits on a bend of the river and is unusual for its double layout, shared between Sobek, the crocodile god, and a form of Horus.
Aswan feels different from Luxor: granite boulders in the river, green islands, Nubian villages on the far bank. Philae, the island temple of Isis, is visited here, and Abu Simbel, with the colossal statues of Ramses II, lies far to the south of the town. The team confirms how the Abu Simbel visit fits into your days in the program that comes with the quote. For ideas beyond the included sites, see what to see in Aswan.
All three dahabiyas sail the Luxor to Aswan program, and all three are 5-star and full board. The route and the included sites are identical; what changes is the character of the boat and the cabin categories on offer.
The Iris dahabiya has a wooden hull, full sails and an upper deck with loungers and a shaded dining area, plus an indoor lounge. It offers four cabin categories: Double Deluxe, Junior on the main deck, Junior on the upper deck with veranda, and Royal on the upper deck with veranda. If a private veranda over the river matters to you on a 7 night trip, the Iris gives you the most options.
The Akhenaton dahabiya sails under two white sails, with covered deck terraces and a long dining table beside windows that look straight onto the river. It has two categories, Double Deluxe and Double with veranda, and the lowest prices of the three boats. It is also the boat where the jump from 4 to 7 nights costs the least.
The Per-ba dahabiya has a white hull and bright interiors with wooden floors, with small touches such as door handles shaped like the ankh. It has two categories, Double Deluxe and Junior with veranda. It sits between the Akhenaton and the Iris in price.
Our team confirms cabin availability on your chosen boat and date when it prepares your quote.
Prices are in US dollars, per person, and depend on the boat, the cabin category and the length you choose. The table shows the regular departures from Luxor, every Monday within the regular windows listed further down.
| Boat | Cabin category | 4 nights, per person | 7 nights, per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iris | Double Deluxe | from US$2,139 | from US$2,999 |
| Iris | Junior, main deck | from US$2,719 | from US$3,809 |
| Iris | Junior, upper deck with veranda | from US$2,999 | from US$4,279 |
| Iris | Royal, upper deck with veranda | from US$3,579 | from US$5,289 |
| Akhenaton | Double Deluxe | from US$1,749 | from US$2,099 |
| Akhenaton | Double with veranda | from US$1,879 | from US$2,389 |
| Per-ba | Double Deluxe | from US$2,319 | from US$3,079 |
| Per-ba | Junior with veranda | from US$2,849 | from US$4,039 |
Two patterns stand out. On every boat, the veranda categories cost more than the Double Deluxe, and the gap widens on the longer trip, since you are enjoying that veranda for three more nights. And the Akhenaton is the most affordable way to take the 7 night dahabiya cruise: from US$2,099 per person in a Double Deluxe cabin.
Payment conditions are not fixed on this page. Our team agrees them with each traveler when the booking is made.
The Luxor to Aswan dahabiya leaves every Monday within these regular departure windows:
The cooler months are the classic season for the Nile, with bright days for the West Bank and pleasant evenings on deck. May brings warmer weather, and a slower 7 night program with more time aboard can suit those days well.
Three Mondays carry festive prices on this route: Christmas on Monday, December 21, 2026; New Year on Monday, December 28, 2026; and Easter on Monday, March 29, 2027. Holiday dates are popular with families and couples, so it pays to ask early.
| Boat | Cabin category | 4 nights, festive, per person | 7 nights, festive, per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iris | Double Deluxe | from US$3,349 | from US$4,889 |
| Iris | Junior, main deck | from US$3,869 | from US$5,799 |
| Iris | Junior, upper deck with veranda | from US$4,369 | from US$6,679 |
| Iris | Royal, upper deck with veranda | from US$5,399 | from US$8,479 |
| Akhenaton | Double Deluxe | from US$2,099 | from US$2,689 |
| Akhenaton | Double with veranda | from US$2,209 | from US$2,889 |
| Per-ba | Double Deluxe | from US$3,229 | from US$4,679 |
| Per-ba | Junior with veranda | from US$4,209 | from US$6,389 |
The festive prices apply to those three Mondays only. Every other Monday in the windows above is billed at the regular price.
The price covers the whole program on the river, whether you choose 4 or 7 nights:
Every program is private. You explore with your own guide and your own vehicle, at your own pace, rather than in a large group following a flag. International flights are not part of the program, and our page on Egypt visa requirements explains the entry rules for US travelers.
Wondering what daily life aboard feels like, from meals to evenings on deck? Our article on the dahabiya experience paints the picture, and the Nile cruise packing list helps you get ready.
There is no wrong answer here, only a better fit for the way you like to travel.
If Egypt is only one part of a longer journey and time is tight, the downstream option may suit you better: the Aswan to Luxor dahabiya in 3 nights departs every Friday and covers the same included sites in the opposite direction.
Many of our US travelers build the dahabiya into a longer private itinerary. Our page on Egypt tours from the USA shows how the pieces usually fit, and a custom Egypt tour lets you shape everything around the Monday departure.
The trip begins in Luxor and ends in Aswan. Explora Egipto does not sell international flights, so you book your own flight to Egypt, usually into Cairo, and we take it from there.
From Cairo, the simplest way south is a domestic flight to Luxor. Our guide to domestic flights in Egypt explains the connections between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, and our team can help you plan the domestic legs around your sailing dates. Plan to arrive in Luxor in time for the Monday departure; if you would like a night or two in the city first, see what to see in Luxor and our Luxor excursions.
Most travelers spend a few days in the capital before heading south. Our Cairo sightseeing guide helps you plan those days. At the end of the sailing, Aswan has good domestic connections back to Cairo, and it is worth staying on if you can: the Aswan excursions and a felucca ride on the Nile are lovely ways to spend an extra day.
Booking starts with a WhatsApp message to our team. Tell us four things: the Monday you have in mind, 4 or 7 nights, the boat you prefer (or ask us to recommend one), and how many travelers are in your party.
We reply with a quote that includes cabin availability for your date and the detailed program for your length of stay. If you are planning more of Egypt, we can build the rest of the trip around the sailing, from Cairo to the domestic flights. For a more indulgent version of the whole journey, see our luxury Egypt tour ideas.
Conditions such as payment are agreed directly with you once you decide to go ahead. There is no automated checkout: every trip is prepared by a person who knows the river.
Time and pace. Both lengths sail the same route from Luxor to Aswan and include the same sites. With 7 nights, the journey is spread over more days, so you spend longer at each stop and more hours on the water under sail.
No. The included visits are the same: Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and Abu Simbel. The longer program gives these visits more room rather than adding new ones.
Every Monday, within the regular departure windows from October to May. The route in the other direction, Aswan to Luxor in 3 nights, leaves every Friday.
The Akhenaton. In the regular season, a Double Deluxe cabin costs from US$1,749 per person for 4 nights and from US$2,099 per person for 7 nights.
Your visits are private. You have your own English-speaking guide and your own air-conditioned vehicle for every visit and transfer, and all entrance tickets are included.
No, we do not sell international flights. You arrange your flight to Egypt, and our team helps you plan the domestic flights between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan around your departure.
Those three Mondays have their own festive prices, shown in the festive table above. For example, the Akhenaton Double Deluxe costs from US$2,099 per person for 4 nights and from US$2,689 per person for 7 nights on a festive departure.
No. A dahabiya is a traditional sailing boat, much smaller and quieter than the large Nile ships. If you would rather compare the bigger ships, our Nile cruise guide covers them.
Pick the 3 night sailing from Aswan if your time in Egypt is short. Pick 4 or 7 nights from Luxor if you want a longer, more relaxed stretch on the river with a Monday departure.
Our team agrees the conditions with each traveler when the booking is confirmed. Send us a WhatsApp message and we will explain them together with your quote.
Four nights or seven, the Iris, the Akhenaton or the Per-ba: tell us what you have in mind and our team will send you a private quote for your Luxor to Aswan dahabiya, with cabin availability and the detailed program for your dates.
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