Nile river cruise: cruise ship, dahabiya or felucca?

A Nile river cruise is a quintessential part of any Egypt trip, but a big cruise ship isn’t the only way to see the river. Here’s how cruise ships, dahabiyas, feluccas and the train compare, what each one costs and which to book.

Are you ready to set sail on the adventure of a lifetime? Getting out on the Nile is one of the best ways to see Egypt at a different pace.

The colossal waters of the river offer a unique adventure. Not only is the Nile a famous attraction in itself, but sailing it is one of the best ways to explore the south of the country, where the great temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu sit right on its banks between Aswan and Luxor.

I loved my time on the Nile. Where so much of the country is… on the frantic side, the river is exactly the opposite. I chose to sail north from Aswan on a felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat, and spent the night sleeping on its deck. Waking up on a remote part of the Nile as the sun rises over the desert is worth the trip alone.

A felucca isn’t for everyone, though, and there’s a boat for every budget, from the simple felucca to floating five-star hotels and the elegant sailing boats called dahabiyas. This guide walks you through each type, how long they take, what they cost and how to choose the one that’s best for you.

PS: Although you can sail other parts of the river, this guide focuses on the stretch between Aswan and Luxor, as it’s the most popular option by far.

Your options at a glance

Option	Time on board	Typical price per person	Best for
Felucca	One or two nights from Aswan	From about 800 EGP, with meals	Simplicity, silence and a night under the stars
Cruise ship	Three to seven nights	From about US$450 to US$3,000	Comfort, a guide and every temple on the way
Dahabiya	Four to seven nights	From about US$900 to US$2,500	A small, slow and luxurious trip under sail
Train or road	About three hours	A fraction of a cruise	Getting from Aswan to Luxor fast

Ways to travel the Nile

Sail on a felucca

A felucca is a traditional wooden sailboat with a tall canvas sail, and it will carry you down the river at a comfortable (and somewhat slow) pace.

Don’t think the slowness is a negative. You’ll have plenty of time to sit back and appreciate the villages, palm groves and golden hills along the river instead of steaming past them. Plus, the lack of a motor means a blissful peace that really helps you capture the serenity of the river. Thanks to their size, feluccas also feel a lot more personal than the big cruise ships.

However, if you’re after a comfy cabin, you’re fresh out of luck. Feluccas have no sleeping quarters or “below deck” for guests. Instead, you sleep on mattresses and cushions on the open deck, under an awning, with the crew mooring up for the night on a quiet stretch of riverbank. That’s exactly how I spent mine: I boarded in Aswan, drifted north for the rest of the day, and slept out on deck.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that feluccas can’t make the whole journey between Aswan and Luxor. Not only are they too slow (it would take forever), but they’re also not allowed through the Esna Lock. As a result, most felucca trips last one or two nights, finishing around Kom Ombo or Edfu, and end with a minibus transfer for the rest of the way to Luxor, which is how I arrived. Some stop at the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu en route.

Overnight trips start from about 800 EGP per person with meals included. There’s no shower or electricity on board, so bring a head torch, a warm layer for the night (it can be cool on the water) and plenty of sunscreen. If you only have a couple of hours, a sunset sail around Elephantine Island in Aswan costs 300 to 500 EGP for the whole boat.

My night on the felucca was part of Intrepid’s eight-day Egypt Adventure, my first ever group tour, which included the boat, the crew and the transfer to Luxor. Read my Intrepid Egypt review to see how the rest of it worked.

Take a small cruise ship

Ready to cruise down the Nile in style? A small cruise ship is the classic Nile river cruise and the most popular way to see the river, as it’s the perfect middle ground between budget and luxury.

Most cruises run three nights from Aswan to Luxor or four nights from Luxor to Aswan (the boats travel more slowly against the current), and some combine both as a seven-night round trip. Along the way, they stop at the double temple of Kom Ombo, often at sunset, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu, reached by horse-drawn carriage from the dock, and they pass through the Esna Lock. In busy periods, the queue for the lock can take two to four hours.

On most ships, you’ll have your own cabin with a window or balcony on the river (although you may have to pay a single supplement if you travel alone). Most packages are full board and include an Egyptologist guide and entry to the sites on the programme, including Philae in Aswan and the Valley of the Kings and Karnak in Luxor. Drinks, tips and extras such as Abu Simbel are usually charged on top.

Prices start at around US$450 per person for a four-night cruise on a standard ship and climb to well over US$1,000 on the premium boats.

Splash out on a luxury cruise

If you want a five-star hotel on the river, you’ll love the glamorous edge a luxury cruise offers. Expect pools on deck, spas, suites with river views and fine dining, with excursions in small groups and plenty of the planning stress taken away.

Luxury cruises on the Aswan to Luxor route typically cost from about US$1,500 to US$3,000 per person for four nights. If you want longer on the water, some ships, such as the Mövenpick MS Darakum, also run sailings of ten nights or more all the way from Cairo, and you can cruise Lake Nasser for three or four nights between Aswan and Abu Simbel, stopping at the temples rescued from the rising waters, such as Kalabsha.

Sail on a dahabiya

With a name derived from the Arabic word for gold, a dahabiya (also spelt dahabeya) is the ultimate way to experience the royal treatment. These elegant two-masted sailing houseboats were the vessel of choice for wealthy travellers on the Nile in the 19th century, and luckily you don’t have to be born a pharaoh to try one today.

Dahabiyas carry just 8 to 16 passengers, so they’re perfect for small groups or travellers who want a more private setting. They sail with the wind, with a tug or small motor to help through the locks, and because they’re small, they can moor at islands and quieter sites the big ships can’t, such as Gebel el-Silsila, with its ancient sandstone quarries.

Trips usually last four to seven nights, and prices run from about US$900 to US$2,500 per person, with all meals included. On board, you’ll feel like you’ve travelled back in time.

Or skip the boat altogether

If you’re short on time, you don’t need to be on the water at all to get between the two cities. The train from Aswan to Luxor takes about three hours, as does the drive, and EgyptAir connects both cities with Cairo.

For the long haul north, the overnight sleeper train runs from Aswan and Luxor to Giza. I took it from Giza to Aswan, and back from Luxor at the end of my trip. I enjoyed it, but once you’ve done it one way, I’d recommend flying for the other. My guide to the Giza to Aswan sleeper train has everything you need to book it.

Which way to travel the Nile is best for you?

From budget-friendly sails to cruises dripping with grandeur, river adventures are abundant. What it ultimately comes down to is your needs as a traveller. Here are a few points to consider when weighing up the options.

Time

Whether you’re travelling for a month or have ten days in Egypt, time is essential when picking a boat. A cruise ship or a dahabiya takes three to seven nights, but it also does the sightseeing for you, so the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu are included on the way. A felucca takes one or two nights and still leaves you with a transfer to Luxor at the end. A day trip on a felucca is perfect if you only have a few hours.

Comfort and cost

From roughing it to rolling in luxury, comfort is another factor you should consider. If you’re a camper at heart, a felucca is a great choice: sleeping on a covered deck as you bob on the water is the closest thing you can get to the river without jumping in. It’s also by far the cheapest option.

For travellers with more cash to spend, a luxury cruise or a dahabiya is the perfect pick, depending on whether you’d prefer a bigger ship with more facilities or a smaller boat with fewer people.

Type of experience

The last point to consider is what kind of trip you’re after. For authenticity seekers, a felucca or a dahabiya is an excellent opportunity to travel with a historical twist. A cruise ship is the best bet if you want to see the most temples with the least effort, with a guide, three meals a day and a pool to cool off in between.

The best Nile cruises to book

Sonesta Amirat dahabeya: eight days from Aswan to Luxor

This luxury dahabiya offers a unique trip with high-end meals (it’s full board) on an opulent vessel. Plus, there’s plenty of time to explore this section of the Nile at leisure, with stops at Kom Ombo, Gebel el-Silsila, Edfu and Esna. It sails for seven nights every Saturday, from Aswan to Luxor or the other way round.

Aswan to Luxor four-day luxury dahabiya cruise

A shorter way to try a dahabiya, with guided visits along the way between Aswan and Luxor. It’s rated 4.8 out of 5 by travellers.

Mövenpick MS Darakum

Hoteliers Mövenpick know a thing or two about making guests comfortable, so it should come as no surprise that the MS Darakum is a stunning way to cruise the Nile in style. It’s one of the largest ships on the river, which means plenty of facilities to keep you entertained on board, and it’s one of the few that also sails from Cairo.

MS Esmeralda

Float down the Nile in five-star style on the MS Esmeralda. It takes bookings from both Aswan and Luxor, and you can choose from three, four or seven nights, so it’s easy to fit into your itinerary.

Three days from Aswan to Luxor with guided tours

This mid-range cruise comes complete with an Egyptologist guide to help you discover the history and beauty of the south. It covers two nights on board, with visits to Kom Ombo, Edfu and the sights of Luxor, and it’s rated 4.5 out of 5.

Four days from Aswan with Abu Simbel and a balloon flight

Want the big extras sorted? This trip packs in the two big extras most people want: a day trip to Abu Simbel and a sunrise hot air balloon flight over Luxor. More than 500 travellers rate it 4.5 out of 5.

Four days from Luxor with guided tours and Abu Simbel

This four-day trip is a popular choice if you’re starting in Luxor, sailing south to Aswan with guided tours at every stop and a trip to Abu Simbel at the end. It’s rated 4.6 out of 5.

Practical tips for your Nile river trip

What to pack for the Nile

While you might think it’s all clear skies and perfect winds, a few things are essential to brave this mighty river in comfort and style:

• Sunscreen with a high SPF: even under an awning, the sun reflects off the water and can burn.
• Insect repellent: mosquitoes can ruin even the most memorable trips, especially if you’re sleeping on deck.
• A sun hat and UV-protection sunglasses: you’ll be outdoors on deck and at the temples along the way.
• Light cover-ups: at religious sites, you should respect local customs, which includes covering your shoulders and knees, even on hot days. My Egypt packing list has the rest.
• A warm layer and a head torch: essential on a felucca, where nights on the water can be cool and there’s no electricity.

How long to spend on the Nile

From simple dinner cruises to days-long trips, how long you spend on the river is up to you. The classic trip between Aswan and Luxor takes three or four nights on a cruise ship, four to seven on a dahabiya and one or two on a felucca. If you don’t have much time, a few hours on a felucca in Aswan, or a dinner cruise on the Nile in Cairo, gives you a taste.

Best time to sail

October to April is the most comfortable time to be on the river, with warm days and cooler nights, though December to February is peak season, when cruises are busiest and most expensive. From June to September, prices can drop by around a third, but the heat in the south is intense. I travelled in late May and early June, and there were points in Luxor and Aswan where I was so hot I didn’t know what to do with myself, but the upside was fewer crowds and lower prices. My Egypt travel tips cover the seasons in more detail.

Tipping on board

Tips are rarely included. On cruise ships, there’s usually a box for the crew at the end, and around US$30 to US$50 per couple per week is a common guide, with a separate tip for your guide. On a felucca, tip the captain and crew directly at the end of the trip.

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Read next

• 10 days in Egypt: an Egypt itinerary by train and felucca
• The best things to do in Egypt
• The ultimate Egypt travel guide
• How (and what) to pack and dress for Egypt
• Unmissable things to do in Aswan
• Brilliant things to do in Luxor
• How much does a trip to Egypt cost?

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