Departing every Friday, from Aswan
Three nights aboard a 5-star dahabiya, full board, sailing from Aswan to Luxor. Three dahabiyas cover this route, the Iris, the Akhenaton and the Per-ba, each with a private guide and an air-conditioned vehicle for every visit.
From $1,610 per person
Our dahabiya Nile cruise collection also comes in this shorter format: a dahabiya sailing from Aswan to Luxor in 3 nights, departing every Friday. Three 5-star dahabiyas cover this route, the Iris, the Akhenaton and the Per-ba, all full board, all with a private guide and a private air-conditioned vehicle for every visit and transfer.
This is the shortest format in our collection, built for a Nile escape that slots easily into a longer Egypt trip, say alongside time in Cairo or an extension in Aswan. Travelers who prefer a longer format, with more time on the water between visits, can look at the Luxor to Aswan cruise in 4 or 7 nights, departing every Monday.
This shorter format suits couples on a honeymoon with only a week in Egypt, or travelers who have already seen the temples of Luxor and are chiefly after the sailing itself, between Aswan and Kom Ombo. Our Egypt honeymoon page covers other ways to shape that kind of trip, and our guide to departing from Aswan walks through how this route generally unfolds.
The 3-night format covers the same eight sites as the longer format, at the same 5-star, full board standard. The difference is pacing: more visits packed into three days rather than spread across four or seven. Our dahabiya versus Nile cruise ship guide explains more broadly what sets this format apart from a large ship, and our 5-star Nile cruise page situates it within our wider collection.
Travelers from the United States typically fly out of JFK, Newark, Washington-Dulles, Chicago or Los Angeles, connecting through a European or Gulf hub to Cairo, then taking a short domestic flight on to Aswan to join the dahabiya ahead of Friday's departure. The SEV team in Cairo helps sequence these connections around your chosen date, and points American clients toward travel.state.gov for any updated travel guidance before booking.
Many travelers pair this 3-night sailing with a few days in Cairo on either side of the trip, which softens the effect of the long-haul flight and the time change.
The three dahabiyas in our collection all cover this Friday route. They share the same core of included visits and the same full board standard, and differ mainly in their cabin categories.
Two cabin categories, the Double Deluxe and the Double with veranda. The most accessible 5-star dahabiya in our collection.
Departing from Aswan puts this format within easy reach of Abu Simbel, whose two temples are generally visited by road on a day excursion, either before boarding or early in the sailing. That is one of the advantages of starting precisely from Aswan rather than Luxor: the site sits roughly three hours away by road, which makes it a natural addition to open or round out this 3-night cruise. Our complete Abu Simbel guide covers the site's history and its relocation in the 1960s.
On this 3-night format, Aswan's proximity to Abu Simbel changes how the trip gets planned: rather than adding an extra night aboard purely for this excursion, it can be scheduled before boarding or on the first day, depending on the times available at booking. The SEV team in Cairo adjusts this sequence with you at the time of your quote, based on your departure date and your arrival time in Aswan.
Travelers connecting through Cairo on the same day sometimes prefer to schedule Abu Simbel once they reach Aswan and have had a night's rest, rather than on the day they land.
On the Iris, the Double Deluxe cabin is the entry category, the Junior cabins sit on the main deck or on the upper deck with a veranda, and the Royal cabin, on the upper deck with a veranda, is the top category. On the Akhenaton and the Per-ba, the choice narrows to the Double Deluxe and a single veranda category.
For a 3-night format, a private veranda is a useful marker if you want to enjoy the scenery from your cabin from day one. The SEV team in Cairo can advise on budget and dates if you are weighing two dahabiyas against each other.
October through April is generally the most comfortable window for sailing the Nile, with milder daytime temperatures. Summer runs very hot across the Nile Valley, which makes sailing less comfortable for most travelers. Friday departures run year round within the windows listed below; holiday dates are usually booked well in advance.
Whatever the season, morning visits stay the most pleasant, before the heat builds at the open sites, while late afternoon brings softer light over the river from the deck. Many American travelers plan their Nile sailing around a winter break or a spring break, since the cooler months line up conveniently with the school calendar.
Booking a cabin category well ahead of your travel dates tends to matter most for a winter or spring Friday departure, when demand for this route runs highest.
The rates below show the price per person for each dahabiya and each cabin category, on this 3-night route departing every Friday.
Large figures: 2026-2027 season departures. “Festive”: Christmas, New Year and Easter departures.
From $1,820 per person
Per person, full board, visits, entry tickets and private guide included
From $1,610 per person
Per person, full board, visits, entry tickets and private guide included
From $2,020 per person
Per person, full board, visits, entry tickets and private guide included
Price per person, in US dollars. Aswan to Luxor departures from 1 October to 21 December 2026, 1 to 31 January 2027, 1 February to 30 April 2027 and 1 to 31 May 2027; Luxor to Aswan departures on the same windows, every Monday.
Price per person, in US dollars. Christmas departure Monday 21 December 2026, New Year departure Monday 28 December 2026, and Easter departures Friday 26 March 2027 for the Aswan to Luxor route or Monday 29 March 2027 for the Luxor to Aswan route.
Prices converted from euros at the European Central Bank reference rate of 2 October 2026; your quote confirms the final amount.
The eight sites below are included on this 3-night cruise. The exact order of visits is confirmed at booking, based on the schedule for your departure.
For a more detailed breakdown, our Luxor Aswan itinerary guide covers both directions of travel, and our Aswan and Luxor pages cover each city more broadly.
A few glimpses of the Iris under sail, and of everyday life aboard a dahabiya on the Nile.
This cruise departs every Friday, sailing from Aswan toward Luxor.
Three 5-star dahabiyas: the Iris, the Akhenaton and the Per-ba, all full board.
Visits to Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, with all entrance fees, a private guide and a private air-conditioned vehicle.
Abu Simbel is generally visited by road, on a day excursion from Aswan, roughly a three-hour drive each way.
It depends mainly on the deck and whether a private veranda matters to you. The SEV team in Cairo can advise based on your budget and dates.
A Friday departure is offered during Easter week, on Friday, March 26, 2027, at the holiday rate.
Contact the SEV team in Cairo by WhatsApp or through our contact page, with your chosen dahabiya and cabin category. We confirm availability and the detailed program along with your quote.
