Dahabiya Collection
White sails, a mahogany hull and a deck open to the river: the Iris sails 5-star and all-inclusive between Aswan and Luxor, with a private guide and an air-conditioned vehicle for every visit ashore.
From $1,820 per person
The Iris is part of the SEV team's selection of three 5-star dahabiyas for a dahabiya nile cruise, sailing between Aswan and Luxor. The idea stays the same as any sailing dahabiya: a boat far smaller than a large river cruise ship, with no engine noise, moving up or down the river at its own pace and mooring, generally, along quiet banks, away from the docks lined with big cruisers.
Our Cairo team recommends this format to travelers who want to meet the Nile the way early European visitors described it, rather than following a standardized itinerary.
Aboard the Iris, the stay is all-inclusive and covers 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 site entrance fees, a private guide and a private air-conditioned vehicle for every transfer and every visit.
To compare this format with a standard cruise, the SEV team has laid out the differences in its dahabiya versus Nile cruise ship guide.
Choosing a dahabiya often answers a specific wish: fewer passengers aboard, a tighter service, evenings spent on an open deck rather than in an air-conditioned lounge. The SEV team presents its full range of Egypt cruises, of which the dahabiya format is just one branch among the Nile cruise packages it organizes out of Cairo.
The Iris stands apart from the other two dahabiyas in the selection by the number of its cabin categories: four, against two each for the Akhenaton and the Per-ba. Each category corresponds to a specific spot on the boat, from the main deck to the upper deck, with or without a private veranda.
The exact cabin count per category and a day-by-day breakdown of the sailing are confirmed with every quote, based on the departure date and the cabin category chosen, as well as the availability of your preferred category for the date in question.
The Iris generally suits travelers looking for a slow pace on the river rather than a tightly timed string of stops aboard a large ship: a couple on their honeymoon, travelers who have already visited Egypt once and want another way to see the Nile Valley, or ancient-history enthusiasts who would rather linger at each temple than pass through quickly.
Having four cabin categories, from the Double Deluxe to the Royal with veranda, lets the SEV team match a comfort level to each quote without changing the core of the cruise: all-inclusive, a private guide and an air-conditioned vehicle for every visit.
The choice of route matters too: the Aswan to Luxor cruise runs 3 nights with a Friday departure, while the Luxor to Aswan cruise runs 4 or 7 nights with a Monday departure. Travelers with more time often favor the longer option, which leaves more room between stops; those with a shorter stay in Egypt tend to pick the 3-night option.
Our Cairo team helps you choose between these based on your available dates and the rest of your Egypt itinerary.
The dahabiya is not a recent invention. Back in the nineteenth century, European travelers already sailed up the Nile, aboard flat-bottomed boats built to handle both current and shallow water. The British writer Amelia Edwards described one such journey in A Thousand Miles up the Nile, published in 1877, an account that helped introduce the Nile Valley and its temples to a wide European readership.
Sailing the Iris today means returning to something of that rhythm, with the comfort of a 5-star boat added on top.
A dahabiya generally differs from a large cruise ship in its smaller size, its sail power, and its ability to moor away from the big landings, along calmer banks. These are general traits, rather than precise measurements specific to the Iris, and they explain why travelers pick this format over a large ship in the first place.
The word dahabiya itself comes from Arabic and, before the age of engine-powered river travel, already described the sailing vessels reserved for notable travelers heading up the Nile. The fleet of large cruise ships that now dominates the Luxor to Aswan run developed much later, from the twentieth century onward, with vessels designed to carry a far larger number of passengers.
The dahabiya kept its smaller scale and its reliance on wind, which makes it a very different way of crossing the Nile Valley compared with a large ship.
It is also this smaller scale that lets a dahabiya reach banks a large ship cannot approach, mooring, generally, away from the most crowded areas. The quiet of sail power, without a running engine, adds to a calmer sailing experience than a large river cruiser offers.
Across the Nile Valley, the period from October through April is generally the mildest and driest season, with pleasant temperatures for temple visits during the day. Summer, by contrast, is a very hot season across the whole valley. The SEV team therefore recommends favoring fall, winter or early spring for a dahabiya cruise, without ruling out other periods depending on availability.
For a wedding or a honeymoon, this intimate format suits a moment for two on the river well; the SEV team has gathered its recommendations in its Egypt honeymoon guide. To get a broader sense of Nile cruise budgets, see our Nile cruise packages page as well.
The rates below are given per person, all-inclusive, based on the cabin category and the length of sailing chosen. The Aswan to Luxor cruise runs 3 nights, departing every Friday; the Luxor to Aswan cruise runs 4 or 7 nights, departing every Monday.
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 $2,100 per person
Per person, full board, visits, entry tickets and private guide included
From $2,950 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.
On the Aswan to Luxor route, the boat sails down the Nile from south to north. The exact order of visits is confirmed at the time of booking, based on mooring schedules; the order below reflects the geographic logic of the route.
To place these sites between the two cities that bookend the cruise, the SEV team also offers its dedicated pages on Aswan and Luxor, along with a detailed Luxor Aswan itinerary guide.
The photos below show the Iris as you will find her aboard: decks, common areas, cabins and bathrooms.
The Iris offers four categories: the Double Deluxe cabin, the Junior on the main deck, the Junior on the upper deck with veranda, and the Royal on the upper deck with veranda.
The cruise includes 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 for visits and transfers.
The Aswan to Luxor route, 3 nights, departs every Friday. The Luxor to Aswan route, 4 or 7 nights, departs every Monday.
Yes: a Christmas departure on Monday 21 December 2026, a New Year departure on Monday 28 December 2026, and Easter departures on Friday 26 March 2027 or Monday 29 March 2027, depending on the route. These departures follow the festive rate table.
Abu Simbel is visited on a day trip by road from Aswan, as part of the cruise, with the private air-conditioned vehicle and guide included.
The period from October through April generally offers the mildest, driest climate in the Nile Valley for visiting temples during the day. Summer is a very hot season there.
The exact day-by-day breakdown is confirmed by the SEV team with your quote, based on the departure date and cabin category chosen.
