Aswan to Luxor, 3 nights
From $2,020 per person
- Double Deluxe Cabin$2,020Festive $2,690
- Junior Veranda Cabin$2,410Festive $3,420
Per person, full board, visits, entry tickets and private guide included
Dahabiya Nile Cruise
Aboard the Per-ba dahabiya, the decision comes down to one question: an interior cabin, or a private veranda facing the Nile. That veranda sets the tone for this five-star sailing vessel on the route between Aswan and Luxor.
From $2,020 per person
Among the dahabiya Nile cruises in our collection, the Per-ba stands out for a cabin lineup that is short but clear: a Double Deluxe cabin, comfortable and classic, or a Junior cabin with a private veranda opening straight onto the river. That second option is what gives the Per-ba its identity within our fleet.
A private veranda changes the rhythm of a dahabiya vacation. It gives travelers a spot of their own to watch the riverbanks pass, take a quiet coffee at sunrise, or catch the sunset over the Nile without ever leaving the cabin. On the Per-ba, that option starts at the second cabin tier, which sets it apart from the Akhenaton dahabiya, where a veranda is an upgrade on a single double cabin, and from the Iris dahabiya, where a veranda appears only on the top two tiers of a four-tier lineup.
A dahabiya has little in common with a large river cruise ship. It sails rather than motors, carries a modest number of travelers, and moves at the pace of the wind rather than a fixed schedule. It often ties up along quiet banks, away from the docks lined with bigger vessels, which is exactly the kind of slower, quieter sailing that makes a private veranda worth having. Our dahabiya versus Nile cruise guide lays out these differences in full.
The custom of chartering a sail-powered dahabiya for a private Nile voyage dates back to the nineteenth century, when European travelers hired their own boats to sail upriver at the mercy of the wind, stopping at many of the same temples included on a cruise today. The English writer Amelia Edwards recorded one such journey in A Thousand Miles up the Nile, published in 1877, a book that already captured the pleasure of watching the landscape unfold from a sailboat's deck. The Per-ba's veranda carries that same idea into the present.
The Double Deluxe cabin suits travelers who want a more moderate rate and plan to spend most of their time on the shared deck rather than in the cabin itself. The Junior veranda cabin suits travelers who want a private space facing the Nile, especially for a honeymoon or a quiet moment together; our Egypt honeymoon page covers other ways to personalize this kind of trip.
The SEV team walks through the exact specifications of each cabin category at the time of your quote.
Along the Nile Valley, the mildest stretch of the year generally runs from October through April, with cool mornings and evenings and warmer midday hours, which makes time spent on a private veranda, coffee in hand, watching the banks go by, especially pleasant. Summer, from June through August, runs very hot across the valley, including aboard a dahabiya, where comfort depends on natural airflow and deck shade rather than the centralized air conditioning of a large ship.
That is worth weighing alongside your travel dates. Many American travelers also plan a Nile sailing around a winter break or a spring break, when the cooler months line up conveniently with school calendars. The SEV team can help match your priorities to a departure window.
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 or Luxor to join the dahabiya. The SEV team in Cairo can help sequence these connections around your chosen departure date. For any updated travel guidance before booking, travel.state.gov is the reference the SEV team points American clients toward.
Two cabins, three trip lengths, two rate windows. The Junior veranda cabin is the Per-ba's signature option; the Double Deluxe cabin remains the more moderate choice. Prices below are in US dollars, per person, full board, for the private cruise from Aswan to Luxor (3 nights, departing every Friday) and the private cruise from Luxor to Aswan (4 or 7 nights, departing every Monday). The SEV team confirms availability at the time of your quote.
Large figures: 2026-2027 season departures. “Festive”: Christmas, New Year and Easter departures.
From $2,020 per person
Per person, full board, visits, entry tickets and private guide included
From $2,280 per person
Per person, full board, visits, entry tickets and private guide included
From $3,030 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.
Salons, dining room, cabins and promenade deck: the Per-ba seen from the inside.
The eight sites below are included regardless of the trip length you choose. The exact order of visits depends on the direction of sailing and the day's schedule, and is confirmed with your booking. Abu Simbel, set back from the river, is visited on a day excursion by road from Aswan, one of the trip's highlights, which travelers aboard the Per-ba often revisit from the deck on the return leg, this time seen from the water.
Four cabin categories, from Double Deluxe to Royal with veranda, for a wider range of choice.
Double Deluxe and Double veranda cabins, the most accessible dahabiya in our collection.
The Junior veranda cabin includes a private outdoor space facing the Nile, unlike the Double Deluxe cabin. The difference in rate varies by trip length and season. The SEV team walks through the exact specifications of each cabin category at the time of your quote.
Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon are included, along with all entrance fees, a private guide and a private air-conditioned vehicle for visits and transfers.
Three lengths are offered: 3 nights on the private cruise from Aswan to Luxor, or 4 or 7 nights on the private cruise from Luxor to Aswan, depending on the direction chosen.
The 3-night Aswan to Luxor cruise departs every Friday. The 4-night or 7-night Luxor to Aswan cruise departs every Monday.
Abu Simbel is visited on a day excursion by road from Aswan, since Ramses II's two temples do not sit directly on the banks where the dahabiya sails.
It is one of the profiles it suits best: a private space facing the Nile for a couple who wants a quiet moment between visits. The SEV team can help match the cabin choice to your priorities at the time of your quote.
Yes. Holiday departures (Christmas on December 21, 2026, New Year on December 28, 2026, and Easter on March 26 and 29, 2027) follow a dedicated rate table, shown under the Holiday Departures tab above.
October through April generally offers the mildest conditions along the Nile Valley, with gentle mornings and evenings that suit a private veranda especially well. Summer runs very hot. The SEV team can help choose a departure window that fits your travel dates.