Summary
- Dahabiya Nile Cruise offers a majestic and romantic way to explore Egypt’s history and wonders, known for luxury and leisurely travel.
- The Dahabiya is a traditional 2-masted ship sailing with wind power and is suitable for small groups, friends, couples, and families, offering private tours and comfort.
- Unlike larger Nile cruises, Dahabiya allows access to inaccessible sites, providing a more intimate and natural experience along the Nile River.
- The cruise runs on wind power, offering a cozy and serene atmosphere, while larger Nile cruises use steam engines and have more facilities.
- Dahabiya prices vary based on factors like cruise duration, itinerary, season, and number of travelers, offering a range of $150 to $835 per person per day.
The Dahabiya Nile Cruise is a majestic way to explore all the history and wonders of Egypt. The goal of this article is to offer every traveler all the facts and information about the Dahabiya Nile Cruise. This article was written by a group of very skilled team of tour operators, tour guides, and traveler consultants. The Dahabiya Nile River Cruise is the most classical and romantic vessel of a cruise between Esna, Luxor, and Aswan.
The origin of word Dahabiya comes from the Arabic word Dahab, which means gold to symbolize luxury and pleasure; it has existed since pharaonic times for countless kings and nobles, even in the modern era for celebrities, royal families, English Egyptologists, journalists, and novelists like Agatha Christie. Dahabiya Nile River Cruise is considered to be the most leisurely manner of traveling across the Nile River while enjoying the finest means of convenience and tranquility.
What is a Dahabiya Nile Cruise?
A Dahabiya Nile Boat is a 2-masted ship sailing with the power of the wind and can also be towed by a tugboat if the wind is calm. It was invented at the beginning of the last century during the Victorian age and was very popular when the royal family of Egypt used to sail across the Nile River during their vacations in Southern Egypt. The Dahabiya Nile Cruise is a private small cruise known to be very suitable for small groups, friends, newlyweds, and small Families. Equipped with high-end privacy, special food, and private tours that provide magical memories of the Nile and Upper Egypt.
The Dahabiya is built on the traditional sailing model of ancient Egypt and has all means of comfort, entertainment, and convenience. Through Dahabiya Cruise, everyone will get to explore the attractions of the most amazing sites on the banks of the Nile, such as Karnak Temples complex, Hatshepsut Temple, Luxor Temple, Aswan High Dam, Edfu Temple, Temple of Philae, Temple of Kom Ombo, and more.
Due to the small size of the Dahabiya, it can dock at the most inaccessible sites, which in turn provides the chance to discover several must-see sites and witness the majestic life on the banks of the Nile.
How Does Dahabiya Nile River Cruise Work?
The Dahabiya Nile cruise is a luxury midsize boat that travels between Luxor and Aswan for three to twelve nights on the Nile River, which offers an ideal mixture of luxury, tradition, and comfort within a warm atmosphere. It runs on pure wind power and is not motorized like the steam power Nile cruises, so you can hear the sound of the heavenly breeze.
The accommodations on board the dahabiya consist of four large cabins and one or two very spacious suites decorated with genuine, authentic oriental furniture with their own bathroom and air-conditioning with chairs, a divan, sunbeds, dining tables, and an amazing sundeck where you can appreciate the full majestic allure of the Nile.
The Difference Between Dahabiya Nile River Cruises and Other Original Nile River Cruises
The main difference between the Dahabiya Nile River Cruises and Original Nile Cruises is simply the size and the number of facilities and activities found onboard. The Nile cruise will have a way bigger staff, and the main power source of the Nile cruise will be a steam engine, not the natural wind.
The main difference between the two is the cozy feeling and the sensation found onboard. Being on a Nile cruise is like being in a floating hotel away from the world, but a dahabiya is like being in the heart of nature and enjoying the beautiful historical attractions and all the heavenly natural sights & sounds of the Nile. It will maintain your privacy and keep you away from the crowds.
How to Book Dahabiya?
In order to book dahabiya, simply contact Passion Egypt Tours and choose your favorite Dahabiya that fits your budget and time plus leading to your desired attractions while providing the most incredible accommodations and satisfying services.
You will contact our tour operators via our many means of communication. Then, a suitable dahabiya tour will be crafted to fit your needs, time, budget, and requests to ensure the vacation of your dreams comes to life before your very eyes.
Average Prices for Dahabiya
Dahabiya is a majestic and enriching travel experience that deserves every single dollar. The prices of the dahabiya depend on a number of factors, which include the duration of the cruise, whether short, between 3 to 4 days or longer, between 7 to 10 days, or even longer. The chosen itinerary time also affects the overall price as the peak season between October and April sees higher prices, while during the rest of the years, the prices can be a bit affordable. The number of travelers also makes all the difference, as the maximum number of travelers onboard is 16; the less the number of travelers, the more the price tag. The size of the dahabiya and the quality of the amenities also make a huge difference in the crafting of the overall price.
Here’s a rough estimate of average Dahabiya cruise prices, which also depends fairly on the factors mentioned above:
- $150-$250 per person per day (3-4 day Dahabiya Nile cruise)
- $250-$350 per person per day (5-7 day Dahabiya Nile cruise)
- $350-$500+ per person per day (7-10 day Dahabiya Nile cruise)
- $835 per person for a three-night Dahabiya Nile cruise.
Dahabiya Onboard Experience
For ages now, It’s been an extraordinary way to explore the Nile River in great detail beyond the ordinary cruise. All the elements of the dahabiya are created on the principle of providing the ultimate sensation of privacy and tranquility. The experience onboard the dahabiya promises nothing shorter than pure magic, where all the travelers will find themselves in a magical environment floating on a heavenly body of water that gave rise to the greatest civilization on the face of the earth.
Every traveler will find him or herself in a marvelous floating hotel filled with all the means of comfort where every second will get to transform into an exciting tale of delight. The Dahabiya deck has a majestic dining table where the foods and the words found on the table feel as if they fall from the heavens. All the panoramic suites are designed to create a blessed atmosphere of total serenity while offering a portal leading to all the enchanting green riverbanks and mangroves of the Nile River between Luxor and Aswan.
Ancient Sites And Shoreside Activities While Dahabiya
The boat trip in Egypt is more than just a luxurious experience; it’s an opportunity to explore ancient sites and learn from a knowledgeable tour guide who will explain the meaning behind hieroglyphics like the ones found in the colossal treasures of Upper Egypt. Unlike larger cruise ships with fixed routes, Dahabiya offers a more flexible journey that docks in unique spots and usual river cruise stops, and every day feels like an adventure without a strict itinerary.
The smaller size allowed access to places like El Kab, where painted tombs and temples revealed life stories from ancient times, the magnificent Aswan Aswan High Dam & Lake Nasser, and more prominent marvels of constructions like Karnak Temples Complex, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Edfu Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon plus the immortal Abu Simbel Temples. One remarkable monument is the temple of Gebel el-Silsila, where everyone can disembark and trek through a dusty village and striking sand dunes at sunset, where every second will feel like stepping into a biblical divine landscape. This unconventional experience, away from the usual tourist spots, was incredibly memorable, especially witnessing the fiery sunset against distant dunes.