African Queen Dahabiya Nile Cruise

Download Pdf

Excellent

★★★★★

4.9 /5

611 reviews

About

The African Queen Dahabiya Nile Cruise 10 spacious cabins on a 45 meter vessel. 8 cabins have either a double bed or 2 twin beds, all with plenty of cupboard space and double windows to watch the landscape go by. The windows have shutters if you prefer a darker room and they all open up to enjoy the gentle breeze as you sail along. For your comfort each window is also fitted with a mosquito screen. Each cabin has its own large bathroom with all the modern amenities including power showers and lots of fluffy towels - Egyptian cotton of course, perfect when returning from the desert exploration and wanting to freshen up.

The African Queen also features 2 suite cabins, situated at the rear of the vessel, with their own private verandahs. These are festooned with colourful traditional floor cushions perfect for enjoying a nightcap or laying back and gazing up at the stars. Unpolluted by city lights, the sky shows a million stars to delight the eye and inspire the soul.

The deck of this matchless boat has plenty of soft comfortable seating, decorated with an African theme, in both an area shaded with a canvas canopy and at the front of the boat where you can enjoy the sun. There are plenty of rattan chairs and deck chairs available on the deck on which to relax whilst admiring the beauties of Egypt and its abundant wildlife as it silently glides by.

The evening meal is generally served on the deck but if the guests find the night air a bit too chilly the salon makes an excellent dining area. A large area spanning the width of the boat, the salon, has lots of comfortable seating all around the room, where you can enjoy conversations about your days events with your fellow passengers or just simply relax quietly with a book.

Main Feature

Itinerary

Route Points

1 - Luxor

Open in Google Maps

Day 1

Arrive in Luxor, where you are met by your tour guide and begin your day of exploring by visiting the east bank of the Nile, the Temple of Karnak, where generations of pharaohs wished to record their names. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall, strolling among its expertly aligned columns, which soar to 80 feet high. Continue to the striking Temple of Luxor. View the three large statues of Ramses II along the front of the temple pylons; the Courtyard of Ramses II; and the Colonnade of Amenhotep III, with its 50-foot-high columns. Walk in their shadows as visitors have done since antiquity and ponder the astonishing feats of engineering it took to create them. Then, Board your dahabiya boat. Enjoy lunch & Dinner on board.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner.
Day 2

This morning, explore the west bank of the Nile River and the Necropolis of Thebes, and view the Colossi of Memnon. Next, arrive at the architecturally stunning Temple of Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt’s first female pharaoh and regarded today as one of its most successful. Continue to the Valley of the Kings, burial ground of the pharaohs and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a period of 500 years beginning in the 16th century BC, tombs were built along this valley for pharaohs and nobles, including that of “the boy king,” Tutankhamun. Enter the tomb of Tutankhamun (extra ticket) - found in 1922 by British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter- to discover the secrets of this storied chamber. around 12Pm back on board and then set sail, sailing all day down to El Kab where we moor for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3

After breakfast we start the day visiting the village of El Kab where you will see the locals making bread and selling the baskets which they produce made out of recycled bags. Walking on to the Tombs around the great mud brick wall which encloses the now closed site of Nekbet, but you can still see the glory of the 3000 year old wall.

Returning to the boat late morning where we will continue to sail on to Edfu.

Edfu Temple

Edfu Temple is an ancient Egyptian temple situated on a mound on the west bank of Nile River in the city of Edfu, in between Luxor and Aswan. The city was formerly known as ‘Apollonopolis Magna’ during the Greco-Roman period, because the Romans associated Greco with their god Apollo. The city of Edu was a flourishing city during the Ancient Egyptian times, thus the Edu temple was an important symbol of power and influence the city had over the area. It is one of the largest and best preserved temples in Egypt. Edfu Temple was built during between 237 & 57 B.C., during the Ptolemaic period.

The temple was dedicated to Horus, the falcon headed god. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the temple was built on the site where the great battle between the gods Horus and Seth took place. Edfu Temple has some traditional Egyptian elements, along with a few Greek influences.

Mooring for the night just outside Edfu.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4

A full days sail down to the Quarries at Silsila.

Plenty of birds to identify and watch the local fisherman in there colourful rowing boats.

Mooring at Silsila for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5

Gebel El Silsila Temple which is located not far from Aswan was rescued from Lake Nasser, but because of it's location, it has remained largely out of reach to tourists.

Gebel El Silsila Temple

After breakfast visiting the site of Silsila with a small chapel dedicated to Horemheb.

During the 18th dynasty the Egyptians switched from limestone to sandstone. At this time the quarries at Gebelein were not yielding as much limestone as before. Gebel el-Silsila became a source of sandstone.

Many of the talatats used by Akhenaten were quarried from here, and used in buildings at Luxor and Amarna. A stela from the early part of Akhenaten's reign shows the king offering to Amun beneath the winged sun-disk. The inscription records that stone was cut for the great Benben of Harakhty in Thebes. Akhenaten's sculptor Bek oversaw the opening of a stone quarry here.

Returning to the boat where we continue our sail to Komombo, mooring at Manhea for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6

Set dramatically on the bank of the Nile, 47 kilometers north of Aswan and 168 kilometers south of Luxor, the soaring, chunky columns of the Great Temple of Kom Ombo are a magnificent sight as you arrive from the river.

Great Temple of Kom Ombo

In Kom Ombo, you will see a temple that aims to serve 2 sets of gods at the same time. The Kom Ombo Temple has a double design with 2 entrances and duplicate rooms. The south part of the double temple is offered for gods Sobek (crocodile god of fertility and creation), Hathor (goddess of love, joy and motherhood) and Knhonsu (moon god). The north part is dedicated to Panebtawy (lord of 2 lands), Tasenetnofret (Good sister) and Horus the elder (Falcon god). Dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris, the temple's finely carved reliefs give a sense of this area's prominence as capital over the surrounding region during the Ptolemaic era. Today Kom Ombo may be a sleepy agricultural backwater surrounded by sugar cane fields, but its prime position along the Nile once made it one of Upper Egypt's most important cities.

Continue our sail towards Aswan, where we moor at Companea Village, light permitting a member of the crew will walk you through the village.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7

After breakfast and final packing say goodbye to the crew, Visit Philae Temple and High Dam in Aswan Then transfer to Aswan airport.

Meals: Breakfast

Why book with Journey To Egypt?

U.S.-registered corporation and travel agent

Trusted by thousands of travelers

Expert local guides and authentic experiences

Secure and easy online booking

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award Winner from 2016 to 2024

Included

Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers.
Accommodation on Dahabiya by full board system.
All sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary.
Certified professional tour guide.
Bottled water on board the vehicle during the tour.
Taxes and service charges.

Excluded

Internal Air: Cairo/ Luxor; Aswan/ Cairo.
Gratuity to staff, tour guide.
Drinks (Alcoholic drinks available at an extra cost).

Prices

Dahabeya PRICES

7 Days

$1490 Per Person In Double Cabin.
$2120 Per Person in Single Cabin.
Prices are quoted in US Dollars Per person Per Trip in Double Cabin except during Christmas, New Year & Easter holidays(Christmas date 20 Dec To 7 Jan & Easter date 30 March To 20 April).