Nour El Nil review: nine sailing dahabiyas from Esna to Aswan

A Nour El Nil cruise is five nights on a wooden sailing boat, a dahabiya, between Esna and Aswan, with about twenty other guests and no engine noise. Verdict in one line: a superb way to see the river itself, at a price that only makes sense if you value the slow days and the quiet stops more than the big-name temples, which are mostly outside the cruise.

The company has been trading since at least 2006: the travel press was writing about it by then. It was founded by three partners who are still named on its own pages: Enrique Cansino, his wife Eléonore Kamir, who designs every interior, and the Egyptian sailor and boatbuilder Memdouh Sayed Khalifa. The fleet has grown from four boats to nine, all on the same itinerary, so choosing Nour El Nil means choosing a boat, a room and a week.

The boats: which Nour El Nil dahabiya to choose

All nine boats are traditional dahabiyas of about 45–60 metres, with about ten rooms. A typical boat has two Panoramic Suites with wide windows and eight Luxury Rooms. The names and the layouts differ:

Two practical rules follow from this. Families who want to share should look only at Najafa, Poppee, Roman or Adelaïde, the four boats with Deluxe Suites for up to four people. Every other room takes a maximum of two. And if the price is the sticking point, El Nil is the boat to ask about: smaller rooms, simpler fittings, the same river.

You may still see a boat called Assouan on reseller sites. It was Nour El Nil's first dahabiya, but it no longer appears in the company's own fleet. Zekrayaat and Roda, sometimes listed alongside these names, are not Nour El Nil boats. If an agency offers you one of them "with Nour El Nil", ask who actually operates it.

None of the boats has a pool. Rooms are air-conditioned, and Wi-Fi relies on the mobile network, so expect gaps.

The itinerary: five nights from Esna to Aswan

There is only one Nour El Nil itinerary, and it runs one way: upriver from Esna to Aswan, with the prevailing north wind behind the sails. Starting at Esna means the boat never queues for the Esna lock and skips the Luxor–Esna stretch altogether. Guests are collected from their Luxor hotel or the airport and driven to Esna.

The real difference from a motor-ship cruise is days two to four. El Kab (ticket EGP 200) and Gebel el-Silsila (EGP 100) are sites most Nile visitors never see, and only small boats can stop there. You also sail by day past riverbank villages; big ships do much of their sailing in the small hours.

The itinerary can change at a few hours' notice because of river levels or rules set by the Nile authorities, and the company says so plainly.

What the cruise does not cover

Luxor is only the pick-up point. Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple are not part of the cruise, so add at least one Luxor night before you board. Our Luxor guide covers what to fit in. At the other end, the cruise ends on the morning of day six, so add a night in Aswan for Philae and an early start for Abu Simbel. The Aswan guide has the details.

Nour El Nil prices: per room, in euros

Nour El Nil is unusually open about money. Its booking search shows live prices per room for the whole five-night cruise, in euros. On 19 October, for late-October departures (high season, last rooms):

Divide by two and by five nights for a sense of scale: the €6,600 Agatha room works out at €660 per person per night for two people sharing. Four sharing the €16,300 Najafa suite pay about €815 each per night, and children pay as adults. One independent reviewer, who sailed in May, put the smallest boats' basic rooms at about €3,500 per room. Ask about El Nil if the headline prices are too steep.

Included: the room, all meals, soft drinks, juice and water, site entrance fees, a licensed Egyptologist guide, village walks, taxes and the transfer from Luxor to Esna. Not included: alcohol (sold on board, and one reviewer says you may bring your own) and the transfer to Aswan airport. Tipping guidance is not published, so ask when you book.

Treat reseller prices that don't match the operator's own search with suspicion: one still lists the retired Assouan.

What travellers say about Nour El Nil

Independent reviews and agency write-ups praise the slow pace, the stops at El Kab and Gebel el-Silsila, the interiors, the crew and the small number of guests.

They also list downsides worth knowing before you pay. On windless days a tug tows the boat, and boats may travel in a loose convoy. Communal dining at one long table feels like a house party, which some guests love and others don't. Standard rooms are small, and a few reviewers mention weak showers and repetitive food. The last night is spent at the government dock by the Aswan bridge, which the company itself calls less idyllic than the island moorings.

How to book a Nour El Nil cruise

You book direct on nourelnil.com by choosing a boat and date and sending a request. The company confirms, then asks for a 25 % deposit within 14 days. Cancellation terms are not published on the open site, so ask for them in writing when you request the booking. Luxury agencies such as Scott Dunn, i-escape and Timbuktu Travel also sell it inside tailor-made trips, with hotels arranged around the cruise.

No platform sells Nour El Nil. GetYourGuide's most-reviewed dahabiya listing (Aswan to Luxor, 4 days, from $1,100 per person, 4.8 from 58 reviews) runs the other way, Aswan to Luxor in three nights, on a boat the listing does not name. It is a good shorter alternative, but it is not this company. Ask the operator for the boat's name and cabin before you pay.

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide3 nightsFrom Aswan

Aswan to Luxor: 4-Day Luxury Dahabiya Nile Cruise Adventure

4.8 (58)

from $1,100Check dates

⛵ Luxor

GetYourGuide5 nightsFrom Luxor

Luxor to Aswan: 6-Day Dahabiya Nile Cruise with Ancient Tour

4.1 (9)

from $1,400Check dates

⛵ Aswan

GetYourGuide2 nightsFrom Aswan

From Aswan: 2-Nights boutique Dahabiya Nile Cruise to Luxor

5.0 (3)

from $900Check dates

Prices checked on 19 October 2026

Alternatives to Nour El Nil

If you like the idea but not the price or the length, compare the other dahabiya fleets in our best dahabiya cruises shortlist. Lazuli is a fleet of eight to ten boats, and some of its programmes start in Luxor with the West Bank sights. Djed prices its four boats per person per night, from €330. For a general introduction to how dahabiyas differ from cruise ships, start with our dahabiya guide.

If you want a small ship that starts in Luxor, look at the luxury motor ships: the Oberoi Zahra (28 cabins, a pool, entry fees and guide included) or the heritage paddle steamer SS Sudan. Note that Nebu, often sold as a "dahabiya", is a 40-suite motor ship.

Nour El Nil: questions