Sonesta Dahabiya, the latest addition to the Sonesta Nile Cruises portfolio, combines comfort and beauty in a most inspiring way,
promising a remarkable, rewarding cruise experience of legendary hospitality.

The Sonesta Dahabiya will take you back in time to a gentler, more gracious era in a 7-night cruise experience between Luxor and Aswan. A unique experience down the Nile by traditional small sailing vessel that was commonly used during those elegant days of the monarchy (1920s - 40s) when aristocrats and sophisticated travellers loved to cruise the Nile in style. We've revived those elegant days with modern comforts and conveniences.

Being part of the Sonesta Nile Cruise's high-scale brand portfolio of deluxe service Nile cruisers, facilities aboard the Sonesta Dahabiya are endless, including a stylish lounge, an open-air oriental style jacuzzi, a spacious and partially shaded sundeck.

Offering 5 deluxe cabins and 2 elegant suites (with private terrace), Dahabiya allows you to experience an imaginary world of luxury and privacy. All cabins and suites feature private direct-dial telephones, individual climate control. hairdryers, mini-bars, safety deposit boxes, plasma TVs and movie programs.

Sonesta Dahabia : LUXOR to ASWAN Itinerary - Add Cairo stay and Abu Simbel

Day 1 - Luxor - Friday - Dendera and Abydos Temples - Hotel in Luxor (LD)
Your guide will meet you in Luxor at your hotel or Luxor Airport ( Please advise your arrival details)
Private Chauffeur. Private air-conditioned vehicle for your tour, today we drive inland to tour Denderah Temple ,
tour is in an air-conditioned vehicle, with a chauffeur of course as well as an English speaking guide / Egyptologist.
Dendera Temple is among the best preserved in Egypt. This temple as a sight to hold. Indiana Jones would have felt at home, with the massive stones & underground passages. We tour as well Abydos before we head back to Luxor (lunch box included )

DENDERAH IN A DAY: We'll travel to Denderah to visit the Temple of Hathor, one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt, and also one of the most important. In the ancient beliefs, Hathor was the consort of the god of daylight, ruler of the west, and protector or the underworld. In the manner of wise desert wayfarers, we'll leave before dawn to take advantage of cool temperatures. Our air-conditioned vehicle will take us through timeless Nileside villages, where life revolves around the irrigation and harvest of crops. Finally, we'll reach the temple precincts. We'll take note of the unusually deep tombs, and pass under the celebrated Zodiac, in a chapel dedicated to Osiris. (Denderah is the traditional site of his rebirth.) Our full day will also include a visit to Abydos, traditional home of Osiris, god of the underworld, and a stopping point on the journey of wayfaring souls. We'll enjoy a box lunch with bottled water included . Reach Luxor late afternoon and your hotel in Luxor . Dinner is included at the hotel in Luxor.
Sample Deluxe : Steigenberger , or Old Winter Palace. Nile view room.

Day 2 : Saturday - Luxor (B)
Breakfast is included at the hotel , the transfer to your luxuriously appointed dahabiyya.
Today we visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak, with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing 28 th Dynasty Luxor Temple, and Luxor Museum , then on to : Deir El Medinah is on Luxor's west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.
Add a private tour of Queen Nefertari's Tomb. Please click here .

Private Egyptologist. Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle-Private Chauffeur
Overnight moored on the Nile banks of Luxor.
Evening Sound and Light show at Karnak . Please bring a jacket.
Cabin amenity for tonight : A fruit basket awaits you in your cabin with our compliments.

Day 3 : Sunday - On Board your Dahabiya
Today we head to the West Bank for visits to the burial places of the Pharaohs - the Valley of the Kings - where Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of the Queens, the temple of Medinet Habu , the Ramesseum and the Colossi of Memnon
In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor souks and water front. Overnight moored in Luxor.
Cabin amenity for tonight : Kartouches with your names in Hieroglyphic with our compliments. Private Egyptologist. Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle-Private Chauffeur

Day 4 : Monday - We Include the Tour to Esna Temple .
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, we sail to Esna, go through Esna Locks .
Private guide to visit Esna Temple . Cabin amenity for tonight : Egyptian sweets platter . With our compliments.
Private Egyptologist. Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle-Private Chauffeur

Day 5 : Tuesday - On Board Your Nile Cruise
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved Temple of Edfu.
Overnight moored beside a Nile island. Cabin amenity for tonight : Galabya ( the local flowing traditional garb) ,with our compliments . Private Egyptologist. Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle-Private Chauffeur

Day 6 : Wednesday- On Board Your Nile Cruise
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo visit see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning sun , overnight onboard moored next to an island in the middle of the Nile . Private Egyptologist. Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle-Private Chauffeur

Day 7 : Thursday - Aswan - Soheil Island
A leisurely day sailing to Aswan where the dahabiyya moors overnight. Upon arrival we invite our interested guests to a short camel ride to a nearby Nubian Village, time permitting we may be able to go to Soheil Island.

For nature lovers we include a tour of the Botanical Garden Island in Aswan ( while others will simply have you sail around the island without setting foot on it !), then we go on to Gharb Sehail and tour some of the mini nature protected Islands in the middle of the Nile with sandy beaches and beautiful rare plants .

In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan souks and waterfront. Private Egyptologist. Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle-Private Chauffeur

Day 8 : Friday - Aswan
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old Dam (completed in 1902). You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam's construction . We tour the Nubian Museum before heading back to the Sonesta dahabiya . Evening Sound and Light show at Philae Temple .Private Egyptologist. Private Air-Conditioned Vehicle-Private Chauffeur

Day 9 : Saturday - Aswan
Breakfast aboard the dahabiya and check-out. We’ll disembark at Aswan after breakfast. You’ll continue your travel homeward, or perhaps you’ll choose to linger for a few days where royalty have traditionally spent a winter in the fine, dry climate amid splendid dining and entertainment. Add Cairo stay and Abu Simbel . Click here for Sonesta Dahabiya - ASWAN to LUXOR Itinerary

• Rates for the suite with private balcony : Double or single cabin : USD $ 18,840. USD
  This is the total per suite not per person
  

Upgrade to the Suite with your own private Terrace

Add Cairo stay and Abu Simbel

Rate Includes:

• The 9 Day version : Cairo and the Deluxe Dahabiya cruise , or the 17-day version with Alexandria

Message: Hi Omar,
How are you? It is with great pleasure that we reminisce our Egyptian trip. How can one not, with your courteous service and impeccable planning? We tell our family/friends that if they ever want to travel anywhere in the world they must do it with "Travel in Style." They ask for the reasons. We say, "You have to experience the personal attention, thorough knowledge of the guides and prompt service to know why you excel in travel planning. Madhu Wangu

Madhu B. Wangu
Facilitator, http://www.Spirituality-Sparks.com
(Disseminating Words of Wisdom for Spiritual Growth)
Author Advocate, http://www.Pennwriters.com
(A Sanctuary for Writers)

You travel to experience people and places and to expand your mind. But have you delved into the universe deep within you? The universe within is a source of creativity and spirituality. Self-exploration increases your sense of balance, brings poise to your body and calms your mind. As you begin to discover your authentic self you feel kindness, clarity and insight enter your daily life. As you travel and empower your mind, why now take a peek into the wondrous world within?

Don’t wait any longer! Visit www.spirituality-sparks.com. A web site about creativity and spirituality.

The web site is facilitated by Madhu B. Wangu Ph. D., an author of five books and dozens of articles. She writes and lectures about Asian religions and art, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Reading her web site will stimulate your creative juices and nourish spiritual dimension in your life.