Franck Laboue

SPECIALIST Egypt

 

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

  • Voyage Uniktour

    © Uniktour

Sail the Nile on a dahabeeyah

15 DAYS / 13 NIGHTS - de 5000$ à 5750$ CAD

  • Luxury cruise on the Nile

 - For those who truly want to appreciate the Nile in all its glory, nothing beats a luxury cruise on this sacred river. Plays of light on the water surface, spectacular scenery all around, magnificent monuments on the shores, you will see the valley of the Nile in a completely novel way: slowly cruising down the river aboard a dahabeeyah. Travelers who like to get off the beaten bath and who want to experience something different from the classical circuit will appreciate the intimacy and comfort only possible aboard a small riverboat, whose compact size means more flexibility when the time comes to set ashore.
On top of the valley’s usual sites, the dahabeeyah allows you to park where larger vessels can’t, giving you the opportunity to witness daily life on the shores of the Nile.

Sail the Nile on a dahabeeyah is a unique program, tailor-made to suit your needs – as are all our trips. Now you can discover Cairo and its surroundings, say hello to Nubia in Abu Simbel, and enjoy a luxury cruise taking you from Aswan to Esna aboard one of the most beautiful ships traveling on the Nile: a dahabeeyah. At the end of this journey, we take you to Hurghada and the Red Sea: discover Egypt’s newest resort town and its vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere. The pleasures on offer here are a perfect change of pace after the numerous monuments. Let the golden sands of the Red Sea shores work their magic on you! The sun shines bright, the water is warm all year long and the sea is filled with subtropical fish and coral reefs.

This is a unique and different trip, combining the highlights of Egypt with a more personal exploration of the shores of the Nile on a luxury cruise aboard a dahabeeyah. And let’s not forget: accommodation is 5-star throughout the whole journey!

Contact our Egypt specialist today for more information on this unique cruise on the Nile!

  • Day 1 | International flight
     
  • Day 2 | Arrival in Cairo 

Arrival at Cairo international airport. Meet our representative, pick up your luggage and then hop on a private transfer to your hotel. Dinner at own expense and overnight in hotel.

  • Day 3 | Cairo - The Pyramids, Memphis and Saqqara 

First breakfast, and then you are off for a full day of discovery, accompanied by your private driver and guide. You start the day with the famed pyramids of the Giza plateau. Watched over by the famous solitary sphinx with a lion’s body, the three great pyramids of Giza stand tall: Cheops, Khafre, and Menkaure. Entrance to one of the pyramids is included as well as lunch at a local restaurant, and there’s an optional camelback ride on the plateau. In the afternoon you visit Memphis and Sakkara, just outside Cairo. Memphis is a well-known ancient funeral site and was excavated and exhumed by the desert sands, which gradually revealed Sakkara and its necropolis. The eleven pyramids, countless mastabas and isolated Coptic monastery cover an area stretching over more than 7 km from north to south, representing more than 3500 years of Egyptian civilization. In the center of the site sits the pyramid of Djoser, the first ever built and also the first great stone monument ever erected by man. Return to hotel and dinner of your choice. Overnight at hotel. (B,L)

  • Day 4 | Cairo - The great metropolis 

Enjoy your breakfast and then it’s another full day of discovery – in Cairo. At the Museum of Egyptian antiquities, the works on display on the first floor will take you back in time, each room showcasing the beauty of a different epoch. The Tutankhamun exhibit houses over 1700 objects taken from his famous tomb, discovered west of Thebes in King’s Valley, across from the city now known as Luxor. Lunch in a local restaurant is included, after which the tour continues with a visit to the Citadel. Both a palace and an impenetrable fortress, the space inside the Citadel’s immense walls is divided into three sections. Entirely Muslim, it includes many mosques and palaces built by succeeding dynasties. The visit continues at Cairo’s most famous bazaar: Khan el-Khalili. This place was meant for traders and tourists. In its narrow alleys you can find jewels, copper artifacts, marquetry, pharaoh imitations, semi-precious stones, carpets, blown glass ornaments, and many other souvenirs. The boutiques are still organized by corporation. Go there just to stroll around, bargain, or lose yourself in this exotic market. You can follow this with a stop at the bazaar’s famous coffee shop, the al-Fichawi, to sample a tea or a coffee-flavored karkade – not to be missed. In the evening, you can opt for a sound and light show at the pyramids of Gaza. (B, L)

  • Day 5 | Cairo - Abu Simbel 

Breakfast is followed by a transfer to Cairo airport and your flight to Abu Simbel via Aswan. Once on site, you will be welcomed by your private driver and taken for a visit of the temples of Abu Simbel (as part of a group), complete with an English-speaking guide. The pharaoh Ramesses II built the two temples of Abu Simbel. It is dedicated to himself, to the three great Egyptian gods (Amun, Ra, and Ptah), and to his wife Nefertari. Of all the monuments built by Ramesses II, the great temple is considered the most beautiful and the most imposing. When discovered in 1817 by the Italian archeologist Giovanni Battista, the site was almost completely buried in sand. After this visit, settle into your hotel. In the evening you may opt to enjoy a sound and light show at the temple of Abu Simbel. Lunch and dinner at your own expense. Overnight in Abu Simbel. (B)

  • Day 6 | Abu Simbel - Aswan (beginning of Dahabeeyah cruise) - Herdiab 

Early breakfast and then early departure from Abu Simbel to Aswan (approx 3½ hours on the road). Arrival late morning at the latest to be ready for the beginning of our dahabeeyah cruise. It is possible to complete the journey from Abu Simbel to Aswan by plane (subject to availability). Arrive in Aswan right before lunch. Your private driver will take care of you until the beginning of your cruise on the Nile, Africa’s longest river. Settle into your cabins and then enjoy lunch on the riverboat. Your lunch is followed by a visit to the temple of Philae. 5 km south of Aswan, the temple of Philae is now settled on Agilkia Island, following construction of the High Dam. With its reliefs, frescos and capitals dedicated to Isis, universal mother and wife of Osiris, this temple is often considered one of Egypt’s most beautiful sanctuaries. Your journey then continues towards Herdiab. Dinner and overnight in Herdiab. (B, L, D)
Note: You may also be asked to board your boat in Edfu, depending on availability and your selected departure dates.

  • Day 7 | Herdiab - Gebel el-Silsila - Fawaz 

Today your first stop will be Kom Ombo. Perched atop a promontory, this site is admirably romantic. Dedicated to two divinities – the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus – this temple displays perfectly symmetrical architecture. Explore the site before getting back on board the ship for breakfast while you sail to your next destination, Gebel el-Silsila. On the west banks of the river will appear a sanctuary carved into the rock, the Speos of Horemheb, dedicated to the god Horemheb and seven other divinities, including Sobek.
Discover the ancient quarry where workers obtained the sandstone to build the temples. Sail towards Fawaz. Dinner and overnight in Fawaz. (B, L, D)

  • Day 8 | Fawaz - Edfu - El Kab - Esna 

Navigate towards Edfu for a visit to a temple dedicated to the god Horus of Behdety, whose symbol is a winged sun-disc. Though Ptolemy III Euergetes started construction on this temple in 237 BC, it was only completed close to 200 years later. At 26m high, 137m long and 79m wide, this is one of Egypt’s largest and best-preserved temples, thanks in part to the sand with which it was still covered when discovered in the 19th century by the egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Myriad reliefs and inscriptions give the visitor details on the cult, liturgy, and religious ceremonies which took place here, including the annual great festival, during which the goddess Hathor left her temple at Denderah to be reunited with her husband in Edfu. Breakfast on the boat and then onwards towards El Kab. Surrounded by a mud-brick wall built between 747 and 332 BC, this city is said to have been founded during the Neolithic period. Take the time to discover the rock-tombs carved right into the mountainside. The tomb of Ahmose houses an interesting inscription relating the sacking of the city by Avaris and the expulsion of the Hyksos. The tomb of Paheri dates back to 1570 BC and is dedicated to the chief of the Nekhbet priests, its town scribe and mayor. Here the reliefs give a detailed description of rural life: you will find scenes depicting workers in fields, hunters, fishermen, and even a funeral banquet. Once your visit is over, get back on the boat and head towards Esna. Dinner and overnight in Esna. (B, L, D)

  • Day 9 | Esna - Luxor 

After breakfast, our wonderful journey aboard a dahabeeyah ends here. We then head for Luxor by road. Note: dahabeeyah cruises are also available in 4N/5D and even 6N/7D programs for those wishing to discover the valley of the Nile at an even more comfortable pace, with more stops on the river banks. Please contact us for more details.
Once in Luxor, you will be dropped off at your hotel on the banks of the Nile. Once you have settled into your room, you are free to enjoy lunch wherever you please. After lunch, meet up with your English-speaking guide for an afternoon visit of the majestic temple of Karnak, the most important place of worship in all of Egypt during Thebes’ rule. Dedicated to Amun, protector of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom, the buildings which make up this temple were built, destroyed, restored, expanded, and decorated by myriad Pharaohs.
The site includes a complex of sanctuaries, obelisks, and pylons dedicated to the glory of Egypt’s pharaohs. The area covered is gigantic: 1.5 km by 800 m. Impossible to describe, this immense monument must be visited in person in order for its magnitude to truly be felt. From the entrance to the walls of the temple of Amun, you will cross the processional avenue and its ram-headed sphinx, which originally lined a canal linking the temple with the Nile. At the end of the day, discover the temple of Luxor. At this time of day, the perfection of the columns of Amenhotep III is particularly highlighted. This is where the fertility of the Nile was celebrated on a yearly basis during the Optet festival.
The temple of Luxor: even though its entrance is proudly guarded by triumphant statues of Ramesses II, this majestic temple was actually built by Amenhotep III. Over the years, many of Egypt’s legendary rulers, from Tutankhamun to Alexander the Great, endeavored to improve and heighten this grandiose monument’s splendor. After dinner, optional sound and light show (not included). Dinner and overnight in Luxor. (B)

  • Day 10 | Luxor 

After breakfast your private English-speaking guide will accompany you on a complete day of discovery of the Theban necropolis on the west banks of the Nile. This land of mystery was the domain of the god Osiris during the New Empire. On your way there, your first stop will allow you to admire the Colossi of Memnon, two monumental statues built during the rule of the XVIIIth dynasty.
You will also visit the temple of queen Hatshepsut. Queen Hatshepsut’s surprising terraced temple is nestled at the foot of a high limestone cliff. Hatshepsut was Egypt’s greatest sovereign. Throughout her 20-year rule, marked by peace and prosperity, she succeeded in fighting off the male heirs to her throne. Partially set in the mountain, her temple is almost 40 m wide. Its rows of colonnades shaped like beehives blend in perfectly with the natural lines and bends of the mountainous backdrop.

The temple of Hatshepsut represents an extension of the temple of Mentuhotep II, even though it is considerably larger. Seen from far away, the two temples come together in such a homogenous way that it is impossible to distinguish one from the other. Next, you visit the valley of the pharaoh Kings whose magnificent decorated tombs tell the story of the defunct in the hereafter. This Valley of Kings scrupulously hides its secrets…because the great pyramids built by the pharaohs during previous dynasties were too tempting for thieves. 26 sovereigns from the XVIIIth to the XXth dynasties decided to have their tombs built in this isolated valley (tombs open to the public may vary).
Visit the Valley of the Queens, secret necropolis of the royal wives. This valley will show you that the wives and children of the pharaohs were also entitled to magnificent sepultures. The Valley of the Queens holds over 80 tombs, including that of Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II, whose wall paintings are alive with rich colors, and that of Amun-Her-Khepeshef, son of Ramesses III, which is very well preserved. In the valley of the Nobles, the tomb of Ramose is a fine example of the art of Akhenaten’s era. In this vast complex of tombs, more than four hundred personalities and dignitaries are laid to rest. Here you will discover what daily life in ancient Egypt was all about through the magnificent frescos and wall paintings. Scenes depicting hunting, agriculture, celebrations with dancers and musicians…representations which show how rich this civilization really was. Return to your hotel and enjoy dinner in Luxor. Overnight in Luxor. (B)
Note: The order in which these visits takes place may be modified or inverted depending on the advice of your guide and the number of visitors on the sites.

  • Day 11 | Luxor - Hurghada (Red Sea) 

After breakfast, climb aboard your private car and head for the Eastern desert and the Red Sea coast (about 3 hours). The transition from the valley of the Nile is brutal: cultivated lands suddenly make way for a mineral desert filled with strange shapes, with few signs of life for kilometers! We will follow ancient caravan routes linking the valley of the Nile to numerous ports, including Safaga and Marsa Alam, which once served as transport hubs for spices, silk, and precious wood from Persia, South Arabia, India, and Eastern Africa. Muslim pilgrims coming from the heart of Africa, thousands of kilometers away, would board ships here on their way to Mecca. Since then, these caravan roads have been replaced by an excellent paved road, now used to transport cereal and aluminum to the Nile. Once in Hurghada, settle into your hotel by the seaside. Lunch and dinner at your own expense and then overnight in Hurghada. (B)

Days 12 and 13 | Free time in Hurghada on the Red Sea
Free time to rest and enjoy Hurghada and its surroundings. Once a fishing village, Hurghada is now the main resort town on the coast of the Red Sea. Downtown Hurghada, also known as the el-Dahar quarter, has kept in touch with its traditions with the help of a small souk well worth visiting. You can spend some time lounging around and making the most of the hotel’s amenities, or you can also enjoy water sports like sailing, windsurfing, and scuba diving. This being said, few coral reefs are accessible to swimmers leaving from the coast: we recommend taking a day-trip out on the Sea. Many clubs offer this service. Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner at your own expense. Overnight in a hotel in Hurghada. (B)

Day 14| Hurghada - Cairo
Breakfast, then, depending on your flight schedule, transfer to Hurghada airport for your return flight to Cairo. Lunch and dinner at your own expense. Time permitting, it is possible to add some visits of Cairo to your itinerary, complete with private guide and driver (for example: old Cairo). Last night in Egypt. (B)
Note: It is also possible to organize a stay in Sharm El Sheikh on the Sinai side of the Red Sea instead of staying in Hurghada, should you desire to do so.

Day 15| Departure from Cairo
Breakfast and, depending on your flight schedule, transfer to international airport and check-in for your return flight to Montreal. (B)

 

Fares (on-site)
Price per person 5000$CAD

** Budgets displayed on this website are provided for information purpose only and do not have any contractual value, Uniktour cannot be held responsible for any consequences related to this information (departure dates are not indicated). Fares are led to change on a regular basis, depending on exchange rates and the fluctuation in the hospitality industry. For a precise quotation, you may click here.

** Fares applying to the on-site itinerary are not subject to applicable GST (TPS) & QST (TVQ). The displayed budget does not include 0.1% FICAV contribution (The Compensation fund for customers of travel agents)



Other fees
International Flight Contact us
Deluxe travel insurance (estimated cost) 380 $
Deposit required for land portion 1493 $

The land portion of the trip includes:
- All transfers mentioned in the program, accompanied by an English-speaking guide;
- All visits mentioned in the Cairo program, accompanied by an English-speaking egyptologist-guide;
- Visit of Abu Simbel temple with local English-speaking guide (as part of a group);
- Entrance for all visits mentioned in the program;
- Car transfer from Abu Simbel to Aswan (flight supplement: approx 150$ per person);
- All visits during the dahabeeyah cruise as part of a group accompanied by an English-speaking guide;
- Visits of Luxor and Karnak temples on the east coast of the Nile;
- Western Nile site visits in Luxor accompanied by a private English-speaking egyptologist-guide (Colossi of Memnon, temple of Hatshepsut and 3 valleys: Nobles, Queens, Kings);
- 3 nights in a 5-star hotel in Cairo, breakfast included;
- 1 night in 4-star hotel in Abu Simbel, breakfast included;
- 3 nights on a 5-star dahabeeyah cruise on the Nile, from Aswan or Edfu to Esna, full board (including the road transfer from Esna to Luxor);
- 2 nights in a 5-star hotel in Luxor, breakfast included;
- 3 nights in a 5-star hotel in Hurghada, breakfast included;
- 1 night in a 4-star hotel in Cairo, breakfast included (we suggest a hotel close to the airport);
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary (B, L, D)

The land portion does not include:
- Visa fees (25 USD, payable at Cairo airport);
- Tips and personal expenses
- Excursions and activities not mentioned in the program
- International flight
- All internal flights: Cairo - Aswan + Aswan - Abu Simbel + Hurghada – Cairo (approx. cost for all three flights: 375 CAD per person. Important note: These prices are estimates based on an annual average and may vary according to time of year).
- Anything not mentioned in the “The land portion includes” section above

Next departure dates for this travel

Hotel Steigenberger
Hotel Steigenberger

Louxor

Star
Iberotel Heliopolis
Iberotel Heliopolis

Le Caire

Star
Seti Abu Simbel
Seti Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel

Star
Marriott Hurghada
Marriott Hurghada

Hurghada

Star
Marriott - Le Caire
Marriott - Le Caire

Le Caire

Star
équipe uniktour
Most Recent
View all

Our Country Specialists

Franck Uniktour representative

Franck Laboue

Each travel consultant is specialized in the country or geographical area for which he is responsible for.

 

Top 5 reasons to choose uniktour

555 boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal, (QC), H2Z 1B1, Canada - Quebec permit holder # 703 258 - 2024 Uniktour. All rights reserved.. Montréal, Canada