Nile cruise vs dahabiya

Two very different boats on the same river

A dahabiya is a traditional Nile sailing boat with two masts and a small number of cabins. The boats we offer, Nawara Dahabiya, Storia Nile Dahabiya, and Fayrouz El Nil, all describe themselves as traditional sailing boats, and all list a sun deck with shaded seating. A dahabiya may be towed when there is no wind, which is normal on the Nile.

A cruise ship is an engine-powered river ship, closer to a floating hotel. Every ship we offer lists a swimming pool, most list a restaurant, a lounge or bar, and a sun deck, and many add a fitness area, massage rooms, or evening entertainment. They carry many more guests, so the atmosphere is more social.

Routes and length

This is where the two differ most on our site. Cruise ships sail all three programs: Luxor to Aswan in 4 nights, Aswan to Luxor in 3 nights, and a 7-night round trip from Luxor. The dahabiyas we offer sail the 4-night Luxor to Aswan program only.

So if you have only three nights, or you want a full week on the river, a cruise ship is the answer. If four nights from Luxor to Aswan suits you, both are open to you and the choice comes down to the boat itself.

Life on board

On a cruise ship, the day has a clear rhythm: breakfast, a guided visit, lunch while sailing, time by the pool, another visit, dinner, and an evening in the lounge. Most of the ships we offer list evening entertainment, and many list a gym or a massage room. Meals on the ships are often served as a buffet, according to the ships' own pages, with set dinners on some nights.

On a dahabiya, life happens on deck. With only a few cabins, there is plenty of space to sit in the shade and watch the riverbanks. The boats' own pages describe meals of fresh Egyptian and international dishes, often served outdoors on deck. None of them lists a pool or an evening show; the evening entertainment is the river itself.

Cabins and space

Every boat we offer, of both kinds, lists more than one type of cabin, and all of them list suites. On the dahabiyas, the larger suites sit at the stern of the boat, according to their own pages; Storia Nile Dahabiya also lists a cabin for travelers on their own. On the cruise ships, a few list cabins with balconies.

Cabin sizes and layouts vary a great deal between boats, so compare the cabin list on each boat's page, and ask your planner which cabins are free on your dates.

Who each one suits

A cruise ship suits first-time visitors who like the reassurance of a large ship, travelers who want a pool, families who want more space and facilities, and anyone with only three nights or a full week. Our luxury, deluxe, and standard pages group the ships by class.

A dahabiya suits couples, small families, and groups of friends who prefer calm to entertainment, travelers who have already been on a big ship, and anyone who wants the trip to feel personal. See all our boats of this kind on the dahabiya page.

Visits and guiding

On the 4-night Luxor to Aswan program, both kinds of boat follow the same list of visits: Karnak and Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and the High Dam, with an optional felucca sail or Nubian village visit in Aswan. The program of each boat notes that the order of visits and the timings can change with the boat, the Esna lock queue, and the departure day.

What differs is the size of the group around you. On a cruise ship, many guests leave for the same temple at the same time. On a dahabiya, the group that goes ashore is small. Ask your planner how guiding is arranged on the boat you choose, and whether it adds any quieter stops on your dates.

Questions to ask before you choose

A few honest questions usually settle it:

• How many nights do you have? Three nights or seven nights means a cruise ship. Four nights from Luxor to Aswan leaves both open.
• Will you use a pool? If yes, a cruise ship. None of our dahabiyas lists one.
• Do you enjoy a busy, social ship, or would you rather have the deck almost to yourself? The first points to a cruise ship, the second to a dahabiya.
• Is anyone in your group likely to want a gym, a massage, or an evening show? Those are listed only on cruise ships.
• Are you traveling as one family or group of friends? Then ask whether you could fill a dahabiya.

If the answers split down the middle, compare one boat of each kind for your dates.

Getting help to choose

If you are still torn, pick one cruise ship and one dahabiya you like and request a quote for both on the same dates. A planner replies within 24 hours with what is free, what each includes, and an honest view of which suits your group. For the wider question of how the cruise fits a trip with Cairo, see our Nile cruise plus Cairo page.