Discover the unique monuments of Egyptian history and the magic of the Nile far away from the hotspots.
Only the shallow draft of a dahabeya allows mooring and anchoring on the banks of the Nile. Therefore, you can visit extraordinary sights that cannot be reached by the big Nile ships, the privilege of a Dahabeya Sailing Nile Cruise.
You will reach the great temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo when the big ships have already departed. By far the best way is to enjoy the sightseeing with your Egyptologist in peace!
It is in Luxor, Egypt, and is one of the largest and most impressive temple complexes from ancient Egypt. It was primarily dedicated to the god Amun-Ra, along with his consort Mut and their son Khonsu, forming the Theban Triad. The site spans over 200 acres and includes a vast array of temples, chapels, pylons, and obelisks constructed and expanded by numerous pharaohs over nearly 2,000 years, starting from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055 BCE) through the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BCE).
Key highlights of Karnak include:
The complex served not only as a religious centre but also as a political and economic hub, reflecting the grandeur of ancient Egyptian civilization. Karnak remains one of Egypt’s most visited archaeological sites today.
It is a magnificent ancient temple located on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor (ancient Thebes), Egypt. Unlike many temples in Egypt, Luxor Temple was primarily dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship, rather than a specific deity. It is thought to have been a ceremonial centre for the Opet Festival, a significant religious event in which the statues of the gods Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were paraded from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple.
Key features include:
Built primarily by Pharaoh Amenhotep III (1390–1353 BCE) and expanded by Ramses II (1279–1213 BCE), the Luxor Temple is a striking example of New Kingdom architecture and remains a symbol of Egypt’s ancient glory.
It is an iconic archaeological site in Luxor, Egypt, serving as the royal burial ground for pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th centuries BCE).
Nestled in a secluded desert valley, it contains over 60 tombs carved into the limestone rock, including the famous tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62).
These tombs were elaborately decorated with scenes depicting the afterlife, guiding the deceased through the underworld to join the gods.
The Valley reflects the ancient Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife and their architectural ingenuity.
Is located near Luxor, Egypt, served as the burial site for queens, royal consorts, and princesses of the New Kingdom (1550–1070 BCE). Known in ancient times as Ta-Set-Neferu (“The Place of Beauty”), the valley features around 90 tombs carved into the rock.
The most famous tomb is that of Queen Nefertari, the beloved wife of Ramses II, renowned for its exquisite paintings and vibrant colours that depict scenes of her journey to the afterlife.
The tombs are adorned with intricate artwork and hieroglyphs, reflecting the religious beliefs of the time and the importance of the queens in ensuring the pharaoh’s legacy.
It is a large and well-preserved temple complex on the west bank of Luxor, Egypt. Its most prominent structure is the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III, built during the 20th Dynasty (1186–1155 BCE).
The temple is renowned for its massive walls and detailed carvings depicting Ramses III’s military victories, religious rituals, and daily life.
The site also includes smaller chapels, temples, and administrative buildings, surrounded by massive mudbrick walls that once served as a fortified enclosure.
Medinet Habu is considered one of the best examples of ancient Egyptian temple architecture and remains a testament to Ramses III’s reign and Egypt’s artistic heritage.
The Temple of Hatshepsut is located at Deir el-Bahari on Luxor’s west bank, is an architectural masterpiece from the New Kingdom (18th Dynasty).
Built to honour Pharaoh Hatshepsut and the god Amun, it is characterized by its unique design, featuring three terraced levels connected by ramps and set against towering limestone cliffs.
The temple’s walls are adorned with detailed reliefs depicting significant events from Hatshepsut’s reign, including her divine birth and the famous trade expedition to Punt. Its harmonious integration with the natural landscape symbolizes a connection between humanity and the divine.
The temple remains one of Egypt’s most iconic and visited sites.
They are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, located on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt.
Standing about 18 meters (59 feet) tall, they originally guarded the entrance to Amenhotep III’s vast mortuary temple, which is now mostly destroyed.
The statues are famous for their historical significance and their association with ancient myths.
In the Roman era, one of the statues was said to “sing” at dawn, likely due to cracks emitting a whistling sound when the stone warmed up.
This phenomenon attracted visitors from across the
An insight into Egyptian village life, instead of seeing only glimpses and from a distance, the people in the fields and gardens.
You will see mostly sugar cane fields. There are two water systems here:
El Kab consists of prehistoric and ancient Egyptian settlements, rock-cut tombs of the early Eighteenth Dynasty (1550–1295 BC), remains of temples dating from the Early Dynastic period (3100–2686 BC) to the Ptolemaic Kingdom (332–30 BC), as well as part of the walls of a Coptic monastery.
This site was first scientifically excavated by James Quibell at the end of the nineteenth century.
Still, other archaeologists at this site include Frederick William Green, Archibald Henry Sayce, Joseph John Tylor, and Somers Clarke. However, Belgian archaeologists took over the project in 1937, which has remained in their hands since then.
Much of the research done at this site took place within the town enclosure of El-Kab. However, since the 1980s, the work has shifted more to the north and northeast of the town.
Located on the west bank of the Nile, Edfu Temple is one of the most well-preserved and magnificent structures from the Ptolemaic era.
This temple, dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god of the sky, is an architectural marvel that beautifully illustrates the grandeur of ancient Egyptian culture and religious beliefs.
As you approach the temple, you’re greeted by towering pylons adorned with intricate hieroglyphs, vivid carvings, and awe-inspiring reliefs that tell stories of gods, battles, and rituals. The sheer scale and craftsmanship of these inscriptions are enough to leave you in awe.
It’s like walking into a living history book, where every wall whispers tales of the past.
It is an ancient sandstone quarry site located between Kom Ombo and Edfu along the Nile in Egypt. It was a crucial source of sandstone for constructing many temples and monuments during the New Kingdom, including parts of Karnak and Luxor temples.
The site features rock-cut shrines, inscriptions, and small chapels carved into the cliffs, as well as remains of ancient workers’ villages.
The area is also significant for its historical records, with numerous carvings and hieroglyphic texts depicting the quarrying process, dedications to gods, and the names of pharaohs who utilized the site.
Its serene location on both sides of the Nile adds to its charm as a unique archaeological destination.
The site gets its name from Arabic kum ‘mound’, a term found in the names of many archaeological sites, and ‘Ombo’, which ultimately derives from ancient Egyptian Nubt, interpreted as meaning ‘the golden (city).’
The city’s temple is dedicated to two deities: the crocodile god Sobek, and the falcon god Harwer (Horus the Elder). Although an earlier temple once stood here already during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1069 BC), the present structure was built during the Graeco-Roman Period (332 BC–395 AD), with the earliest attested royal name in it being Ptolemy VI Philometor’s (180–145 BC).
Most of the decoration was completed by Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (80–51 BC).
The temple has a unique design. Because it is dedicated to two gods, it has two parallel axial passages running through its columned halls, terminating in two sanctuaries, one for each. The southern axis (on the right) is Sobek’s, and the northern (on the left) Harwer’s.
Harbyab Island, located on the Nile River in Egypt, offers visitors a tranquil escape and a chance to experience authentic Egyptian village life.
The island is often included in Nile cruise itineraries, where travellers can enjoy activities such as swimming, relaxing on the sandy beaches, or exploring the natural surroundings.
The area is known for its peaceful atmosphere, making it a perfect spot to unwind after a day of sightseeing. Additionally, it’s believed that drinking from the Nile on this island will lead visitors to return to Egypt, adding to the island’s charm and allure.
It is a monumental structure located across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt.
Completed in 1970, it was constructed to control flooding, provide water storage for irrigation, and generate hydroelectric power. The dam stands 111 meters (364 feet) high and stretches over 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) across the river.
The construction of the High Dam also led to the creation of Lake Nasser, one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, which serves as a reservoir for water storage. The dam plays a crucial role in Egypt’s agriculture and energy production, ensuring a stable water supply for irrigation and producing a significant portion of the country’s electricity.
However, its construction had significant environmental and cultural impacts, most notably the displacement of numerous communities and the relocation of historical sites, such as the Philae Temple, which was moved to a nearby island to avoid being submerged by the rising waters of the lake.
It is an ancient monument located in the northern quarries of Aswan, Egypt.
It was commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut during the 18th Dynasty but was abandoned before completion. This massive obelisk, which would have been over 40 meters tall, provides valuable insight into the techniques used by ancient Egyptians in quarrying and shaping stone.
The obelisk was carved directly from the granite bedrock, and its incomplete state allows modern observers to see the tools and methods used during its construction. Despite its unfinished status, the obelisk is an impressive sight and highlights the skill and ambition of ancient Egyptian stoneworkers.
If completed, the obelisk would have been the largest ever erected in Egypt. Its unfinished state is often considered an example of the challenges faced by ancient builders.
It is an ancient Egyptian temple complex located on an island near Aswan.
Originally built during the Ptolemaic period, it is dedicated primarily to the goddess Isis, the central deity of the island. The temple complex includes several structures, with the Temple of Isis being the most famous, alongside smaller temples and chapels dedicated to various gods.
Philae is renowned for its beauty and the intricacy of its architecture, with exquisite carvings and reliefs depicting mythological scenes. The site became a pilgrimage centre in the Greco-Roman period and remained a place of worship until the 6th century AD.
In the 1960s, when the Aswan High Dam created the risk of flooding the island, the temples of Philae were carefully relocated to Agilkia Island, a higher location, ensuring their preservation.
The Temple is one of Egypt’s most iconic archaeological sites, located in southern Egypt near the Sudanese border.
It consists of two massive rock-cut temples built by Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BCE, dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to Ramses II himself.
The main temple features four colossal statues of Ramses II seated at the entrance, each towering about 20 meters (66 feet). Inside, the temple is richly decorated with reliefs depicting Ramses II’s military victories and religious ceremonies. The smaller temple, dedicated to Ramses’ queen Nefertari, is equally impressive, with six statues of the queen and the king at its facade.
Due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s, the temples were in danger of being submerged. To save them, an international effort led by UNESCO successfully relocated the entire complex to higher ground, where it remains a popular tourist destination today.
Abu Simbel is renowned not only for its grandeur but also for the phenomenon of the sun aligning perfectly with the temple’s inner sanctum every year on February 22 and October 22, illuminating the statues of the gods inside.
enjoy sightseeing with time and in peace away from the hotspots.
in a small tour group on a discovery tour of the cultural and natural treasures.
Dahabeya Sailing Nile Cruises are unique and connected to the sounds of nature.
If necessary, we reserve the right to change our itinerary. Sometimes we are only informed hours in advance of changes in regulations or restrictions by the Egyptian government or water protection authorities. In addition, the moods of the Nile can cause short-term changes.
However, we make every effort to include all of the above-mentioned sights. Thank you very much for your understanding.
EGYPT:
El Farida Company Cairo
Mobil: +20 122 3253 314
WhatsApp: +20 122 3253 314
Email: info@dahabeya-queen-farida.com
GERMANY:
Jeska Inspiration – escape in style
Mobil: +49 175 4640 232
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E-Mail: karin@dahabeya-queen-farida.com
