An invitation-only journey · April 7–18, 2027
Some places are beautiful. Some places change you. Egypt is one of those.
Twelve days through Cairo, Luxor and Aswan — including five nights sailing the Nile on a private dahabiya that belongs to our group alone. Twenty travelers. Two hosts who know Egypt by heart.
From $6,800 · $1,000 holds your spot · monthly payments available
- Rated 5 stars by past travelers
- Maximum 20 travelers
- Hosted by Heba & Elizabeth
- Secure checkout via WeTravel
What this actually is
A small group, a private boat,
and a country two women love.
We stand at the Great Pyramids and walk the Valley of the Kings — of course we do. But the reason people come back to this trip is the part in the middle: five nights on a dahabiya with nobody aboard but us, stopping at temples the big cruise ships sail straight past.
For Heba, Egypt is home — woven into her childhood, her family, her identity. For Elizabeth, it became one of her favorite places on earth by traveling alongside her. Together they built the journey they'd want to take, then opened twenty seats.
This trip is for you if…
- You enjoy active sightseeing.
- You can comfortably walk a few miles across a day.
- You're fine with some stairs and uneven ground.
- You love history, culture and beautiful places.
- You'd rather travel with friends than with a crowd.
- You want the real Egypt, not the postcard version.
Activity level: Moderate
What's handled for you
- Private Egyptologist guides at every site.
- Domestic flights inside Egypt.
- Airport meet-and-greet, visa help on arrival.
- All breakfasts, lunches and group dinners.
- Private ground transport throughout.
- A facilitator with you the entire stay.
Adults only · all genders welcome
5.0
verified traveler reviews on WeTravel
“Weather, food, accommodations, excursions and people were amazing. Heba was great and I made 3 new friends. Can't wait til Egypt!”
Stephanie B. · Roatán · Verified WeTravel review
“I never had to plan a thing. Everything was taken care of for me… It was a 5-star experience in every way.”
Trina C. · New York City · Verified WeTravel review
The best part
Five nights on a boat
with nobody else on it.
What's a Dahabiya?
A dahabiya is a small, twin-sailed wooden boat — the way the Nile was traveled long before cruise ships — carrying a handful of guests instead of hundreds.
- No crowds. No queueing behind three hundred people to see a temple.
- No rushing. We stop where the big ships can't — Esna, El Kab, Gebel el Silsila, a Nubian village called Koubania.
- No big cruise ship. Just our group, the food, the sunsets, and the quiet.
Guests talk about these five nights long after they get home. It's the part of the trip nobody expects to be their favorite.
Who you're going with
Heba and Elizabeth.
Heba grew up with Egypt. It's family, language, childhood — and it's the reason doors open on this trip that don't open for most visitors. Elizabeth came along, fell for the place, and has been going back ever since.
They lead this journey together, in person, the whole way. When something needs sorting at 6am in Aswan, it's them sorting it — not a phone number in another country.
“We've thoughtfully created this journey to go beyond the highlights and experience Egypt in a more meaningful way — and leave room for the unexpected moments that often become the most treasured memories.”
— Heba & Elizabeth, The Dandelion Journals
Heba & Elizabeth — your hosts, on the ground the whole way.
Day by day
Twelve days, three cities,
and a river in between.
Cairo to Luxor, five nights sailing Luxor → Aswan aboard the dahabiya, then back to Cairo for Saqqara and the Citadel. Tap any day to open it.
Day 1Arrive in Cairo
Met at the airport, walked through visa and customs, then private transfer to the hotel. Many flights land in the middle of the night — we book your room from the night before so there's a bed waiting, not a lobby.
Welcome cocktails & dinner
Day 2The Pyramids & the Grand Egyptian Museum
The Giza Plateau: Cheops, Chephren, Mycerinus, the Valley Temple and the Sphinx. Then the Grand Egyptian Museum — the new home of the Tutankhamun treasures and one of the most significant collections on earth.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 3Royal Mummies, Old Cairo, then fly to Luxor
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and its Royal Mummies Hall — Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut among them. Then Old Cairo: the Hanging Church and St. Sergius, built over the cave where the Holy Family is said to have sheltered. Late afternoon flight to Luxor.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 4Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Karnak — and we board
Optional before sunrise: a hot air balloon over the West Bank as the light hits the Nile. Then the Valley of the Kings with our Egyptologist, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut against its limestone cliffs, the Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak — a hypostyle hall bigger than Notre Dame. Late afternoon we board the dahabiya.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 5Sail to Esna and El Kab
Esna Temple sits several meters below today's street level — a literal cross-section of civilizations stacked on each other. A wander through Esna's market, then El Kab, once the capital of Upper Egypt, with rock-cut tombs and almost no one else there. We anchor beside a quiet island for the night.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 6Sail to Edfu and Wadi el Shat
The Temple of Horus at Edfu is one of the best-preserved in Egypt — the carvings still tell the whole Horus and Seth story. Afternoon we drift into Wadi el Shat, where the river narrows past farmland and mud-brick villages. Overnight at a small island under a sky full of stars.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 7Gebel el Silsila, Kom Ombo, into Aswan
Gebel el Silsila — the quarry that built Karnak and Luxor — and its rock-cut chapels for Seti I and Ramesses II. Then Kom Ombo, the only temple in Egypt built in perfect symmetry for two gods, with a museum of mummified crocodiles next door. We sail into Aswan as the afternoon ends.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 8Philae, and a Nubian village
The Temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis, moved stone by stone to save it from the rising water behind the High Dam. Then one last sail to Koubania, a Nubian village of citrus gardens and painted houses, for a look at a way of life that has nothing to do with tourism.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 9Aswan to Cairo
Depending on our flight: either straight to Cairo with a relaxed afternoon in Heliopolis, or extra time in Aswan for the High Dam and a traditional Nubian lunch.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 10Saqqara, the Serapeum, and the tombs
The Step Pyramid of Djoser — the oldest monumental stone building on earth, designed by Imhotep 4,600 years ago. Underground into the Serapeum and its enormous granite sarcophagi. Then the tombs of Mereruka and Kagemni, whose walls show farming, music and family dinners rather than kings.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 11The Citadel, Khan el Khalili, farewell dinner
The Citadel of Salah El-Din and the Alabaster Mosque above the Cairo skyline. Then six centuries of lanterns, spices and silver in Khan el Khalili, with mint tea if you want it. Farewell dinner at Naguib Mahfouz restaurant, in the middle of the bazaar that inspired his novels.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 12Departure — or don't leave yet
Private transfer to Cairo airport. If you'd rather stay: Alexandria for Greco-Roman history and sea air, the Red Sea for reefs, or the Fayoum oasis a short drive from Cairo. Ask and we'll help arrange it.
Breakfast
Details can shift with local conditions — when they do, we replace them with something equivalent.
From our travelers' cameras
Egypt, as our groups saw it.
The honest cost
What your money covers —
and what it doesn't.
Included
- Luxury hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan
- Five nights private dahabiya sailing, Luxor to Aswan
- Domestic flights: Cairo→Luxor and Aswan→Cairo
- All breakfasts, lunches and group dinners
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary
- Private Egyptologist guides
- Private ground transportation
- Airport meet-and-greet on arrival and departure
- A facilitator with the group the entire stay
- Gratuities — except guides and baggage handlers
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance (required — see FAQ)
- Gratuities for guides and baggage handlers
- Alcoholic beverages
- Hotel incidentals
- Shopping and personal purchases
- Optional add-ons not listed in the itinerary
- Personal medical, evacuation, cancellation or rescheduling costs
No hidden line items. What you see here is the whole picture.
Reserve your cabin
$1,000 holds your spot.
The sooner you book, the more months the balance can spread across. That's the whole reason to do this now rather than later.
Double Occupancy — Deluxe Cabin
$6,800per person
Double occupancy room on land and a deluxe cabin aboard the dahabiya. Be ready to register both cabin mates.
Double Occ — Deluxe Panoramic Cabin
$7,400per person
Main level, with panoramic windows — you watch the Nile go by without getting out of bed.
Upper deck
Double Occupancy — Terraced Suite
$7,800per person
A suite on the upper level with its own terrace on the river — which is where you'll want to be at sunset.
How the payments work
$1,000 today holds your spot
$5,800 remaining on the deluxe cabin
≈ $970/mo if you spread it over the months before departure
Illustrative — your exact schedule is set with you at checkout through WeTravel. Book later and the same balance divides into fewer, bigger payments.
Checkout is handled by WeTravel, the booking platform we've used for every Dandelion Journals trip. Reserve by October 2, 2026.
If you're thinking of coming alone
Most people do.
Almost everyone on a Dandelion Journals trip books without a travel companion. Not because they wanted to go alone — because the trip they wanted didn't line up with anyone else's calendar. That's the normal case here, not the exception.
You'll be matched, not stranded
Both packages are shared-room. If you don't have a roommate, tell us at registration and we'll pair you with someone in the group.
Twenty people, twelve days
By the boat you'll know everyone's name. Small groups do that on their own — it isn't something we have to organize.
You're never navigating Egypt alone
Meet-and-greet at the airport, private transport, private guides, and a facilitator with the group the whole stay.
Adults only, all genders welcome
This particular journey isn't women-only. It's adults who want to see Egypt properly.
From people who have travelled with Heba and Elizabeth
Every trip. Every review.
Five stars.
“Every day offered meaningful connections with the people, culture, and history of the country. The level of planning was exceptional—every detail was thoughtfully handled, from simple comforts like water during transfers to incredibly knowledgeable guides who brought each place to life.”
Darcy M. · Vietnam · March 2026
“Nothing could have been better about this trip. Heba is a fantastic trip organizer and leader… I'd absolutely do it again!”
Karen D. · Roatán · February 2026
“I spent four days with Elizabeth and Heba, and I never had to plan a thing… Heba added her knowledge, she knew how to navigate the city and how to negotiate with vendors. It was a 5-star experience in every way.”
Trina C. · New York City · November 2025
Before you book
The questions people actually ask.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. You'll walk a few miles across a day, take stairs, and cross uneven ground at temple sites. If you can do a full day of city sightseeing without dreading the next one, you'll be fine.
What's the weather like in April?
Warm and pleasant. Cairo runs about 15°C/59°F at night to 26°C/79°F during the day. Luxor is warmer, around 30°C/86°F. Aswan is the hottest, peaking near 34°C/93°F. Bring light clothing, sunscreen, and drink more water than you think you need.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes — it's required, and it isn't included in the price. Shop for what suits you. We and many of our past travelers have used Travel Insured International and find their policies comprehensive and reasonably priced.
What if I don't have a roommate?
Tell us at registration and we'll match you with someone else in the group. Both packages are shared-occupancy.
How does paying work?
$1,000 holds your spot ($1,500 for the terraced suite). The balance is arranged with you at checkout through WeTravel and can be split into monthly payments. Booking earlier means more months to spread it across — the trip doesn't get cheaper later, the payments just get bigger.
What are the cancellation terms?
The full terms and conditions live on The Dandelion Journals website. Read them before you book, and ask us anything that isn't clear — we'd rather answer it now than have you guess.
Is this trip women-only?
No. Most Dandelion Journals trips are, but Classical Egypt is adults only and all genders are welcome.
Is the hot air balloon included?
It's optional and paid separately. On Day 4 those who want to go up before sunrise over Luxor's West Bank can. Those who'd rather sleep, sleep.
Can I stay in Egypt longer?
Yes. Alexandria for Greco-Roman history and Mediterranean air, the Red Sea for reefs and diving, or Fayoum for desert and waterfalls a short drive from Cairo. Ask and we'll help arrange it.
Can I smoke on the trip?
No — accommodations, activities and transfers are all non-smoking.
Still deciding? Email letsgo@thedandelionjournals.com or call +1 (678) 692-6584. A real person answers.
April 7–18, 2027
Twenty people are going to Egypt.
One of them could be you.
Twelve days. Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and five nights on a dahabiya with nobody else aboard. From $6,800, and $1,000 holds your place while the rest spreads out over the months ahead.
Reserve by October 2, 2026
The Dandelion Journals · luxury travel designed for connection
