Katharina Németh, owner, on the Queeny (March 2026)
Egypt – Between Desert and Wonders of the World
The Pyramids of Giza rise majestically above Cairo, with the spectacular Grand Egyptian Museum almost next door. A journey on the Queen of the Nile takes you from humanity’s greatest monuments to tranquil moments on the Nile.
Experience the Luxury Nile Cruise Boutique-Dahabeya Queeny Of The Nile!
Luxury Nile Cruise with private touch: We are a small, family-run business that aims to offer Egyptian tradition and Swiss quality.
You have the opportunity to experience original Egypt with its beautiful Nile landscape for a week in a small, exclusive setting.
Queeny Of The Nile offers a high standard of service, while we drive from Esna (Luxor) to Aswan in six days and visit the most important sights from ancient Egypt.
Our 15-strong crew will lovingly take care of you around the clock!
The Luxury Nile Cruise Boutique Dahabeya Queeny Of The Nile offers every comfort you could wish for.
The well-groomed boutique dahabeya combines simple European elegance with playful, colorful elements of the Orient.
Our sense of detail and design makes our “Queeny” so special. But the service on board also makes the trip unforgettable.
A crew of 15 will lovingly look after you and anticipate your every wish. Because with us, the guest is king!
Warm welcome on your Luxury Nile Cruise: The owners Katharina Németh and Mohamed Youssef and the crew
“We live on the river”. Our motto is: Egyptian tradition meets Swiss quality.
ALL meals are included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
FREE Drinks 24h: Softdrinks, water with and without carbonation, coke, coke zero, fanta, sprite, tonic water, fresh juices of all kinds according to the season, tea, coffee, nescafe and coffee machine for like espresso, cappuccino etc. Barman can also prepare to your wishes. turkish coffee.
PAID Drinks: Wine (Egyptian various types, red, rose, white), Stella Artois, Local Whisky, Gin etc. It is allowed to bring your own alcoholic drinks that we can store and cool for you. Bring your own champagne if needed.
Daily replenished sweets in your room
Turndown service with treat
Fresh bread baked daily
Fresh juices daily
Fresh fruits 24h upon request and with every meal
ATTENTION:
Special Nutritional Needs and allergies: – Please advise for requirements such as vegan, gluten-free etc.
Bring your own bread, if gluten free is needed as this is not available in egypt.
Free WiFi internet: Access is currently available on the sundeck
No gym, but you can do your yoga on the sundeck, we can provide mats to you.
– Alcohol gel for hand sanitizing is available
– Kid friendly Crew: Your kids and our crew will love interacting and have a great time. Our crew is very used to kids.
– Pets are allowed but not recommended due to various reasons like potential noise, the lack of free movement of your pet and the possibility of falling overboard without supervision or leashes.
– Lower deck Salon with library and great books, TV, cozy sofas for chilling, tables and a place to have a drink. We also serve meals here.
Chess, and other games are available
Party evenings with entertainment are provided
– Air conditioning heating and cooling with individial adjustments
– Hairdryer
– Towels
– Toiletries like shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, shower cap
– Power plugs limited to low power devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones.
– Wardrobe and hangers
– Luggage rack inside the wardrobe, can also be given to us for storage
– Bedside lamps
– Small round coffee table
– Small sofa single seater
– Alarm clock (In addition the staff will call walking through with a bell for meal time)
– Pillows. thicker and thinner options are available.
– Breakfast in the room is available upon request
Suites have in addition:
– Chaise longe
– Full size chair and desk
– Balcony with bench and table
WIFI (only on the sundeck currently, Starlink is planned as soon as available in Egypt)
Minibar/Tea Kettle or Coffee Machine
These are not allowed on our boat due to power system restrictions and security.
We do have a 24h hot and cold water as well as a coffee and tea self service station on the sundeck
in-room Safe. We can keep certain valuables for you during your trip. Please ask our crew.
TV (there is a YV in the saloon)
Phone in the cabin (The Boat manager’s cabin is available 24hs and is located just at the end of the corridor)
Ironing board (Please provide your clothes for ironing to the cabin staff)
Tooth brushing kit (can be provided on request)
Shaving kit (Please bring your own)
Queeny Of The Nile
We are on Tripadvisor: VISIT US NOW!
“If you are interested in the culture and history of Egypt and are looking for a Luxury Nile Cruise on a small, individual scale and with a high standard of service, then you have come to the right place. We look forward to welcoming you on board soon! Experience Luxury Nile Cruise Boutique-Dahabeya Queeny Of The Nile.“
– Your hosts, Katharina from Basel and Mohamed from Luxor
Advantages of a Dahabeya
There is something magical about a Luxury Nile Cruise on a Dahabeya: The motorless, leisurely travel without disruptive entertainment makes the journey a fascinating experience.
Luxury Nile Cruise: Forget the daily life
On the way to the famous monuments from the time of the pharaohs you will pass fields and palm trees, mud huts and colorfully painted balconies.
Exclusive berths only on a Dahabeya Nile Cruise
Since a Dahabeya Luxury Nile Cruise can dock in places where large cruise ships cannot, you can enjoy places with fewer visitors and have the opportunity to get to know Arabic culture better.
A Nile Cruise offers Idyllic silence
Apart from the rippling of the water and the muezzin singing, there is idyllic silence. As the ship slowly glides along the banks of the Nile, you’ll have time to admire the ever-changing landscape and immerse yourself in a slice of Egyptian life on the Nile.
SLOW TRAVELConstantly changing scenes
Watching the constantly changing scenes makes you forget your everyday life: a young man leads his horse into the Nile to cool off, a boy brings his cows to the water to be watered, the laughter of bathing children sounds through the air, a colorful bird follows the ship and is waiting for prey, two young women are washing their clothes on the water, anglers are waiting on their small boats for a fish to bite.
Time for sightseeing during your Nile Cruise
Everything is more leisurely on the Dahabeya Luxury Nile Cruise. Visiting the temples is not limited in time. Meals are taken together at a large table on the sun deck. At night the Dahabeya docks at the shore. Nothing can be heard except the chirping of the crickets.
CRUISE ITINERARYWhat is a Dahabeya?
Dahabeya means “the golden one”. A dahabeya is a traditional Egyptian, long and narrow sailing ship with a deck and several cabins. It is also known to readers of Karl May through his “Oriental Cycle”.
Originally, these ships were built for Egyptian celebrities and the royal family who enjoyed cruising the Nile for recreation.
In the mid-19th century – before Thomas Cook imported modern steamships from Scotland – Dahabeya Nile cruises were also very popular with European travelers to Egypt.
Historical Guides
Numerous travel guides and travel diaries describe in great detail how such a Dahabeya Nile cruise was experienced from the point of view of the tourists of the time. For example, in 1847 Sir John Gardner Wilkinson described the extensive preparations that had to be made before setting out on a journey in his travel guide “Handbook For Travelers In Egypt”. The ship was first sunk to remove vermin and rats, then holes were plugged and walls repainted. R. Etzensberger and Keith Johnston describe in their book “Up The Nile By Steam” in 1872 how a dahabeya stopped at one point when there was no wind and had to be towed further up the Nile by the crew.
Asterix and Cleopatra
A strenuous work, because not everyone had magic powers like Obelix in “Asterix and Cleopatra”.
Today, a tugboat accompanies the dahabeya and pulls the ship when the wind is weak.
However, whenever the wind conditions permit, the sails are hoisted.
The Local Weather in Egypt
Egypt lies within the North African Dry Belt, so Egypt weather has very little rainfall, as well as considerable seasonal temperature variation.
Only the northern coastal strip and the Nile delta are influenced by the Mediterranean with winter precipitation between 100 and 200 mm.
South of Cairo, on the other hand, it rarely rains. Continue reading here: