Aswan to Luxor on Kayak

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Kayak  the Nile River, the first artery of  human civilization. We will follow  Hapi (Nile goddess) route surrounded  by Egyptian history, temples from  Aswan to Luxor. Over 5 days we will cover the distance  (around 200 Km) by kayak, up-to 5 hours kayaking per day. It is an outdoor activity excursion but still a cultural, human, historical and relaxing  experience.
Our kayak instructor will motivate and guide you throughout the  trip to achieve it. Support boat is always around, in case of emergency  or fatigue. We will be eating and sleeping on the support boat (camping  style)

(Also available in Dhabia (Sail boat) cabin based luxurious boat upon request)

Day 0: Check-in on NKC boat by 18:00 (the boat is available if you come earlier) – team introduction and tour briefing over dinner, that will be served by 20:30

Day 1: Kayak from Aswan to Kom Umbu, day ends with Kom Umbo Temple visit (B, L & D)

Day 2: Kayak from Kom Umbu to Nagaa Hassane in Edfu with a long midday break for El-Selsela Temple visit. (B, L & D)

Day 3: Kayak from Nagaa Hassanein to As-Sibaiyyah, docking by a local farm for adding a local experience followed with a midday break for Edfu (Horus) Temple visit. (B, L & D)

Day 4: Kayak from As Sibaiyyah to Esna. (B, L & D)

Day 5: Kayak from Esna to Luxor (Crossing Esna water lock by boat) with an optional visit to Esna temple - check in at Hotel in Luxor - 5* hotel (B & L)

Day 6: Rest day at Hotel with an optional Luxor city site-seeing program: Valley of the Kings tombs, Hatshepsut and Luxor temples. (B)

· B, L & D (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

· Visits in Aswan and Luxor can be organized upon your request 

2018 Season trips: (other dates available, get in touch with us)

Nov 2 - Nov 7

Dec 21 - Dec 26

Dec 28 - Jan 2

Contact us for updated Events calendar.

Cost per person 780USD, reduction applies in case of group reservations (5 persons or more)

Cost includes;

Transportation from Aswan airport or train station to our boat

Accommodation on NKC boat for 5 nights

Accommodation in Luxor in 5* hotel (last night)

Full board (all meals B, L & D, hot drinks and water) included, except dinner in Luxor on day 5 

Temples entrance fees (Kom Umbo temple, Selsella temple and Edfu (Horus) temple)

Transportation from Luxor hotel to airport or train station

Kayak gears and instructor

All permits

Cost excludes;

Any airplane or train tickets fees to reach Aswan or to leave Luxor

Any temples visit in Aswan or Luxor (except the three temples mentioned above)

Tips for boat crew or to guides during temples visit

Dinner on day 5 (on day we reach Luxor)

  You will be doing a lot of paddling. Quite how much depends on conditions. The Nile is flat and flows slowly, and the sit-on kayaks are very stable, so there's zero risk of capsizing or being swept downstream. But it can get windy, and the prevailing winds run against the flow, which makes for a few small bumps. No great technical challenges, but you may have to put your back into your paddling on some stretches of the river, and you'll certainly get a wet bum some days. A wind-proof jacket is essential.

There's no pressure to paddle every stretch; the boat crew are very accommodating of those who want to get plucked from the water (or lowered into it) in the middle of a stretch of paddling, and there's also the option of just lazing around on the boat. But if you don't fancy spending at least 3 hours a day paddling, this probably isn't the holiday for you.

The overall shape to the day is a fairly early start (up around 7), a hearty breakfast, and then a longish morning paddle -- 3 or 4 hours. Most days we stopped for a very welcome glass of tea on the river bank in the middle of the morning paddle. An unhurried lunch around 2 pm, and then a shorter paddle for an hour or two before sunset -- a glorious time to be on the water.

Then there's time for a hot shower, and a few hours to read, chat, and contemplate life before a late supper, usually around 9pm, and thence to bed.

Of course all of this is subject to variation. The trip includes at least one onshore adventure each day -- a temple, a visit to a local farm, a walk around the market; these visits affect the timetable. So do the wind, the passage of cruise ships, the sudden interest that the local cops have taken in our progress, the changing sandbanks in the river. So leave your day planner at home, trust in the charm of your guide and the ingenuity of the boat crew, and go with the flow. Even if you don't know what's happening next, you can be pretty sure it will be something good.

Except when you are alone in your kayak (and ignoring instructions to stay with the group), there's not a whole lot of privacy on this trip. There are two very small shower-loos, and a curtained off changing room, but other than that, we're all in it together. All meals are shared, and everyone sleeps in the shared space on the deck of the boat, so intimacy is more or less out of the question. The very comfortable mattresses get piled up in day, and the dormitory turns into the living and dining room. (This also means you need to keep your luggage pretty tidy, and stuff away your sleeping bag daily.)

All meals are prepared by an extraordinarily resourceful chef in a tiny kitchen, and the food is hearty, varied and really good. There's no shortage of drinking water, plus tea and coffee variants, but there are no other drinks on board. You can pick up soft drinks at most of the stops, but don't expect to find a beer anywhere between Aswan and Luxor. If you want a nightcap, bring your own hip-flask.

We didn't see many wild mammals (there are no crocodiles or hippos, in case you're wondering) but the bird life is wonderful, and it's not too hard to get close to it. If you're a birder, it's well worth bringing a small pair of waterproof binoculars.