Sail the Nile,
slowly.
Boutique dahabeya cruises and privately guided journeys through Luxor, Aswan and Cairo, made for travellers who prefer the quiet, unhurried Egypt.
Every Orientoura journey is privately guided, licensed and built around the rhythm of the river. Small boats, real Egyptologists, and time to let each temple breathe.
Our featured tours
Day trips from Luxor and Hurghada
Already in Egypt, or adding a day to a beach holiday? These run privately, with a licensed Egyptologist, and start when it suits you rather than when a coach fills up.
Why travel with us
We are a small team of Egypt specialists. No coaches, no crowds and no rushed itineraries, only considered journeys along the river we know best.
Private & Guided
Every journey is led by a licensed Egyptologist and travels privately, at your own pace and around your own questions.
Boutique Vessels
Intimate dahabeyas and hand-picked ships, with a handful of cabins and sails instead of engines where we can.
Time to Wander
Fewer sites, seen slowly. We build in space to linger at a temple, swim off a sandbank, watch a sunset.
Tailored to You
Prefer to add Abu Simbel, a day in the Western Desert, or an extra night in Cairo? Every itinerary is yours to shape.
Egypt, travelled slowly
Orientoura stands for a simple idea: that Egypt is best understood slowly. Away from the coaches and the queues, from the deck of a small sailing boat, in the middle of a village, or in a small vehicle that isn’t packed with tourists, the country reveals itself differently. It is in the light on the water, the quiet of a temple at opening hour or late in the afternoon, and a longer, deeper conversation with a guide who has spent a lifetime among these stones, and who has the time for such a conversation.
We design a small number of journeys with great care, and travel them privately with people who are ready to travel slowly, even for a single day. That is all we do, and we try to do it well.
Destinations along the Nile
Luxor
Aswan
Cairo & Giza
Egypt, in practice
The questions guests ask us before they decide anything. Answered the way we would answer them on the telephone, with the numbers written down.
Dahabeya or Nile cruise ship?
Both sail the same river past the same temples. The difference is what you want the week to feel like.
The best time to visit Egypt
October to April, if you have the choice. Month by month, plus how to make July work.
Which tombs to choose in the Valley of the Kings
Your ticket covers three out of nine. Most visitors pick by whichever queue is shortest.
How much to tip in Egypt
The actual amounts, written down, so you are not guessing for a fortnight.
Let’s plan your Nile
Tell us how you like to travel and we’ll shape a private journey around it. No obligation, just a conversation with an Egypt specialist.
Start planning