A newly launched private charter vessel, Nubia Dahabeya, is offering four-night sailings between Luxor and Aswan in Egypt, alongside a one-off voyage timed to the total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027, the vessel’s owners said.
The artist-designed sailing boat accommodates up to 12 guests across six cabins and was built from the hull up by Hedayat Taymour and her husband, Elwy Taymour, working with a marine engineer to retain the proportions of a traditional dahabeya while adding a partially enclosed upper deck for indoor living and dining. The vessel completed its first commercial sailing in February 2026, following interiors renovated in 2025 by Jam by Hedayat, the design practice founded by Heddy Taymour, an interior architect and product designer with more than 25 years of international experience.
Interiors draw on Egyptian craftsmanship, including seating made by upholstery craftsmen in Esna, light fittings and fabrics inspired by the temple capitals at Edfu and Khnum, and tiles based on Nile flora. The project has been shortlisted in the international commercial category of the BIID Interior Design Awards 2026, with winners due to be announced in London on October 15.
Itineraries are owner-curated and can include visits to Esna’s temple, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Kom Ombo, the quarries of Gebel el-Silsila and the tombs of El Kab, alongside experiences such as dinner at Aswan restaurant Tekkeya, a talk with a Nubian herbalist, and artisan encounters with weavers and alabaster carvers.
“Nubia began as a deeply personal project for Elwy and me, a family dream to create a home on the Nile where we could travel at our own pace,” said Hedayat Taymour, co-owner of Nubia Dahabeya. “Today, Nubia gives guests the chance to experience the Nile through our eyes and entirely on their own terms.”
The 2027 eclipse sailing will include a specially selected mooring, individual viewing kits and a champagne breakfast, priced at the vessel’s high-season rate of GBP22,000 ($27,900). Standard four-night charters start from GBP17,000 ($21,600), including full board, transfers and excursions. London-based Pilot PR has been appointed to lead the brand’s UK communications from July 2026.
For further information, visit nubiadahabeya.com