Oberoi Zahra or Oberoi Philae: Choosing an Oberoi Nile Cruise

For an Oberoi Nile cruise, choose by nights and direction. According to Oberoi, The Oberoi Zahra sails 4 nights from Luxor, 3 nights from Aswan and a few 7-night cruises a year; The Oberoi Philae sails 4 nights in either direction, with 6-night cruises about once a month in 2026. This site proposes the Philae on its 4-night cruises and the Zahra on its 3-night Aswan to Luxor cruises.

The two Oberoi Nile cruise ships side by side

The Oberoi Zahra and The Oberoi Philae both sail the Nile between Luxor and Aswan. The table sets out what the sources state about each; schedules and itineraries come from Oberoi's own pages, and where the sources disagree on a figure, the table says so.

Itineraries: how many nights, and in which direction

The Oberoi Zahra

According to Oberoi's 2026 to 2027 calendars, the Zahra sails 4 nights from Luxor to Aswan on Tuesdays and 3 nights from Aswan to Luxor on Saturdays, plus a few 7-night departures a year from each port, also on Tuesdays. The 7-night cruise runs Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor.

On the 3-night cruise from Aswan, according to Oberoi, guests board at noon on day 1 and see the High Dam and Philae Temple before sailing to Kom Ombo. Day 2 brings the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu and the sail to Esna. Day 3 is the West Bank of Luxor, with the Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon, then Luxor and Karnak temples. Guests leave the ship at 8 am on day 4.

The 4-night cruise from Luxor runs the other way, according to Oberoi: Luxor and Karnak temples on day 1; the West Bank on day 2, with the Valley of the Kings, Deir el-Medina, the Colossi of Memnon and the Temple of Hatshepsut, before the sail to Esna; Edfu and Kom Ombo on day 3; Aswan's High Dam, Philae Temple, the Botanical Garden and a Nubian show on day 4; and leaving the ship on day 5.

The Oberoi Philae

The Philae sails 4 nights and 6 nights between Luxor and Aswan, in either direction. Oberoi's 2026 calendar lists 4-night cruises from both ports and 6-night cruises about once a month from each; its 2027 calendar lists 4-night cruises only, every 8 days, so the weekday changes from one sailing to the next. The exact date is set when your journey is planned.

On the 4-night cruise from Aswan, according to Oberoi: the Nubian Museum on day 1; Philae Temple and the High Dam on day 2, then Kom Ombo and a night moored at Edfu; the Temple of Edfu and the Esna Lock on day 3, sailing on to Luxor; the West Bank, Luxor Temple and Karnak on day 4; and leaving the ship on day 5. From Luxor the order is reversed, ending with Philae Temple, the High Dam and the Nubian Museum.

From Aswan, the practical difference is time: the Zahra covers the route in 3 nights, while the Philae takes 4 and adds the Nubian Museum.

Cabins and suites

The Philae has 22 cabins and suites in three categories: 18 Luxury Cabins of 36 square meters, 2 Luxury Suites of 55 square meters and 2 Luxury Suites with Terrace, 85 square meters in total with 55 inside and a heated outdoor whirlpool. Every category sleeps 2.

The Zahra also has three categories: the Luxury Cabin of 26.4 square meters (284 square feet), the Luxury Suite of 115 square meters in total with 50 inside (538 square feet indoors), and the Luxury Suite with Two Bedrooms of 92 square meters, which sleeps 4. Sources differ on the ship's total number of cabins and suites, so no count is given here.

For a couple in a standard cabin, the Philae's is the larger of the two. For a family of four who want to share, the Zahra's two-bedroom suite is the only category on either ship that sleeps 4.

On board: pools, spa and dining

Both ships have an 11-meter, temperature-controlled pool on the upper deck and The Oberoi Spa. On the Philae, the spa has private treatment rooms with Nile views, and there is a fitness center; the Zahra has an air-conditioned fitness center.

The Zahra's restaurant, The Restaurant, serves international cuisine from an à la carte menu that changes daily, and the ship adds The Club Lounge, The Library Lounge and poolside dining with a cocktail bar. The Philae has a Main Restaurant, a Poolside Restaurant and The Bar and Library Lounge. The Zahra was built in 2007; the sources differ on the year of the Philae's relaunch.

Which ship this site proposes, and on which journeys

The site's Luxury journeys propose The Oberoi Philae on the 4-night Nile cruises, with The Oberoi Zahra or Sonesta St. George I as alternatives, and The Oberoi Zahra on the 3-night Aswan to Luxor cruises, with Sonesta St. George I as the alternative. A vessel is proposed only where it sails the journey's own length and direction.

• The Oberoi Philae, 4 nights: both cruises in the Nile collection, Luxor to Aswan and Aswan to Luxor, and the 8-day Classic Egypt and Nile Cruise, which flies to Luxor on day 3.
• The Oberoi Zahra, 3 nights from Aswan: the 7-day Cairo and the Nile in Style, and the 11-day Egypt, the Nile and the Red Sea, which continues by road from Luxor to 3 nights on the coast (see Red Sea resorts compared).

Both ships are on the operator's checked list for the ultra-luxury journeys, where the 10-day Egypt's Palace Hotels proposes The Oberoi Zahra for its 3-night cruise. Any Luxury journey can also be quoted at the ultra-luxury level.

How to choose between them

• 3 nights from Aswan: the Zahra; the Philae's itineraries are 4 and 6 nights.
• 4 nights from Luxor: both ships sail it, so choose by cabin: 36 square meters on the Philae, 26.4 on the Zahra.
• 4 nights from Aswan: the Philae.
• A longer cruise: the Philae's 6-night sailings in 2026, or one of the Zahra's few 7-night departures a year.
• A family of four in one suite: the Zahra's Luxury Suite with Two Bedrooms.
• A private terrace with a whirlpool: one of the Philae's 2 Luxury Suites with Terrace.

Whichever ship you choose, it is shared with its other guests; on this site's journeys the guided visits ashore are private where the journey lists private guided sightseeing. Domestic flights to and from the cruise are booked and paid separately, and tips are not included. Send your dates, and the written proposal names the ship, the cabin category, what is included and what is not. For other ships on the river, see the Nile's luxury ships compared, and for cruise-line programs, Viking or a private journey.