A lateen-sailed boat for an hour at sunset is the cheapest good decision available in Cairo.
The felucca is the traditional Nile sailing boat — a shallow wooden hull with a single tall lateen sail — and it has been working this river for a very long time. In Cairo they carry passengers rather than cargo, and an hour on one at sunset is the best value in the city.
Where to find them
Along the Corniche El Nil in Garden City, below the Four Seasons and around the Semiramis; at Maadi further south; and on the Zamalek side of Gezira. Boatmen will approach you.
What to pay and how
Negotiate before boarding. Establish:
- the price and whether it is for the boat or per person
- the duration, in minutes
- whether there is a charge for the captain’s assistant who may appear
An hour for a small group should cost a modest sum in Egyptian pounds. The opening quote to a visitor is routinely several times that. Bargaining is expected, good-humoured, and should be done on the bank rather than mid-river.
Some feluccas have no engine, which means the trip depends entirely on wind — on a still evening you may drift. That is not a fault, it is the point.
When
Sunset, without much competition. The light on the water, the bridges, the tower and the buildings on both banks is the best of the day, and the temperature has dropped.
Fridays and Saturdays are busiest, and the river fills with Cairene families on hired boats playing music at volume, which is either atmosphere or an irritation depending on temperament.
Dinner cruises
A different proposition: large multi-deck boats with buffets, belly dancing and a tanoura show. They are aimed squarely at tour groups, the food is variable and the entertainment is loud. Some people love them.
If you want the river, take a felucca. If you want a show, take a cruise, but do not confuse the two.
The corniche
Walking the corniche is pleasant in the evening — from Qasr al-Nil bridge north along the Zamalek side, or on the Garden City bank. The Qasr al-Nil bridge with its four bronze lions is the crossing to walk, and the pavements are wide.
Be aware that the corniche traffic is fast and constant, and crossing the road in Cairo is its own skill. Wait for a local and cross with them; that is genuinely the method everyone uses.
Practicalities
Life jackets are not universal. Ask if it matters to you, particularly with children.
There is no alcohol on feluccas.
