Felucca Sailing on the First Cataract
Aswan, Egypt
About This Activity
Aswan is the best place in Egypt to experience a felucca — the traditional triangular-sailed wooden boats that have plied the Nile for millennia. The stretch around Aswan is particularly beautiful, weaving between the granite outcrops of the First Cataract, past Elephantine Island (where the ancient city of Abu was Egypt's southern frontier), and by the Aga Khan Mausoleum on the west bank. Sunsets here are extraordinary — the light turns the granite pink and the desert orange. Negotiate directly with felucca captains on the Corniche (about 60-100 EGP per hour per boat, fitting 6-8 people). For longer overnight Nile trips to Luxor (2-3 days), felucca packages cost $30-50 per day including food.
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