Small Group Highlight: Nile River Felucca Sail

Traditional felucca sailboats have been darting up and down the Nile River and the Mediterranean coast since long before the rise of pharaonic rule in Ancient Egypt.

Designed for shallow river sailing, these speedy crafts can navigate against the wind and through strong currents thanks to their large triangular sails, known as lateens. Modern-day Egyptians continue to rely on feluccas for fishing, travel, trade, and recreation, as guests traveling on Egypt & the Eternal Nile and Treasures of Egypt discover during a special small group highlight: a leisurely felucca sightseeing sail in Aswan.

Upon our group’s arrival at the dock, guests board a felucca and prepare to depart.

Guests boarding a felucca

Tour director Hassan Latif talking to guests during a felucca sail

Once all guests are aboard, we cast off to begin our hour-long loop around Elephantine Island, our tour director and guide teaching us about the region’s rich history and pointing out notable landmarks along the way.

Odysseys employee Caity H. aboard a felucca

The view from our boat

During our cruise, we sail by Kitchener’s Island. Named after Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener, the British military officer and Egyptian Consul-General who once owned the island, Kitchener’s Island sits to the west of Elephantine Island and is home to the Aswan Botanical Garden.

During our leisurely cruise down one of the world's most legendary waterways, we'll also have time to admire unique shoreline rock formations that look like animals; pass the Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote her legendary novel Death on the Nile; and take in the sunset over Aswan.

A view of the riverbank from our felucca

Old Cataract Hotel

No trip to Egypt is complete without a day spent aboard a felucca. To book your own ride on these classic vessels — and experience everything else Egypt has to offer — explore our Egypt & the Eternal Nile and Treasures of Egypt small group tours. And when you’re ready to reserve, call us at 888-370-6765 and one of our Travel Counselors will be happy to assist you.