A felucca ride and a bowl of koshary

About this experience

Emo Tours, who also run the dinner cruise with hotel pickup, package three things here: a private car from your hotel, a traditional felucca from a pier in downtown Cairo, and a meal of koshary at a local restaurant if you choose that option. A private guide comes along, and you can go by day or in the evening.

Koshary is what Cairo eats for lunch: rice, pasta and black lentils, topped with tomato sauce and crispy fried onions, then dressed with garlic vinegar and chilli sauce to taste. In 2025 UNESCO added it to its intangible heritage list as Egypt's daily-life dish (UNESCO). It's cheap, filling and meat-free, and eating it in a local restaurant tells you more about the city than a hotel buffet will.

Two things to know. The listing says 2 to 3 hours, but its own note says 3 to 4 hours including transfers, so block out half a day. And if there isn't enough wind, a motorboat tows the felucca. If you only want the sail, the private felucca is cheaper and includes pickup. For dinner on the water, look at the Cafelluca felucca dinner.

• A traditional felucca from a downtown Cairo pier
• Koshary at a local restaurant, if you choose the meal option
• Hotel pickup and drop-off by private A/C car
• A private guide and bottled water
• Day or evening departures
• Guides in English, Spanish, German, Italian and Arabic

How the day runs

1. PickupMeet your representative

   A representative collects you from your hotel. Pickup covers 6th of October City, Giza, Al Haram and Cairo.

2. VariesDrive downtown

   A private air-conditioned car takes you to the Nile pier in downtown Cairo.

3. On the riverSail the felucca

   Board the felucca with your guide and head out on the river. If the wind is too light, a motorboat tows you.

4. After the sailKoshary at a local restaurant

   If you booked the meal, the guide takes you to a local restaurant for a plate of koshary.

5. 3 to 4 hours after pickupBack to your hotel

   The car drops you back at your hotel, per the listing's own timing note.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Book the late-afternoon slot: sunset on the water, then koshary as an early dinner.
• Go easy on the chilli sauce. Add it a spoonful at a time.
• Block out 3 to 4 hours, not 2. The listing's own note says so.
• Celebrating? The listing says birthday parties can be arranged. Ask when you book.
• Heading south later? Emo Tours runs the same trip from Luxor and Aswan.

Read next:

• Felucca or dinner cruise
• Nile cruise costs

Frequently asked questions

Compare with

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