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On the NileLuxor tours · on the Nile

Felucca rides in Luxor — sunset on the Nile

A felucca ride in Luxor is one to two hours under sail at sunset, from about $25 a person booked online with hotel pickup. On the Corniche you can hire a whole boat for less — if you agree the price and the time first.

Booked online
from about $25 per person
Usual length
1–2 h (Banana Island 3 h)
Public ferry
EGP 20 (Oct 2025)
Best time
last hour before sunset

Updated October 21, 2026

Feluccas with white sails on the Nile at sunset
Feluccas with white sails on the Nile at sunset Photo: Kieron Wood, CC BY-SA 3.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallPrivate Sunset Felucca Sailing on the Nile4.9405 reviewsfrom $29GetYourGuide

    A private sunset sail with tea, rated 4.9 over more than 400 reviews, and towed by motorboat if the wind drops — so the boat still moves on a calm evening.

  2. Lowest pricePrivate Felucca Ride with Panoramic Nile Views4.465 reviewsfrom $25GetYourGuide

    The cheapest private felucca with air-conditioned transfers, at about $25 a person; fewer reviews than the leaders, but a good score.

  3. Worth the splurgeRomantic Nile Felucca Dinner Experience.5.01 reviewsfrom $86GetYourGuide

    A three-hour dinner sail with hotel transfers for a special evening. It has only one review so far, so read the menu and timings carefully.

  4. Skip it ifYou're staying near the Corniche

    Walk down to the river and hire a boat directly. For one or two people the whole boat often costs less than two online tickets.

How to do a felucca ride in Luxor

A felucca ride in Luxor is simple: a wooden sailboat, a captain, an hour or two on the river opposite the town, ideally timed for sunset. You can book one online with hotel pickup and tea, or walk down to the Corniche and hire a boat directly. The boats are much the same either way; what you're paying for online is a fixed price, a pickup and no haggling.

Option Price Time Group Pickup Food & drink Best for
DIY boat hire on the Corniche roughly EGP 400–600 per boat per hour (about $8–12) 1 h+ your group walk to the river bring your own Couples, flexible plans
Private sunset felucca, booked online from about $25–29 per person 2 h your group included tea Sunset without haggling
Sunset felucca with hotel pickup from about $31 per person 2 h small group included hibiscus tea Solo travelers
Banana Island felucca trip package price, check the listing about 3 h small group included fruit tasting Families
Dinner felucca from about $86 per person 3 h your group included dinner Anniversaries
Private motorboat crossing about EGP 80–100 (Oct 2025) a few minutes 1–2 people none — Getting to the West Bank

Felucca and sunset sails in Luxor

US-dollar prices come from each platform's own feed and were checked on October 21, 2026. Dates and group size change them — the booking page has the final price.

Sunset on the Nile: when to go

The best hour is the last one before sunset. The sun drops behind the Theban hills on the West Bank, the river turns copper, and the temples and hotels of the East Bank catch the last light behind you. Book or board about an hour before sunset and you'll have the whole show.

Winter evenings cool quickly on the water — bring a sweater from November to February. In summer, sunset is the most comfortable hour to be outdoors. Combine it with the Karnak Sound & Light Show or dinner on the Corniche for a full evening in Luxor.

Same trip, different desksPrivate sunset felucca with hotel transfers
  1. GetYourGuidePrivate Felucca Ride with Panoramic Nile Views4.465 reviewsfrom $25Check dates
  2. HeadoutLuxor Sunset Felucca Ride on the Nile with Private Hotel TransfersNew listingfrom $25Check dates

Banana Island by felucca

Banana Island — known locally as Gezirat el-Moz — is a small farmed island on the Nile near Luxor, planted with banana groves and fruit trees. The organized trips sail there, land for about half an hour, let you walk through the groves and taste bananas from the farmers, then sail back as the sun sets. Packages take about three hours with hotel pickup and include the island's entry.

Fields and palms along the Nile near Luxor — the landscape of a Banana Island sail
Fields and palms along the Nile near Luxor — the landscape of a Banana Island sail Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0

Is it worth it? As a sight, the island is modest. As a reason for a longer sail, with children who need a landing in the middle, it's very pleasant. If the wind is wrong, operators switch to a motorboat to make the distance — so if sailing is the point, a plain sunset felucca is the safer choice.

Felucca, motorboat or ferry?

  • Felucca: quiet and slow, and the sailing is the experience. Without wind it drifts or gets a tow — several listings say openly that a motorboat pulls the felucca on calm evenings.
  • Motorboat: faster, ignores the wind, gets to Banana Island on schedule, but it's noisy. Private motorboat crossings to the West Bank cost about EGP 80–100 for one or two people (October 2025).
  • Public ferry: the cheapest way across, at EGP 20 for foreigners (October 2025). It leaves when it fills, which can take a while, but runs frequently during the day.

For something longer than an evening, feluccas make multi-day trips between Aswan and Edfu, south of Luxor; for the same pace with cabins, see our dahabiya guide.

Dinner felucca: is it worth the price?

A dinner felucca costs about $86 a person for three hours, with hotel transfers — roughly three times a plain sunset sail. You're paying for the meal on board and the evening timing. It suits an anniversary or a proposal. For a regular evening, a two-hour sunset sail followed by dinner at a Corniche restaurant costs less and gives you more choice of food. Note that the dinner listing currently has only one review.

Practical tips

  • Pickup: online listings collect from East Bank hotels. Pickups from the West Bank or the airport may cost extra — check the listing.
  • Wind: too much or too little changes the plan — the crew may tow the felucca or switch to a motorboat. Book for an early evening in your stay so you can move it if needed.
  • Cash: carry small Egyptian-pound notes for tips and DIY hires.
  • Comfort: the boats are small and open; bring water, and a hat for the first half hour.

The felucca is the quietest hour of a Luxor trip — a good pair with a busy temple day from our Luxor tours guide.

Questions travellers ask

How much is a felucca ride in Luxor?

Booked online, a two-hour sunset felucca with hotel pickup costs from about $25 to $31 a person; a dinner felucca is about $86. On the Corniche you pay for the whole boat by the hour, and 2026 budget guides put a negotiated hour at roughly EGP 400–600 (about $8–12). Agree the price, the duration and whether it's per boat before you step aboard.

Is Banana Island worth visiting?

As a destination, it's modest — a farmed island with banana groves, where farmers let you taste the fruit and you walk among the trees. As the turning point of a longer sail, it works well, especially with children. Organized Banana Island trips take about three hours with pickup and include the island's entry.

What is the best time for a felucca ride in Luxor?

The last hour or so before sunset, when the light turns gold on the Theban hills across the river and the heat has gone out of the day. In winter, bring a layer — it cools quickly on the water once the sun drops. In summer, a sunset sail is one of the few comfortable outdoor hours.

What happens if there's no wind?

The felucca drifts with the current, or the crew tows it with a small motorboat — several listings say so openly. Banana Island trips may switch to a motorboat altogether when the wind is wrong. If sailing under real canvas matters to you, ask on the day and be flexible about the hour.

Felucca or motorboat — which is better?

A felucca is quiet and slow, and sailing it is the point. A motorboat is faster, ignores the wind and reaches Banana Island reliably, but it's noisier. For a sunset hour opposite the town, choose a felucca; to get somewhere on a schedule, take a motorboat or the public ferry.

Can you take a felucca across to the West Bank?

Yes. Felucca owners on the Corniche will take you across, and taxis wait on the far side. For a simple crossing, though, the public ferry is cheaper — EGP 20 for foreigners in October 2025 — and private motorboats ask about EGP 80–100 for one or two people.

Sources and checks

  1. GetYourGuide — Luxor felucca listings (feed prices, ratings, review counts, durations) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Headout — Luxor cruises and boat trips — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. TUI — Sunset Banana Island Nile experience on board a felucca (duration, inclusions, motorboat in wind) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. Wikivoyage — Luxor (public ferry and motorboat fares, Oct 2025; feluccas) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. Machupicchu.org — Luxor budget guide 2026 (negotiated felucca rates) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. Pluang — USD to EGP exchange rate (July 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026

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