Nile River Boat CruiseOvernight Felucca Aswan: Sleep on Deck Under the Stars
This overnight felucca from Aswan from operator JJ Jamaica Felucca sells five options on one page: a 2-hour sunset sail around Elephantine Island, a 6-hour sail with lunch, and 1, 2 or 3-night trips. The $25 from-price is the lowest of the five, not the price of a night on the water, so check each option at checkout. The rating is 5.0 from 162 reviews and each sailing takes up to 12 travelers. You sleep on deck with sleeping bags, blankets and a mosquito net, the crew cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner, and tea and coffee are included. The overnight routes stop at Daraw village, Kom Ombo, Gebel El-Silsila and Edfu, then a private transfer takes you to Luxor. It is a real-life sailing experience rather than a Nile river cruise with a cabin, and that difference shapes everything on this page. Compare it with the other Nile cruises.
About This Tour
JJ Jamaica Felucca runs a traditional felucca sailboat from Aswan with a bathroom and a sundeck. The boat carries up to 12 travelers, boards at KFC Aswan on the corniche at 10 AM for the overnight options, and sails 5 to 6 hours a day. The crew cooks your meals and provides sleeping bags, cozy blankets and a mosquito net. The 3-night route stops at Daraw village and its camel market, then Kom Ombo, Gebel El-Silsila and Edfu for about 1 hour each, before you disembark near Daraw or Kom Ombo and ride private air-conditioned transport to Luxor via Edfu Temple.
This is not a luxury cruise. The listing says the main goal is to sail, swim in the Nile, meet villagers and see the river, and it calls the trip a real-life experience. Temple entry tickets are excluded, an Egyptologist is available only on request, and other drinks are sold by the crew. If you want a cabin, full board and a proper ship, look at the 1-Night Aswan to Luxor Cruise on a 5-star vessel or the 4-day dahabiya with entrance fees included.
$25 per person is the lowest of five options (2 hours, 6 hours, 1, 2 or 3 nights). Check the price of the option you pick at checkout.
2 hours to 3 nights depending on the option. Overnight options sail 5 to 6 hours a day.
Starts at KFC Aswan on the corniche, boarding 10 AM. Ends with a private transfer to Luxor via Edfu Temple.
Traditional felucca with a bathroom and sundeck, up to 12 travelers. You sleep on deck, not in a cabin.
Entry tickets for sightseeing are not included. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are cooked by the crew on overnights, tea and coffee included, other drinks sold by the crew.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Several options run on this listing from a 2-hour sunset sail to 3 nights. Pick your option and date on the booking calendar.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This overnight felucca from Aswan starts at $25 per person, the lowest of five options, carries up to 12 travelers, and holds a 5.0 rating from 162 reviews. The overnight trips board at 10 AM at KFC Aswan, sail 5 to 6 hours a day and end with a private transfer to Luxor. You sleep on deck, temple tickets are extra, and drinks beyond tea and coffee cost extra.
Key takeaways
- See exactly what the $25 covers in What the Price Actually Covers.
- Want a cabin and a proper ship instead? Read about the 1-night Aswan to Luxor cruise.
- Prefer sails, fees and a proper bed? The luxury dahabiya cruise includes entrance fees.
- Only have 2 hours? A short felucca ride in Aswan costs less and needs no night on deck.
What the Price Actually Covers
The options on this listing share a boat and a crew, but the price and the inclusions change with the option you pick, so read the line items before you pay.
Included on the Overnight Options
The listing includes breakfast, lunch and dinner cooked by the crew, tea and coffee, and bedding: sleeping bags, cozy blankets and a mosquito net around the boat. The boat has a bathroom and a sundeck. Local transport to visit Daraw is included, and so is the private transportation to Luxor via Edfu Temple at the end.
The 6-hour option includes lunch but no night on board.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crew-cooked meals | Yes on overnights | Breakfast, lunch and dinner. The 6-hour option includes lunch |
| Tea and coffee | Yes | Other drinks are sold by the crew at reasonable prices |
| Sleeping gear | Yes | Sleeping bags, cozy blankets and a mosquito net, on-deck sleeping |
| Temple entry tickets | No | Entry tickets for sightseeing are excluded |
| Egyptologist | No | Available on request, the listing gives no price |
| Gratuities | No | Tipping the crew is expected in Egypt |
| Private transfer to Luxor | Yes on overnights | Private air-conditioned transport via Edfu Temple |
| Checkout charges | Not stated | The $25 is the lowest option, confirm your option at checkout |
Sources: Nile, Wikipedia, Aswan, Wikipedia
Several feluccas are moored on the Nile at Aswan. Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing does not print a full hour-by-hour itinerary, but it does state boarding times, the daily sailing target and the stops.
Boarding in Aswan
You meet at KFC Aswan on the corniche. You can walk along the Aswan corniche or catch a taxi. Boarding is at 10 AM for the overnight options, 12 noon for the 6-hour sail and 4 PM for the 2-hour sunset sail.
Early stops include Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island, and the 6-hour sail visits the botanical garden.
Sailing Days
The overnight trips aim to sail 5 or 6 hours a day. The listing says the goal is to enjoy the view of the Nile, the villages and ancient history, stopping to chat with locals, swim in the river and sit around a bonfire. On the 3-night route you visit Kom Ombo Temple for about 1 hour, Gebel El-Silsila for about 1 hour and Edfu Temple for about 1 hour.
The Daraw stop includes its vegetable market and camel market, which takes place every Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, so time your option around those days if the market matters to you.
The End of the Trip
You disembark near Daraw or Kom Ombo and ride a private air-conditioned vehicle to Luxor via Edfu Temple. The transfer is included in the overnight options. No return time is stated, so ask the crew on board or check your option details before booking.
Sleeping on the Nile River | 2 Night Cruise on a Felucca in Egypt
A traveller films a 2-night felucca trip on the Nile, including sleeping on deck. Third-party video by Flying The Nest. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This is the most basic way to spend a night on the Nile, and the trade-offs are real and some travelers should book a different boat.
No Cabin, No Ship Facilities
You sleep on deck with a sleeping bag, a blanket and a mosquito net. The bathroom is basic and the sundeck is the whole boat. If you want a cabin and full board on a ship, book the 1-Night Aswan to Luxor Cruise from $206 instead.
That option has no temple visits, so it pairs well with your own sightseeing.
Temple Tickets and Guides Are Extra
Entry tickets for sightseeing are excluded, and an Egyptologist is only provided on request. If you would rather have fees handled up front, the Luxury Dahabiya Cruise includes entrance fees for its listed sites, water and hot drinks, and it stops at Kom Ombo, Gebel El-Silsila and Edfu too.
Only Want a Short Sail
Booking three nights to get two hours on the river makes no sense. The Aswan Felucca to Elephantine is a 2-hour sail from $15 with hotel pickup and bottled water, and it is the cheaper way onto the Nile for an afternoon.
Fitness, Ages and Weather
The listing suits all fitness levels and takes children from 0 to 4 as infants and adults from 5 to 80. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. Wheelchair access is not stated, so confirm with the operator before booking.
Expect heat: Aswan's average summer highs stay above 40 C, and the preferred cruise season is the cooler months from October to April. Wind decides your schedule, because a felucca cannot sail without it.
A felucca and other boats wait at the landing of Kitchener's Island. Photo: Marc Ryckaert ( MJJR ), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
The tour starts in Aswan and ends with a transfer to Luxor, so plan your transport and your add-on sightseeing around both cities.
Reaching the Start
You make your own way to KFC Aswan on the corniche. Walk along the corniche or take a taxi. There is no hotel pickup on this listing.
Aswan has an airport, and Luxor lies about 214 to 220 km north by road, with Rome2Rio giving about 3h05m driving and about 3h30m by train.
Leaving at the End
Overnight options end with a private transfer to Luxor via Edfu Temple, so you arrive in Luxor with your luggage. From Luxor you can fly or take the train onward to Cairo, which lies roughly 640 to 670 km away by road.
What to Add Yourself
The felucca stops at Kom Ombo, Gebel El-Silsila and Edfu for about 1 hour each, but entry tickets are excluded, so budget for them. The ministry price list shows Kom Ombo at EGP 450 for foreign adults and Abu Simbel at EGP 750. Abu Simbel sits on Lake Nasser south of Aswan and is not on this route, so visit it from Aswan before you board.
Philae Temple near Aswan costs EGP 550 per the ministry list and opens 7:00 to 16:00. A felucca ride at sunset or a walk through the things to do in Aswan list fills your days before boarding, and the Edfu Temple guide helps you plan that hour-long stop.
Itinerary, Stop by Stop
The listing states boarding times and stops but not a full clock-time schedule, so the steps below follow the stated phases.
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10 AM
Board at KFC Aswan
Meet at KFC Aswan on the corniche, walking along the corniche or by taxi. Board the felucca, meet the crew and stow your gear on deck.
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After boarding
Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands
Sail around Elephantine Island and past Kitchener's Island. The 6-hour option also visits the botanical garden. Swim stops are part of the trip.
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Daily
Sail 5 to 6 hours
The stated goal is 5 or 6 hours of sailing a day, with meals cooked by the crew, tea and coffee on tap, and stops at villages to chat with locals. Nights are spent on deck under a mosquito net, sometimes around a bonfire.
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Market days
Daraw village
Stop at Daraw and its vegetable market. The camel market with camels brought from Sudan runs every Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.
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About 1 hour each
Kom Ombo, Gebel El-Silsila, Edfu
On the 3-night route, visit Kom Ombo Temple, the sandstone quarry at Gebel El-Silsila and Edfu Temple, about 1 hour at each. Entry tickets are not included, so bring cash.
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End of trip
Private transfer to Luxor
Disembark near Daraw or Kom Ombo and ride the included private air-conditioned vehicle to Luxor via Edfu Temple.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this listing against the other boats on the river.
What we genuinely like
- A from-price of $25 per person, with each option priced at checkout
- Meals cooked by the crew, tea and coffee, and sleeping gear are all included
- The private transfer to Luxor via Edfu Temple at the end is included on overnights
- Small boat, up to 12 travelers, with a 5.0 rating from 162 reviews
- Stops at Daraw, Kom Ombo, Gebel El-Silsila and Edfu
The honest downsides
- The $25 is the lowest of five options, so a night on the water costs more and you must check your option at checkout
- You sleep on deck, and the mosquito net and sleeping bag are the whole bedding setup
- Temple entry tickets, an Egyptologist, gratuities and drinks beyond tea and coffee are all extra
- A felucca depends on wind, so timings drift and no return time is stated
- Boarding at KFC Aswan means no hotel pickup, and summer heat above 40 C makes deck sleeping hard
Who it's NOT for: Anyone who wants a cabin, included temple tickets or a guaranteed schedule should book a cruise ship or a dahabiya instead.
Questions About This Felucca Trip
Can you actually sleep on a felucca?
Yes. This listing provides sleeping bags, cozy blankets and a mosquito net, and you sleep on the deck with a bathroom on board. If a real bed matters, compare the 1-night cruise from Aswan to Luxor on a 5-star ship.
How much does this felucca Nile trip cost?
The listing starts at $25 per person, which is the lowest of five options from 2 hours to 3 nights. Check the price of your chosen option at checkout, and see how it compares in Nile river cruise.
Are temple tickets included on the overnight felucca?
No. Entry tickets for sightseeing are excluded and an Egyptologist is only available on request. If you want fees handled in advance, the Luxury Dahabiya Cruise includes entrance fees for its listed sites.
Where does the overnight felucca leave from in Aswan?
You meet at KFC Aswan on the corniche, reached by walking along the corniche or by taxi. Boarding is at 10 AM for overnight options, and there is no hotel pickup. For a ride with pickup included, see the Aswan Felucca to Elephantine.
When is the best time for an overnight felucca from Aswan?
The cooler months from October to April are preferred on the Nile, because Aswan's average summer highs stay above 40 C. The guide to Nile river cruises covers the season in detail.
Can children join the felucca trip?
Yes, children 0 to 4 count as infants and adults 5 to 80 are welcome, and infants can ride in a pram or stroller. The crew cooks all meals, but pack sun protection and confirm the boat setup with the operator via the booking page.
How do I get back from the end of the trip?
You do not need to arrange anything. Overnight options end with a private air-conditioned transfer to Luxor via Edfu Temple, included in the price. Bigger-ship options with transfers are listed in Nile river cruise.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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