The small docks along the Garden City corniche are where you can hire traditional feluccas (Nile sailing boats) for an hour or two on the river. The felucca experience is one of the most distinctive things you can do in Cairo: a wooden boat with a triangular sail, an unhurried captain, and the city sliding past on both banks at the pace of the current. At sunset, when the light on the Nile is golden and the city's muezzin calls begin, it's one of Cairo's most memorable experiences.
Prices should be negotiated before departure: LE 150–300 per hour for the boat (not per person) is reasonable. Boats typically take 4–6 people. The standard route goes north past the Cairo Tower and back, with views of Zamalek and the downtown Nile skyline. Bring water and something for shade; the sun is intense on the water.