Things to Do in Aswan

Ticket Prices and Opening Hours at a Glance

This table compares the entry fee and opening hours for each of the main Aswan sights so you can budget a day or three in the city. Ministry figures are for foreign adults, and students pay half at Philae, the Unfinished Obelisk and the Nubia Museum. Hours are the ministry's stated opening windows. Use it alongside Nile river cruises that start in the city, because most cruise fares exclude these entrance fees and you pay at each gate.

A few notes. The High Dam has no ministry ticket line, so the figure shown is the one Wikivoyage lists. The souk charges nothing. The Aga Khan Mausoleum cannot be entered at all, since its interior has been closed to the public since 1997, so there is no ticket to buy.

Philae Temple

The Temple of Isis was begun under Nectanebo I between 380 and 362 BC, and the whole complex was moved stone by stone to Agilkia island in the late 1970s, reopening on 10 March 1980. About 40,000 blocks weighing 2 to 25 tons each were shifted. You reach it by motorboat from the Philae Marina near the old Aswan dam, and the boat ride is a round-trip cost on top of the EGP 550 entry.

Trajan's Kiosk, the 15 by 20 m pavilion locals call Pharaoh's Bed, stands at the water's edge. The full story, including the sound and light show, is on the Philae Temple page.

Aswan High Dam

The High Dam is 111 m high and 40 m wide at the crest, built between 1960 and 1970 with Soviet credits of about 425 million dollars. Behind it, Lake Nasser covers 5,250 square km. The visit itself is short: a viewpoint over the lotus-shaped Arab-Soviet Friendship monument, the crest, and the Power Station's 12 generators rated at 175 MW each.

Several 3-night cruise itineraries from Aswan stop here, and most list the entrance fee as excluded. The Aswan High Dam page covers the dam's history and its human cost, the move of some 50,000 Nubians in Egypt.

Unfinished Obelisk

The Unfinished Obelisk lies in the northern granite quarries and would have measured about 41.75 m and weighed nearly 1,090 tonnes, nearly one-third larger than any obelisk the ancient Egyptians ever raised. Cracks appeared in the stone and the work was abandoned, leaving the base still attached to the bedrock. Tool marks and ochre lines are still visible.

Wikipedia notes that Hatshepsut may have ordered it but flags the claim as lacking a citation, so treat the name as a maybe. More detail sits on the Unfinished Obelisk page.

Elephantine Island

Elephantine is about 1.5 km long and holds ruins, two nilometers and three Nubian villages, with Siou and Koti named by Wikivoyage. The Temple of Khnum ruins cover most of the southern tip, and the Satis temple nilometer runs ninety steps down to the river with numerals in three scripts. The island ticket costs EGP 200 and it opens 8:00 to 16:00.

A public ferry crosses for a small fare. The Elephantine Island page covers the ruins and the villages in full.

Nubian Villages and the Nubia Museum

Two ways to meet Nubian culture sit on this list. The first is a village visit: Gharb Soheil, west of the river, is a community of domed mud-brick houses, many painted blue, reached only by motorboat because no road goes there. The Nubian village Aswan page explains what a visit involves.

The second is the Nubia Museum in town, opened in 1997, designed by Mahmoud El-Hakim and winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2001. Its 50,000 square metre site holds the story of the 100,000 Nubians displaced in Egypt and Sudan by the High Dam. Entry is EGP 400 for foreign adults and it opens 9:00 to 17:00.

Tombs of the Nobles, the Aga Khan Mausoleum and St Simeon

The West Bank carries three stops. Qubbet el-Hawa, the Tombs of the Nobles, holds about 100 rock-cut tombs mostly from the Old Kingdom, including those of Harkhuf and Sarenput I, used from the Fourth Dynasty to the Roman period. Entry is EGP 200 per the ministry list, open 7:00 to 16:00.

Below it, the Aga Khan Mausoleum is pink limestone outside and Carrara marble inside, built between 1956 and 1960, with a red rose laid on the tomb daily. The interior has been closed since 1997, so this is an exterior and viewpoint stop only. West of Aswan, the ruins of the 6th-century Monastery of St Simeon, destroyed by Saladin in 1173, costs EGP 100 and opens 7:00 to 17:00.

The Souk and the Botanical Garden

Two low-cost entries round out the list. The Aswan souk starts at the railway station and runs south through almost half the city, and it charges nothing to walk. The Aswan Botanical Garden fills the whole of Kitchener's Island, about 750 m long, planted with exotic trees by Lord Kitchener after he received the island in 1911.

The garden covers 17 acres in seven sections and visitors have included Nehru, Tito and Elizabeth II. Wikivoyage listed entry at LE45, and feluccas and motorboats both reach it. For a calm evening ashore, the Old Cataract Hotel, opened in 1900 and reopened as a Sofitel Legend in 2011, served high tea at LE2750 per Wikivoyage, and Death on the Nile was filmed there in 1978.

Abu Simbel as a Day Trip

Abu Simbel is not an Aswan sight you can walk to. It sits roughly 230 to 290 km southwest of the city, and the desert road takes 3.5 to 4 hours each way, closed to tourists from 17:00 to 5:00, which is why group tours leave around 4:00. Flights take about 45 minutes.

Entry is EGP 750 for foreign adults, and a special ticket of EGP 1,200 covers the two sun-alignment mornings when light reaches the inner sanctuary. Both dates fall on 22 October and 22 February each year. The temples were moved between 1964 and 1968 before Lake Nasser rose, and UNESCO inscribed them in 1979.

Several of the Nile river cruises include or offer Abu Simbel, including the 3-Night Cruise with Abu Simbel and Balloon at $340 per person plus $110 in mandatory checkout charges, which includes it as a group trip. Note that cruise prices on this site exclude temple entrance fees unless a listing says otherwise.

How Many Days You Need

Two full days cover the city sights: one for Philae and the dam and obelisk, one for Elephantine, the museum and the West Bank. A third day goes to Abu Simbel. Weather decides the season.

Aswan averages a January high of 23.2 C (73.8 F) against 41.9 C (107.4 F) in July, and its record of 51 C was set in July 1918. The cooler months from October to April are the safe bet for sightseeing on foot.

Felucca Rides

A felucca is a lateen-sailed wooden boat that relies on wind and current, carrying eight to ten passengers with a crew of two or three. Short sails run from the corniche, where Wikivoyage listed boatmen at LE50 to 80 depending on haggling. If you want a booked ride with a fixed price, the Aswan Felucca to Elephantine is a 2-hour trip at $15 per person with hotel pickup and bottled water, though the Botanical Garden entry is extra if you go inside.

For longer sails, the overnight felucca from Aswan starts at $25 per person across five options from 2 hours to 3 nights, with meals cooked by the crew on the overnight routes. Feluccas carry no engine, moor at sunset and cannot sail after dark, so a multi-day trip moves at the wind's pace. The felucca ride page explains the boat and the options in detail.

Elephantine and Kitchener's Island by Boat

The islands are boat trips by definition. A public ferry crosses to Elephantine, listed by Wikivoyage at LE5 for foreigners, and it lands you near the villages, though the EGP 200 ruin ticket is separate. Feluccas reach the southeastern side of Kitchener's Island, where the garden landing sits.

A short private sail that covers both islands is the simplest plan, and it is what the Aswan Felucca to Elephantine does.

The West Bank by Boat

Gharb Soheil is reached by motorboat, since no car reaches it. Wikivoyage says boatmen can be contacted on the Corniche.

Cruises That Start or End in Aswan

Aswan is the southern end of the classic cruise route. Most 3-night sailings run Aswan to Luxor with the current, while 4-night ships sail upstream from Luxor to Aswan. Departures here usually visit the High Dam and Philae, and some add the Unfinished Obelisk, before sailing downstream toward Kom Ombo and Edfu.

Entrance fees are extra on most listings, so check what the fare covers before you book. The comparison table on the homepage sets every departure, direction and inclusion side by side, and the routes section explains how many nights each direction takes.

Getting There

Wikipedia puts Abu Simbel about 290 km southwest of Aswan, while other guides give 230 to 280 km, so treat the distance as roughly 230 to 290 km. The road trip takes 3.5 to 4 hours each way. Standard group tours leave Aswan at about 4:00, because the desert highway is closed to tourists from 17:00 to 5:00.

EgyptAir and Air Cairo flights take about 45 minutes if you would rather skip the drive. On many Aswan departures, Abu Simbel comes as an add-on: the 3-Night Cruise with Abu Simbel and Balloon at $340 per person plus $110 in mandatory checkout charges includes it as a group trip, though temple entrance fees are not part of its price.

Tickets and Hours

The ministry price list shows Abu Simbel at EGP 750 for foreign adults and EGP 375 for students, open 6:00 to 17:00. A special sun alignment ticket costs EGP 1,200 for foreign adults and EGP 600 for students on 22 October and 22 February, when the sun reaches the inner sanctuary. Parking costs EGP 25 for a car, EGP 75 for a minibus and EGP 100 for a bus.

One guide says the ticket booth takes cards only. The temples were moved between 1964 and 1968 before Lake Nasser rose, and UNESCO inscribed them with the Nubian Monuments in 1979.

Lake Nasser Cruises

Lake Nasser stretches around 500 km behind the High Dam and covers 5,250 square kilometres. Lake Nasser cruises exist, but their lengths and stop order are not covered here. On the river itself, the catalog of Nile river cruises lists both directions.

Temperatures Month by Month

Aswan's average summer highs stay above 40 C and its record is 51 C in July 1918. The cooler months run from October to April, which guides name as the best window for a Nile cruise and for sightseeing. January averages a high of 23.2 C (73.8 F) and a low of 10.0 C (50.0 F).

March reaches 30.3 C (86.5 F). June to August sit at 41.6 to 41.9 C (106.9 to 107.4 F) for daytime highs. The figures below come from Wikipedia's climate table for Aswan.

What the Season Means for Your Plans

June to August brings intense heat but smaller crowds at the sites, while October to April is peak season with larger crowds. Philae opens at 7:00 and the Unfinished Obelisk at 7:00, so early starts beat the worst of the day in any month. Pack lightweight breathable clothing, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, insect repellent and a light jacket for cooler evenings.

In low-water periods some sailings are suspended or ships swap passengers at the locks, so check your sailing if you travel in the hotter months.

Cruises Starting in Aswan

The 3-Night Cruise with Temple Tickets at $600 per person is the clearest deal from Aswan: every temple entrance fee in its itinerary is included, Philae to Hatshepsut, though Abu Simbel is not part of the price. The Luxury Dahabiya Cruise at $1,100 per person also includes entrance fees to its listed sites, all meals from lunch on day 1, and water and hot drinks on board. At the budget end, the 1-Night Aswan to Luxor Cruise at $206 per person carries no temple stops at all and works as a simple sailing between the two cities.

Cruises Ending in Aswan

Sailing upstream from Luxor typically takes 4 nights. The 4-Night Luxor to Aswan Cruise at $950 per person, plus $100.83 in mandatory charges at checkout, runs 5 days with full board and an Egyptologist, but entrance fees are paid on site. The 4-Night Cruise with Private Guide at $980 per person ends in Aswan with the Unfinished Obelisk among its last stops, though its listing does not state whether temple tickets are covered, so confirm before booking.

The Nile Cruise from Cairo with Flights at $1,300 per person boards in Aswan after hotel pickup in Cairo and both flights.

What the Prices do Not Cover

Most listings exclude entrance fees. Budget for Philae at EGP 550, the High Dam at EGP 200 per Wikivoyage, Kom Ombo at EGP 450 and Edfu at EGP 550 for foreign adults. Drinks are also commonly excluded, sometimes even water, as on the Cairo package.

Compare what each fare actually includes on the Nile river cruise homepage before you book, because the cheapest headline price is rarely the final cost.