Sound and Light Show - Philae
Sound and Light Show - Philae
Sound and Light Show - Philae
4.5
About
At each Philae Sound and Light show, the Egyptian gods and goddesses are, like Osiris, resurrected before our eyes to tell us their life stories. What would Isis say today if she learned that her temple was allowed to sit in water for many years? She would not be happy with this, but she would be proud to know that, like her husband Osiris, Philae was reborn so that new visitors can see the glory of Philae year after year. ...
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
270 reviews
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NippieSweetie
Glasgow, UK203 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
Over rated, overpriced and disappointing.
Too much standing around then walking over uneven surfaces, it’s very hot even at night in November.
I also don’t recommend this activity for anyone with mobility or visual impairments because of too much time spent standing around waiting for the show to start then having to walk on poorly lit uneven ground. It also took a while before the audience were seated.
The lighting effects were ordinary and underwhelming, no synchronicity with audio either. The story was interesting but you could read that or hear it from a tour guide, Philae by day is stunning.
Too much standing around then walking over uneven surfaces, it’s very hot even at night in November.
I also don’t recommend this activity for anyone with mobility or visual impairments because of too much time spent standing around waiting for the show to start then having to walk on poorly lit uneven ground. It also took a while before the audience were seated.
The lighting effects were ordinary and underwhelming, no synchronicity with audio either. The story was interesting but you could read that or hear it from a tour guide, Philae by day is stunning.
Written November 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neil V
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Friends
Highly overrated.
The "show" is nothing more than a slowly narrated explanation of the site that you can get from any tour guide. The lights seem to be random; they simply turn on for a while then turn off, seemingly unrelated and not timed (or at the very least badly timed) to the narration. The whole production is clearly outdated.
It was neat to see the site lit up at night, but it was definitely not worth the cost of entry. I recommend that you spend your money elsewhere.
The "show" is nothing more than a slowly narrated explanation of the site that you can get from any tour guide. The lights seem to be random; they simply turn on for a while then turn off, seemingly unrelated and not timed (or at the very least badly timed) to the narration. The whole production is clearly outdated.
It was neat to see the site lit up at night, but it was definitely not worth the cost of entry. I recommend that you spend your money elsewhere.
Written November 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
H_M
Ann Arbor, MI34 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Honestly, considering the cost, time, and quality of the show, I think it is not worth it. Save your time, money, and energy. Aswan is so beautiful, if you run out of ideas, simply enjoy the nile!
Written December 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate
Bristol, UK214 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
We were overwhelmed by the Philae sound and light show. Beautifully staged and delivered, it far exceeded the quality of Karnak and Abu Simbel.
Having visited the island at leisure during the day we returned that evening to be stunned by the show - very well worth the trip.
This was incorporated with our cruise package - probably less simple if you go unsupported by transport and a guide. We would say this is not to be missed. Contrary to other reviews we found the whole site carefully lit and the ground staff were very careful to make sure all visitors watched their footing as they walked the grounds.
Having visited the island at leisure during the day we returned that evening to be stunned by the show - very well worth the trip.
This was incorporated with our cruise package - probably less simple if you go unsupported by transport and a guide. We would say this is not to be missed. Contrary to other reviews we found the whole site carefully lit and the ground staff were very careful to make sure all visitors watched their footing as they walked the grounds.
Written November 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rayoboone
United States518 contributions
Apr 2019
The Pyramids. Karnak. They both have light shows, and both were decent. The one at Philae made the hair on my arms stand up.
Some of the narration is a bit cheesy, but walking inside the temple while it’s illuminated is an experience I won’t soon forget.
A word of warning: Do NOT buy your tickets online. I did so because I’d heard the show doesn’t happen if there’s only a very small number of people who show up, which is true. I wanted to make sure they knew we were coming.
There was also the added bonus of paying with a card, which I was always keen to do in a country where everyone just wants cash.
You get a voucher sent to you, complete with a QR code. I’m not sure why it has this, because the staff acted like I was showing them a document from another planet.
A man took my phone, and wandered around with it for about 20 minutes. I’m not sure what he was doing all that time, because he was just standing there smoking for part of it.
I had to express my impatience at one point, because literally everyone else had already gotten on boats and left.
Eventually their solution was for another man to use his phone to take a picture of my phone — then they gave us the tickets and we were able to leave.
I’m still not sure what the issue was. Did they have a piece of equipment that was broken? Was I literally the only one who’d ever showed up with an online ticket? It’s not even like I’d showed them a screenshot, or anything else that would’ve allowed for the possibility that I was scamming them — the image on my phone was from the browser, clearly displaying the web address.
Besides — who would travel all the way to Egypt, just to scam someone out of tickets to a sound and light show?
A tip on getting there, whether at day or at night: You’ll have to negotiate a fare for a cab to take you, wait for you while you’re on the island, then take you back. You probably won’t be able to find a different cab when you come out, as there aren’t any just hanging around. The cost will end up being reasonable, and the taxi drivers in town are well aware of how this works and are eager to do so.
You’ll also have to pay someone to take you to the island on a boat. I believe there’s a fixed fee for the sound and light show at night — daytime is a different and far more frustrating. And yes, it is worth visiting this place in the day and at night. You can do it on the same day, but they will make you leave the island at closing time and come back when it’s dark.
At any rate, the show was amazing and unforgettable. So was the experience of getting past the gate, just in a different way.
As an added bonus, I’m including a photo of the sign showing the fees for daytime admission, which is interesting, to say the least.
Some of the narration is a bit cheesy, but walking inside the temple while it’s illuminated is an experience I won’t soon forget.
A word of warning: Do NOT buy your tickets online. I did so because I’d heard the show doesn’t happen if there’s only a very small number of people who show up, which is true. I wanted to make sure they knew we were coming.
There was also the added bonus of paying with a card, which I was always keen to do in a country where everyone just wants cash.
You get a voucher sent to you, complete with a QR code. I’m not sure why it has this, because the staff acted like I was showing them a document from another planet.
A man took my phone, and wandered around with it for about 20 minutes. I’m not sure what he was doing all that time, because he was just standing there smoking for part of it.
I had to express my impatience at one point, because literally everyone else had already gotten on boats and left.
Eventually their solution was for another man to use his phone to take a picture of my phone — then they gave us the tickets and we were able to leave.
I’m still not sure what the issue was. Did they have a piece of equipment that was broken? Was I literally the only one who’d ever showed up with an online ticket? It’s not even like I’d showed them a screenshot, or anything else that would’ve allowed for the possibility that I was scamming them — the image on my phone was from the browser, clearly displaying the web address.
Besides — who would travel all the way to Egypt, just to scam someone out of tickets to a sound and light show?
A tip on getting there, whether at day or at night: You’ll have to negotiate a fare for a cab to take you, wait for you while you’re on the island, then take you back. You probably won’t be able to find a different cab when you come out, as there aren’t any just hanging around. The cost will end up being reasonable, and the taxi drivers in town are well aware of how this works and are eager to do so.
You’ll also have to pay someone to take you to the island on a boat. I believe there’s a fixed fee for the sound and light show at night — daytime is a different and far more frustrating. And yes, it is worth visiting this place in the day and at night. You can do it on the same day, but they will make you leave the island at closing time and come back when it’s dark.
At any rate, the show was amazing and unforgettable. So was the experience of getting past the gate, just in a different way.
As an added bonus, I’m including a photo of the sign showing the fees for daytime admission, which is interesting, to say the least.
Written April 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JustMyTwoCentsWorth
Portland, OR198 contributions
Feb 2015 • Friends
The island of Philae is an absolute MUST SEE. But DO NOT go at night for the Sound and Light Show. It's awful. I did enjoy seeing everything at night. The oblique lighting casts amazing shadows over the hieroglyphs in a way that you can't get during daylight hours. But the show was stupid. It was weird. And they kind of rush you through it and you don't have the freedom to explore the island like you would during the day. I don't want to waste time even describing the show. Just don't go see it. You'll thank me.
Written February 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve M
Redcar, UK690 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
Cross the the island temple by boat. Take a cushion as the stone seats are bit unforgiving. The show moves around the temple before settling in front of the tiers of seats. It's a good concise history and the lighting and commentary are first rate. The show is presented in different languages at set times each day so you need to check locally to ensure that you book for a show in your own language.
Written January 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EgyptophileEngland
Burnley, UK221 contributions
Dec 2011 • Couples
We had travelled down and booked an over-night stay in Aswan specifically to visit the Sound and Light at Philae because we were entranced with the temple when we had visited in the day time on a previous occasion. We hung around until someone eventually told us that not enough people had arrived and the showing was cancelled. It was SO disappointing and I wondered why we weren't asked if we would be willing to pay more to ensure there could be a show. We were, however, not looking forward to the argument with the boatmen who take the visitors across to the temple about the cost for the trip. This is not a pleasant experience and really needs the management to sort out.
Written December 23, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ellen S
Estero, FL546 contributions
Nov 2019
This experience required three different boat rides, but fortunately the weather was lovely and experiencing the sound and light show was well worth it. I knew about this history of the temple and was eager to see it bathed in light and sound, but the quality of the pre-recorded "story" exceeded my expectations. The voices, which boomed throughout the temple area, were very appropriate to the story told; the accents and diction were perfect, and the story told resonated far more than a simple recitation of the history of Philae could have.
This was a unique and well-worth-it experience if you value the story behind the history.
Yes, it is a bit theatrical, but isn't that what a shound and light show should be!?!
This was a unique and well-worth-it experience if you value the story behind the history.
Yes, it is a bit theatrical, but isn't that what a shound and light show should be!?!
Written December 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
colleenmariem
30 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
We didn't really want to go to a light show, thinking they were touristy and sort of dumb. However, I relaxed in the balmy air of the evening and the lights on the temple, and ended up being carried away by the show and got caught up in the ancient history. Who knew? I recommend it, if you are willing to let go and just be.
Written December 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My interpreting device stopped working halfway throu the show. Is there a script of the story I can read?
Written December 10, 2020
What are the times for the show, beginning to end?
How long is the trip to get there by boat? (I’m thinking of timing it with dinner).
Written February 19, 2020
Was kostet denn die Taxifahrt bis zur Bootsanlegestelle? Was kostet die Bootstour?Bin am überlegen ob ich die Insel auf eigene Faust mache oder einen Trip buche.
Written November 25, 2016
Die Bootsanlegestelle liegt ziemlich weit weg von Aswan. Wir bezahlten 150LE für Hin- u Rückfahrt. Philae kann man sehr gut alleine besuchen, wenn man interessiert ist an der Geschichte lohnt sich aber ein guide- oder man hat sich selbst schlau gemacht- dann geht das problemlos. Soviel ich mich erinnere ist die Bootsfahrt im Eintrittspreis inbegriffen, leider habe ich den nicht mehr präsent. Sound&light show war 105LE.
Written November 26, 2016
Is th e philae temple complex and sound and light show accessible for a wheelchair user? If anyone has experience of this please tell us, thank you.
Written October 15, 2016
I would say that it would be extremely difficult for a wheelchair user, as there are many steps and a lot of uneven ground to go over.
Written October 25, 2016
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