Things to Do in Aswan, Egypt - Aswan Attractions
Things to Do in Aswan
Check out must-see sights and activities:
Temple of Philae, Nubian Village, Historic Sites, Hot Air Balloon Rides. For personalized recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
Temple of Philae, Nubian Village, Historic Sites, Hot Air Balloon Rides. For personalized recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
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Multi-day Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)$349
Likely To Sell Outfromper adult (price varies by group size)$53
Multi-day Toursfromper adult$340
Sailingfromper adult (price varies by group size)$240- fromper adult (price varies by group size)$344
- fromper adult (price varies by group size)$480
- fromper adult (price varies by group size)$65
Day Tripsfromper adult (price varies by group size)$24
Multi-day Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)$716
Multi-day Toursfromper adult$450
Historic Sites
Historic Sites
History Museums
Museum dedicated to Nubian civilization and its ties to Ancient Egypt, showcasing well-curated exhibits with bilingual descriptions and a selection of unique artifacts.
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Islands
Museum with Nile views, showcasing historical Pharaonic artifacts and outdoor ancient ruins. Nearby, a peaceful Nubian village with mudbrick homes invites cultural interactions.
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Flea & Street Markets
Vibrant market by the River Nile with local goods, fresh produce, and authentic Egyptian meals. Enjoy a magical ambiance and stroll for souvenirs and street food.
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Ancient Ruins
Gardens
Island garden rich in diverse plants and tranquil Nile views, accessible by boat ride. Historical ties to General Kitchener and vibrant birdlife amidst serene greenery.
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Modern engineering marvel with panoramic views of a vast man-made lake and the Nile River, featuring historical displays and a monument to international cooperation.
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Historic Sites
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Other Top Attractions around Aswan
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
What travelers are saying
- aspoe093Pierre, SD733 contributionsAn amazing place with gorgeous views. The temple and area around it are preserved very well and there are plenty of signs to tell you what you are looking at. The boat ride there was nice and we spent about an hour looking around. Amazing to think that this temple was relocated.Written January 20, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Robert DBrooklyn, New York5,278 contributionsWe took a small boat to a Nubian village on an island in the Nile River. We went inside a Nubian home. We were able to look around and sample some local food. There was a tank of Nile crocodiles to look and and hold if you dare!
Next we visited a community school. It was interesting to visit a classroom at the West Sohail Qibli school. Their teacher taught us how to say the numbers from 1 to 10 in Nubian.Written May 8, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - R WLewisville, NC132 contributionsWonderful to have a museum dedicated to Nubian history. The museum is not large and overwhelming. The museum is a place for knowledge sharing to obtain some history of the Ancient Nubian to today.
Our group spent a little more than an hour touring the museum at a leisurely pace.
Very peaceful visit away from the crowds. We were able to enjoy learning.Written October 25, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Codiak!Abbotsford, Canada12,421 contributionsThis place is amazing when you learn the history of it. When the Aswan Dam was to be built an international effort to preserve temples that would soon be underwater came into play. What you see here was transported jigsaw fashion above the water level to be preserved.Written December 21, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Hesham FCairo, Egypt1 contributionVery interesting story teller about Nubian life and traditions. Also they have a museum of all wild animals that live behind the high damWritten January 1, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Susan CMelbourne, Australia1,538 contributionsNewly covered with open wooden roofing that make it a delight to walk through, the Spice Market stretches for almost 2 kilometers near the railway station. Not too touristy and the various spice displays are beautiful to look at. As an Australian it was lovely to view but, of course, not something we would tend buy to take home. It was a nice walk though and I liked the ambience.Written April 1, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Susan CMelbourne, Australia1,538 contributionsThe two of us had a tour with Memphis Tours which took us by boat from the Aswan Korniche across to the West Bank then on a 10 minute camel ride up to Saint Simeon. It was February so it wasn't too hot. I am not a natural camel rider by any means but coped OK with the ride up. I had hesitations about riding down because I was sure I would feel like I would fall off over its head. I definitely did feel that way (though it didn’t happen) and had to accept that you can’t stop the camel on a slope. It is possible for some people to ride camels and others to decide to walk. It is only a short distance and the camel drivers are walking anyway. If you do feel uncomfortable then walking down is the best option.
Anyway, onto Saint Simeon Monastery itself, this large stone and mud brick complex is an interesting diversion into later Christian architecture. Most of the roofs are gone though the core section still retains its curved ceiling and the church retains some frescos. You can work out the kitchens, stables, bedrooms, etc but it really useful to have a guide explain what you are seeing because there are no signs. He pointed out the secret hiding places the monks would hide in when attacked. There are good views across the desert from the top half and you can even see the Nile from the very top. There were only a few people visiting when we were there but the ticket office was manned.Written March 31, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Musicians Mum1,330 contributionsHad a relaxing sail in a felucca as an optional add on the small group UK tour and the boat moored up here for a brief visit..I would have liked just a bit longer as it is a peaceful place,planted with trees and plants,on an Island in the Nile.Written April 15, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Susan CMelbourne, Australia1,538 contributionsThe garden on Kitchener's Island was originally a botanical garden created by Lord Kitchener in the 1890s. It is a pleasant green space in Aswan but, compared to other botanical gardens we have visited, has no large open lawns. It seems you mostly keep to the concrete paths that go from one end to the other. It isn't very large and it is easy to walk most of it within an hour or less. We enjoyed the walk around the island looking at the desert on the West Bank and views of Elephantine Island. There are bougainvilleas, acacias and lots of palm trees. Many of the trees are labeled, especially the palm trees but I saw few labels on other plants.
You will need to take a motor boat to get to the island and we combined our trip to the garden with a felucca ride around this and Elephantine Island back to the East Bank at Aswan which was pre-arranged by our guide. Gardeners will explain various plants in hopes of tips and, in the end, we walked fast to avoid them. There was a Nubian market and other vendors at the opposite end of where you pay to enter the garden. There are some places to eat and drink or buy drinks and snacks but, as their coke zero was more expensive than at my hotel, I declined. Toilets, as usual, cost at least 10 Egyptian pounds so have that money with you. As a person who enjoys gardens I still think this is a worthwhile place to visit but it isn't necessarily a must see.Written April 1, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Considered ReviewNorwich, UK1,951 contributionsReally appreciate having been here but oddly there's not much to see. There is no imposing edifice or gushing waters, only a road that you stop on and look at a patch of water on one side then another patch on the water the other side. Essentially it feels like you are standing on a road and nothing else. Still fantastic from an engineering, historical and political context.Written October 6, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- ivanstrips (YouTube)Seoul, South Korea6 contributionsThis attraction is not large and 30 minutes is enough to visit it. The biggest attractions are the 4,000-year-old quarry and the world's largest obelisk from 3,500 years ago. Walk from the Nile River to the unfinished obelisk less than 20 minutes, but the Google navigation route is wrong ❌. The place you finally walked to is a residential area. The ticket office is on the main road near the museum. You can use Google Map to search the location coordinates 📍24°04’38.8”N 32°53‘39.7“E📍 This is the specific location of the ticket office. I hope it helps you. More travel information, please check my YouTube channel @ivanstripsWritten January 2, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Susan CMelbourne, Australia1,538 contributionsThe Kalabsha Temples are some of the temples saved from the rise of Lake Nasser after the creation of the High Dam at Aswan by moving them to a different location. They are reasonably close to the Aswan High Dam and accessible by boat from Aswan though we visited them as part of a Lake Nasser cruise. There is apparently a road nearby but you should still need a boat to cross the lake to the island. The Kalabsha Temple itself originates from the late Greco-Roman period. There is the main structure with its pylons, hypostyle hall and ancillary colonnaded structures. Part of the reliefs have been affected by the loss of the surface plaster but they are still very detailed.
Close to the Kalabsha Temple, and usually visited together, the Temple of Beit El Wally is another substantial temple saved from the construction of the High Dam and consists of a mud-brick pylon, open courtyard, traverse hall and sanctuary dedicated to Amon-Ra, Khnum and Anuket. It dates from the time of Ramses II (c1279-1213 BC) and has some nice colour which the other Aswan temples at Philae lack. It was our first chance to see such colour (Valley of the Kings, Queens, Nobles and Dendarra and Abydos were still to come) so we were impressed. The remains of the Temple of Kertassi (Kiosk of Quertassi), basically six columns and architrave still standing, date from the early Roman era while the Victory Stela of Psamtek II and the Stela of Sety I date from an earlier period. There are some interesting Nubian touches to the decorations.Written April 2, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
The above attraction descriptions were created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for any of the above attraction descriptions. Please read full traveler reviews for more details and information.
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