EG · Aswan Governorate · 24.09°N 32.90°E

aswan

Nile islands, Nubian villages and a temple reached by boat through granite-lined water.

Best time
November–March has the best weather for boats and temples. April and October are hot but workable; June–September brings fierce daytime heat.
How long
2–3 days; add a day for Abu Simbel
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Cairo, usually via Dubai, Doha or Istanbul, about 13–16 hours all in, then about 1.5 hours on to Aswan. Nile cruises of 3–4 nights run between Aswan and Luxor.
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EG · Aswan Governorateaswan24.09°N 32.90°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Nile islands, Nubian villages and a temple reached by boat through granite-lined water.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingAswanEG, Aswan Governorate
KLaswan
≈ 7,715 km from KL, as the crow flies
Aswan is slower than most places in Egypt, laid-back and pleasant. The Nile river is wide, languorous and beautiful here, flowing gently down from Lake Nasser, around dramatic black-granite boulders a

Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Aswan is slower and greener than Cairo or Luxor, with granite islands breaking up the Nile and Nubian villages on the banks. Spend time on the water, then make the long trip south to Abu Simbel.

Makan

  1. Nubian dinnerSlow-cooked stews, bread and rice, often eaten at a family home in a Nubian village.Map ↗
  2. Grilled Nile fishSimply grilled, with tahini and salad.Map ↗
  3. KarkadehHibiscus tea, hot or iced, sweet unless you ask otherwise.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. PhilaeThe island temple of Isis, moved stone by stone above the rising water when the dam was built, reached by motorboat.Map ↗
  2. Elephantine IslandNubian villages of brightly painted houses and ancient ruins in the middle of the river.Map ↗
  3. Nubian MuseumThe story of Nubia and the villages lost under Lake Nasser, in a museum set in gardens.Map ↗
  4. Felucca at sunsetA slow sail past the granite islands and the dunes on the west bank.Map ↗
  5. Abu SimbelRamesses II's colossal rock-cut temples, about 3.5 hours south by road or a short flight.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Agree the route, time and price before you step onto a felucca.
  • Abu Simbel trips leave before dawn to beat the heat, so give it a whole day.
  • Food is halal as standard across Egypt.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.