Aswan Island temples and tombs

Aswan can be reached in a few different ways: by direct domestic flight from Cairo (approximately 1.5 hour), by train from Luxor (approximately 3 hours), by Nile cruise (5 days/ 4 nights) or by traditional sailboat (4 days/ 3 nights). We'll make the most logical transport proposal based on your preferences when helping you plan your trip. 

On arrival in Aswan, our local representative will meet you at the airport, train station or at your hotel. He/she will answer any questions you may have about your trip and discuss your itinerary for the next few days. You'll stay at a lovely mid-class hotel on the shores of the Nile. The hotel is decorated in a somewhat outdated style, however it's well-maintained, tidy and the staff are friendly and sincere. You'll have your own air-conditioned bungalow in a lush green garden. Many travellers avoid visiting Aswan during May to August due to the stifling heat. Luckily there's always the swimming pool to dive into when you'd like to cool off a bit. There are no other activities planned for this first day of your Abu Simbel tour, so you can spend the rest of the day as you wish.

On the second day of your Abu Simbel tour, we've only planned an excursion for half a day, so you'll have the rest of the day to head out and explore on your own. After breakfast, you'll be collected by our english-speaking guide and drive to the harbour to board a wooden boat to set sail to Philae Island. One of the most beautiful temples in the area is located on the island, the temple honouring the Mother Goddess Isis. The rising waters of the Nile once threatened the survival of the temple and therefore the temple was relocated stone by stone to higher ground by UNESCO. It's hard to imagine how such a colossal structure could be moved.

Our guide will take you back in time to when only holy priests dressed in long white robes were allowed to enter the temple by sharing the stories about the temple with you. The temple also features a night-time sound & light show, which may sound like the tourist trap, but is actually quite spectacular to see at night. While its history is told during the performance, the temple is bathed in lovely coloured lights. Night-time sound & light shows are common at most cultural attractions in Egypt, but we believe this show on Philae is one of the most fascinating ones there is. After visiting the temple of Isis, you'll sail back to the mainland where you'll be taken to the temple of Kalabsha at Lake Nasser. This temple was once one of the largest temples of the Egyptian Nubian civilisation. In an attempt to protect the temple from the Nile, it too was moved 50km to its current location along the Nile.

You'll be back at your hotel around lunchtime and say your goodbyes to your guide. Generally guides receive a tip at the end of the day (5-10 Egyptian pounds is a pretty good guideline). You can now spend the rest of the day as you wish. There's plenty to see and do in Aswan, although it's difficult to find authenticity here. Aswan is more intimate than a large city like Luxor, which is visited by millions of tourists each year. You'll always run into other tourists when travelling in Egypt, however our independent travel-style feels more exclusive than the usual large package tours through Egypt. 

During your stay, you could sail to Sehel Island, which takes about an hour, and stroll through the village to the other side of the island. Alternatively, if you're travelling with children, they might enjoy a camel ride. Other attractions on the West Bank are the 'tombs of the Nobles' and the St. Simeon Monastery. They're not quite as spectacular as other attractions, yet the walk through the desert makes them worth a visit. Many travellers also find the Nubian Museum in Aswan quite interesting. In the evening you can dine at one of the restaurants in Market Street where you can also smoke a water pipe with the locals.

Many travellers to Egypt include an Abu Simbel tour as part of their itinerary. The entrance of this grand temple is made up of four enormous statues of Pharaoh Ramses. The entrance was meant to command respect from the Nubians. Much like the temples on Philae and Kalabsha, Abu Simbel was also relocated by UNESCO to its current location to protect it from the rising waters of the Nile caused by the construction of a large dam. Since visiting Abu Simbel from Aswan takes quite a long time, approximately 3 hours each way, this excursion is optional.

Abu Simbel tours are certainly worthwhile, however the trip to get there is a long one. A convoy leaves at 4:00 in the morning and arrives at the temple at around 7:00 in the morning. You'll have three hours to spend in the temple and then you'll return to Aswan, where you'll arrive at around 13:00. The second convoy leaves at 11:00 in the morning and returns to Aswan at 19:00 in the evening. This optional excursion can be booked through our local representative for about £86 per person. If you would like to visit Abu Simbel, let us know and we'll add an extra night to your travel plan. You'll spend three nights in Aswan. If you don't have enough time to add a night to your trip, you can also choose to visit Abu Simbel on Day 2 of this module instead of the temples of Philae and Kalabsha. Naturally you can still book a trip to these two island temples with our local representative for another time during your stay. 

After Aswan, you can continue travelling towards Luxor with our traditional Nile Felucca tour, Nile cruise trip or spend a few relaxing days by the Red Sea in Dehab, Egypt with our Golden palm tree beaches of Dahab module.