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How to Spend 3 Days in Aswan
A gateway between southern Egypt and Africa since antiquity, Aswan boasts
ancient and cultural attractions, beautiful Nile scenery, and an easy charm. With three days in the city, you can enjoy its highlights, discover local culture, and take day trips or cruises along the Nile Valley or to Lake Nasser’s temples. Here’s how.
Day 1: Cover the Must-Sees
Start the day with a private tour to Aswan’s showstoppers: the island Temple of Philae, the Aswan High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk—a 3,500-year-old pillar unmoved from the quarry where it was first carved. In the afternoon, journey south to Lake Nasser to visit the Temple of Kalabsha, or sail across the Nile and ride a camel to 7th-century St. Simeon’s Monastery. This evening, take a horse-and-carriage tour through Aswan’s bustling streets and peaceful gardens and watch the city lights twinkle to life. Alternatively, devote your trip to a 3-night Aswan-to-Luxor Nile cruise. Tour the High Dam and Philae Temple and spend the next two days sailing the Nile downstream to see the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu and Luxor’s treasures.
Day 2: Abu Simbel, Luxor, or Edfu and Kom Ombo
Devote your second day to a day trip from Aswan. The most popular option is Abu Simbel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site overlooking Lake Nasser that can be done in a morning by air or on a day trip by car. Other options include the Ptolemaic-era temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo—the latter dedicated to the crocodile-headed god, Sobek—both among Egypt’s best-preserved. Alternatively, choose a private tour to Luxor, once the seat of ancient Egypt’s pharaohs. Follow the Nile to discover the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the sphinxes and columns of Karnak. Most tours include transport and entry fees, while some also include lunch.
Day 3: The Nile, Nubian Culture, and Night Lights
Spend your last day enjoying Aswan’s culture and leisure activities. Explore the Nubia Museum to learn about the Nubian peoples who settled in Aswan after their homelands were flooded by Lake Nasser, and perhaps ride a boat to the Nubian villages on Aswan’s west bank and Soheil Island. Alternatively, take a felucca sailboat ride on the Nile, gliding by farms and palms, watching birdlife, and enjoying lunch on board. Later, get a dose of Nubian culture with dinner at a family home, or wrap up your stay with a Philae Temple Sound and Light Show—a dazzling collision of ancient history and cutting-edge lighting and effects.
Did you know?You can reserve your spot today and pay when you're ready.
Learn more
Did you know?
You can reserve your spot today and pay when you're ready.Learn more
15 Tours and Activities | All Aswan Tours
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4-Day 3-Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor
Savor the timeless experience that is a Nile cruise as you sail from Aswan to Luxor on an indulgent ship with onboard swimming pool. Feast on breakfast, lunch, dinner—and even afternoon tea—as you discover ancient Egypt’s highlights. Professional Egyptologists are on hand as you visit the temples of Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor, and Karnak.
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From
$375.00
From
$375.00
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
Private Tour: Abu Simbel Flight and Tour from Aswan
Discover Abu Simbel with a 4-hour private tour and flight from Aswan to spectacular temples, desert scenery and millennia-old monuments set into soaring cliffs. Explore with an Egyptologist guide, stand beneath the colossi that guard the Great Temple and spot carved baboons high on the rock face. Learn the stories behind Abu Simbel’s detailed bas-reliefs and hieroglyphs, take in the unusual dedications to Queen Nefertari then slip inside her own exquisite temple. The tour is fully guided from Cairo, or part guided at Abu Simbel depending on option selected.
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From
$447.60
Price varies by group size
From
$447.60
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Day Tour to Luxor from Aswan
See Luxor’s top attractions in one day on a guided day trip from Aswan. After a drive through the lush Nile Valley, tour the key sites of what was ancient Thebes as a qualified Egyptologist guide recounts their stories and secrets. Travel to the West Bank to visit age-old pharaonic tombs at the Valley of the Kings, and see the stunning Temple of Hatshepsut and Colossi of Memnon. After lunch, switch to the East Bank to explore awe-inspiring Karnak and beautiful Luxor Temple. Hotel pickups and drop-offs included.
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From
$150.00
From
$150.00
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
Tour to Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan
The UNESCO-listed temples of Abu Simbel are among Nubia's most spectacular, with monumental statues and elaborate carvings, but the sites are located far from the beaten path, near the Sudanese border. Visit Abu Simbel as a hassle-free day trip from Aswan, on a 9-hour private tour that includes entrance fees and transport by air-conditioned vehicle. Choose from several departure options at time of booking.
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From
$125.00
Price varies by group size
From
$125.00
Price varies by group size
Private Tour: Philae Temple, Aswan High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk
This private tour of the Philae Temple, Aswan High Dam and unfinished Obelisk showcases three of Aswan’s most popular sites. Travelers will get an up close look at the dam that divides the Nile from Lake Nasser, marvel at the sheer size of the unfinished Obelisk and revel in the natural beauty of Philae Temple’s island home.
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From
$81.90
Price varies by group size
From
$81.90
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Aswan Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples Private Full-Day Tour
Explore the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo with your own Egyptologist guide on a private tour from Aswan. Relax into a private air-conditioned vehicle as you travel to these two well-preserved temples, and enjoy your guide’s full attention as you tour. Roam riverside Kom Ombo, dedicated to both the falcon and crocodile gods; and admire Edfu, the most intact of Egypt’s ancient sanctuaries. Hotel pickup and drop-off, plus entrance fees included.
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From
$75.00
From
$75.00
Home Cooked Aswan Traditional Nubian Meal with a Local Family
The Nubian people’s hospitality, warmth, and rich culture are a highlight of any visit to Aswan. Enjoy the sort of access that's only usually possible on a tour as you share an authentic Nubian meal with a local family—and an English-speaking host alongside to translate. Sample dishes like Nile perch, oven-cooked chicken, and Nubian vegetables in a group of no more than 12.
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From
$53.00
From
$53.00
Aswan: Felucca Boat Cruise Adventure
Sail the Nile River in a traditional felucca sailboat on a half-day trip that includes lunch aboard the boat. Cruising with a Nubian captain is a chance to learn about an ancient people that few visitors to Egypt ever encounter, and the leisurely pace of the sailing trip leaves plenty of time to chat about the Nubian language and culture while enjoying views of scenic Nile riverbanks.
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From
$63.00
From
$63.00
Philae Temple Sound and Light Show with Private Transport
Be dazzled by a magical sound and light show at the Philae Temple on this 1.5-hour trip from Aswan, with private round-trip transfers included. Travel to the beautiful ancient temple, set on an island in the Nile, and admire its spectacularly lit walls, pylons and court lit by a kaleidoscope of lights and lasers projections. See the illuminations reflected in the lapping waters, and walk through the floodlit halls and colonnades as the powerful commentary tells tales of the temple’s history and pharaohs past.
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From
$57.75
Price varies by group size
From
$57.75
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Aswan St. Simeon Monastery Private Half-Day Tour with Camel Ride
Take a break from ancient temples to see the Monastery of St. Simeon on a private half-day trip from Aswan. Catch a boat across the River Nile and ride a camel to this 6th- to 11th-century sanctuary dedicated to St. Simeon (Anba Hatre), and once home to 1,000 monks. Explore the monks’ dwellings and see the church with its fragmented frescoes, as you learn the monastery’s history. Hotel transfers, guide, boat ride, and admission included.
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From
$35.00
From
$35.00
Aswan City Private Tour by Horse Carriage
Sit back and take in the beauty and bustle of Aswan on a private horse-drawn carriage ride. Settle aboard a comfortable, open-top carriage and relax as you clip-clop through the city’s streets, gardens and walkways. Gaze out over the river waters and banks on a ride along the Nile Corniche, take in colorful street markets and shady, palm-dotted gardens, and gain fascinating glimpses into everyday Egyptian life. Your ride includes bottled water and hotel pick-up and drop-off.
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From
$20.00
$5.00 savings
From
$20.00
$5.00 savings
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
Private Tour: The Nubian Museum
Explore the Nubia Museum with an Egyptologist on a private, 1.5-hour tour, and discover Aswan’s most stunning artifacts. Learn the history of the Nubian culture as you browse displays of models, mummies and treasures recovered by teams of archeologists during the construction of the High Dam. Take in traditional Nubian architecture, then stroll the museum’s manicured garden and scale model of the Nile River Valley.
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From
$45.15
Price varies by group size
From
$45.15
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Aswan private day Felucca Tour on the Nile to Nubian village
Learn about the traditions and culture of the Nubian People of southern Egypt with this tour from Aswan. Highlights include a felucca ride on the Nile River, which will transport you to Soheil Island. Once on shore, you'll get to spend time in a Nubian village where you'll learn all about how the people of this region live, first hand.
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From
$65.00
Price varies by group size
From
$65.00
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
Private Tour: Kalabsha Temple on Lake Nasser
Explore the beautiful but often-overlooked Kalabsha Temple on the shores of Lake Nasser on this 3-hour private tour from Aswan, with an Egyptologist guide. Travel by air-conditioned minivan to this stunning water’s edge temple, originally built in 30 BC, and dismantled and relocated here in the 1960s after the building of the Aswan High Dam. View the pylon, court, hall and sanctuary and ogle the richly carved Egyptian and Roman-themed reliefs as your knowledgeable guide unlocks their fascinating secrets and symbolism. Ideal for ancient history buffs!
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From
$53.55
Price varies by group size
From
$53.55
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Private Boat Tour: Soheil Island
Board a private felucca on the Nile, navigate Aswan’s cataracts and visit Soheil Island, a Nubian community in the heart of the river. Discover Nubia’s rich culture and ancient history on a 3-hour tour with an Egyptologist, meet the locals and get a glimpse of daily life in a Nubian house.
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From
$44.10
Price varies by group size
From
$44.10
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff