Aswan and Abu Simbel

Where the Nile changes face

At Aswan, the Nile crosses the First Cataract: the riverbed narrows between black granite rocks and islands, and on the west bank the desert comes down to the water. This was the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt, on the threshold of Nubia, and the town has kept a strong Nubian identity.

The heritage is spread over both banks and the islands. Several sites belong to "Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae", inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1979:

• Elephantine Island, facing the town, with the ruins of the ancient city;
• The Tombs of the Nobles, cut into the west-bank hill, from the Old and Middle Kingdoms;
• The Monastery of St Simeon, in the desert on the west bank;
• The Islamic Cemetery and its mausoleums;
• The ancient granite quarries and the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in the rock where it was cut;
• Philae, on Agilkia Island, upstream from the town.

Most of these sites are reached by boat. Sabaro suggests making a day of it on the water: a felucca around Elephantine, a stop below the Tombs of the Nobles, then a Nubian village such as Gharb Soheil in the late afternoon.

Philae, the last temple of Isis

The Temple of Isis at Philae was begun under Ptolemy II (285-246 BC); the Kiosk of Trajan, later, dates from AD 98 to 117. The cult of Isis lasted here until the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, in the 6th century, and it was at Philae that a priest of Isis named Esmet-Akhom carved the last dated hieroglyphic inscription, in 394.

The temple now stands on Agilkia Island: the building of the Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970, threatened to drown it, and it was dismantled and rebuilt during the rescue campaign led by UNESCO. It is reached by boat from the landing stage. The site is open from 7 am to 4 pm local time; entry costs 550 Egyptian pounds (EGP) for a foreign adult.

Sabaro suggests Philae in the morning, then the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam, which are on the way. Keep the afternoon for the river.

Abu Simbel: by road or by air

The two temples of Abu Simbel, that of Ramesses II, cut into the rock around 1264 BC, and that of Queen Nefertari, lie about 280 km south of Aswan, near the Sudanese border. They were moved in 1968, during the same campaign as Philae, and rebuilt higher up, safe from the waters of Lake Nasser. The site is open from 6 am to 5 pm local time; entry costs EGP 750 for a foreign adult.

There are three ways to get there:

• By road, as a day trip. Tourist cars and minibuses leave Aswan before dawn, around 4 am local time, pass several police checkpoints, where your passport may be checked, and arrive around 8 am. Allow eight to ten hours including the visit, six to seven of them on the road; you are back in Aswan in the early afternoon. The road is open to tourists in daylight only.
• By air, with EgyptAir's domestic flight between Aswan and Abu Simbel: more expensive, but the trip fits into half a day.
• Across Lake Nasser, on a three- or four-night cruise that also links the other Nubian temples.

The Sudanese border, including the road south of Abu Simbel, is among the areas advised against: Abu Simbel is the end of the line. Your ministry's advice appears in the "Travel advice" table on this page.

Twice a year, on 22 February and 22 October, the rising sun crosses the great temple and lights up the statues in the sanctuary. On those days the site is very busy and the ticket rises to EGP 1,200. The next alignments are on 22 October 2026, then 22 February 2027; the sun enters around 6 am local time. Sabaro advises booking transport early and planning to arrive well before dawn.

Where to stay: on the river or on an island

• The Old Cataract, a palace built by Thomas Cook in 1899 and opened in 1900, overlooks the Nile facing Elephantine Island. It has been managed by Mandarin Oriental since May 2026; one suite bears the name of Agatha Christie, who found inspiration there for Death on the Nile, published in 1937. The Nile Wing is under renovation until July 2027; the historic Palace remains open.
• Benben by Dhara, an adults-only hotel with 24 rooms, is on Heissa Island facing Philae and is reached by shuttle boat: a quiet stay, as close to the temple as it gets.
• Sonesta Nouba, a Nubian-style hotel with 45 rooms, is on the east bank north of town, with a pool on the Nile.

Seasons, and how many days

Aswan is the hottest town in the valley. The 1991-2020 normals of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for Aswan station give:

• From November to February, an average maximum of 23 to 30 °C and cool mornings, around 10 °C in January: the best season, and the most in demand.
• March and October, around 30 and 36 °C: manageable, with early-morning visits.
• From May to September, an average maximum of 39 to 42 °C. The 4 am departure for Abu Simbel then makes full sense.

It almost never rains: 2 mm a year on average.

Sabaro recommends two full days, three with Abu Simbel by road:

• Day one: Philae in the morning, the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam, then the river by felucca in the afternoon.
• Day two: the west bank, the Tombs of the Nobles and the Monastery of St Simeon, then a Nubian village.
• Day three: Abu Simbel, by road or by air.

Aswan is also the start or end of the Nile cruise to Luxor, and the departure point for the Lake Nasser cruise.