8 Best Things to Do in Aswan, Egypt – A Complete Backpacking Travel Guide

Aswan Things To Do Itinerary Map

8 Best Things to Do in Aswan, Egypt

Visiting Abu Simbel will be one of the greatest places you visit in your entire trip to Egypt, up there with the Pyramids of Giza. This ancient Nubian temple is truly one of a kind.

Abu Simbel consists of two massive rock-cut temples located 230 km away from Aswan, right at the border between Egypt and Sudan. Getting there takes up to three hours one way with a bus, which seems awfully long, but trust me, it will all be worthwhile the moment you lay your eyes upon the massive seated pharaohs sculptures in front of the Great Temple of Ramesses II.

The facade of the great temple of Ramses II is adorned with four massive seated pharaoh sculptures, and several more standing sculptures will greet you the moment you walk inside the temple.

When you enter the temple, you will meet a guy at the gate, and he will prohibit you from taking a photo unless you pay him (typical scammers). Don’t listen to him and just go in and take photos, but be a little stealthy if you must, and he should not bother you anymore.

Not gonna lie, being at Abu Simbel, walking through its ancient halls and temples, made me feel like I was Indiana Jones, discovering a long-lost tomb, hoping to find a treasure at every corner. It is every man and woman’s dream to be here.

To get to Abu Simbel, I highly recommend you take the “Private Day Trip to Abu Simbel Temples” tour and they will organize all the transportation for you. The tour should pick you up at your hotel around 4 AM in the morning, and you will arrive in Abu Simbel by 7 AM with around 3 hours to spare at the temple before they take you back to Aswan by 1 PM.

2. Go on a Felucca Ride on the Nile River

One of the most fun activities to do in Aswan is to go on a Felucca Ride on the Nile River at sunset, and I highly recommend doing it after your trip from Abu Simbel on your first day.

The felucca ride usually takes about an hour or two and it will go around each island on the Nile before bringing you back to the East Bank of Aswan. What makes it interesting is the fact that they are harnessing wind power to navigate the Nile and they have perfected the technique for many centuries, and you can see how they do it firsthand.

The problem with finding a felucca ride in Aswan is the fact that you will likely get scammed out of your money all the way from start to finish, as I did (they were extremely aggressive about it), and it can really ruin your experience in Aswan. So, I recommend you go with a tour instead.

With this Felucca Ride Tour, you will be able to experience riding the Felucca on the Nile River in a more reliable and comfortable way, without the headaches of dealing with touts and scammers at the pier. Additionally, you can organize the pick-up time however you like.

I highly recommend you go at sunset. The Nile is exceptionally beautiful during the Golden Hour, and it is one of the most peaceful experiences you can have away from the city of Aswan.

3. Visit Philae Temple ❤️ Must Visit

One of the most well-preserved temples of the Ptolemaic period in Aswan, Philae Temple, will offer you a glimpse of how impressive the temple was when it was constructed more than 2,000 years ago.

Located on what seems like an island in the Nile River, the temple’s original location was actually somewhere down the river. However, due to the construction of Aswan Low Dam, the temple was submerged most of the year until it was moved up onto its current location.

At the temple, you will be able to climb up a pylon and get a stunning view of the temple and its surroundings. It is one of the best things to do in Aswan, and I highly recommend you visit it before you leave.

That said, traveling there can be quite a challenge as you will have to deal with taxi drivers and, worst of all, the boat guys at the Philae pier who have the reputation of ripping off tourists. To avoid all these headaches, I would recommend you go with the “Philae Temple” tour instead. It will save you a lot of time, headaches, and money.

4. Stroll Around Nubian Village

While you are in Aswan, I also recommend that you go for a little stroll around the Nubian Village, a small village on Elephantine Island on the Nile. You can visit the village independently with a local boat or you can go on an organized tour which will help you learn more about the history of the village.

The Nubian Village is known for its colorful houses that were built with the purpose of preserving the Nubian ways of life and allowing us, tourists, to see what it must have been like to live in a Nubian Village in the past. The street is full of shops and places to drink tea and unwind a little. However, most souvenirs here are expensive. Despite that, it remains a fun place to visit in Aswan.

If you are intrigued by the Nubians and their lifestyle and interesting history that stretches all the way back to more than 7,000 BC, then I highly recommend you visit the Nubian Museum in Aswan city.

Within the museum, you can find a rare Egyptian artifact collection of over 3,000 pieces, including rare items such as the statue of Ramses II and the black granite head of Tahraqa. These artifacts span different ages, ranging from prehistoric to Pharaonic, Coptic, and Islamic eras.

The museum is massive, with a ton of content for you to learn more about the Nubians and Egypt in general. For a history buff, visiting the museum is a no-brainer. The museum opens from 9 AM to 5 PM every day, and the entrance fee is 100 EGP per person.

6. Check Out the Unfinished Obelisk

Another interesting sight you should check out in Asam is The Unfinished Obelisk, which is, as the name suggests, an unfinished obelisk that, if completed, would have been the largest standing obelisk in the world.

The structure was carved out of bedrock, with the structure measuring around 42 meters. If completed, the obelisk would be 1/3 larger than any obelisk out there and weigh more than 1,000 tonnes, or around 200 African elephants 😂.

It is an interesting sight to see in Aswan, and it would be a shame if you made it all the way there and missed out on seeing the largest obelisk in the world. The site opens from 7 AM to 4 PM, and the entrance fee is 80 EGP per person.

7. Relax at Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel

If you are looking for a nice, quiet place to relax by the Nile River and enjoy a cup of tea, there is no better place to be than at Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel, an old historic hotel that used to host famous historic people like Winston Churchill and Tsar Nicholas II.

The restaurant there is like a little oasis in this vast desert you are in, and for a nice, quiet place to wind down and escape the desert heat, be sure to drop by the Old Cataract Hotel for a cup of tea.

The entrance fee is 300 EGP if you are not staying at the hotel, but that 300 EGP will also go towards your food bill if you decide to order something, which is quite reasonable.

8. Check out the view from Qubbet el-Hawa Mosque

Last but not least, if you are looking for a nice sunset spot in Aswan for your second day, I highly recommend hiking up to the top of a sand dune where the old mosque of Qubbet el-Hawa is located, and spending the evening there.

To get there, you are going to have to take a boat from Memnon Dock, which should cost about 5 EGP per trip. The last boat should be around 7 PM (do not quote me on this, though; it’s best to ask the people at the dock before getting on one), so make sure to calculate your time accordingly if you want to go see the sunset.

Once you arrive on the other side, all you have to do is walk south toward Qubbet el-Hawa Mosque and scale the sand dune there. Do not go through the Tombs of the Nobles, or you will have to pay the entrance fee. Just go around it from the path west of the tomb, and you should be able to get to the top, no problem.

At Qubbet el-Hawa Mosque, you will be able to have an unbeatable panoramic view of Aswan town and all its islands on the Nile River. At sunset, you will also have a front-row seat to witness the magical blue hours, unlike anywhere else you have experienced before.

As the desert sky shifted colors from orange to blue and the city lit up with streetlights, you would witness a wonderful and magical moment when the city fell into silence and the prayer calls recited from all the mosques in the city started echoing synchronously all over the city and the sand dunes. It was quite a sight to behold.

When to Visit Aswan, Egypt?

October to April is usually the best time to visit Egypt due to the mild weather, but in my opinion, the crowds and the increase in price might ruin it for you.

I would recommend that you go during the shoulder seasons instead, like June or September, where you will be able to have the best of both worlds with fewer people at tourist attractions, cooler weather, and fewer unnecessary jacked-up prices.

How to Get to Aswan, Egypt?

In order to get to Aswan from abroad, you first have to get to Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, where you can then travel to Aswan by various modes of transportation.

Fortunately, Cairo is one of the largest hubs in the region, and you should have no trouble finding a flight to get from your home country to Cairo International Airport.

From the US, there are 2 direct flights from Washington DC and New York operated by EgyptAir that will take you to Cairo in about 10 hours. If you don’t mind transiting, Middle Eastern airlines like Qatar and Turkish Airlines also fly from other major cities in the US like LA, Chicago, etc. to Cairo.

From Europe, you can fly from different popular European hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt via national airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa, or Air France, or with EgyptAir directly to Cairo. You can also go with Etihad and Emirates if you don’t mind transiting—they are often cheaper and very comfortable to fly on.

From Asia, there are no direct flights to Egypt but you can fly with Middle Eastern Airlines like Turkish Airlines, Emirates, and Etihad from many major hubs like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Bangkok.

To find a cheap flight to Egypt, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Getting From Cairo to Aswan

By Train: Egypt is well-connected by trains, and one of the most scenic and time-effective ways to travel from Cairo to Aswan is to get on one of these sleeper trains to Aswan.

There are several trains per day, but the most recommended sleeper train is the one that leaves from Cairo Ramses Station at 7:45 PM and arrives in Aswan at 09:25 AM the next day.

If you want to go along the way to see the view, the one leaving from Cairo at 08:00 AM and arriving in Aswan at 10:40 PM is also recommended.

The price for the trains ranges from 13 USD for a second-class seat to 80 USD (1,255 EGP) for a 2-berth shared sleeper to 120 USD (1,800 EGP) for a sole-berth sleeper. I went with the shared berth, and I wasn’t sharing with anyone, and it was alright, although it’s not cheap.

You can book the train online from their official site or you can find more details about train travel in Egypt here.

For the most affordable way, I would go by bus instead. Trains are great if you enjoy the journey as much as the destination, but since it isn’t cheap, you can do as I did and ride the train to Aswan and then take the bus back.

By Bus and train: This is the cheapest way to get from Cairo to Aswan, but you will have to stop in Luxor first and switch to a train. The reason you have to transit in Luxor is that there are way more buses that go to Luxor than to Aswan, and it would be much easier for you to ride the bus from Cairo to Luxor and then continue on a train to Aswan. It is cheaper than taking a sleeper train and quite comfortable if you don’t mind sleeping on the bus.

Go Bus is a great bus operator to go with if you want to travel from Cairo to Luxor and vice versa. They have 4 buses per day at 01:50 AM, 05:35 AM, 09:40 PM, and 11:34 PM departing near Tahrir Square.

The journey should take you around 9 hours to reach Luxor, and the prices are 190 EGP, 265 EGP, and 450 EGP depending on the class you pick. You can book the bus from Cairo to Luxor here.

Once you arrive in Luxor, you can take one of the many trains that run every 1-2 hours to Aswan for around 10 USD (157 EGP). The journey should take about 4 hours. You can check the train schedule from Luxor to Aswan here.

In total, your journey will take about 15 hours, with a night spent on the bus, and the entire journey will cost you around 347 EGP (22 USD), which is way cheaper than the 1255 EGP (80 USD) sleeper train price tag.

By Plane: You can also fly from Cairo to Aswan Airport on one of the six daily flights operated by EgyptAir and AirCairo from 6 AM to 6 PM. The journey will take about 1.5 hours and cost 60 USD per person.

From the airport, it’s another 45-minute taxi ride, and that can cost from 100-200 EGP depending on your negotiation skills. Unfortunately, there is no bus service running between the airport and Aswan, so your only way out is by these taxis.

How to Get Around Aswan, Egypt?

By Foot: Most of the places within Aswan are walkable as the city is not very big, but some areas are only accessible by tours and, at times, by boats.

By Boat: There are several tourist attractions that will require you to take a boat across the Nile, and you can do so quite easily with a local boat from 2 spots, one to Elephantine Island and another to the west bank of Aswan. The boat should cost about 2-5 EGP per trip, which is extremely cheap.

For the Philae Temple, you can either hire a taxi to the Philae Temple port and get a boat from there, but you will have to ask your taxi to wait for you, which can cost a lot more money than just going with an organized tour. Another great way to get around Aswan is by joining an organized tour.

By Tours: A better, more reliable, and sometimes cheaper way to get to further places in Aswan is to go with an organized tour. They are cheap, very reliable, and you will not have to deal with all the tricky taxi drivers and touts along the way.

For Abu Simbel, I highly recommend the “Private Day Trip to Abu Simbel Temples” tour. For Philae Temple, go with the “Philae Temple” tour. To ride a felucca along the Nile at sunset, go with the “Felucca Ride on the Nile River” tour. For more tours in Aswan, be sure to check it out with the link below:

See More Tours in Aswan

How Many Days To Spend in Aswan, Egypt?

2 full days should be enough to see most of what Aswan has to offer. Below is a rough itinerary for Aswan:

Day 1: Go on a day trip to Abu Simbel and take a felucca ride along the Nile at sunset.

Day 2: Explore the tourist attractions in Aswan, such as Philae Temple, Nubian Village, Nubian Museum, and the Unfinished Obelisk, etc. Rest at the Old Cataract Hotel until evening, and then climb to Qubbet el-Hawa for a sunset.

How Much Money Do I Need For Aswan, Egypt?

With the rough itinerary above, we can calculate approximately how much you will be spending here as follows:

Accommodation: For 3 nights in Aswan, you can expect to pay around 48 USD (753 EGP) for accommodation.

Food: Food costs about 30 EGP on average per meal, so you can expect to pay around 180 EGP per person for 2 days.

Transportation: You will likely be traveling around on a boat across the Nile river several times, so expect to pay around 30 EGP for transportation.

Activities: For a day trip to Abu Simbel, it’s $50 (784 EGP), Philae Temple is another $20 (313.75 EGP), 140 EGP for the Nubian Museum, and 300 EGP to enter the Old Cataract Hotel. So, in total, you will pay 1,537.75 EGP for activities here.

Total Budget for 2 days in Aswan, Egypt: 2,500.75 EGP (159.39 USD)

Is it Safe in Egypt?

One thing to be aware of in Egypt is scams. Scamming is very common here, and it is important for you to know how they operate and how you can avoid getting scammed, as I did.

I have written an entire article about it, so you can read more on ways to avoid getting scammed in Egypt there. That said, not all locals are out to scam you. It’s just that the scammers are the loudest, most aggressive, and they always make themselves known to you the moment you arrive at a tourist attraction.

Here are a few things to keep in mind. Everyone gets scammed at the pyramid, whether it be the taxi driver who pretends the meter was broken, a person impersonating a security guard taking you to where you want to go before asking for money, or people pretending to give you free stuff but then aggressively asking you to pay.

There is simply no shortage of them, and there is no way to avoid them either. So, whenever a person comes up to have a friendly conversation with you, be extremely skeptical about it, as more often than not, they will try to scam you along the way.

Which tourist SIM card is best for Egypt?

Update: If your phone supports eSIM, I highly recommend checking out Airalo, a global eSIM marketplace. It allows you to stay connected affordably while traveling in Aswan, Egypt without having to switch out your physical SIM card.

Gone are the days when you needed to scramble to find a local SIM card at an airport upon arrival. You can purchase an eSIM before your arrival, and you’ll be good to go. If your phone doesn’t support eSIM, here is how you can get a local SIM card in Aswan, Egypt:

There are four major carriers in Egypt: Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat, and WE. All of them offer a pretty similar range of coverage and packages available for travelers.

I personally used Vodafone as they have a package specifically for tourists and are easily obtained at the airport or in any Vodafone shop you find in the country. There are 2 packages available, one with 8 GB of data, 200 minutes, and 20 international minutes for 200 EGP, and another with 30 GB for 500 EGP.

The validity of these packages is 30 days and can be extended as you see fit with other packages. I recommend you get the 8 GB one, which should be more than enough for most tourists.

For more information about Egypt’s local SIM card: Egypt’s Prepaid Data SIM Card.

Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It’s FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

What to Pack for Aswan, Egypt?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Aswan, Egypt:

Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.

Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.

Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi’s jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.

Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It’s lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.

Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker’s towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.

Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Aswan, Egypt in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.

Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.

Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.

Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It’s a total game-changer.

Universal Adapter: You’ll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.

Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.

Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It’s large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it’s stylish as hell!

Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can’t go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Further Reading for Egypt

I have plenty of articles to help you further with your trip planning in Egypt. Here is a selection of articles about Egypt that you might like:

Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Egypt? 2-week itinerary for Egypt.
There’s art in scamming people, and there’s also art in avoiding them. Here is how to avoid getting scammed in Egypt.
Home to the Giza Pyramids, Cairo is probably the first place you will be in Egypt. Other than the pyramids, there are also other things you can do too. Here are the 10 Best Things To Do in Cairo, Egypt.
They don’t call Luxor the land of palaces for nothing. Here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Luxor, Egypt, including all the temples and tourist attractions you shouldn’t miss.
My praise of Egypt isn’t convincing? Why not let photos tell the story. Check out 22 photos that will inspire you to visit Egypt.
You can also watch my travel video here: The Only Egypt We Have.
To see all articles about Egypt, visit the Egypt Travel Guide page.
Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.