Aswan in One Day: What to Combine

The Day Tour in Aswan: Unfinished Obelisk, High Dam and Philae Temple is the answer for one day: the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarries and a short boat ride to Philae Temple, with hotel pickup and a private Egyptologist. If you only have a morning, the High Dam and Philae Temple Tour pairs the dam with Philae. For anything beyond that, Aswan is the base for Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu and even a day in Luxor.

Key Takeaways

• Every Aswan day tour here includes hotel pickup and return, a private air-conditioned vehicle, a private English-speaking Egyptologist, entrance fees for the listed sites and bottled water. Tips are not included.
• Philae is open daily from 07:00 to 16:00 and is reached by a short motorboat from the marina.
• The Unfinished Obelisk was carved during Queen Hatshepsut's reign and still lies in the granite quarry where it was cut.
• Abu Simbel is open from 06:00 to 17:00; the Sun Festival, when the sun lights the sanctuary statues, falls on February 22 and October 22.
• Aswan's average daily high is 22.9 °C in January and 41.4 °C in July.

Eight things to do from Aswan

The one-day route

The Aswan Day Tour starts at the High Dam, built in the 1960s to control the Nile floods and generate electricity. It continues to the ancient granite quarries and the Unfinished Obelisk, an immense monument that shows how Egyptian stonework was done, and ends with a boat ride to Philae, the temple of Isis that UNESCO rescued from submersion. The half-day version skips the quarries; at the dam your guide explains what it changed: electricity, year-round irrigation and the end of the annual flood.

The Temple of Philae stands on Agilkia Island and was moved there when the dam raised the water. Read more about the Temple of Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk.

If you have more than a day

The Nubian side of Aswan fits a second morning. The Nubian village trip leaves from your hotel or Nile cruise boat and passes islands and cataracts on the way to Garb Soheil Island. The Nubian Museum was opened in 1997 with UNESCO and the Egyptian government to preserve Nubian heritage after the High Dam, and holds statues, tools, jewellery, manuscripts and reconstructed Nubian houses. See also the Nubian village and the Nubian Museum.

The longer excursions go further. The Abu Simbel day visits the Great Temple of Ramses II, dedicated to Ramses II and the gods Ptah, Re-Horakhty and Amun-Re, and the smaller temple for Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Heading north, the Kom Ombo and Edfu day shows the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris and the Temple of Horus, the most complete temple left standing in Egypt. Our pages on Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo and Edfu give the background.

Hours to plan around

These are the official hours at the time of writing. Check again before you travel.

Everything above is listed under Aswan day tours.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the Aswan Day Tour take? A full day. The High Dam and Philae version is a half day.

Is lunch included? It is not listed on the Aswan Day Tour or the High Dam and Philae tour. Ask your guide about a stop.

How do I get to Philae? By a short motorboat from the marina to Philae Island.

When is the Abu Simbel Sun Festival? February 22 and October 22, when the temple aligns with the sun to illuminate the sanctuary statues.

Can I do Aswan from a Nile cruise boat? Yes. The Nubian village trip starts from your hotel or Nile cruise.