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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Aswan
أسوان
Give Aswan 2 nights: Philae at opening, a felucca at sunset, one Nubian-village morning. Add a third only for Abu Simbel.
Aswan is Egypt's southernmost city, 870 km upriver from Cairo and the calm end of the Nile Valley run. It is smaller and slower than Luxor: the sights are Philae temple, the islands, the Nubian villages and the desert monasteries on the west bank, plus Abu Simbel as a long day trip. Two nights covers the city; three if you add Abu Simbel or a Nile cruise leg.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- أسوان
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (40°C+ days), especially Jul–AugJun–Aug (104°F+ days), especially Jul–Aug
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EGP
- Money
- Currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP, also written LE or £E). Hotels, cruise boats and larger restaurants take cards; taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilet attendants are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget EGP 1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid EGP 2,500–4,500 excl. bed · High EGP 6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) and WE sell tourist SIMs at Cairo airport with passport; about EGP 500–1,000 for 20–40 GB — check.
- Emergency
- Police 122 · Ambulance 123 · Tourist police 126 · Fire 180
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% even when service is added (it rarely reaches staff).; Guide, full day: US$10–20 per person.; Driver, full day: US$5–10.; Cruise crew: About US$5–10 per person per day in the envelope.; Toilet, porter, small help: EGP 10–30.
- Water
- Tap water is chlorinated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; do not drink Nile water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; attendants at sites expect EGP 10–20. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or karkadeh tea | EGP 30–80 |
| Falafel or koshari lunch | EGP 60–150 |
| Nile-view restaurant main | EGP 250–600 |
| Public ferry crossing | EGP 5 for foreigners (Nov 2018) |
| Taxi across town | EGP 100–200 (check) |
| Philae Temple entry | EGP 550, students EGP 275 |
| Nubian Museum entry | EGP 400, students EGP 200 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | EGP 300–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ASW · Aswan International Airport
- About 25 km south of the centre, west bank near the High Dam; no public buses to the terminal, so take a taxi and agree the fare before you get inAbout 16 mi south of the centre, west bank near the High Dam; no public buses to the terminal, so take a taxi and agree the fare before you get in
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre, taxi
- EGP 250–400, about 30 min (check)
- Aswan → Luxor, train
- about 3–4 h; AC1 and AC2 fares vary by train (check)
- Philae motorboat, return per boat
- EGP 150 for 1–8 people including a one-hour wait (Nov 2018)
Get around
The centre is walkable. Islands and the west bank need the public ferry (EGP 5 for foreigners, Nov 2018) or a hired motorboat or felucca; agree the price first. For Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, use a taxi, tuk-tuk or ride-hailing app — inDrive works with cash, and Uber drivers often renegotiate the fare by message.
See and do
Known for
- Philae Temple
- Elephantine Island and Nubian villages
- Felucca sailing on the Nile
- Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser
- Abu Simbel day trips
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Simbel | Early convoy by road (about 3 h each way) or a short flight from ASW | 8–10 h by road, 5–6 h by air |
| Kom Ombo | Train north from Aswan, about 45 min, then a short walk or tuk-tuk | 2–3 h |
| Edfu | Train north to Edfu, about 1 h 30 min, then a horse carriage or taxi to the temple | 4–5 h |
| Esna | Train north toward Luxor, about 2 h | 5–6 h |
| Silsila | Taxi or boat north, about 40–60 min | 3–4 h |
| Luxor | Train north, 3–4 h, or a Nile cruise over 3–4 nights | 3–4 h by train |
Sleep
- Corniche / city centre
- Walkable to the Nubian Museum, ferries and restaurants; best for a first visit and for one or two nights.
- Elephantine Island
- Nubian villages, guesthouses and the Movenpick; a short public ferry ride from the centre, quieter at night.
- West Bank
- Views back over the river and the Tombs of the Nobles; fewer services, so you cross by boat for dinner.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | السلام عليكمas-salaamu alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much is it? | بكام؟bikam |
| Too expensive | غالي أويghaali awi |
| The price is fixed, right? | السعر ثابت؟el-se'r saabet |
| Where is the ferry? | فين المعدية؟fein el-ma'addiya |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Eating: Right hand; accept tea; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
- Bargaining: Humour and patience; avoid: Anger
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in cities; avoid: Beachwear outside resorts
- Baksheesh: Keep small notes ready; avoid: Showing a thick wallet
- Photos: Ask; pay if agreed; avoid: Photographing police or military
Scams and watch-outs
- Boatmen and drivers quote tourist prices: fix the total, and whether it is one way or return, before you set off.
- Baksheesh is expected for small services, including key holders at the Tombs of the Nobles; carry EGP 20–50 notes.
- Summer heat is the real hazard: plan Philae and the west bank for early morning, carry water, and skip the midday sun.
- The Abu Simbel convoy and flight times change with the season: confirm the day before.
- Buy train tickets at the station or with ENR in advance; counters are slow and Cairo has refused daytime tourist tickets before.
Aswan is a low-crime tourist city; the real risks are heat, boat and taxi price games, and unsupervised swimming in the Nile. Use the tourist police (126) if a price dispute turns ugly.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Aswan yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Philae Temple
- Elephantine Island and Nubian villages
- Felucca sailing on the Nile
- Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser
- Abu Simbel day trips
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Egyptian National Railways (ENR): enr.gov.eg
- Wikivoyage: Aswan, revision 5294384 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5294384
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Aswanأسوان
لهذا العنوان، لو سمحت
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Cairo; the US, UK and other consulates in Luxor or Cairo handle the south (check before you travel).
Prices are 2026 estimates; temple and museum tickets change often — confirm at the ticket office.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/aswan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.