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Major city · Egypt

Aswanأسوان

Give Aswan 2 nights: Philae at opening, a felucca at sunset, one Nubian-village morning. Add a third only for Abu Simbel.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EGP
Best months
Oct–Apr
avoid Jun–Aug (40°C+ days), especially Jul–Aug
Airport
ASW
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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Rules in force · 8Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…
  • Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
  • Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
  • North Africa ↗Plan links between North African countries by air or by ferry via Europe; the only regularly usable land borders for visitors are Tunisia–Algeria and Morocco–Mauritania via Western Sahara.
  • North Africa ↗Book Saharan nights (dunes, desert camps, oasis tours) between October and April; from May to September desert day temperatures regularly exceed 40 °C and many tours stop.
  • Egypt ↗Check visa rules for your passport on the official Egypt e-visa portal before flying; visa on arrival availability depends on nationality and can change.
  • Egypt ↗Drones need prior permission and are routinely confiscated on arrival; leave them at home.
  • Egypt ↗Do not photograph military sites, police, bridges or government buildings; some museums and tombs charge for or ban photography.
  • Egypt ↗During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight; hotels and tourist restaurants still serve.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Aswan, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or karkadeh teaEGP 30–80
  • Street or quick mealFalafel or koshari lunchEGP 60–150
  • BeerNubian Museum entryEGP 400, students EGP 200
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across townEGP 100–200 (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekEGP 300–600
  • Museum or sight ticketPhilae Temple entryEGP 550, students EGP 275
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personEGP 400
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomEGP 2,500
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomEGP 5,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget EGP 1,200 · Mid EGP 3,000 · High EGP 7,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Philae TempleElephantine Island and Nubian villagesFelucca sailing on the NileAswan High Dam and Lake NasserAbu Simbel day trips
Airports
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 in)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Aswan: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

23°C

10°C

0 rd

Feb

26°C

12°C

0 rd

Mar

30°C

16°C

1 rd

Apr

36°C

20°C

0 rd

May

40°C

25°C

0 rd

Jun

42°C

27°C

0 rd

Jul

42°C

28°C

0 rd

Aug

42°C

28°C

0 rd

Sep

40°C

26°C

0 rd

Oct

36°C

22°C

1 rd

Nov

30°C

16°C

0 rd

Dec

25°C

11°C

0 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Abu Simbel

go

Door to door: 8–10 h by road, 5–6 h by air

Early convoy by road (about 3 h each way) or a short flight from ASW

Leave before dawn to beat the heat and the crowds; a flight costs more but saves the drive.

Kom Ombo

go

Door to door: 2–3 h

Train north from Aswan, about 45 min, then a short walk or tuk-tuk

The double temple sits right above the river; most Nile cruises stop here anyway.

Edfu

caution

Door to door: 4–5 h

Train north to Edfu, about 1 h 30 min, then a horse carriage or taxi to the temple

Doable as a long half-day, but easier as a cruise stop between Aswan and Luxor.

Esna

skip

Door to door: 5–6 h

Train north toward Luxor, about 2 h

The temple sits below street level in the town; not worth the return trip from Aswan.

Silsila

caution

Door to door: 3–4 h

Taxi or boat north, about 40–60 min

Sandstone quarries with rock-cut stelae; go with a driver who knows the site.

Luxor

overnight

Door to door: 3–4 h by train

Train north, 3–4 h, or a Nile cruise over 3–4 nights

Too far for a day return; sleep in Luxor or take the cruise.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
EGP 1,200–2,000 excl. bed
Mid
EGP 2,500–4,500 excl. bed
High
EGP 6,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × EGP 2,500EGP 5,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × EGP 3,000EGP 12,000
Airport taxi to the centre, one way1 × EGP 300 · checkEGP 300
Philae motorboat, return, per boat (1–8 people)1 × EGP 150 · Posted at the ticket office, Nov 2018EGP 150
Felucca, one hour, per boat1 × EGP 400 · checkEGP 400
eSIM, about a week of data2 × EGP 400EGP 800
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeEGP 1,870
Trip total≈ EGP 5,130 per person per day, bed includedEGP 20,520

2026 estimate in Egyptian pounds; flights, Abu Simbel tours and Nile cruises excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or karkadeh teaEGP 30–80
Falafel or koshari lunchEGP 60–150
Nile-view restaurant mainEGP 250–600
Public ferry crossingEGP 5 for foreigners (Nov 2018)
Taxi across townEGP 100–200 (check)
Philae Temple entryEGP 550, students EGP 275
Nubian Museum entryEGP 400, students EGP 200
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekEGP 300–600

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

Police
122
Ambulance
123
Tourist police
126
Fire
180

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Aswanأسوان

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

لهذا العنوان، لو سمحتTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police122
  • Ambulance123
  • Tourist police126
  • Fire180

Embassy

Most embassies are in Cairo; the US, UK and other consulates in Luxor or Cairo handle the south (check before you travel).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • 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)

Say or show

  • السلام عليكم — Hello (as-salaamu alaykum)
  • شكراً — Thank you (shukran)
  • بكام؟ — How much is it? (bikam)
  • غالي أوي — Too expensive (ghaali awi)
  • السعر ثابت؟ — The price is fixed, right? (el-se'r saabet)
  • فين المعدية؟ — Where is the ferry? (fein el-ma'addiya)

Prices are 2026 estimates; temple and museum tickets change often — confirm at the ticket office.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Aswan. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Apr · avoid Jun–Aug (40°C+ days), especially Jul–Aug · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for ASW: taxi fare bands, the last flight arrivals, and a fallback guesthouse near the Corniche.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Corniche and Nubian Museum, Elephantine Island, the west bank, and the Philae and High Dam road.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Philae, Nubian Museum, Tombs of the Nobles, Monastery of St Simeon) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Abu Simbel convoy and flight fixtures so the day-trip gate can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Egypt

Sources