The best of Aswan in one morning. You see the Aswan High Dam that holds back Lake Nasser, the giant Unfinished Obelisk still lying in its granite quarry, and the Temple of Isis at Philae, reached by a short motorboat ride to its island.
Your guide and driver pick you up from your hotel or Nile cruise in Aswan in a private air-conditioned car, and the entry tickets and the boat to Philae are included.
Your guide and driver meet you at your hotel or Nile cruise in Aswan in the morning.
Stand on top of the dam built in the 1960s, with Lake Nasser on one side and the Nile on the other.
See the huge obelisk abandoned in the quarry when its granite cracked, and how the ancient stonecutters worked.
Take a motorboat to Agilkia Island and visit the Temple of Isis, Trajan’s Kiosk and the island’s courtyards with your guide.
Your driver takes you back to your hotel or Nile cruise in Aswan.
All three sites are on the south side of Aswan, close to each other.
These three sites tell three stories of Aswan: the last great temple of ancient Egypt, the stonecutters who supplied granite to the whole country, and the modern dam that changed the Nile. Here is what you will see and how to plan the day.
The Temple of Philae was built for the goddess Isis, mostly under the Ptolemies and the Romans, and it was one of the last places where the old Egyptian religion was practised. When the Aswan dams began to flood its original island, UNESCO and Egypt moved the whole temple, block by block, to the nearby island of Agilkia in the 1970s. You reach it by a short motorboat ride, then walk through the great pylons, the courtyards of Isis and out to Trajan’s Kiosk on the water’s edge.
In the ancient granite quarries of Aswan lies an obelisk that was never finished. Had it been raised, it would have stood around 42 metres tall and weighed over 1,000 tonnes, larger than any obelisk ever erected. The work stopped when a crack appeared in the stone, so it was left in place, still attached to the bedrock. It is often linked to Queen Hatshepsut, and the marks of the workers’ tools can still be seen around it.
Finished in 1970, the High Dam is about 111 metres high and 3.6 km long. It created Lake Nasser, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, ended the yearly Nile flood and gives Egypt much of its electricity. From the top you see the lake stretching south towards Nubia and the Nile flowing north towards Aswan.
From October to April the weather in Aswan is warm and pleasant. In summer the midday heat is strong, so the tour starts early in the morning. Philae is also lovely late in the day; if you would like to return for the evening sound and light show, ask us.
Price per person in US dollars. Car and driver is the vehicle only; each option adds more. For 7 or more people, ask us on WhatsApp for a group price.
| 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 6 people | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car and driver | $45 | $25 | $15 | $15 |
| Car and guide | $100 | $50 | $35 | $25 |
| Car, guide and tickets | $135 | $85 | $70 | $55 |
| All inclusive: guide, tickets, lunch and Wi-Fi | $155 | $100 | $85 | $70 |
Prices start from $25 per person for 2 people with a car and driver. With a guide, entry tickets, lunch and Wi-Fi it is $100 per person. See the full price table on this page.
About six hours, usually from the morning until early afternoon.
Yes. We pick you up from any hotel or Nile cruise boat docked in Aswan.
Yes, the motorboat to Philae island and back is included.
Yes. Many guests do Abu Simbel on another day, or add the Nubian Village in the afternoon. Message us to plan it.
Local guides and hotel pickup on every tour.
