Aswan runs at a different pace from the rest of Egypt. The Nile is wider and slower here, the light is harder, and the culture is Nubian as much as it is Egyptian. It also makes an unusually good base, because several of the country’s most striking sites sit within a day’s travel.
The Aswan Day Tour to Philae Temple & High Dam pairs the two things that explain modern Aswan. The dam changed the river permanently; Philae is one of the temples that had to be taken apart and rebuilt on higher ground because of it. Seeing them together makes sense of both.
The Overday Trip to Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan is a long day and the one most travellers remember. The colossal figures carved into the rock face were themselves cut up and moved when the waters rose — an engineering effort almost as remarkable as the original.
The Overday Trip to Kom Ombo & Edfu Temples from Aswan follows the river downstream to two temples usually glimpsed only from a cruise deck. Kom Ombo is unusual for being doubled, dedicated to two gods on symmetrical halves; Edfu is among the best preserved anywhere in Egypt.
The Nubian village tour is the least monumental and, for a lot of people, the most memorable — painted houses, a different language, and an afternoon spent among people rather than ruins.
The Nubian village tour is $75 per person and Philae with the High Dam is $100. The two long days cost more because of the driving: Abu Simbel is $150 and Kom Ombo with Edfu is $155. All include a French-speaking private guide and a private vehicle.
Tell us how long you are in Aswan and we will fit these together sensibly: ez_guide25@yahoo.com or +20 11 50014393.