How To Visit Aswan In 2025 - An Ultimate Guide
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How To Visit Aswan in 2025 – An Ultimate Guide To Egypt’s Nubian City
Located in Egypt’s South, Aswan is probably the most beautiful major city in Egypt. Despite its huge historical importance, Aswan feels calm and authentic. While it is a touristic City after all, it’s very easy to escape the basic attractions and see the real Aswan and meet its people. You’ll hardly see big tour groups crowding the streets here, and there’s far less of the pushy tourist hustle you might know from Cairo or Luxor. People here tend to be genuinely warm and welcoming, and you will experience their Nubian heritage.
In this guide, I want to introduce you to Aswan, my favorite place in southern Egypt, and help you plan your visit in 2025 — from how to get there, to what to see, where to stay, and how to experience its peaceful Nubian culture along the Nile.
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Table of Contents
📜 Quick History of Aswan and Nubia
In ancient times, Aswan marked the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt and served as a strategic trading hub, linking the riches of Africa to the rest of the Nile Valley. Granite from Aswan’s quarries built many of Egypt’s most famous temples and statues, while the Nile’s rapids created a natural border that protected against invaders.
Nubia marks the region south of Aswan and was both Egypt’s rival and trading partner over centuries. The Nubian culture developed its own language, architecture, and art, blending with ancient Egyptian influence yet staying proudly distinct.
🕌 Nubian Culture
Nubians are an ethnic group native to southern Egypt and northern Sudan, with a culture that dates back thousands of years. Many of Aswan’s Nubians were displaced when the High Dam was built in the 1960s, flooding large parts of their ancestral lands. Yet despite that, they’ve preserved their traditions, language, and sense of community.
Today, when you ask locals about their identity and culture, they will tell you they are Nubian, not Egyptian.
Their mindset can be strikingly different from other parts of Egypt or the Arab world. While they are majority Muslim, many openly drink, smoke, and date. Their traditions blend ancient African customs with Islamic faith, yet with a noticeably more liberal social outlook. A friend I met there even explained, that some people feel closer to Jamaican culture than to Egyptian. It’s no surprise that Aswan feels different than the rest of Egypt. Oh, and you will hear a lot of reggae here.
🚕 How to enter Aswan
As a major city Aswan is well connected.
By Air
There are multiple daily flights from Cairo, usually under 100€ one way, taking about 90 minutes.
🚂 By Train
The train from Cairo takes around 15 hours, with prices starting from about 80€. A single cabin with bed is around 160€. Its more expensive than flying, as tourists have to pay more than five times the normal price.
🚌 By Bus
Busses from Cairo start from 20€ on Bookaway and take around 12 hours. (Yes, they can even be faster than the train. Don’t ask me how.
🇸🇩 From Sudan
Busses go from Wadi Halfa or Khartum, Sudan. Prices regularly change.
💡 You will easily need up to 48 hours at the Sudanese-Egpytian border. Bring a lot of time with you.
⛵ How to get around in Aswan
Most places within the city center are easily reached on foot. Taxis within Aswan are around 1-2 euros. There is no Uber in Aswan, though Careem works.
🛬 Getting Into Aswan Trom The Airport
You will need to get a taxi for around 10€, as the airport lies half an hour drive away from the actual city. If you are travelling light and got some time you can already visit Kalabsha Temple, as it’s quite close to the airport. More on that later.
🏝️ Elephantine Island
Elephantine island lies between Aswan’s east and west banks and is home to authentic Nubian culture, temples, and some of the cheapest guesthouses in the city. A ferry to the island is 25cts per person and is located here.
🛶 Getting To The West Bank
You’ll need to haggle and ask around. You should find someone to bring you to the other Nile Side for around 2,50€.
👮 Safety in Aswan
Compared to Egypt’s larger cities, Aswan feels very safe and relaxed. Violent crime is rare, petty theft uncommon and walking around at night usually safe.
💡 For a more detailed Analysis of Safety you can read Is Egypt Safe To Travel?
🕌 What to do in Aswan
While Aswan is not that big compared to Cairo or Luxor, there is no shortage of things to explore.
🏛️ Philae Temple
Philae Temple is by far the most famous and most visited attraction in Aswan, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Saved from flooding by UNESCO in the 1970s and relocated stone by stone to Agilkia Island, this temple is one of the best-preserved monuments in southern Egypt.
🛶 Getting To Philae Temple
Philae is only accessible by boat. Be aware of the common tourist trap here: after buying your temple entry ticket (550 EGP), you’ll still need to negotiate a boat ride from the mainland. The boatmen near the ticket office often quote high prices. It’s better to haggle for reasonable boat fare before purchasing your entrance ticket, so you have more bargaining power. You shouldn’t pay more than 150 EGP for the ride.
🏺 Kalabsha Temple
It’s quite tough to get here, which is why Kalabsha temple doesn’t see many tourists. Originally built during Roman times, it was moved in the 1960s to its current spot to save it from flooding caused by the Aswan High Dam.
🛶 How To Get To Kalabsha Temple
You’ll need to head to a small fishing dock near the Aswan High Dam and ask a local fisherman to ferry you across. It’s a fun adventure in itself and feels quite rewarding when you manage to get there. If you want an even deeper guide, check out Joan’s article on Against the Compass about visiting Kalabsha, as it’s packed with lots of details and also helped me out a lot.
⛪ Monastery of St. Simeon
This abandoned monastery sits on the west bank of the Nile, surrounded by desert and dunes. It dates back to the 6th century and is remarkably atmospheric, with half-ruined domes and walls overlooking the river. To reach it I walked around three hours through Aswan’s desert, which was an experience in itself. Alternatively you can get a TukTuk on the Riverbank.
🏝️ Elephantine Island
Right in the middle of the Nile between Aswan’s east and west banks, Elephantine Island is a colorful labyrinth of Nubian houses, small temples, lively cafés, and even a few wandering goats. The vibe here is extremely calm and somewhat authentic, with far fewer crowds than you’d expect from such a central location. I personally recommend staying on the island, as guesthouses are cheaper than on the mainland.
Some travelers told me they found Elephantine touristy, but during my October visit, I had the opposite experience. No one hassled me for money or tried to sell me anything, and it was easy to make friends. I ended up chatting with two locals while they painted their boat, and they even invited me for a free ride afterward. Experiences clearly vary, but Elephantine Island still feels like a welcoming slice of Nubia in the heart of Aswan.
🚗 Day Trips from Aswan
🗿 Abu Simbel
The colossal temples of Abu Simbel are one of Egypt’s most jaw-dropping sights. Carved into a sandstone cliff by Ramses II, these giant statues guarded the ancient border of Egypt. It’s reachable either by public transportation or Tours from Aswan, which you can book on GetYourGuide or Viator. The only bus from Aswan leaving to Abu Simbel goes at 8 am.
🐪 Camel Market of Daraw
If you want a truly local experience, Daraw’s camel market is one of your best shots. It takes place every Sunday and Tuesday and there are barely any tourists here, as it’s tough to reach.
To get there you can take a train from Aswan to Daraw for 50€. Even though the ride is less than 2 hours foreigners have to pay more than 5 times the normal price. Alternatively you can get a Micro Bus for a few euros from Aswan’s main bus station. If you want to continue to Luxor afterwards the train ticket is another 70€. Despite the hassle, it’s a raw, authentic slice of Egyptian culture
🛏️ Where to stay in Aswan
Both Airbnb and Booking.com work perfectly in Aswan. You can easily find a room starting from 10€ a night. The cheapest offers normally can be found on Elephantine island.
🔗 A Full Guide to Travelling Egypt
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Alex
Welcome off the beaten path!
I’m Alex, a 23 year old traveler who loves to explore the corners of the world, that still seem to be untouched. In this Blog I want to share my experiences with you.
