Philae
Island temple complex dedicated to the goddess Isis, moved to higher ground when the Aswan dams flooded the original site. Visitors cross by boat to see the colonnades and carved reliefs.
Aswan
Nubian villages, felucca sailing and Philae Temple give this calm Nile city its character, and day trips run from here to Abu Simbel.
Attractive locations
Unfinished Obelisk
Giant obelisk still lying in the ancient granite quarry where it cracked and was abandoned. It would have been the largest ever raised, and the quarry shows how such stones were cut.
International Museum of Nubia
Museum about Nubian history and culture, with objects from prehistory to the present day. It also explains the rescue of the Nubian temples before the High Dam flooded the area.
Monastery of Saint Simeon
Ruined Coptic Orthodox monastery on the west bank, built of stone and mud brick. Visitors reach it by camel or on foot across the desert. The fortified walls and chapels are well preserved.
Elephantine Island
Island in the Nile facing the city, with ruins of an ancient border town, a small museum and Nubian villages. A short felucca or ferry ride leads to its green, quiet lanes.
Aswan High Dam
Huge dam across the Nile built in the 1960s, holding back Lake Nasser. Visitors cross the top and see the lotus-shaped friendship monument, and learn how the dam changed Egypt's farming and power.
Temple of Kom Ombo
Riverside temple shared by two gods, the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus, with a mirrored double layout. It stands on a bend of the Nile north of Aswan.
Airports
Aswan International Airport ASW
It is about 16 km in a straight line from Aswan.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan15.1 °C0 mm
- Feb17.8 °C0 mm
- Mar22.0 °C0 mm
- Apr26.7 °C0 mm
- May31.1 °C0 mm
- Jun33.4 °C0 mm
- Jul34.0 °C0 mm
- Aug34.2 °C0 mm
- Sep31.9 °C0 mm
- Oct28.4 °C0 mm
- Nov21.8 °C0 mm
- Dec16.8 °C0 mm
Almost no rain in any month.
Costs
Prices here are about 15% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 122. Ambulance 123. Fire 180. Tourist police 126.
local government
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities visitor hotline 19654
Helps with: Egypt's tourism ministry hotline. It answers tourists' questions during their stay, such as site opening hours, and takes complaints and suggestions. The page says 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, in Arabic and English.
Who qualifies: Tourists in Egypt with questions, complaints or suggestions. The page is undated, so check the number is still in service.
Phone: 19654
ngo
Egyptian Red Crescent Society
Helps with: Egypt's national Red Crescent society, the local member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. Contact its head office in Cairo for its humanitarian services.
Who qualifies: People in Egypt who need its humanitarian services; contact the head office.
Phone: +20 2 25985555
Address: Abd El Razak El Sanhouri St., Nasr City, Cairo, 11371, Egypt
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Egypt
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Egypt since 1991. Its work includes migration and border management, crisis response, services for migrants and a migrants assistance hotline.
Who qualifies: Migrants in Egypt, including people fleeing conflict, and government partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +20227365140
Address: 47C Abu El-Feda Street, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt 11211
local government
Police emergency number 122
Helps with: Reaches the police in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice, which also lists 126 for the tourist police.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 122
local government
Ambulance emergency number 123
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 123
local government
Fire emergency number 180
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 180