Aswan is one of the most beautiful cities in Egypt, and it is located close to Luxor. If you are on a tour in Luxor, you can easily visit The Top 10 Attractions in Aswan after the tour because of how close both cities are. Aswan is a very attractive city, and it has a sunny atmosphere, which is perfect for tours.
The 10 Best Attractions in Aswan for 2022
This city has a lot to offer, with one of its major offerings being the beautiful shape of the Nile River. There are many tour companies offering exclusive Aswan tours and excursions to some of the best sites in the city. With an exclusive Aswan tour, you would be able to visit many places in this beautiful city, including the largest local market, attractive monument sights, and more.
This city also has many temples and tourist attractions to see, including a visit to Upper Egypt. It is also highly photogenic, especially at sunset. Among the numerous tours and excursions you can embark on in this city, we will be highlighting the top 10 that you should not miss. You can embark on some of these tours alone, but it is best you do it with a tour company. They will provide you with all the guide and assistance you need while enjoying the beauty the city has to offer.
1- Elephantine Island
One of the top things to do in aswan is Elephantine Island. Elephantine Island is one of the major tourist attractions of this amazing city. The island is garnished with sloping villages of colorful mud-brick houses and palm tree plantations. At the southern end of the island is the Aswan Museum as well as the Ruins of Abu – the oldest settlement of Aswan, and it contains the Temple of Satet and the Temple of Khnum of the Old Kingdom.
You can visit the museum; it has a nice collection of artifacts ranging from the history of Elephantine Island to the Roman period. You will also see the Nilometer of Aswan on the eastern embankment, and ancient Egyptians used these wells to measure the rise and fall of the Nile. They use it to predict the flood and to know the success of their harvest.
After exploring the remnants and the museum, you can visit and explore the villages of Siou and Koti, which are in the northern part of the island. You can also get a boat to Kitchener’s Island, which is now officially called Aswan Botanical Gardens. Lord Kitchener was once the owner of this property, and he turned it into a luxuriant garden of glamorous plants from Africa and Asia.
2- Temple of Philae
One of The Top 10 Attractions in Aswan is the Temple of Philae, which is also known as the sacred Temple of Isis. The Philae Temple is one of the most attractive monuments of Upper Egypt. This temple boasts amazing architecture and exquisite artistry. The rescue project of UNESCO saved this temple from Lake Nasser’s rising waters.
The Isis Temple is the major part of the Philae complex, but the island contains other attractions such as the Kiosk of Trajan, the Hathor Temple, and several other structures from the Byzantine and Roman eras. You can get to this temple complex and island by boat, which means you will enjoy a cruise on your way there. You can embark on this journey alone or with a tour company. A tour company would make things much easier for you, as they know where to get the tickets, transportation, and more.
3- The Unfinished Obelisk
If you are embarking on a series of tours in Aswan, you want to make sure a visit to the Unfinished Obelisk is included. This is one of the best tourist attractions in Aswan, and this site welcomes hundreds of visitors every day. The Unfinished Obelisk, which is four meters wide and 41 meters long, is located in the Northern Quarry of Aswan.
It is one of the most popular obelisks in Egypt. It is called the unfinished obelisk because it an actually unfinished. The project was abandoned when the workers noticed a crack on the rock. If completed, it would have been the longest and heaviest obelisk in the world, with an estimated weight of 1,168 tons. When you visit this site, you will see how the workers were building this massive structure.
4- Monastery of St. Simeon
A visit to the Monastery of St. Simeon should also be a part of your Aswan tour. This is one of the most photogenic places in Aswan, and it sits between the west bank of the Nile and sand dunes. It is one of the best-preserved and largest Coptic monasteries in Egypt. This monastery was founded in the seventh century, and they abandoned it in the thirteenth century because of water shortages.
There are many great sites to see in this monastery. The place is photogenic, and you can take beautiful pictures. On getting to the boat landing of the monastery, you can either walk or take a ride on camelback into the sand.
5- Nubian Museum
This is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Aswan. The Nubian Museum has been a major tourist attraction in this city, and you will always find tourists on this site. If you are interested in the culture and history of both modern and ancient Nubia, then the Nubian Museum is a must-see site.
The museum documents the wealth of a culture, which all washed away with the construction of Lake Nasser and the creation of the Aswan Dam. The museum has a great collection of artifacts from the Kush Kingdom. It also has some black-n-white images of the awesome project of UNESCO to save Abu Simbel and the Temple of Philae from the rising waters of the dam. You will also find a statue of Amenras, Ramses II, the black granite head of Tahraqa, and the head of the Shpatka.
6- The Tombs of the Nobles
The Tombs of the Nobles is the burial ground of the royalties of the Middle and Old Kingdoms. It was where the priests, governors, and other grandees of Elephantine Island were buried. When you enter this tomb, the first burial chambers you will see are Tomb 25 and 26, which are the burial chambers of Sabni and Mekhu – sixth-dynasty governors.
One of the most preserved and largest tombs is Tomb 31, and it belongs to Prince Sarenput II. There are many tombs on this site, and most of them still retain their beautiful paintings and decorations. You will learn a lot on your visit to the Tombs of the Nobles.
7- Aswan High Dam
Aswan High Dam is One of The Top 10 thing to do in Aswan and the most praised yet contentious building project of modern Egypt. They started the project in 1960 and finished it 11 years later. The High Dam of Aswan was the pet project of President Nasser, and it was his greatest achievement as well. Taking more than 42 billion cubic meters of stone with a length of 3.6km, this construction was completed with the technical and funding help of the Soviet Union.
Many day trips to Abu Simbel often include a trip to Aswan High Dam. The place is also easily accessible, as you can just hire a taxi to take you there. However, you would want it to be a part of your Aswan tour.
8- Stroll around Nubian Village
The Nubian Village is another great place to visit while touring Aswan. If you are with a tour company, your tour will include a visit to Nubian Village, which is a small settlement on the Elephantine Island. This is a very colorful, small village, and it was created for tourists to preserve the Nubian culture and heritage.
The village has very lively streets with many shops and places where you can enjoy some tea and wind down a bit. Most of the souvenirs in this village are pricey, but they are worth it.
9- A Felucca Ride on River Nile
One of the best and most exciting tours you can embark on Aswan is going on a felucca ride on the Nile River, especially at sunset. The ride takes about one to two hours, and you will tour around the islands of the Nile before heading back to the east bank of Aswan. While on the cruise, you will enjoy the cool wind and the beautiful sunset.
10- A Visit to Abu Simbel
We have saved the best for the last for you. Abu Simbel is one of the best places to visit in the whole of Egypt. It has many great attraction sites that will steal your attention. If all you have is just one day to go on a trip in Aswan, then we highly recommend the Abu Simbel tour.
This great site was constructed by Ramses II, and the UNESCO’s rescue project saved it from destruction in the 70s. It takes about three hours in a car or minibus to get to this great site. Your tour company will handle the transportation, entrance fee, lunch, and more. Depending on the company you choose, you will be transported in an air-conditioned vehicle to the site.
Wrapping Up
Aswan is a great city to spend some time in. The city has a lot to offer, and it is home to some of the best tourist and historic sites in Egypt. With the attractions listed above, you cannot go wrong when looking for the Top 10 things to do in Aswan.
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