Attractions Nearby Aswan, Day Trips and Excursions

(Aswan, Egypt)

Close to some many wonderful Egyptian sights, sounds and attractions, tourists staying in Aswan often choose to venture outside of the city and explore the region's history, much of which lies along the West Bank of the River Nile. Taxis can be arranged for those wishing to visit the attractions in the neighbouring towns of both Daraw and Kom Ombo (home of the Temple of Kom Ombo), of you can simple enjoy a trip on a felucca sailing boat up the Nile.

Feluccas from Aswan sail as far as Luxor, which is by far the most scenic and relaxed way to rich this colossal city and all it has to offer. However, it is the spectacular temple attractions at Abu Simbel that tend to attract the largest number of visitors from Aswan. Considerably closer, don't miss out on an afternoon excursion to the Kalabsha Temple, which was moved to its present located in 1970, to prevent it being drowned beneath the floodwaters of Lake Nasser.

Abu Simbel

Tourists who plan to visit the wonders of Abu Simbel should be prepared for an early start. Buses leave as early as 03:30 in the morning, so that the heat of the sun can be avoided and also so that visitors can arrive early in convoy and enjoy a full day sightseeing. The temples of Abu Simbel are the main attractions here, with the enormous Temple of Ramses II being the main attraction, followed by the equally grand Temple of Hathor, which honours Nefertari, the wife of Ramses II, who was famed for her great beauty.

Luxor

Luxor lies directly north of Aswan and is best reached by train. The is one of Egypt's most noteworthy cities and as such, will never disappoint when it comes to sightseeing and ancient attractions - Luxor is home to some of the best that Egypt has to offer. Expect to be overwhelmed when you visit the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, which are just two of Luxor's many world-class monuments of the past. The Avenue of the Sphinxes is another spectacular sight, as is the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor itself.

Kalabsha Temple

For something a little different from the more mainstream tourist attractions in Aswan, pay a visit to the nearby Kalabsha Temple. This is a particularly impressive Nubian monument and is just a relatively short taxi journey from the city centre and reasonably close to the Philae Temple. Moving the Kalabsha Temple was a major operation and around 13,000 different sections were painstakingly transported and carefully reassembled, to give the impression that it was originally built on this very site.

The Old Dam (Low Dam)

The Old Aswan Dam is a very important historical attraction and was built more than 100 years ago, being completed in 1902. For its time, the Old Dam was nothing short of a feat of engineering, stretching more than 2,000 metres / 6,560 feet in length and featuring almost 200 different openings. Constructed to regulate the gradual draining of the River Nile and rebuilt and raised twice over the years, the Old Dam features a sluice gate for boats, although was never actually successful in preventing flooding, hence the need for the subsequent arrival of the High Dam in the 1960s.