Egypt attractions · Aswan & Nubia
Aswan & Abu Simbel Attraction Tickets
The tickets of the Nubian south — Philae on its island, Abu Simbel above the lake, the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu, and the High Dam — with what each one costs and how to reach the ones on the water.
New Kingdom & Ptolemaic · c. 1264 BC–AD 300
- Headline ticket
- Abu Simbel
- On the water
- Philae · Kalabsha
- River temples
- Kom Ombo · Edfu
- Days needed
- 1–2, plus Abu Simbel
- Airport
- Aswan (ASW)
- Booking
- Entry + the launch / convoy
The lay of the land
Attractions and tickets in Aswan
Aswan is where the Nile turns Nubian — the river breaks around granite islands, the temples stand on the water, and the greatest of them, Abu Simbel, sits three hours south above Lake Nasser. Several Aswan sites are reached only by boat, and Abu Simbel by an early road convoy or a short flight, so the ticket is only half the plan. Here's what each costs and how you actually get to it — boat, convoy and all.
New Kingdom & Ptolemaic · c. 1264 BC–AD 300
The frontier and the rescued temples
Aswan was ancient Egypt's southern frontier — the gateway to Nubia and the source of the granite that built its obelisks and colossi. The boldest statement of that frontier is Abu Simbel, the colossal temple Ramses II cut from a cliff above the river around 1264 BC to face the lands to the south.
Much later, the Ptolemies who followed Alexander built the temple of Isis at Philae on its island. In the twentieth century both were saved from drowning: when the High Dam created Lake Nasser in the 1960s, an international effort lifted Abu Simbel and Philae stone by stone to higher ground. The temples you visit today stand where the engineers placed them — not quite where the pharaohs did.
Find your bearings
Where Aswan sits on the Nile
Egypt reads south to north along one river, oldest sites upstream to newest down at the Delta and the sea. Aswan is highlighted below; tap any other city to cross to its sites and tickets.
The whole story, hub and mapSite by site
The top historical sites in Aswan
What each site is, what is worth your time inside, and the entry ticket booked right there.
Lake Nasser Abu Simbel
Ramses II's colossal rock temple and the smaller temple of Nefertari, cut from the cliff and famously moved stone by stone above the rising lake. The single greatest sight in the south.
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Agilkia Island Philae Temple
The temple of Isis, also rescued from the flood and rebuilt on a higher island, reached by motor launch. Romantic, intact, and best in the early light before the boats arrive.
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North of Aswan Kom Ombo Temple
The unusual double temple to Horus and Sobek the crocodile god, standing right on the Nile bank, with a small museum of mummified crocodiles beside it. A classic cruise stop.
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Edfu Edfu Temple
The temple of Horus, the most completely preserved in Egypt — walls, roof and pylon almost whole, the falcon god guarding the gate. Reached by caleche from the river between Luxor and Aswan.
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Aswan Aswan High Dam
The dam that reshaped modern Egypt and created Lake Nasser behind it. A short ticketed stop for the scale of it and the view over the lake that swallowed Nubia.
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Aswan The Unfinished Obelisk
The largest obelisk ever attempted, still lying in the granite quarry where it cracked and was abandoned. The clearest window anywhere on how the ancients cut their stone.
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Aswan Nubian Museum
A modern, well-told museum of Nubian history and the great rescue of the temples from the rising lake. The context that makes Philae and Abu Simbel land harder.
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Lake Nasser Kalabsha Temple
A Roman-era temple moved near the High Dam to escape the flood, reached by a short boat trip and almost always empty — the quiet alternative to Philae.
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Aswan Elephantine Island
The ancient island town in the middle of the river, with the ruins of Abu temple, a nilometer and a Nubian village — a short felucca hop from the corniche.
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Lake Nasser Abu Simbel Sun Festival
Twice a year, on 22 February and 22 October, the dawn sun reaches the length of the temple to light the gods in the inner sanctuary. A dated ticket and a famous early start.
Book the entry ticketBefore you book
How Aswan tickets work
How Aswan tickets work, before you book.
Some temples are reached only by boat
Philae sits on an island reached by motor launch, Kalabsha by a short boat trip, Elephantine by felucca. The entry ticket doesn't include the crossing, and the boatmen at the jetty charge separately — we fold the launch into one price, so there's no haggling at the water.
Abu Simbel is the early start
Abu Simbel is three hours south by road, traditionally in a timed convoy, or a short flight. Either way it's a pre-dawn start. We arrange the entry plus the convoy seat or the flight, and advise which suits your nights and budget.
Edfu and Kom Ombo sit between the cities
These two river temples lie between Luxor and Aswan, usually seen from a Nile cruise or on the drive. If you're not cruising, we build them into the road or boat day so the tickets aren't stranded.
Early light on the island temples
Philae and Abu Simbel are at their best in the first hour, before the cruise groups and the convoy crowd arrive. We time the launch and the convoy to put you there ahead of them where we can.
The organised way
Or let us run Aswan for you
Every ticket on this page is one we can book for you. Most travellers go a step further: a private day tour with a licensed Egyptologist and all entrance fees included, the hotel sorted and the airport handled. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
Guided day tours in Aswan
Private tours led by a licensed Egyptologist, with every entrance fee included. The sites on this page, handled end to end.
Aswan day toursWhere to stay in Aswan
Hand-picked Aswan hotels at our net rates, matched to how you want to spend your mornings.
Aswan hotelsPrivate airport transfers
A flight-tracked meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel door, with a driver who knows the run.
Airport transfersNile cruise packages
Add a Luxor to Aswan cruise with the temples, full board and an Egyptologist built into the sailing.
Cruise packagesCommon questions
Aswan tickets, answered
01 How do I get to Abu Simbel from Aswan, and is the ticket separate? +
Abu Simbel is about three hours south of Aswan by road, usually in a timed convoy, or a short flight from Aswan airport. The temple entry ticket is separate from the transport, so the real plan is both: we book the entry and the convoy seat or the flight together, with a guide, and start you early enough to reach the temple before the crowd.
02 How do you visit Philae Temple, and what does it cost? +
Philae stands on Agilkia Island and is reached only by motor launch from a jetty near the old dam. The entry ticket doesn't cover the boat, which the boatmen charge on top — we book the entry and include the launch in one price. Go early; Philae is loveliest in the first hour, before the cruise groups land.
03 Are Kom Ombo and Edfu in Aswan, or do I see them from a cruise? +
They sit on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, so most travellers see them from a Nile cruise as it sails, or on the road between the two cities. Each has its own entry ticket. If you're not cruising, we build them into the drive or a day boat so you don't miss them.
04 What is the Unfinished Obelisk, and is it worth a ticket? +
It's the largest obelisk the ancient Egyptians ever attempted, still lying in the Aswan granite quarry where it cracked and was left. For anyone curious how the obelisks and colossi were cut and moved, it's the clearest site in Egypt — a short, inexpensive stop usually paired with the High Dam and Philae.
05 Can you book Aswan tickets with a guide and the boats included? +
Yes — we book every site here, include the launches for Philae, Kalabsha and Elephantine, arrange the Abu Simbel convoy or flight, and add an Egyptologist. Tell us your dates and whether Abu Simbel is in, and we send one plan covering the tickets and the way to each one.
Tickets & guides
Plan your Aswan sites
Tell us your dates and whether Abu Simbel is in, and we book the entries, the island launches and the convoy or flight, and put a guide on the water and the road with you. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.