Aswan Travel Guide

Aswan Travel Guide

Aswan is the third biggest town in Egypt today and the biggest one in upper Egypt. It is situated at the foot of the Nile Valley to the North end of Lake Nasser. Recently, Aswan has become a significant aluminum and iron mining area. It is also a favorite place for tourists to visit because it is a major stop for cruise boats on the River Nile and Lake Nasser. It has a local market that is an excellent place to shop for a holiday. This is especially true if you want spices, as you will find the best fresh spices in the Aswan market. Aswan also has many attractive tourist spots to visit.
Aswan is the capital of its governorate and has a population of about 1.2 million. Most of the city's residents are Nubians and local tribes of the Kenzo people.
After the Aswan High Dam was constructed, the city became a refuge for Nubians who chose to flee to Egypt after the waters flooded their homelands. There was also a worldwide rescue campaign for the Nubian monuments during and after the dam's construction.
Aswan takes its name from the ancient Egyptian word "swan," meaning "the market." This is because it was located on the main trade route between Egypt and the southern lands, bringing gold, enslaved people, and ivory into Egypt. The governors of the 6th Dynasty sent many expeditions to explore the many African countries to the south, most of which started from Aswan. It was also the primary source of granite, sandstone, and quartzite to construct major monuments throughout Egypt.

 

In ancient times, the city worshipped the God Khnum, but he was later replaced by the Goddess Isis, the Goddess of magic and maternity, in the Greco-Roman period. A temple was built for her on the Island of Philae, which had to be moved, along with other structures, when the waters of Lake Nasser engulfed the island. Though still known as "the Temples of Philae, they can now be accessed on the nearby Agilika Island.
Because of Aswan's location, just north of the Tropic of Cancer, the city has a hot climate throughout the year, and it is advised to cover your head when walking about and drink water constantly. Aswan is 890 Km (553 miles) south of Cairo and 220 Km (137 miles) south of Luxor. It is the third most popular place to visit in Egypt, behind Cairo and Luxor, and is accessible in several ways.
Because of the location of Aswan, just north of the Tropic of Cancer, the city enjoys a scorching climate throughout the year! It is advised to constantly cover your head when walking about and drink water to avoid heat stroke and exhaustion.

How To Get To Aswan

By Road

Although Aswan is connected by road to Cairo and has a good bus connection with the capital, tourists are asked not to attempt to use this mode of transport for this journey and are therefore left with only rail or flight as an alternative. The road to Luxor can be used though as it allows visiting sites such as Edfu and Kom Ombo. Please note: if you do intend to use this mode of transport you are best booking your seats at least 24 hours in advance to ensure you get the seats you want.

By Air

Aswan International Airport is located 25km (16 miles) southwest of the city and can be reached from most countries around the world, though, like Luxor, it is most popular for charter flights. From here you can also fly to most of the main cities and towns in Egypt, as well as arrive from them. EgyptAir runs daily flights from Cairo to Aswan, as well as Aswan to Cairo, which take, on average, about 60 minutes. It is also possible to book flights to Abu Simbel, though this must be done in advance.

By Train

Aswan is the terminus on the main Cairo to Aswan railway line and has a modern station at the northern end of the city. Services to both Cairo and Luxor are very frequent, though restrictions on tourists are in place right now which allows them to only use the sleeper service or the trains on either side of them.

Sleeper Trains: From Cairo to Aswan /Cairo

Train No.	Train Type	Time Of Departure	Price		Duration
Train 84 Cairo Aswan	French	20:00	per person in a double room $65	Single $105	It arrives in Luxor at 05:00, leaves at 5:15, and arrives in Aswan at 8:15
Train 85 Aswan  Cairo	French	18:30	per person in a double room $65	Single $105	It arrives in Luxor at 21:30, leaves at 21:45, and arrives in Cairo at  6:45

By Cruise

Nowadays you can only go to Luxor by cruise boat. The River Nile has not been used for cruises between Cairo and Aswan since the late 1990s. Another popular cruise is one on Lake Nasser, which is the only way to visit some of Nubia’s ancient monuments.
You could also attend the marvelous Sound and Light show at the Temple of Philae. The schedules are listed below.  

Sound and light show schedule at Philae

Show	First Show	Second Show
Daytime	8:00 PM	9:15 PM
Saturday	English	Arabic
Sunday	German	French
Monday	English	French
Tuesday	French	English
Wednesday	French	English
Thursday	French	French
Friday	English	French
Price	620 LE	620 LE