Aswan

Aswan is located about 81 miles south of Luxor, it is Egypt′s most southerly city and an ancient frontier town with a distinctively African atmosphere, 90 minutes flying time from Cairo. Small enough to walk around and graced with the most scenic setting on the Nile, the pace of life here is slow and relaxing, Aswan has been a favourite winter resort since the beginning of the 19th century and it is still a perfect place to get away from it all. Days can be spent strolling up and down the broad Corniche watching the sailboats etch the sky with their tall masts or sitting in a floating restaurant listening to Nubian music and eating freshly caught fish. In Aswan the Nile is at its most beautiful, flowing through amber desert and granite rocks, around emerald islands covered in palm groves and tropical plants. Explore the Souk, filled with the scent and colour of exotic spices, perfumes and rich fabrics. Enjoy the spectacular sunsets. To the south of Aswan stands Lake Nasser, an enormous reservoir formed by the building of the high dam in 1971. Here you will discover the lesser known temples as well as Abu Simbel, Egypt's greatest monument after the Pyramids. These ancient temples represent incredible feats of modern engineering as they were relocated to escape the rising waters brought about by the building of the dam which today provides irrigation and electricity to the entire country.

Our Thoughts

We believe it′s best to incorporate Aswan as part of a Nile Cruise or an Egypt multicentre holiday. The pace of life here is slow, you will find this is reflected in the service in hotels and bars. Excursions to Abu Simbel should be pre-booked with our ground handler or featured hotel. As Abu Simbel is located further south departure times for these excursions are very early morning in order to avoid the extreme midday desert temperatures.

Transfers

Transfer time from Aswan airport to Aswan is approximately 20 minutes by road.