Your 3-day Aswan itinerary
Aswan is the most relaxed city on the sleeper train route. The pace is slower than Cairo or Luxor, the Nile is wider here, and the Nubian culture gives it a distinct character. Three days is enough to cover the highlights without rushing. Most visitors arrive on the overnight train from Cairo and leave on a return sleeper or continue south to Abu Simbel before flying home.
- Train arrives 8am–11am, check into your hotel
- Walk the Nile corniche, breakfast by the water
- Philae Temple, 20 min by taxi then short ferry
- Afternoon at leisure, explore the souk
- Nubian Museum in the evening (closes 9pm)
- Depart 4am, shared minibus or private transfer
- 3-hour drive south through the desert
- Ramesses II and Nefertari temples, 2–3 hours on site
- Return to Aswan by early afternoon
- Rest, sunset felucca on the Nile
- Morning felucca to Elephantine Island
- Nubian village on the west bank, motorboat from the dock
- Lunch in a Nubian home restaurant
- Sunset sail back across the Nile
- Board the overnight sleeper back to Cairo
Insider tips
Leave by 4am from Aswan. The convoy departs early to reach the temples before the midday heat. Shared minibuses typically cost $25–35 per person and can be arranged through your hotel the night before. The temples are far more manageable in the early morning light, and the drive through the Sahara at sunrise is worth the alarm.
Take a motorboat from the west bank dock, not the tourist ferry. Walk south along the corniche past the Sofitel and look for the small wooden boats. A motorboat across costs 50–80 EGP and drops you right at the village. Agree the price before you board. The Nubian families here welcome visitors and most offer tea and a look around their painted homes.
Getting around and practical information
Aswan is small and easy to navigate. Taxis and tuk-tuks wait outside the train station. The corniche is walkable from the station in about 15 minutes.
For Philae Temple, take a taxi to the boat dock (about 20 minutes) then a short ferry. Uber is available but less reliable here than in Cairo.
Agree taxi prices before you get in.
Aswan Station is centrally located, close to the Nile corniche and most hotels. The sleeper arrives in the morning, typically between 8am and 11am.
Taxis wait outside the station exit. The station is compact and easy to navigate.
For your return journey, arrive at least 30 minutes before departure and show your ticket at the entrance gate.
Luxor has more pharaonic monuments, including the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple. Aswan is quieter, has a stronger Nubian culture, and makes a better base for Abu Simbel.
Many travellers do both: take the sleeper to Aswan, spend two or three days, then take a local train up to Luxor before flying or taking the sleeper home.
October to March is the ideal window. Temperatures are comfortable, between 20 and 28 degrees, and the light is softer for temples and photography.
April and May are still manageable but warming. June to September is very hot, with temperatures regularly above 40 degrees.
The Abu Simbel Sun Festival falls on 22 February and 22 October, when the sun aligns with the inner sanctuary.
Frequently asked questions
Book the overnight sleeper train through Trains Egypt. The train departs from Bashtil Station (Upper Egypt Station) in Cairo in the evening and arrives in Aswan the following morning after approximately 14 hours. You travel in a private lockable cabin with dinner and breakfast included. Tickets can be booked online and are emailed within 2 hours of payment.
Abu Simbel is approximately 280 kilometres south of Aswan, close to the Sudanese border. The drive takes around 3 hours each way through desert road. Most visitors join an organised convoy that departs at 4am or take a private transfer. Flying from Aswan to Abu Simbel is also an option, though considerably more expensive. The 4am shared minibus is the most common choice for independent travellers.
The Nubian villages sit on the west bank of the Nile and on Elephantine Island, just across from the Aswan corniche. They are home to the Nubian people, whose original homeland was flooded by the construction of the High Dam in the 1960s. The villages are known for their brightly painted houses, traditional crafts and welcoming atmosphere. Most visitors arrive by small motorboat from the corniche and are welcomed into homes for tea and a look around.
They offer different experiences. Luxor is Egypt's open-air museum, with the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple and dozens of other pharaonic sites within easy reach. Aswan is quieter and more relaxed, with a strong Nubian identity, beautiful Nile scenery and Abu Simbel nearby. If you have time, visit both. The sleeper train from Cairo stops at Luxor before continuing to Aswan, so many travellers spend a day or two in each city on the same trip.
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Book the Cairo to Aswan overnight sleeper. Private cabin, dinner and breakfast included. Ticket confirmed within 2 hours.
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