Aswan Day Tour Visiting Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk and High Dam in Aswan

Aswan, Egypt

In the heart of Nubia, tranquil, riverside Aswan is one of Egypt's most beautiful cities. This Aswan day tour covers highlights of the city both ancient and modern, from the Aswan High Dam which finally controlled the flooding of the mighty Nile, through to the ancient Unfinished Obelisk and stunning Philae Temple, which sits on its very own island. The tour includes air-conditioned transport, entrance fees, bottled water and a qualified Egyptologist guide.

The day begins at 8am, when your Egyptologist guide collects you from the airport, or your hotel or cruise ship, for a day tour of the stunning Nile-side city of Aswan. You'll travel by air-conditioned vehicle to view the Aswan High Dam, an engineering miracle built in the 1960s to control the flooding of the Nile.

Next on your itinerary is the Unfinished Obelisk, a part-carved obelisk abandoned in its quarry by ancient quarrymen: your guide will explain the techniques used by craftsmen to create these classic monuments. Most likely this obelisk was created for Queen Hatshepsut, the extraordinary female pharaoah who sometimes wore the traditional pharaoah's beard and built a vast temple on Luxor's West Bank.

After the Unfinished Obelisk, you'll transfer by road and boat to the green and beautiful island of Philae at the heart of the Nile. Here you'll explore the pylons, columns and courtyards of the stunning temple of Isis, the Egyptian fertility goddess whose cult spread from Egypt across the Roman Empire. Drop-off to your hotel is at around 4pm.