Three days at the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt. Aswan sits on Egypt's most picturesque stretch of the Nile — granite islands, Nubian villages painted blue and yellow, the legendary Old Cataract Hotel where Agatha Christie wrote 'Death on the Nile'. From here a quick morning flight (or 3-hour drive) takes you to Abu Simbel, Ramses II's twin temples cut into a mountain, relocated stone-by-stone when the Aswan High Dam threatened to drown them. Plus Philae temple by water taxi and a felucca to Elephantine Island for Nubian lunch.
"Abu Simbel at dawn before the tour buses arrived — we had Ramses to ourselves. Egyptologist Yasser was incredible."
"The Old Cataract terrace is everything you imagine and more. Nile cataracts, fellucas drifting, lemonade in a tall glass."
Fly. 3 hrs each way by road across the desert is exhausting; the 30-min flight + 2 hrs at the temple gives you a full afternoon back at Aswan.
Feb 22 and Oct 22 each year. Crowds double on those dates — book 6 months ahead.
Yes — most clients combine with our Luxor & Nile dahabiya. Combined 7-day from $2,490/pp.