Private Aswan Tour: High Dam, Obelisk, Philae & Nubian Village

High Dam tour: guided visit to ancient sites, temple island, and Nubian village with no separate tickets

A private guided tour of Aswan covering the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, Philae Temple, and a Nubian Village, with a licensed Egyptologist guide, all entrance tickets, private transport, and hotel pickup. You travel by air-conditioned vehicle and motorboat, spending roughly eight to nine hours moving between four distinct landmarks, learning the history and engineering of each from someone who knows Aswan's daily life as well as its monuments.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Aswan's key landmarks

• Pickup from Aswan hotel
• Drive to Aswan High Dam
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Transfer to Unfinished Obelisk
• Explore Unfinished Obelisk
• Drive to Philae Temple boat dock
• Boat ride to Philae Temple
• Tour Philae Temple complex
• Boat return to marina
• Drive to Nubian Village boat dock
• Boat ride to Nubian Village
• Visit Nubian Village
• Boat return to marina
• Drive back to Aswan hotel

The experience

The day starts with a hotel pickup and a 20-minute drive to the Aswan High Dam, a structure stretching over 3,800 meters across the Nile. Your guide explains how it controls the river's flow, generates power, and created Lake Nasser. You see the scale of the engineering and the serene water it holds. From there, another 20 to 30 minutes by vehicle takes you to the Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarries of northern Aswan. Standing 42 meters tall and weighing an estimated 1,200 tons, it was abandoned during carving when a crack appeared. The guide walks you through the ancient Egyptian quarrying techniques and the tools that shaped it, showing how the monument reveals the methods behind Egypt's greatest constructions.

A second transfer, roughly 20 to 30 minutes, brings you to the Marina Philae Temple boat dock on the southern edge of Aswan. From there, a 15-minute motorboat ride carries you across the reservoir to Philae Temple itself, dedicated to the goddess Isis. The complex includes the Gateway of Nectanebo, the Mammisi (Birth House), the Kiosk of Trajan, the Chapel of Osiris, and the Sanctuary of Isis at its heart. You'll also see the Nilometer, an ancient device for measuring Nile floods, and Coptic crosses marking the temple's later Christian phase. Your guide provides detailed explanations of the hieroglyphs and the temple's role in Egyptian religion and history. The return boat ride takes 10 to 15 minutes.

The final leg crosses the Nile again by motorboat to reach the Nubian Village, where you walk through colorful traditional houses, visit a local market selling handmade crafts and spices, and encounter henna tattoo artists, a crocodile house with live baby crocodiles, and a village mosque. If arranged, you may visit a Nubian family home. The experience centers on seeing how locals live and learning Nubian traditions directly. A motorboat returns you to the mainland, where your driver waits to take you back to your hotel. All entrance tickets to the High Dam, Obelisk, and Philae are included. Fuel, tolls, and parking are covered. The vehicle is air-conditioned throughout, and the guide speaks English, with Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and 40 additional languages available.

What’s included

• Explore Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, with detailed guided explanations.
• visit the historic Obelisk and learn its story with insights from a professional guide.
• entrance tickets to the High Dam, Obelisk, and Philae included.
• private guided tour with a licensed English-speaking guide.
• private transport throughout the day in a comfortable Sedan, SUV, or Van.
• all vehicle costs including fuel, tolls, and parking.
• immerse in Nubian Village life and culture, interacting with locals and learning traditions.

Options for this experience

4 options

Solo Private Aswan TourGuide in 49 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 10:00Sedan: An exclusive private tour of Aswan for a single guest, covering the High Dam, the Obelisk, Philae and the Nubian Village. Pickup is included.

Trio Private Aswan TourGuide in 49 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 10:00Sedan or SUV with 2–3 seats: A personalized private tour for up to 3 travelers, letting you comfortably explore Aswan's Dam, Obelisk, Philae and Nubian Village. Pickup is included.

Private Aswan Tour for fiveGuide in 49 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 10:00Minivan for up to 5 passengers: Well suited to small families or friends, offering a private, flexible tour of Aswan's key landmarks. Includes pickup.

Private Aswan Tour for eightGuide in 49 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 10:00Large van with up to 8 seats: Suited to bigger private groups, letting you explore Aswan's Dam, Obelisk, Philae and Nubian Village with ease and comfort. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 10:00

Book up to4h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, Cantonese, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Filipino, Finnish, Greek, Gujarati, Hakka Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Javanese, Kurdish, MNP, Malay, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wu Chinese and Xiang Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Eyes of Egypt

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to cover Aswan's four major landmarks in a single day without navigating between them yourself. The private format means the guide adjusts the pace to your interests, and the fixed itinerary keeps all four sites reachable within the eight to nine hours. Families with infants and small children can bring a pram or stroller, and the tour suits all fitness levels. Wheelchair-accessible transport and specialized infant seats are available.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, Javanese, Bangla, Chinese, Wu Chinese, Slovak, Serbian, Swedish, Chinese, Kurdish, Tamil, MNP, Gujarati, Czech, Telugu, Thai, Polish, Hebrew, Danish, Cantonese, Norwegian, Finnish, Marathi, Pashto, Filipino, Croatian, Hungarian, Hakka Chinese, Ukrainian, Urdu, Malayalam, Malay, Russian, Greek, Burmese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Japanese, Persian, Romanian, Dutch, Xiang Chinese and Turkish.

What exactly is the Unfinished Obelisk, and why does it matter?

The Unfinished Obelisk is a 42-meter-tall granite monument abandoned in an ancient quarry when a crack appeared during carving. It reveals how ancient Egyptians quarried and shaped stone for their largest monuments, showing the tools and techniques they used before the project was halted.

Do I need to arrange the boat rides to Philae Temple and the Nubian Village separately?

No. Your guide handles the boat transfers as part of the tour. You board motorboats at the Marina Philae dock and at the Nile riverfront dock. Your driver waits at each landing point to meet you when you return.

What will I actually see and do at Philae Temple?

Philae Temple includes the Gateway of Nectanebo, the Kiosk of Trajan, the Temple of Isis (the main structure with intricate hieroglyphs), the Chapel of Osiris, the Nilometer, and the Sanctuary of Isis. Your guide explains the hieroglyphs, the temple's religious significance, and its history from ancient Egyptian times through its later Christian phase.

Is there time to interact with people in the Nubian Village, or is it just a walk-through?

The Nubian Village visit includes time to interact with locals. You can visit a traditional market, watch henna tattoo artists at work, see a crocodile house, and if arranged, visit a Nubian family home to learn about daily life and traditions directly from residents.

How long is the full tour, and what's included in the price?

The tour runs eight to nine hours from hotel pickup to return. Included are all entrance tickets to the High Dam, Obelisk, and Philae Temple; private air-conditioned transport by vehicle and motorboat; a licensed guide; fuel, tolls, and parking; and hotel pickup and drop-off.