Aswan is Egypt's southernmost governorate, a sun-drenched city on the banks of the Nile renowned for its ancient Nubian heritage, towering pharaonic monuments, and dramatic desert-island scenery. It serves as the gateway to iconic sites including Philae Temple, the Aswan High Dam, and the legendary Abu Simbel temples.
Local currency: Egyptian Pound (EGP).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Aswan.
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- $6-14/night (dorm bed)
- Budget
- $14-30/night (private room, guesthouse)
- Midrange
- $40-100/night (3-star hotel with breakfast)
- Luxury
- $150-500+/night (Old Cataract, Movenpick)
Food
- Street
- $1-3 (koshary, ta'meya, juice)
- Local
- $4-8 (sit-down local restaurant meal)
- Midrange
- $10-20 (corniche restaurant, Nubian dining)
- Fine
- $30-80 (Old Cataract restaurants)
Transport
- Bus
- $0.30-1 (local minibus within city)
- Taxi
- $1-4 (short city taxi trip, negotiated)
- Airport
- $5-10 (taxi to/from Aswan Airport)
- Daytrip
- $15-30 (shared taxi or minibus to Kom Ombo or Edfu)
Activities
- Museum
- $3-7 (Nubian Museum, Aswan Museum)
- Sites
- $4-7 (Philae, Unfinished Obelisk, Kalabsha)
- Tour
- $30-60 (half-day guided tour with licensed guide)
- Excursion
- $60-100 (Abu Simbel day trip all-inclusive)
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Aswan costs end-to-end.
Budget traveller
$175 for 7 days (including Abu Simbel trip)
Midrange traveller
$560 for 7 days
Luxury traveller
$2,240+ for 7 days (Old Cataract + private tours)
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Travel October-November or February-March (shoulder season) for 20-35% lower hotel prices vs peak December-January
Book Abu Simbel flights directly with Air Cairo rather than through a tour package — often cheaper
Take the public ferry to Elephantine Island (EGP 5) rather than a private motorboat (EGP 50-100)
Eat at least one meal per day at a local ful or koshary restaurant for $1-3 rather than corniche restaurants
Negotiate felucca prices — the first quote is typically 50-100% above what locals pay
Buy karkadeh and Nubian spices at the wholesale end of the souk rather than the tourist-facing stalls
The Egyptian Museum Cairo card (Zahi Hawass Pass) does not cover Aswan sites — buy tickets individually
Budget hotels near the train station (Keylany, Ramses, Philae) are often 50% cheaper than corniche hotels
Group day trips to Abu Simbel are much cheaper than private options ($60-80 vs $200+)
Get cash in EGP from ATMs in Aswan city rather than exchanging at the airport or hotel — better rates
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Walk the Aswan Corniche
The riverside promenade from the Old Cataract to the public garden is free and beautiful at sunset
Aswan Souk browsing
Exploring the spice-scented market lanes is free — just resist the salesmanship
Elephantine Island ferry
The public motorboat ferry to Elephantine Island is very cheap (~EGP 5); once there you can walk the island freely
Agha Khan Mausoleum exterior
The hillside tomb can be admired from a felucca and its base is freely accessible
Sunset at Qubbet El-Hawa
The hilltop above the west bank is freely accessible after visiting the Nobles' Tombs
Corniche evening food stalls
Window-shopping and people-watching among the evening snack vendors costs nothing
Aswan Botanical Garden walk (Kitchener's Island)
Entry is cheap (EGP 50) and the walk around the island is leisurely and relaxing
Watching dawn fish market
The south corniche fish market before sunrise is free to watch and hugely atmospheric
Sunset from the High Dam viewpoint
Driving across the top of the dam (with admission) at sunset adds nothing extra
Nubian village walking (Elephantine)
Once on the island, walking through Siou and Koti Nubian villages is free