Getting Oriented in Aswan and Lake Nasser

For sights near Aswan, private taxis are by far the easiest way to get around. You can take a prebooked day trip to Kom Ombo and the camel market. The Aswan High Dam and the point of departure for Lake Nasser cruises is a short distance from town, as are the docks for boats going to the island temples of Philae and Kalabsha. Abu Simbel, south of Aswan on Lake Nasser, is a 30-minute flight from Aswan or a three-hour road trip.

• North of Aswan: Kom Ombo and Daraw. Kom Ombo is a popular archaeological site that is on all Nile cruise itineraries and reachable overland from Aswan. Daraw's camel market is less visited and less tourist-oriented.
• Aswan. A jumping-off point for Egypt's south, Aswan is a much more laid-back destination than either Luxor or Cairo. The center for felucca sails on the Nile and cruises on Lake Nasser, it's also a focus for exploration of Egyptian Nubian culture.
• South of Aswan: Philae and the Aswan Dams. The Temple of Isis at Philae and the Old and High Aswan Dams are popular destinations within a few minutes of Aswan.
• Lake Nasser. While New Kalabsha is reachable on a day trip from Aswan, other sights require either a flight (Abu Simbel) or a cruise (all other sights along the lake).