9 Best Sights in Aswan and Lake Nasser, Egypt

This botanical garden occupies all 17 acres of Kitchener's Island, named after Lord Horatio Kitchener, a 19th-century British commander of the Egyptian army who was fascinated by botany. Some of the nearly 750 species planted here don't exist anywhere else in Egypt, hailing from tropical Africa as well as from as far away as India and Brazil. The grounds make for a mildly pleasant stroll, but unfortunately too much of the space has been taken over by market stalls selling the same sort of stuff that you'll find at every tourist site in the country.

To reach Kitchener's Island, you have two choices. The easiest way is to arrange a full- or half-day felucca tour to all the sights on the West Bank and Nile islands through a company like Aswan Individual or your accommodations. Alternatively, you can hire a boat captain along the Corniche on the East Bank.

Though you'll see some of the standard tourist shop offerings, Aswan's market feels more local than others in Egypt. Stretching for several downtown blocks, some pedestrianized, along Sharia el-Souk (Market Street), it's mildly busy by day but absolutely packed come evening. Traders hawk such wares as spices, carpets, clothing, herbal remedies, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and although they are persistent, they are mercifully less aggressive than elsewhere. Restaurants and cafés can be found along the route and the side streets when you need a break.

In a more modern side building off the historic museum (itself built in 1898 to house the British engineer of the Aswan Dam, but seemingly indefinitely closed for renovations), a few glass cases display archaeological finds from Elephantine Island, including pottery, jewelry, grave goods, and a marriage contract written on papyrus.

The archaeological area sprawls across most of the southern part of Elephantine Island, but the ruins are minimal and uninspiring compared with sites elsewhere in Egypt. Temples with quite a bit of modern restoration are dedicated to two of the three gods of the Elephantine Triad: Khnum and his consort, Satet. Northwest of the Temple of Khnum is a flight of metal stairs and a platform that offers a panoramic view of the small nearby islands and southern Aswan. Near the boat dock is the Nilometer, used to gauge the annual Nile floods and therefore the taxes due. 

For the site's high ticket price, the museum is disappointingly small, and the ruins are barely labeled.

Gharb Soheil is the most touristy of Aswan's Nubian villages, but seeing it is still a good opportunity to get better acquainted with the culture. Vendors on the main market street sell wares that you've probably already seen elsewhere, but photographers, in particular, will delight in wandering past the colorfully painted buildings and huge bowls of brightly colored spices and dyes. Kick back with a shisha (water pipe) on traditional floor seating at one of the many cafés, enjoy a Nubian meal at a restaurant, and, if you don't want to leave, book a charming guesthouse for the night.

This 7th-century sand-colored structure is one of the largest Coptic monasteries in Egypt. The complex is in ruins and feels like an abandoned fortress, full of dark barrel-vaulted passages and crumbling arches, but it was once a lively way station for monks preaching Christianity in Nubia and later for Muslim pilgrims on their way to Mecca—you can see their graffiti in some of the sleeping quarters. A few poorly preserved Christian frescos remain in the basilica and one of the rooms on the lower level. The vistas over the golden sands of the Western Desert will make you feel a million miles away from the Nile.

To reach the monastery, take a camel through the desert from the Tombs of the Nobles or from the nearby boat dock. From the dock, you can also make the uphill walk yourself, which takes about 15 minutes. It's partially paved, but wear sturdy shoes.

An effort to preserve the Nubian history that was on the verge of being lost because of the construction of the Aswan High Dam, the Nubia Museum houses more than 2,000 artifacts that highlight the culture and heritage of these people and the land. Arranged chronologically, the museum walks you through prehistory, the Kingdom of Kush when Nubian kings ruled Egypt, and onward through the Christian and Islamic periods.

Artifacts range from larger-than-life statuary to a small game of backgammon. A diorama presents scenes of rural Nubian life, informative if you don't have time to visit one of the villages yourself. Outside, the museum's grounds include a water feature representing the Nile, a reconstruction of a Nubian house, a cave with rock inscriptions, and part of a Fatimid-era cemetery. Allow about two hours to do it all justice.

Seheil is one of the largest islands in the Nile, and the tall hill on its southeastern flank was a quarry for granite. It was also used as a resting spot for those trading with the Nubians and by the pharaoh's army, who etched hundreds of inscriptions and cartouches on the rocks—the oldest dates from the Middle Kingdom (2130–1649 BC). A climb up the slopes reveals the Famine Stela, a hieroglyph-covered slab. Although it was carved during the Ptolemaic Dynasty (305–30 BC), it recounts an episode from the reign of King Djoser 2,500 years prior. The story goes that Egypt had been suffering from drought and famine for seven years when an adviser to the king suggested that he make an offering to Khnum, the god that controls the Nile flood. Khnum appeared to the pharaoh in a dream and brought back the flood, and Djoser honored him by constructing a temple in his honor on Elephantine Island, the ruins of which you can still visit.

You can reach Seheil Island independently by hiring a felucca or motorboat, or as part of a tour organized by a Nubian guesthouse in Gharb Soheil. In addition to climbing the hill to the stela, the tour might also take you into a Nubian house in the nearby village for tea and cakes.

Aswan's West Bank is the final resting place of the important regional leaders and senior officials of ancient Elephantine. A long, steep staircase climbs up to the rock-carved tombs, or you can take a camel from near the ticket office.

Atop the stairs, a path to the south leads to the Middle Kingdom Tomb of Sirenput II (1971–1928 BC), one of the best preserved in Aswan. Allow your eyes to adjust to the dim interior and watch the brilliantly colored reliefs of the deceased local governor and his family come to life. Six niches hold statues of Sirenput depicted in a mummified form. Farther south on the path are the Tombs of Mekhu and Sabni dating from the Old Kingdom (2345 BC). These impressive rock-pillared chambers contain original frescoes that detail Mekhu's murder while on an expedition in Nubia and his son's quest for revenge and to return the body of his father. More peaceful everyday hunting and fishing scenes decorate Sabni's side of the tomb.

High above the tombs atop the hill is the domed Tomb of the Wind (Qubbet el-Hawa), which has a phenomenal panoramic view of Elephantine Island and greater Aswan.

Only a handful of these tombs are ever open to the public, and it's an active archaeological site, so even some of those are likely to be closed or undergoing excavation on your visit. If you've already seen tombs in Luxor, these might feel a tad disappointing, but they will likely be much more peaceful and less crowded.

High-quality granite from Aswan is used in temples, monuments, and obelisks across Egypt, and this failed extraction was instrumental in figuring out exactly how the ancients cut such huge pieces of stone from the quarry. The stonemasons discovered a flaw in this massive obelisk-to-be, and it was left imprisoned in the bedrock. Had it been raised, it would have stood 42 meters (138 feet) tall—larger than any other obelisk—and weighed 1,168 tons. 

This site is often included on Aswan tour group itineraries, but unless you're particularly interested in ancient stonework, save your precious vacation time for more interesting sites.