Aswan Day Tour - Philae Temple, High Dam & Unfinished Obelisk

These three sites tell one continuous story about Aswan: how granite was quarried here, how a temple was saved from the water, and how that water came to be there in the first place. Taken in a single day with a guide, they connect.

Philae Temple

Philae is dedicated to Isis and was one of the last places in Egypt where the old religion was still practiced, into the 6th century AD. It is also not where it was built. When the High Dam raised the water level, the entire temple was cut into more than forty thousand blocks and rebuilt stone by stone on a higher island. You reach it by motorized boat, which is a large part of why the approach is so memorable - the columns appear out of the water as you cross.

The High Dam

Completed in 1970, the dam ended the Nile's annual flood, created Lake Nasser behind it, and generates a substantial share of Egypt's electricity. It also displaced Nubian communities and drowned their villages, and any honest account of it includes that. Your guide can tell you both sides.

The Unfinished Obelisk

Still lying in the granite quarry where it was cut, abandoned after a crack appeared in the stone. At around 42 meters it would have been the largest obelisk ever raised. What makes it valuable is precisely that it was never finished - you can see the tool marks, the trenches cut around the shaft, and exactly how the work was done.

Good to know before you book

• The tour runs about 6 hours, with the group capped at 15 people.
• A licensed guide is included and you may request your preferred language.
• Hotel pickup and return within Aswan are included; pickup from a Nile cruise ship or from outside Aswan carries a $5 per person supplement.
• Lunch, drinks, photography and video are not included.
• The boat to Philae is operated separately at the jetty and its fee is collected there - bring cash.
• There is very little shade at the quarry or on the dam. Hat, sunglasses and water are essential from spring through autumn.

$51 per person (regular price $56), including guide and transfers within Aswan.