Aswan — Philae, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the High Dam
Private tourSmall groupsNo forced shopping stops
from €48 per person
Overview
Aswan runs on a different rhythm from the rest of Egypt — slower, more Nubian. We start at the Temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis, which was dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt on Agilkia Island in the 1970s to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser: one of UNESCO's great rescue operations, and the story is still visible in the numbered blocks.
From there we head to the pink granite quarry, where the unfinished obelisk still lies: a crack discovered during carving forced its abandonment, still half-attached to the bedrock. It's the best place to actually understand how the ancient Egyptians cut and extracted blocks weighing hundreds of tonnes. We finish at the High Dam, a twentieth-century project that reshaped the river and made the rescue of Philae possible in the first place.
Three sites, three different timescales: the Ptolemaic temple, the pharaonic quarry, the modern dam. That contrast is what makes the day interesting, more than any list of names.
This price covers the guide and private transport
This price covers the guide's fee and private transport during the excursion (hotel pickup, travel between the sites, drop-off). It does not include entrance tickets or meals. You buy your own tickets at the official price: we take no cut on them, and we never take you into a shop.
Highlights
- The Temple of Philae and its UNESCO rescue story
- The unfinished obelisk, still anchored in the bedrock
- The Aswan High Dam and its impact on the Nile
- The boat crossing to Agilkia Island
Schedule for the day
- 08:30
Meeting
Pick-up at your hotel in Aswan.
- 09:00
Temple of Philae
Boat crossing to Agilkia Island, then a visit to the Temple of Isis and the story of its rescue.
- 11:00
Unfinished Obelisk
The pink granite quarry and the extraction techniques of ancient Egypt.
- 12:00
High Dam
A view over Lake Nasser and an explanation of the dam's impact on modern Egypt.
- 13:00
End of the excursion
Return to your hotel.
What's included / What's not included
What's included
- Guide fee for the French-speaking Egyptologist for the 6-hour excursion
- Private transport throughout the excursion: hotel pickup, travel between the sites, drop-off
- Historical explanations at all three sites, including the UNESCO rescue of Philae
- Private guiding, flexible itinerary
- No forced shopping stop
What's not included
- Entrance tickets to Philae, the unfinished obelisk, and the High Dam
- Boat crossing to Agilkia Island (ticket handled on site, paid separately)
- Meals and drinks
- Tips
The stops on the map
Meeting point
Meeting point
Your hotel in Aswan.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the tour begins. No deposit is required at booking: you settle on site, on the day of the tour.
