About the place
About Aswan
Aswan is unusually compact for a Nile city: the corniche, the souq and the ferry landings are all within walking distance, and most sights are reached by boat rather than by road. Philae was moved stone by stone to Agilkia Island when the High Dam raised the water, so visiting it means a short motorboat crossing; Elephantine Island and the west-bank Nubian villages work the same way.
Abu Simbel is about 280 km further south and is normally done as a long day trip, leaving before dawn. If you are continuing to Luxor, the Nile cruise boats run between the two cities and the road follows the river, so nothing here is a dead end.
