The Nubian villages of Aswan in brief
Nubian communities live in several villages along the Nile at Aswan. Gharb Soheil is a village on the west bank, upstream from the city and opposite the island of Soheil. Koti and Siou are villages on Elephantine, the island that faces the city. Do not confuse Gharb Soheil with Sehel, an island village of its own, or with Gharb Aswan north of the city.
These are places where people live and work. Visits are built around guesthouses, meals and boat rides, and they are arranged one by one, so ask what a price covers before you agree. Photograph people only with their permission.
This guide covers the villages and what you can reach from Aswan: Elephantine, the Nubian Museum, felucca rides, Philae, Abu Simbel, the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Kom Ombo, plus weather and getting there. It is an independent site, not run by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the governorate, a museum, a village association, a guesthouse or a tour operator. Prices are in Egyptian pounds (EGP) or US dollars, as listed in 2026, and they change.
Our picks: Aswan tours
A shared visit to a Nubian village, Philae with a guide and Abu Simbel in a group.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Abu Simbel group tour with guide and entry
Ten hours in an air-conditioned vehicle with hotel transfer, an English-speaking guide and the Abu Simbel entry fee. Food, drinks and tips are not included.
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Philae Temple guided half-day group tour
An English-speaking guide, hotel transfer and the boat to Philae are included. Entry fees are only included with the matching option, and tips are extra.
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Shared half-day visit to a Nubian village
Hotel transfer and the motorboat ride are included. Pickup from the islands, Gharb Soheil, Nagaa al-Mahatta and New Aswan costs $10 per person extra, and tips are not included.
Check availability →Tours and day trips from Aswan
Village visits, Philae, Abu Simbel and Nile trips, with live prices and availability.
Plan your visit
Start with the village pages, then pick the sights you want to add.
Gharb Soheil
How to get there by boat or road, what is paid for, and the facts about crocodiles in houses.
Elephantine Island
Nubian villages, the excavation site at the southern tip and the museum.
Nubian culture
History, the 1964 resettlement, food and houses, told with care.
Nubian Museum
Tickets, hours including the Thursday and Friday evenings, and house rules.
Felucca rides
Routes, example prices from one operator and what a sunset sail includes.
Things to do in Aswan
Twelve ideas beyond the village, with prices and hours.
Aswan tours compared
Philae, the High Dam, Abu Simbel and more: time, price and what is left out.
Philae Temple
Tickets, the boat to Agilkia and the evening sound and light show.
Abu Simbel
Road and flight options, two ticket figures and the sun festival days.
Aswan High Dam
Dates, dimensions and Lake Nasser, with the resettlement in context.
Unfinished Obelisk
The cracked obelisk in its granite quarry, with ticket and hours.
Kom Ombo and Edfu
The double temple with its crocodile museum, and Edfu as a separate trip.
Weather
Monthly averages and what they mean for the best time to visit.
Getting to Aswan
Trains, flights and the Nile cruise from Luxor.
Where to stay
East bank, west bank and island stays compared by location.
Good to know in 2026
Where older guides are out of date.
The visa fee is $30
The official e-visa portal lists $30 for a single tourist entry and $65 for multiple entries. Older figures of $25 are out of date. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from arrival.
Getting there →Abu Simbel has two ticket figures
The ministry page lists EGP 750 for a standard foreign adult ticket. The ticket portal lists EGP 822. Both figures appear in 2026, so check the amount when you buy.
Abu Simbel →Museum evenings are not daily
The Nubian Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extra evening hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. apply on Thursday and Friday only.
Nubian Museum →Check what a ticket covers
The Philae temples stand on Agilkia island. The Elephantine excavation site lies at the southern tip of the island. Neither ticket covers a whole inhabited island or village.
Elephantine →Crocodiles in village houses
Egypt's environment agency warned in July 2026 about private crocodile keeping and illegal trade. Do not touch or hold the animals, and do not pay for handling photos.
Gharb Soheil →Boat and road prices are operator prices
Felucca prices are offers from single operators, not an official tariff, and Abu Simbel road rules are described by operators, not by a government notice. Treat every figure as an example and confirm it with your provider.
Felucca rides →Government travel advice differs by authority. The UK FCDO (status 21 October 2026, last changed 4 August 2026) advises against all or all but essential travel to some regions and names Aswan and Abu Simbel as exceptions to its Western Desert area. The German Foreign Office lists a partial travel warning (status 21 October 2026, unchanged since 29 September 2026). The US State Department lists Level 2, exercise increased caution, issued 15 July 2025, with no separate level for Aswan. Read the current texts before you book.
North of Aswan
Luxor and Nile cruises have their own guide.
Temples, tombs and cruises around Luxor are covered on a sister site. See the Luxor guide for the sights, and the Nile cruise page if you travel between the two cities by ship. This site stays with Aswan and the villages around it.
More independent Egypt guides
Separate guides from the same team, each focused on one place on the Nile.
Nubian village in Aswan: frequently asked questions
Where is the Nubian village in Aswan?
There is more than one. Gharb Soheil is on the west bank, upstream from the city. Koti and Siou are villages on Elephantine Island. Sehel is a separate island village. See the pages on Gharb Soheil and Elephantine.
Is it free to visit a Nubian village?
One secondary source from August 2026 describes village access as free and guesthouse and meal services as paid. That is not an official fee schedule. Ask what a boat ride, a house visit or a meal costs before you agree.
Do I need a visa for Egypt?
The official e-visa portal lists $30 for single entry and $65 for multiple entry, and German, British and US citizens are among those listed. German travelers need a visa and can enter with a passport or an ID card, which needs 2 biometric photos. Rules change, so check the current official texts. More on the getting there page.
When is the best time to visit?
Averages for Aswan from 1981 to 2010 (World Meteorological Organization, supplied by the Egyptian Meteorological Authority) show daily highs above 41 °C from June to August. November to March is cooler. These are old averages, not a forecast. See the weather page.
Can I visit Abu Simbel in a day?
Yes. One operator plans about 3 hours each way by road and about 3 hours at the site, roughly 9 hours in total. That is an example programme, not a guaranteed duration. See the Abu Simbel page.
Is nubian-village.org an official site?
No. This is an independent travel guide with no link to the Egyptian ministry, the Aswan governorate, the Nubian Museum, any village association, guesthouse or tour operator.