Aswan, Egypt,s sunniest southern city and ancient frontier town located about 81 miles south of Luxor, has a distinctively African atmosphere. Its ancient Egyptian name was Syene. Small enough to walk around and graced with the most beautiful setting on the Nile, the pace of life is slow and relaxing. Days can be spent strolling up and down the broad Corniche watching the sailboats etch the sky with their tall masts or sitting in floating restaurants listening to Nubian music and eating freshly caught fish.

 

In Aswan the Nile is at its most beautiful, flowing through amber desert and granite rocks, round emerald islands covered in palm groves and tropical plants. Explore the souk, full of the scent and color of spices, perfumes, scarves and baskets. View the spectacular sunsets while having tea on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel (Named due to the location of the Nile's first cataract located here). Aswan has been a favorite winter resort since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and it's still a perfect place to get away from it all.

 

Every night Nubian dancers and musicians perform in the Cultural Center, just off the Corniche. Folklore troupes recreate scenes from village life and perform the famous Nubian mock stick-fight dances.

​A picturesque town hugging the Nile. Sail in a felucca to Kitchener Island with its exotic botanical gardens, Elephantine Island, the Agha Khan Mausoleum and the monastery of St. Simons built by Coptic monks in the 6th century A.D. Also view the Unfinished Obelisk, Philae Temple by motor launch and the powerful High Dam on Lake Nasser. A cruise through the Nile is one of the world's most rewarding journeys between Aswan and Luxor, Cairo and Aswan (or vice versa). View ancient history and unchanged customs. No visit to Egypt can really be considered complete without at least a short Cruise through the Nile.