Things to do in Aswan

Nile Museum

Aga Khan Mausoleum

The Mausoleum of Aga Khan is located on the west bank of the Nile River and can be reached by brig from the city of Aswan. It is free for tourists to visit. This is the villa where Aga Khan lived during his lifetime. After his death in 1957, he was buried in the domed mausoleum above the villa. On the white marble tomb, there are exquisite patterns and inscriptions from the Koran. On his 60th birthday in 1945, Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili tribe of Shiites and a wealthy man, publicly weighed his treasures and distributed them to his followers.

Aswan Sporting Club

Monastery of St. Simeon

This Coptic Christian church was built in the 6th century by the Nubian saint Anba Batrayo. It was built in the middle of the desert and surrounded by high walls to prevent ordinary people from entering. It is a typical Coptic monastery. It can accommodate more than 300 monks. However, it was attacked by Arabs in 1321 and is now in ruins. However, its architectural style features have been preserved to this day, and you can imagine the life of the ascetics from it.

Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of the Archangel Michael

The church's architecture is distinctive, blending local traditional elements to showcase the essence of the local culture. The interior is richly decorated, with murals and sculptures that depict traditional local stories and ritual customs. The church regularly holds religious services, celebrations, and community events, providing opportunities for people to connect and learn.

Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument

No. 4 of Best Things to Do in Egypt

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings lies on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt, and was the royal resting place of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom. Over nearly five hundred years, from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth Dynasty, pharaohs and nobles were buried in tombs cut into the cliffs; more than sixty tombs have been discovered to date, arranged under "KV" numbers, with the royal tombs mainly clustered in the East Valley, while the West Valley is more secluded. The tomb murals are the real highlight here: the corridors and the walls and ceilings of the burial chambers are covered with scenes from religious texts such as the Book of the Dead and the Book of the Underworld, and the pigments remain vivid after more than three thousand years. Tutankhamun's tomb became famous after archaeologist Howard Carter discovered a large trove of burial treasures there in 1922, and the pharaoh's mummy still rests in a temperature-controlled glass display case in the burial chamber; the tomb of Ramesses III is grand in scale with well-preserved painted decoration; the ceiling of the tomb of Ramesses VI depicts the sky goddess Nut stretching across the entire chamber; and the painted corridor of the tomb of Seti I is especially exquisite. Visiting tips: there is almost no shade in the valley, and afternoons are hot, so going in the early morning is more comfortable; a small electric shuttle runs between the entrance and the main cluster of tombs, saving you the walk. Most tomb entrances are inconspicuous openings in the cliffs, lined up along the path; slow down and take note of the hieroglyphs and images of the gods in the murals, and you will notice far more detail. Visitors with plenty of energy can also follow the ridge path up for a panoramic view over the whole valley; the peak of Al-Qurn above, shaped like a natural pyramid, is one of the reasons the ancient Egyptians regarded this valley as a sacred place.

Engineer's Club

Kima Club

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the Nile in the city of Luxor, forming a north-south counterpart to Karnak Temple. It was a worship site built during the New Kingdom period of ancient Egypt for the "Theban Triad"—Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. In ancient Egyptian, it was called the "Southern Sanctuary" and is often referred to as the "Southern Harem of Amun." The main structure of the temple was constructed by Pharaoh Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty, while the pylon, forecourt, colossi, and obelisks at the entrance were added by Ramses II. Later pharaohs like Tutankhamun continued to add reliefs, and during the time of Alexander the Great, the rear sanctuary was rebuilt. A single temple thus layers over a thousand years of construction history. At the entrance still stands a granite obelisk of Ramses II, while its paired counterpart crossed the ocean as early as the 19th century and now stands in Paris's Place de la Concorde. The seated statue of the pharaoh in front of the pylon, the grand colonnade, and the sun court of Amenhotep III unfold layer by layer. The reliefs on the colonnade walls vividly depict the procession of the Opet Festival—during the Nile flood season in ancient Egypt, the statue of Amun was ceremoniously transported from Karnak Temple to here. The avenue of sphinxes in front of the temple gate was precisely the sacred path for this ritual. After years of archaeological restoration, this nearly three km-long avenue has been reconnected, and today, visitors can walk the round-trip route between this temple and Karnak Temple. In one corner of the temple stands a still-functioning mosque built atop the ancient pillars, sharing the same courtyard with the pharaonic-era pylon. When illuminated at night, the pillars, colossi, and minaret form a highly recognizable nightscape in Luxor.