• Take a felucca cruise on the Nile at Aswan
• Get on a tour to visit Abu Simbel (must see)
• Take a camel ride to the Monastery of St Simeon. Grab a felucca captain and they will shuttle you across to the camel marshalling area.
• Have tea with the local shopkeepers in the souk. You will get a fascinating insight into their daily lives, and they love to practise their English on you.

The souqs (markets) in Aswan are refreshingly exotic without the same level of high-pressure selling found in some tourist towns further north - see below in Buy

Aswan Town and the East Bank

• Nubian Museum, located opposite the Basma Hotel, south of the Old Cataract Hotel, at the southern edge of Aswan town on Sharia Abtal al-Tahrir - approximately a half hour walk from the city centre. Entry EGY£20. Camera fee: EGY£10. Open daily 0900-1300 and 1700-2100.

• Unfinished Obelisk, gives a glimpse into the way these structures were constructed.

The River and Islands

• Sehel Island - Well known for its excellent beaded jewelry. Also the location of the Famine Stela. The site is open till 4:00 P.M.

• Elephantine Island - The local Nubian villages of Siou and Koti occupy this island. Also home to the famous Nilometers and the Temples of Sati, Khnum and Pepinakht-Heqaib.

• Kitcheners Island - Also known as Plantation Island: has wonderful botanical gardens amidst the Nile.

West Bank

• Tombs of the Nobles
• Kubbet el-Hawa - on top of the hill above the Tombs of the Nobles is to be found a small shrine / tomb of a local sheikh and holy man. The climb is rewarded with amazing views of Aswan, the Nile river and the surrounding landscape, richly evoked in the translation from the Arabic of the place name, "the dome of the wind'.
• Mausoleum of the Aga Khan
• Monastery of St Simeon

Around Aswan

• The High Dam - The Aswan High Dam is a vast structural locality on the river Nile, just south of the city of Aswan in Egypt. As one of the great (if enduringly controversial) engineering feats of the late 20th century, the Aswan High Dam is a great drawcards for Egyptians and foreign travellers alike.

• Philae Temple - Built to honor Isis, this was the last ancient temple built in the tclassical Egyptian architectural style. Construction began in approx 690 BC. It was moved from its original location on Philae Island, to its new location on Agilkia Island, after the flooding of Lake Nasser. A major multinational UNESCO team relocated Philae, and a number of other temples that now dot the shores of Lake nasser. You can see the submerged original island a short distance away, punctuated by the steel columns used in the moving process. Don't miss the Sound and Light show at night, see picture to the right, the least cheesy of the Sound and Light "extravaganzas". On your feet, look out for the extremely creative guards who will do all in their power to get in your photos, or to point out the hieroglpyhs that you can quite clearly see yourself, all for some baksheesh(tip)! Note also the re-use of the temple as a Christian church, with crosses carved into the older hieroglyph reliefs, and images of the Egyptian gods carefully defaced. There are grafitti dating from the 1800s.

• Kalabsha Temple - Like Philae this temple and its surrounding ruins were moved by UNESCO to save them from the floodwaters of Lake Nasser. The main temple was built to the Nubian fertility and sun god Marul during the rule of Emperor Augustus. Don't miss the Kiosk of Qirtasi and the amazing Temple of Beit al-Wali built by Ramesses II.

By plane

An average of six return flights a day are maintained by Egyptair between Aswan and the Egyptian capital Cairo. One morning flight also exists between Luxor and Aswan, the lower frequency reflecting the cities' greater proximity and practical alternatives like train and taxi.

By train

Egypt's train service which runs along the nile extends down to Aswan and is a regular and a good travel alternative.

By car

By bus

If you are in Hurghada you can catch a bus from there down to Aswan for less than $7

Hurghada-Aswan is around 300 kilometres but as Egyptian buses aren't always very reliable the trip could take anything from three hours to nine.

By boat

Sharm el-Sheikh in Sinai --> boat to Hurghada --> bus to Aswan --> approximately $15

Dozens of cruise ships depart from Luxor to Aswan everyday. These can be booked through agents or at the actual ships themselves.

Aswan is compact enough to negotiate primarily on foot. For weary feet or for some of the more far flung attractions (like Philae, the High Dam and the unfinished obelisks) there are other options that include taxis and horse-drawn carriages. Note that to access the sights on the river islands or on the West Bank, you will need to cross the river by motor boat or felluca.

You will generally find that Nubian handicrafts are of higher quality and better value in Aswan. All other goods will almost certainly be cheaper as you travel North towards Cairo due to shipping costs to Aswan and the lower tourist demand. Having said that, the Aswan souk is the most charming in Egypt, and deserves your custom, so if you don't mind paying a 5-10% premium in price you should help these struggling shopkeepers and buy from them.

Budget

The Aswan Moon - Situated on pontoons along the Nile, cheap and generally decent food with cheery service, just make sure you have some spare time as they can be a little slow - Hey this is Egypt after all. Be prepared to hear waiter's jokes that are not always funny. The local fish joints near the city market can be excellent -- their fish is fresh, and you can watch it cook. Don't miss the crab soup!

Mid-range

Elephantine Island Resort. Poor quality of food. Stale bread for breakfast... Yummee......

Splurge

The Old Cataract Hotel is wonderful. Be sure to have a a meal and a beverage on their terrace at sunset, watching the feluccas. Agatha Christie stayed here, and wrote 'Death on the Nile'.

Aswan is much less strict on drinking alcohol than Cairo or Luxor, and many of the restaurants sell Stella (Egyptian brand not the Belgian brand) and Saqqara, both of which are lagers and comparable to European beers.

The terrace bar at the Old Cataract Hotel is open to non-guests for a small fee, so budget travellers can enjoy a drink in luxury.