Nubian village in Aswan: boat visit, prices, colourful houses and tips
Aswan's Nubian villages (Gharb Soheil, Elephantine Island) are hamlets of painted houses on the Nile, where you have tea, see henna tattoos and baby crocodiles. You visit them in 3 to 4 hours by felucca or motorboat from Aswan, often for 45 to 65 US dollars private depending on the offer. It is not doable as a day trip from Hurghada: add it to a stay in Aswan or a Nile cruise. Information seen in October 2026.
Highlights
The Nubian houses
Colourful facades, domes and sand lanes to explore on foot; families often invite you for tea and to buy crafts.
The Nile and the felucca
You arrive by boat from Aswan; the sunset ride on the Nile is a highlight of the trip.
Henna and crocodiles
Many houses offer a henna tattoo and show small Nile crocodiles raised at home; a tip is expected.
The Aswan Nubia Museum
It tells the history of Nubia before the dam; see also Aswan and Philae temple.
Practical info
Tips
- To sort your options: boat only (3 to 4 hours, 45 to 65 US dollars private according to the offers seen) if you have already seen Philae; a private tour of the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae, if you want to see everything in half a day (the offer listed below; ask the guide for a village stop). Negotiate the boat price before boarding, agree on what is included (tea, house entry), and carry small notes for tips. Sellers are insistent; stay polite and firm. Avoid the hot midday hours and choose late afternoon for the light. From Hurghada, see the 2-3 day Nile cruise that goes through Aswan.
How to get there
From central Aswan, a private boat or felucca reaches the villages in 15 to 30 minutes. From Hurghada, Aswan is far (about 9 to 10 hours by road or a flight via Cairo): plan a Nile cruise or a night on site.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
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