In the South of Egypt near the city of Aswan, you will find the most colorful and enchanting villages in the entire country. Accessible only by boat and surrounded by breathtaking views of the Nile, these colorful Nubian villages make for a perfect half-day trip. In this guide, we will share our experience on how to visit the Nubian Villages.
How to visit the Nubian Villages of Egypt
How to get to the Nubian villages?
There are several brightly colored villages in the South of Egypt. The one that is most frequented by both locals and tourists is about a 30-minute boat ride from Aswan’s city center. You can easily arrange a motorboat at one of the docks in Aswan. The price for an entire boat with a captain should be around 400 Egyptian pounds.
These brightly colored villages have grown in popularity over the last couple of years. At times they might feel touristy, nevertheless, visiting a Nubian village has to be part of your Egypt travel itinerary. The location of the most popular one can be found here. However, if you want to avoid the crowds and skip the souvenir shopping I recommend going to Elephantine island instead. Here you will get a more authentic experience of the friendly Nubians and their way of life.
Elephantine Island: Peaceful Paradise
Elephantine Island is an oasis of tranquility. With its stunning Nile scenery, this is the perfect place to base yourself if you are visiting Aswan. Even if you decide to stay somewhere else in Aswan, we highly recommend a stop on Elephantine Island. There is a public ferry leaving every 10 to 15 minutes from one of the docks in Aswan’s city center. The price for foreigners is 5 Egyptian pounds each way. Alternatively, you can arrange a pick-up through your guesthouse.
As we wandered the narrow streets, the friendly Nubian people welcomed us into their homes. We discovered that for the Nubians, it is part of their tradition to keep crocodiles as pets in their homes. Unfortunately, the conditions the crocodiles are kept in aren’t great. We couldn’t help but ask what they do with such cherished pets. On a daily basis, the crocodiles are usually taken to the rooftop to soak in some sun. After some years, once they have grown a significant amount they are released into the wild or transported to the local zoo. It is common to see mummified crocodiles hanging from the walls of Nubian households.
If you have time, you can also visit the ruins of the ancient Abu Temple on the southern tip of Elephantine island, as well as the Nubian museum.
Scenic boat ride during sunset
Watching the sunset from a felucca is another must-do while in Aswan. A Felucca is a traditional wooden sailboat. A 30-minute trip during sunset was 150 Egyptian pounds for the two of us. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as this experience, cruising the Nile in the most traditional way, during sunset as you pass some stunning sceneries.
Where to stay in the Nubian Villages?
Spend the night in the Nubian villages:
- Basmatic Nubian Guesthouse
- AnaKato Nubian House
- KatoDool Nubian House
We stayed in the Basmatic Nubian Guesthouse and paid around 35 euros a night. This might sound pricey for Egypt, but in comparison to other hotels and guest houses in the area, we found it quite reasonable. For additional costs, we arranged a motorboat visit to the most popular Nubian village mentioned before, a felucca ride during sunset, a Nubian homemade dinner, takeaway breakfast the morning after, and airport drop-off.
Did you Know
By booking your accommodation for your visit to the Nubian Villages through our link, we earn a small commission and it does not cost you anything more.
Activities in the Nubian Villages
- Ride a camel
- Get a henna tattoo from a local Nubian lady
- Visit a Nubian home
- Indulge in Nubian food
- Wander the narrow Nubian streets
- Go to the market, try local spices and buy souvenirs
- Sail the Nile in a felucca during sunset
- Visit the Nubian museum
- Spend the night in a Nubian village
We didn’t expect to fall in love with these picturesque, artsy villages, but after spending a day exploring and photographing the surroundings we wished we could have stayed longer. Even though it felt quite touristy at times, the Nubian villages, with their bright, colorful buildings and friendly locals, left us feeling totally enchanted. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that if you are into photography or Instagram like us, you will absolutely love and enjoy photographing every corner.
