Explore Egypt

The romantic island temple of Isis, painstakingly relocated stone by stone to Agilkia after the High Dam rose.

Ramesses II's mountain-carved colossi near the Sudanese border — the most awe-inspiring monument in all Egypt.

Sail to the palm-fringed island at Aswan's heart, dotted with painted Nubian villages and an ancient Nilometer.

A west-bank village of indigo and saffron houses where henna, hibiscus tea and even pet crocodiles welcome visitors.

Agatha Christie's pink-walled Victorian palace above the river, where high tea on the terrace is an Aswan ritual.

Abandoned in its ancient granite quarry, this 42m monolith reveals exactly how the pharaohs cut their giant stones.

The colossal 1970s engineering feat that tamed the Nile's floods and created vast Lake Nasser behind it.

The Old Cataract's domed Moorish dining hall, an opulent splurge of fine Egyptian and French cuisine under chandeliers.

A laid-back sandy-floored spot on Elephantine serving spiced Nubian tagines with your feet almost in the Nile.

One of Egypt's most colourful and relaxed markets, mounded with hibiscus, saffron, peanuts and Nubian spices.

An entire Nile islet of exotic palms and rare African flora, gifted to Lord Kitchener and best reached by felucca.

A Nubian guide and his felucca open up Elephantine's villages, the botanical island and the river's quiet sandbanks.

Skip the pricey flight: a shared minibus runs the 3-hour desert road each way for a fraction of the cost, departing pre-dawn.

After dark the island temple is floodlit for a multilingual sound-and-light show reached by motorboat — Aswan's hot evening ticket.

A floating Corniche institution reached by its own boat, serving Nubian and Egyptian plates as feluccas drift past.

A family-run Nubian table on a Nile island since 1993, reached by a free boat — grills and Nubian classics with a view.

On Elephantine Island, a laid-back Nubian café-restaurant for spiced tagines and barbecue over the river.