Egypt · Religious & Spiritual

5-Hour Aswan Tombs and St Simeon Monastery Tour with Botanical Garden

5 Hours Round trip from Aswan Moderate pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Visit the Tombs of the Nobles dating back to the Old and Middle Kingdoms (2500 and 2000 BC)
02 See the monastery of St Simeon, which may have housed as many as 1000 monks
03 Learn how Aswan Botanical Gardens on Kitchener's Island was given to Lord Horatio Kitchener in the 1890s
04 Take wonderful panoramic pictures of Aswan and the Nile from the top of the hill

Discover three of Aswan's most evocative sites on this half-day tour: the Tombs of the Nobles, the fortress-like Monastery of St Simeon, and the Aswan Botanical Gardens on Kitchener's Island. Learn about the nobles who served as local rulers and overseers of the priesthood of Satit and Khnum, including some of the early explorers of Africa. Explore the 7th-century monastery, built on two levels and enclosed by 10-meter-high walls, and hear the story of how Lord Horatio Kitchener transformed the island into a stunning botanical garden with plants imported from the Far East, India, and Africa.

Explore the 7th-century monastery, built on two levels and enclosed by 10-meter-high walls, and hear the story of how Lord Horatio Kitchener transformed the island into a stunning botanical garden with plants imported from the Far East, India, and Africa.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 5 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

City Aswan

Languages Arabic, English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Tombs of the Nobles, Botanical Garden, and St Simeon Monastery

The guide will pick you up from your hotel or Nile cruise boat, and you will ride a motor boat to the Tombs of the Nobles on the west bank of the Nile.

After visiting the tombs that are open to visitors, you will climb to the top of the hill to take wonderful panoramic pictures of Aswan and the Nile.

You will then return to the boat and continue to the Botanical Garden, where you can marvel at the rare and old trees.

Next, you will take another boat to a beach near the Monastery of Saint Simon. From there, you can either walk about 500 meters or ride a camel to the legendary monastery. You will appreciate the monastery, its wonderful history, and its marvellous stories as the tour comes to an end.

Finally, the guide will drop you off at your hotel in Aswan or at your Nile cruise boat.

Note: This itinerary is flexible and can be customized for you. Any one-day trip can also be combined with others to become a two-day itinerary.