Luxor vs Aswan
Which would you pick?
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Luxor $40–90, Aswan $40–80 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Nov–Feb, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇪🇬 Luxor | 🇪🇬 Aswan | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $40–90 | $40–80 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $1–3 | $1–3 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $35–80 | $35–80 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $0.30 | $0.30 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $165 | ≈ $165 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇪🇬 Luxor
Ancient Thebes, split by the Nile: the temples of the living on the east bank, the tombs of the pharaohs on the west. The densest concentration of ancient monuments on earth, in a small town that works hard for your money.
- Valley of the Kings$$West Bank
- Karnak Temple$$East Bank
- Sunrise hot-air balloon$$Early starts & evenings
- Temple of Hatshepsut$West Bank
- Luxor Temple$East Bank
🇪🇬 Aswan
Egypt's southern frontier, where the Nile narrows between granite boulders and golden dunes, feluccas outnumber cars, and Nubian villages paint their houses blue. The slowest, easiest city on the tourist route — and the base for Abu Simbel.
- Abu Simbel$$Temples & sights
- Felucca around Elephantine and Kitchener's Island$On the water
- The Old Cataract terrace$$$Eating & evenings
- Philae Temple$Temples & sights
- Nubian village by boat$On the water
Practicalities
| Luxor | Aswan | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Arabic (Egyptian and Upper Egyptian dialects). English is everywhere in the tourist economy, which is most of the economy. | Arabic, and Nubian languages in the villages. English is common wherever tourists are. |
| Currency | Egyptian pound (EGP, written LE or E£). US$1 ≈ EGP 52. The pound was floated in 2024, so ignore any price you read in an older guide. | Egyptian pound (EGP, written LE or E£). US$1 ≈ EGP 52. The pound was floated in 2024, so older price guides are off by half. |
| Tap water | Drink bottled; hotels and cruise boats provide it | Drink bottled |
The same in both:
- Time zone
- EET (UTC+2), moving to UTC+3 for summer daylight saving from late April to late October
- Power
- Type C/F plugs, 220V
- Emergency
- 122 police · 123 ambulance · 180 fire · 126 tourist police · 112 connects to all of them