We had mixed feelings before visiting the Nubian village in Aswan. And when I say Nubian village, we mean the famous colourful one you’ve probably seen all over Instagram, because there is more than one Nubian village near Aswan. We weren’t sure whether it was going to be a complete tourist trap, but decided to go anyway and see for ourselves.
It turned out to be a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, and a refreshing change from all the (albeit magnificent) historical sights. Yes, it’s touristy, but you don’t have to partake in the touristy things if you don’t want to!
Here’s exactly what to expect when visiting the Nubian village near Aswan.
How to get to the Nubian village without a tour
First things first, as there is more than one Nubian village in the area, if you’re looking for the famous colourful one you need to head south down the Nile, to the village of Gharb Soheil. The journey can be made by road, but we chose to go by boat, which is the option we’d highly recommend.
It was basically a scenic cruise, passing lots of the ancient sites, the botanic garden and many birds along the way. It made the journey worthwhile before we’d even arrived at the village.
You’ll need to go by motorboat because there is a current further up the river that makes it unsuitable for feluccas.
If you like to travel independently the best way to do it is to hire a private motorboat. This shouldn’t be expensive, but you will need to haggle. In terms of where to locate a boat, pretty much the second you step out of any building in Aswan there will be someone at your side offering you a boat trip!
We hired ours opposite the Citymax Hotel, but the best place to head is the area where the majority of boats dock, which is in front of McDonalds on Kornish Al Nile (the main road through Aswan). This is the spot we were returned to after our trip.
The journey takes around 35 minutes on the way out, and 25 minutes on the way back, when you are going with the current.
We paid 450 EGP for the boat (not per person), this was USD $18.25 at time of writing. We didn’t haggle very hard, so I am sure this is far from the best price you could get, but it was a price we were happy to pay - and as the boatman did not start too high we respected him much more than those that really try to rip you off! This included the return journey and unlimited wait time at the village.
The boat was large and comfortable, with plenty of shade. You could also sit right on the roof if you wanted to, which seemed standard for all the boats we saw in the area. To get on and off the boat there was a narrow plank, but they always offer you a hand if needed!
The Nubian village experience
Once you arrive at the village, via a few staircases up from the water, you’ll walk straight into the market stalls.
There are camels and plenty of people selling everything from the usual tourist trinkets, to colourful spices and incense.
We were expecting a very hard sell and basically prepared to run the gauntlet. However they were much less persistent and overbearing than those we came across in Luxor and Aswan. It was actually pretty relaxed and definitely not the level of hassle we’d been expecting.
If you are in the market for a few trinkets, then it’s a much nicer environment to buy in than any of the other tourist stall areas we visited.
Once you’re past the market stalls there’s a myriad of backstreets which you can explore in peace. We couldn’t believe how quiet it was and enjoyed simply wandering aimlessly, taking in all the pretty buildings and views of the Nile.
The village is not very big, but you can wander for a while in all directions, so it’s worth allowing an hour or so for this.
Once you’ve explored, then we’d recommend heading to one of the many cafes or restaurants. Most have fabulous views over the Nile and sitting and taking in the views was such a relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
We tried a few places and found that prices tended to be quite reasonable, our favourite was Kato Dool.
Where to find those colourful Instagram spots
Whilst there are loads of colourful buildings scattered throughout the village - many of which are hotels where you can stop and buy a drink and takes some pics - the most photogenic ones are found in the Anakato Hotel. There are several branches of the hotel, but the main one is reached by taking a right from the boat dock area, you can find it on Google Maps by clicking here.
Unfortunately for us it was closed for renovations on our visit, although they kindly let us in to see what it was like (and we didn’t say we were bloggers, Egypt is just a very friendly country!).
Although we didn’t experience it in its best light given it was a bit messy, missing all the colourful rugs and had some rubble around, we could still get the gist of what’s made it such a popular photo spot. It was incredibly colourful and had a quirky rustic charm.
We took a few shots, but it doesn’t really do it justice due to the aforementioned renovation work.
If you want to take a picture looking down at someone on the main terrace, the photographer needs to go to Onaty Ka Guesthouse next door and shoot from their rooftop cafe.
We always just buy drinks - which are inexpensive - so you don’t feel like you’re taking advantage! With Anakato Hotel the same would apply.
You don’t need to stay at the hotel to take pics, you can just buy a drink and enjoy their terrace.
One to skip - The Crocodile House
I know everyone has to make a living, but we personally don’t agree with keeping a live crocodile in a home for tourists to visit and take photos. We didn’t visit, but have seen enough photos to know we’d have found it very upsetting.
Basically you go into the crocodile house and are shown the croc for tips. We’d recommend avoiding this attraction.
Other activities
You can organise various activities, such as sand boarding and camel riding, if you want to do more than simply potter the streets.
You can also stop before you even reach the village at a spot where it’s possible to swim in the Nile (before you recoil, it’s much cleaner in this area than places like Luxor, where you’d shudder at the thought of even dipping a toe in!).
As we didn’t do this ourselves we can’t tell you much more than it’s an option. From the swimming spot you can also ride a camel to the village instead of getting back on the boat.
If you’re taking a private boat like we did you could also negotiate stopping at places like the botanic garden along the way. We were offered this option, but only had time for the village.
Spending the night at the Nubian Village Aswan
There are several hotels you can stay at in the village. As we mentioned we weren’t even sure we were going to enjoy the village, so we didn’t stay, but having now visited I think staying overnight would be a fun experience!
It’s not that there’s necessarily anything to do that you couldn’t do during the day, but more for the experience of being in the village when most of the tourists have gone home. The hotels we saw all looked quite simple, but colourful - it’s something we said we’d do if we ever come back to Aswan.
Nub Inn
At time of writing the Nub Inn gets the best reviews in the village and the rooms look really nice - much fancier than we would have imagined! It’s situated on the bank of the Nile and the more expensive room categories have incredible views. It’s also said to be lovely and quiet, which is something that can definitely not be said for most hotels in Aswan itself!
Check the latest reviews & prices on:
Anakato Nubian Experience
This is the hotel with the colourful photogenic terrace area. Considering it’s undergoing renovations, it should be shipshape by the time it reopens. Rooms look simple and traditional and are spread out over a few different buildings, so make sure you check if you want to specifically be in the main colourful bit.
Check the latest reviews & prices on:
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