Full Day Kalabsha Temple and Nubian Museum Tour from Aswan

Spend a memorable day discovering two of the most important cultural landmarks of Egyptian Nubia with your private Desert Cruise Travel guide. Your tour begins with a scenic motorboat ride across the Nile to Lake Nasser, offering beautiful views before reaching the impressive Temple of Kalabsha, the largest freestanding temple in Nubia. Built in 30 BC during the reign of the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus, the temple was dedicated to Mandulis (Merul), a Nubian sun god. During your visit, you will explore the remarkably well-preserved structure and admire its detailed reliefs, including the famous carving of Horus emerging from reeds on the inner wall. Your Egyptologist guide will highlight the temple’s most significant features and explain why it is considered one of the most complete Nubian temples in the region, as well as how it was relocated to protect it from flooding caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

The tour continues with a visit to the Nubian Museum, one of Egypt’s most important regional museums and a key result of UNESCO’s international rescue campaign. Opened in 1997, the museum was established to preserve and display artifacts recovered from Nubian tombs, temples, and settlements that were threatened by rising waters after the High Dam’s construction. As you walk through its galleries, you will gain a deeper understanding of Nubian history, culture, and daily life through carefully curated collections. The museum’s architectural design earned the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, making it a cultural landmark in its own right. At the end of the tour, you will return to your hotel or Nile cruise in Aswan.