Kato Dool Nubian Houses
Accommodation in Aswan is a mixed but limited bag of nuts — you have your 5 star hotels, budget motels, Nubian guesthouses and random B&Bs… but just not that many. And not all are worth your hard-earned dinero.
So we took it upon ourselves to sort through the hits and the duds and give you the real truth — the pros and the cons– about the best places to stay in Aswan.
Local tip: because getting around Aswan and arranging cars and boats isn’t the easiest, your hotel/guesthouse will be doing most of this for you, so it’s important you pick a place where you find it easy enough to communicate with the front desk/reservations manager. Or if you’re a shrewd one, you can strike up a friendship with a local driver or boatman who will probably give you cheaper rates.
Local tip #2: make sure you have cash on you because some of the smaller establishments like Nubian guesthouses either don’t accept credit cards or have issues with their credit card machines, and ATMs are hard to come by in certain parts of Aswan. Cash makes everyone’s life easier.
You can read more at our full city guide for Aswan.
1. Sofitel Legend Old Cataract
Type of accommodation: 5 star hotel
It would be almost sacrilegious to start off this list with any other place. This world-famous hotel was built in 1899 by Thomas Cook and Sons, after the Cairo-Aswan railway was built in 1898 and there was a sudden influx of visitors and and not enough hotels.
It was an instant hit and quickly garnered a lot of famous guests over the years, including Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. It became literally the stuff of ‘legends’ as its current name suggests, when Agatha Christie used it as the backdrop for her famous novel, Death on the Nile. The 1978 movie they made out of the book was shot there too (so was the famous Egyptian TV series ‘Grand Hotel’).
For more historical hotels in Egypt you can stay at until today, head here.
Pros: the history, the architecture, the views… it’s 5 star all the way.
Cons: THEIR PRICES. If you want to stay here, you better be ready to pay for it.
Their website.
2. Kato Dool Nubian House
Type of accommodation: Nubian guesthouse
One of the colorful Nubian guesthouses you see lining the Nile in the Gharb Soheil area of Aswan, where the Nubian Village is.
Meaning ‘Big House’ in Nubian, Kato Dool offers 18 rooms, so it definitely has a more homey feel than a larger hotel. They have a Nubian restaurant that serves up traditional Nubian dishes, grills, and other more standard Egyptian favorites. They also serve shisha but not alcohol.
Pros: the beautiful Nubian architecture and being right on the Nile.
Cons: it’s not close to anything besides the Nubian village, which means transportation by car or boat is constantly needed and for relatively long distances, which is a considerable added price.
Their website.
3. Mövenpick Resort Aswan
Type of accommodation: 5 star hotel
Located on Elephantine Island, this 5 star hotel provides everything you would expect from a high-end hotel: several restaurants and bars (some right on the Nile with views of the Tombs of the Nobles and Aga Khan Mausoleum), a beautiful pool and amenities like a free and fast ferry to and from the island. They also have a tower restaurant called Panorama with 360 degree views of Aswan which are just insane.
Pros: the service, amenities and being in close proximity to many of Aswan’s sights.
Cons: the food at the Panorama restaurant was severely lacking last time we were there — they under-delivered and overpriced. Stick to just drinks and enjoying the view if you’re there.
Their website.
3. ECO Nubia
Type of accommodation: ecolodge
ECO Nubia is an ecolodge on the remote river island of Bigeh, located between the Aswan Dam and the High Dam (all the other places on the list are north of the Aswan Dam). Besides single, double and triple rooms, ECO Nubia offers day-use at their Bigeh Beach, and a Nubian restaurant called Solaih that overlooks the nearby Philae Temple.
Pros: their dedication to developing the island for both tourism and locals alike in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. Also the view of Philae!
Cons: how remote they are.
Their FB page.
4. AnaKato
Type of accommodation: Nubian guesthouse
Probably the most famous of the Nubian guesthouses in Aswan, AnaKato (meaning ‘our home’ in Nubian), is located in the Gharb Soheil area of Aswan, where Kato Dool (above) and the Nubian Village is, right on the Nile.
What started as a small guesthouse has now expanded into several AnaKato properties spread out over Gharb Soheil, and you can choose what kind of room you want: they have basic rooms, family guesthouses and superior chalets. They have an in-house restaurant and are known for their Nile-side New Year’s Eve parties.
Their superior chalet
Pros: the views from their superior chalets are incredible, and their reservations manager Shaimaa is very helpful in sorting out transportation and activities.
Cons: their service can be slow, so either give them looots of prior warning (for example, order lunch 2 hours before you’re hungry) or just acclimate yourself to the go-with-the-flow vibe. Gharb Soheil again a bit of a distance from Aswan’s main sites.
Their FB page.
6. BenBen by Dhara Hotels
Type of accommodation: boutique hotel & ecolodge
Located on Heissa Island surrounded by the Nile, this boutique hotel and ecolodge has views of not only Philae Temple, but the Aswan High Dam as well. The hotel as 24 rooms, each with an outdoor jacuzzi. Yep, you read that right!
The hotel is built in the eco-friendly Nubian style, with strong focus on its natural surroundings and best ecological practices. Besides their own restaurant and leisure activities, the hotel can also arrange different Aswan excursions for you.
Pros: the unbeatable views of Philae Temple (and the jacuzzis of course!)
Cons: it’s pricey and fully-booked quickly during high season
For more details and booking: their website
7. Bob Marley Guesthouse
Type of accommodation: budget guesthouse/hostel
If you’re looking for something cheap and cheerful with a more central location than the Nubian guesthouses down in Gharb Soheil or Eco Nubia near Philae, then look no further than Bob Marley Guesthouse.
Situated on Elephantine Island, Bob Marley Guesthouse is close to the Nubian Museum, Aswan Museum, Botanical Gardens, and all the little stores and restaurants in central Aswan. They also have fantastic Nile views from their rooftop, where you can eat and kick back with a beer.
The room options vary from doubles or twin rooms with shared bathrooms, to ‘deluxe’ rooms with private bathrooms.
Pros: it’s a good budget option and central
Cons: the rooms obviously aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as a 5 star hotel or even some of the cuter Nubian guesthouses
Their Booking.com page.
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