Philae Temple

The Temple of Isis and its companions stand on Agilkia Island in the reservoir between Aswan's two dams, about 8 km south of the city. The ticket is the easy part (EGP 550, paid by card at the booth on the shore or online); the boat across is a private deal with a boatman, priced per boat, round trip with waiting time, and you should settle the price, the waiting time and when you pay before you step aboard.

About Philae Temple

What to see

1. The boat approach

   The 10–15 minute crossing from Marina Philae gives the classic view of the pylons and Trajan's Kiosk rising from the water. Sit on the side facing the island on the way out; on the way back, look for the submerged original island nearby.

2. Temple of Isis and its pylons

   Two great pylons, carved with reliefs of king and gods and scratched with later Greek inscriptions, lead into the forecourt, the hypostyle hall and the dark sanctuary at the back. The story of Osiris and Isis runs through the walls.

3. Trajan's Kiosk

   A roofless pavilion of 14 columns with floral capitals on the east shore, attributed to the Roman emperor Trajan and never finished. It is the most photographed building on the island; it looks best from the water and from the terrace beside it.

4. Birth house (mammisi) and the Christian traces

   Beside the forecourt, the birth house celebrates the divine birth of Horus, the child of Isis, with the Ptolemaic king cast in his role. Throughout the temple, look for crosses carved into older reliefs and figures of gods with their faces hacked away: the marks of the island's use as a church.

5. The last hieroglyphs

   A small carved figure of the Nubian god Mandulis with a short hieroglyphic text, dated 24 August AD 394, is the last known inscription in hieroglyphs. Ask a guide to point it out; it is easy to miss.

6. Colonnades and the Gate of Hadrian

   The long outer colonnades frame the walk from the landing stage to the first pylon. Roman emperors kept building here too: Augustus and Tiberius added decoration, and Hadrian a gateway on the west side.

7. Roof panorama (extra ticket)

   The official booking page sells a Panorama add-on (EGP 200, students EGP 100) on top of the entry ticket but does not say what it covers; Wikivoyage (June 2026) describes it as the temple roof. Ask at the booth what it includes before you pay.

Philae Temple tickets: which to buy and where

Most visitors need only the standard entry ticket, EGP 550 for foreign adults, from the official egymonuments.com site or the booth at Marina Philae before the boats. Pay by Visa or Mastercard; the boat is separate, hired from a boatman, and paid in cash.

• Philae Temple entry ticket

  EGP 550 adult; EGP 275 student (valid ID, up to 24); under 6 free

  (€9 · €5)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  The whole island: Temple of Isis, birth house, Trajan's Kiosk, colonnades and smaller temples. The boat to the island is not included and is paid to the boatman

  Best for

  Everyone, including tour clients whose price excludes entry fees

  ---

  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Panorama add-on (described as the temple roof)

  EGP 200 adult; EGP 100 student

  (€3 · €2)

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  An extra area the official site calls Panorama, without a description; Wikivoyage describes it as the temple roof. Only sold on top of the entry ticket

  Best for

  Photographers and repeat visitors who want the view over the island and the reservoir

  ---

  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Philae Sound and Light Show

  $20 adult; $11 child 6–12

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  Evening show at 20:00 and 21:00 with the temple floodlit and a narrated story of Isis and Osiris; the language depends on the day (see Tips). The operator's current schedule is its summer one and no winter schedule was published in October 2026, so check before you go. The boat across in the evening is not included

  Best for

  Visitors staying in Aswan who want to see the temple at night

  ---

  Misr Company for Sound, Light and Tourism Development (the show's operator) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Philae Temple Sound and Light Show Tickets with Transfers

  from €62.56

  ResellerDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  Show ticket, hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle, the motorboat to the island and back, bottled water

  Best for

  Visitors who do not want to arrange an evening taxi and boat themselves

  ---

  Headout · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

Guided tours of Philae Temple

Philae is easy to see without a guide if you read up first, but a guide or tour removes the two hassles, the taxi and the boat haggle, and most tours bundle it with the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk in a half day. Check whether entry fees and the boat are included: prices that look alike often are not.

• Private guided half-day tour

  Aswan: Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk & High Dam Tour

  Emo Tours Egypt (via GetYourGuide)

  Pickup from a hotel, Nile cruise ship or Aswan airport, private air-conditioned car, guide, entry fees and water; lunch extra. Guides in English, Spanish, Arabic or German. Some reviews mention stops at perfume or stone-carving shops: say at the start if you want none.

  from €62 per person

  Duration: 4 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Guided tour with Nubian village

  From Aswan: Philae Temple & Motorboat Tour to Nubian Village

  OceanAir Travel (via GetYourGuide)

  Hotel pickup, guide, the Philae boat and entry, then a boat trip to a Nubian village with time for shopping. Guides in English, French, German or Spanish. Not suitable for wheelchair users. A May 2026 review says the village part was done by car and the day was shorter than listed.

  from €85 per person

  Duration: 7 hours including transfers

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Private guided tour

  Aswan Private Guided Tour of Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk and High Dam

  Headout

  Pickup, private air-conditioned transport, Egyptologist guide, the motorboat to Philae and water. Entrance fees are not included, so add EGP 550 for Philae, EGP 220 for the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam fee per person.

  from €80.44

  Duration: Half day (pickup time on booking)

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Private guided half-day tour, booked direct

  High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple Tour (KMT304)

  Kemet Experience

  An Egyptian operator based in Giza, booked on its own site. Private Egyptologist guide and driver, pickup from an Aswan hotel or cruise ship, entrance fees included; meals, drinks and tips extra. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before.

  from €65 per person

  Duration: 4 hours, starting about 09:00

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

Philae Temple deals and discounts

• Half price for students up to 24

  Students pay EGP 275 instead of EGP 550 (Panorama EGP 100 instead of EGP 200). Bring a valid student card; the Ministry's rules say age must not exceed 24.

  egymonuments.com (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Free for children under 6

  Children below 6 enter free under the Ministry's free-entry policy. There is no free day for foreign visitors.

  egymonuments.com (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Share the boat

  There is no official 2026 boat fare: you hire a whole boat, round trip, with the boatman waiting. A December 2025 guide puts a fair price at EGP 200–400 per boat with 60–90 minutes' wait; in a 2024 Aswan forum thread quotes ranged from EGP 300 per boat for up to eight to EGP 350 per person, and a small tip is expected on top. Agree the price, the return trip and the waiting time first, and pay when you are back. Pairing up with another couple at the jetty splits the cost.

  talesfromthelens.com (opens in a new tab) · as of December 2025

• The Cairo Pass and Luxor Pass do not cover Philae

  In the Ministry's last published list (2023), the Luxor Pass cost $130, or $250 with the tombs of Seti I and Nefertari, and the Cairo Pass $130, both for five days. The Cairo Pass covers Greater Cairo; the document lists no Aswan site and the passes are sold only at counters in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Luxor. Plan to pay for Philae separately.

  mota.gov.eg (opens in a new tab) · as of December 2023

• Book the sound and light show direct

  The operator sells the show at $20 (children 6–12 $11). A package with transfers and the boat costs from €62.56 on Headout, so booking the ticket direct and taking a taxi and boat yourself is usually cheaper for two or more people.

  soundandlight.show (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

Best time to visit Philae Temple

Tips and tricks

Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.

1. Agree the boat as a round trip, and pay at the end

   Settle three things before boarding: the price for the whole boat (not per person), that it is a return trip, and how long the boatman waits (60–90 minutes is normal). Pay when you are back on the mainland. If there is a rate sign at the ticket office (Wikivoyage reported one in 2018), photograph it to use as a starting point. Take the boatman's number so you can call him if you are ready early.

   From TripAdvisor Aswan forum, 2020 and 2024; Tales from the Lens guide, December 2025; Wikivoyage Aswan, 2026

2. Bring small notes in Egyptian pounds

   The ticket is paid by card, but the boat, the taxi and tips are cash. The boatman will expect a small tip on top of the agreed fare, so have small notes ready rather than asking for change.

   From TripAdvisor Aswan forum, 2024; Tales from the Lens guide, December 2025

3. Keep your taxi waiting

   Taxis rarely wait at Marina Philae for a return fare. Agree a price that includes waiting time; there is a car park by the jetty, and the security staff can call your driver when you come back if you leave them his card or number.

   From TripAdvisor Aswan forum, 2020

4. Allow at least an hour on the island

   The island is small, but the reliefs are dense. An hour covers the main temple, the birth house and Trajan's Kiosk; 90 minutes lets you take in the colonnades and the Gate of Hadrian too.

   From Time Travel Turtle, updated July 2026

5. Bring sun protection and water

   Most of the island has no shade. There is a small café on the island and shops at the marina sell drinks and snacks, but no proper lunch.

   From Time Travel Turtle, updated July 2026

6. Choose the show night by language

   The operator's schedule (October 2026, its summer schedule; no winter schedule published yet) runs the show at 20:00 and 21:00: English at 20:00 on Fridays and Mondays; French at 20:00 and Spanish at 21:00 Tuesday to Thursday; multi-language shows on the other slots and Arabic on Saturday at 21:00. The second show of the night needs at least five foreign visitors unless tickets were booked on the operator's website. The operator says dates may change, so check before you go.

   From Sound and Light Show Egypt, October 2026

7. Phones yes, drones no

   Photography with a mobile phone is free at Ministry sites. Drones need a permit from the Ministry of Defence, and a tripod or professional camera may be charged or refused.

   From EgyMonuments FAQ and Philae page, October 2026

8. Dress for a temple in the sun

   There is no formal dress code, but covered shoulders and knees are the norm in Upper Egypt and help with the sun. Wear shoes with grip for the stepping on and off the boat.

   From Time Travel Turtle, updated July 2026

How to get to Philae Temple

• From central Aswan: Marina Philae, the jetty at Shellal on the east shore of the reservoir, is about 8 km south of the city, roughly 15 minutes by car. A taxi costs about EGP 70–100 one way (December 2025); agree a return fare with waiting time.
• By app: Careem works in Aswan. Wikivoyage reports that Uber drivers often message to renegotiate the fare before they arrive, and that inDrive works well, paid in cash.
• The boat: at the jetty, buy your ticket at the booth, then hire a motorboat. The crossing takes 10–15 minutes each way, and the boat waits at the island landing stage while you visit.
• Combining: the High Dam (fee about EGP 200, June 2026) and the Unfinished Obelisk (EGP 220) are on the way, so a taxi for half a day or a half-day tour covers all three; the Unfinished Obelisk is the closest to town.
• Budget option: Wikivoyage describes a public pick-up truck towards the university that stops about 1.2 km from the jetty, with tuk-tuks for the last stretch; it helps to speak some Arabic.

Scams and problems to watch for

• The boat price that grows

  Boatmen at the jetty start high and may quote per person, or one way, and then ask for more on the island or at the end. The tell-tale sign is any vagueness about "per boat", "return" or "waiting". Agree all three and the total in Egyptian pounds before boarding, and pay only when you are back on the shore.

• Held to ransom on the island

  In the past, visitors who paid one way found that the return trip cost far more. Boats now normally work as a return hire with waiting, so never accept a one-way fare and never pay the full amount up front.

• Tours that skip the boat or the fees

  Cheap Philae tours often exclude entry fees, and some exclude the boat. Compare what is included: on the platforms, one private tour includes the boat but not the EGP 550 ticket, while another includes both.

• The shop stop

  Drivers and some tours add a perfume, spice, papyrus or stone-carving workshop that pays them commission. Reviews of Aswan half-day tours mention such stops. Say at the start that you want no shops.

• Helpful attendants inside

  As at other Upper Egyptian temples, a man in the temple may point out a relief, wave you into a dim side room or offer to take your photo, then ask for baksheesh. It is not part of your ticket. Say "la shukran" and walk on; if you accept, agree a small tip first.

• Tickets priced in euros or dollars

  Some sites sell "Philae entry" in euros or dollars at a mark-up, sometimes without saying whether the boat is included. The official ticket is EGP 550 at egymonuments.com or the booth at the marina, and it is the same entry.

Accessibility

Combine it with

• Unfinished Obelisk

  An enormous obelisk abandoned in the granite quarry when it cracked, showing how the ancient Egyptians cut stone. EGP 220 (October 2026), 30–45 minutes; on the way between town and Philae.

• Aswan High Dam

  The 1960s dam that created Lake Nasser and forced the moving of Philae and Abu Simbel. A short stop for the view over the lake; fee about EGP 200 (June 2026).

• Nubia Museum

  A clear introduction to Nubian history and to the UNESCO campaign that saved Philae, in central Aswan. EGP 400 (October 2026); also open in the evening on Thursdays and Fridays.

• Abu Simbel

  On Sightsale

  Ramesses II's rock-cut temples, the other great monument rescued from Lake Nasser, 280 km south of Aswan. A separate day trip that starts before dawn.

• Karnak Temple

  On Sightsale

  If you are travelling the Nile, Karnak at Luxor shows the great age of Egyptian temple building, a thousand years and more before Philae's Ptolemaic halls. A few hours north by road, or the other end of a Nile cruise.

Questions people ask about visiting Philae Temple