Visiting the Colorful, Enchanting Nubian Village in Egypt

Visiting the Colorful, Enchanting Nubian Village in Egypt

Nubian Village in Egypt

If you’re heading to Egypt, there are plenty of excursions to go on, temples to visit and places to take pictures. Of course we knew the pyramids would be an awe-inspiring site and the crypts & tombs an eerie, historically fascinating tour. But what I didn’t expect, was to fall in love with a tiny little town which is only accessible by boat down the Nile River in Aswan. The Nubian Village in Egypt left us feeling totally enchanted!

Bright pink and baby blue colors wash over the small rounded buildings. While camels wearing bright, vibrant saddles decorated with playful tassels pass by, bringing guests from the shore into the village.

The day we went, it wasn’t too busy and the weather was ideal. Warm and sunny, we visited late in the afternoon and watched the sunset from the beach and boat as we returned back to our cruise ship.

Since we booked the experience with no prior knowledge about the village, we were pleasantly surprised to drink tea, get henna, shop, explore the brightly colored village and meet people.

While some of the sales tactics or experiences may be a little “toursity” (i.e holding a crocodile), we found the overall experience to be highly rewarding as we were able to talk and connect with many of the people living and working in the village.

Since Egypt heavily relies on tourism, it’s difficult to find experiences that aren’t partially catered to tourism. We treated these experiences as opportunities to connect with local Egyptians working in the tourism industry.

Scenic boat ride down the Nile River

Details of your arrival might change depending on who you book the tour with, but if you do Tour Radar’s Essential Egypt Tour like we did, you will take two scenic boat rides to get reach the village.

First, you will ride on a felucca.

Feluccas are traditional wooden sailing ships that seat 10-12 people. With no motor and only the wind to guide the ships, it really feels as though you’ve traveled back in time.

If you can, I suggest sitting at the front or back and dangling your feet over the edge. There’s nothing quite like feeling the sun on your face, the breeze in your hair and your toes in the water as you sail down the Nile.

After the felucca, (again, depending on company you book with!) you will transfer over to a larger boat to continue the journey down the Nile.

Again, I suggest climbing up to the roof of this boat to sit for the best uninterrupted view. You’ll cruise past palm trees, villages and scenic beaches alike.

The boat rides alone make this excursion worth the trip!

Enter the village on camel back

Talk about a way to make an entrance!!

When you disembark from the ship, you will find yourself on a beach filled with camels. A guide will take you over and help you get situated.

If you’ve never ridden a camel before- hold tight!! It feels as though you might be thrown off as the camels rock back and forth to stand up. Try to lean with the animal as it moves and make sure you have a strong grip and your feet in a solid position. And away you go!

As you enter the village, other people will be coming and going as occasional camels run past! If you’ve never seen a camel run before, it’s quite comical. Their lips swing back and forth and their big goofy smiles are shown! All while drooling immensely. We couldn’t stop laughing at the sight! We absolutely loved getting to spend time around these beautiful, goofy animals. Their height is so impressive and they are incredibly lovable.

Fortunately, our guide was patient and kind with our camels. I can’t deny I have mixed feelings about riding camels abroad because so often you see them mistreated, under fed and forced to carry a large burden.

Emily Rose on a camel on the beach
Egypt's Nubian Village

Vibrant, colorful buildings

As you arrive in the village, you will see a fun and beautiful array of colorful buildings. Pinks, blues and rainbows are everywhere you look!

Between the colorfully decorated camels and the homes- it’s quite the sight to see! And it’s certainly fun to photograph.

Tour the Nubian home

As you near the village, your guide will take you to the first stop- a Nubian home open to the public. Just as colorful on the inside as it is on the outside, this building is bursting with life.

Paintings line the walls and cooking utensils or instruments dangle from every bit of ceiling space. We were served tea and held the crocodiles they keep as pets.

My only complaint: The crocodiles are in very small cages and I am very bothered by animals having a low quality of life just so tourists can get a selfie with them 🙁 The unethical treatment of animals is a heartbreaking reality in a lot of countries still.

Read: AN OPEN APOLOGY FOR USING UNETHICAL ANIMAL EXPERIENCES

Get A Henna Tattoo From A Local Woman

While in the house, you’ll have the opportunity to get beautiful henna done! It was incredibly cheap and the women are such talented artists.

They will paint a wonderfully intricate design in a matter of minutes. It lasted for the rest of the trip and didn’t wash off until I was back home!

Shop at unique, local shops

Aside from the Nubian house and camel rides, the village is mostly little market shops.

Be prepared to haggle– we paid less than half of what the original asking price was!

Our guide was the one who helped us haggle an appropriate price since I’ve never been great at haggling! I’m always too friendly and cave too quickly.

When vendors recognized us as Americans, they would assume we had more money and therefore drive up the price. Our guide frequently told us to say we were from the United Kingdom instead of the United States because of the perception held about US citizens by Egyptians.

So have fun shopping but don’t be afraid to haggle! If you stop by the beautiful spice stand, the kind gentleman we met was happy to explain in great detail (and with lots of enthusiasm!!) about each of the colored spices. Aren’t they beautiful?!

Connect with local people

Although some of the Nubian village certainly exists for tourists, it is still a great opportunity to connect with people from other cultures and learn about a different way of life.

For instance, our camel guide was a delight! We asked him all about our camels, the Nubian village, and overall just had a great time talking with him.

Be curious, ask questions, show genuine interest in the people and you will have a fantastic time 🙂

Affordable with TourRadar

Now there are multiple ways you can book this excursion. Search on TripAdvisor, ask your guide or see if your Nile cruise offers it as an add on excursion.

If you have booked the “Essential Egypt” trip with TourRadar like I did, it will only be a $40 add on. Other companies charge $70 or more.

Overall, a worthwhile experience

As the sun began to set and we caught the boat back to our ship, our hearts were so full from the wonderful interactions we had at this Nubian village. Were parts a bit touristy? Perhaps, yes. But the people were genuine and we had a great day with our guide exploring this little village.

Joyful and memorable, this was one of our favorite days in Egypt. I highly recommend it.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions in the comments below!