The Old Cataract Hotel is Aswan's most famous building and one of the great colonial-era hotels of the world. Built in 1899 for the steady stream of European visitors who came to escape winter and witness the ancient monuments, it sits on a granite promontory above the first cataract of the Nile, with a terrace that commands one of the finest views in Egypt: the Nile, the feluccas, Kitchener's Island, and the desert hills of the west bank.
The hotel has been restored and refurbished several times without losing its Victorian grandeur — the high ceilings, the tiled floors, the ceiling fans, the long corridors. Even if you are not staying here, the terrace is worth visiting for a drink at sunset. The bar pours a version of the cocktail that Agatha Christie supposedly favored. The surrounding gardens are also open to visitors.