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Egypt City Trip

Abu Simbel from Aswan: Private Day Trip

Ramses II's temple in the mountainside, rescued block by block from the rising lake

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  • Duration10 hours
  • AvailabilityDaily
  • Languages6 languages
  • PickupHotel pickup included
  • CancellationFree up to 24h

Overview

Nothing the ancient Egyptians left behind is more overwhelming than Abu Simbel, and it repays the three-hour drive. Four seated figures of Ramses II, twenty metres tall each, guard a temple cut directly into the sandstone cliff. Inside, the axis runs sixty metres into the mountain to a sanctuary where the rising sun still lights the statues at the back twice a year.

Stranger still, none of it stands where it was built. In the 1960s UNESCO sawed both temples into 1,036 blocks and rebuilt them 65 metres higher and 200 metres further back, before Lake Nasser rose behind the High Dam — your guide will point out the joins. Beside it, the smaller temple of Hathor honours Nefertari: the only time an Egyptian queen was carved as large as her king.

Highlights

  • The four 20-metre colossi of Ramses II
  • The 60-metre rock-cut hall and sanctuary
  • Nefertari's temple, carved at the same scale as the king's
  • The relocation seams from the 1960s UNESCO rescue

Itinerary

  1. 04:00

    Aswan hotel or cruise pickup

    A very early start, with a breakfast box for the road.

  2. 07:00

    Arrive Abu Simbel

    The façade in the first light of day, ahead of the coach groups.

  3. 07:15

    Great Temple of Ramses II

    The seated giants, the Osiride hall, the reliefs of the Battle of Kadesh and the sanctuary.

  4. 08:45

    Temple of Nefertari

    The smaller temple of Hathor, where the queen stands as tall as the king.

  5. 10:00

    Depart for Aswan

    The return drive across the Nubian desert.

  6. 13:30

    Return

    Dropped at your hotel or cruise boat.

What's included

Included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle
  • Licensed Egyptologist guide
  • Hotel or cruise pickup in Aswan
  • Bottled water and breakfast box

Not included

  • Any extras not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Personal spending and souvenirs
  • Tipping (entirely at your discretion)

Optional extras

Optional add-ons and prices
ExtraPrice
Abu Simbel Sound & Light Show$30per person
Add Philae Temple on the return$40per person
Lunch at a Lake Nasser restaurant$25per person

Meeting point & route

Free pickup and drop-off from your hotel, apartment or Nile cruise dock.

Meeting point: Your hotel lobby in the tour city.

Important information

  • Wear comfortable closed shoes — most sites have uneven stone ground.
  • Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; shade is limited at open-air sites.
  • Modest dress is required for mosques and churches: shoulders and knees covered.
  • Photography is free at most sites; some tombs and museums charge a small camera fee.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations inside 24 hours are non-refundable, but we will always try to move your date instead.

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