Abu Simbel Temples — Private Day Trip from Aswan

Overview

Abu Simbel sits close to the Sudanese border, and this private day trip makes the long desert run from Aswan worth every kilometre. You leave your hotel before dawn and drive roughly three hours across the Western Desert to the shore of Lake Nasser, where Ramesses II's two rock-cut temples rise above the water. The Great Temple is the showstopper: four seated colossi of the pharaoh, each over twenty metres tall, guard a facade carved straight into the cliff, and the halls inside run deep into the rock, lined with reliefs of Ramesses at the Battle of Kadesh. Beside it stands the smaller temple he built for his queen, Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hathor, its front unusually showing the queen at the same scale as the king. Just as remarkable is what happened in the 1960s, when the entire complex was cut into blocks and lifted higher up the hill to save it from the rising waters of the new dam, a rescue you can still read in the seams of the artificial hill behind it. An Egyptologist brings the carvings and the story to life, and the return is by private air-conditioned car. It is a long day, but one of the most rewarding in Egypt.

Highlights

• ✦The Great Temple of Ramesses II and its four seated colossi
• ✦The Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to Hathor
• ✦Interior halls of carved and painted reliefs
• ✦Battle of Kadesh scenes deep inside the rock
• ✦The 1960s UNESCO relocation above Lake Nasser
• ✦Private air-conditioned round trip from Aswan

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1
   Pre-dawn hotel pickup

   Your driver collects you from your Aswan hotel in the early morning for the long drive south toward Lake Nasser.

2. 2
   Desert drive to Abu Simbel

   Travel roughly three hours by air-conditioned car across the Western Desert to the temples on the lakeshore.

3. 3
   Great Temple of Ramesses II

   Stand before the four colossal statues of the pharaoh, then follow your guide inside through pillared halls carved with the Battle of Kadesh.

4. 4
   Temple of Nefertari

   Visit the smaller temple Ramesses dedicated to his queen and the goddess Hathor, its facade unusually showing Nefertari at the king's scale.

5. 5
   Lake Nasser and the relocation site

   Look out over Lake Nasser and see how the whole complex was lifted block by block to higher ground in the 1960s.

6. 6
   Return to Aswan and drop-off

   Drive back across the desert to your Aswan hotel in the afternoon.

Meeting point

📍 Hotel pickup included, or meet at the operator's downtown office.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this experience?

10 hours

Can I cancel my booking?

Yes — you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before it starts.

Where does it start?

Hotel pickup included, or meet at the operator's downtown office.

Will I get instant confirmation?

Yes — your confirmation arrives on your phone right after booking.

What's included?

Private air-conditioned vehicle, round trip from Aswan · Hotel pickup and drop-off · Egyptologist guide at the temples · Abu Simbel entrance tickets · Bottled water

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