Abu Simbel, twice a year
The Abu Simbel Sun Festival 2027
In 2027 the Sun Festival falls on Monday 22 February and Friday 22 October. On both mornings the rising sun shines about 60 metres into the Great Temple of Ramesses II and lights three of the four seated statues in the sanctuary, while Ptah, a god linked with the underworld, stays in shadow. Sunrise is at about 06:20 on 22 February and about 06:53 on 22 October, local time. Crowds gather from the small hours, so most people arrive the night before or leave Aswan around 2 or 3 am. The February date falls during Ramadan.
The calendar
The 2027 dates and sunrise times
| Date | Day | Sunrise, local time | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 February 2027 | Monday | About 06:20 (UTC+2) | During Ramadan, expected 8 February to 8 March. High season on the Nile. |
| 22 October 2027 | Friday | About 06:53 (UTC+3) | Egypt is still on summer time until 28 October. The start of the cruise season, and cooler. |
The light moves across the sanctuary over roughly twenty minutes. Visitors are let in in groups and moved through, so you will have a short time inside, and many people watch on screens outside.
The alignment
What happens, and why on those dates
Ramesses II built the temple so the sun would reach the innermost sanctuary twice a year. The light falls on the statues of Amun-Ra, the deified Ramesses and Ra-Horakhty, and leaves Ptah dark. The dates are often linked to the king's birthday and coronation, though there is no ancient text that says so.
The temple you see today is not where Ramesses built it. In the 1960s it was cut into blocks and rebuilt higher and further back to save it from Lake Nasser. Studies of the move suggest the strongest alignment shifted by about a day, from the 21st to the 22nd, which is why the festival dates are the 22nd today.
From Aswan
Getting there for dawn
- 1Stay in Abu Simbel the night before. The easiest way to be in the queue early. The village has few hotels, and they fill first; book as early as you can.
- 2By road from Aswan overnight. About 280 km, 3.5 to 4 hours each way. On festival nights cars and coaches leave Aswan around 2 to 3 am.
- 3By air. About 45 minutes from Aswan. Check that the flight lands in time for dawn before you rely on it.
- 4On a Lake Nasser cruise. Some ships time their sailings to be at Abu Simbel for the festival. Ask whether the cruise includes the dawn entry or only a later visit.
See Abu Simbel on a Nile cruise and the Lake Nasser cruise ships compared.
Fitting it in
Fitting the festival into a Nile cruise
The simplest plan is a Luxor to Aswan cruise that ends in Aswan a day or two before the 22nd, then a night in Aswan or Abu Simbel. On 22 February 2027, a Monday, a boat sailing north from Aswan that afternoon would let you see the festival and still board, but only if the timings work: ask before you book. Nile cruise ships run about US$120 to US$1,500 per person per night and dahabiyas about US$140 to US$1,500 across the year.
On the day
Tips for festival morning
- 1Expect a long wait in the dark. Bring a warm layer: February dawns in the desert are cold. October is milder.
- 2Tickets cost more on festival days. Check the current price and how tickets are sold before you go.
- 3Security queues are longer. Travel light.
- 4See the temples again later. Once the crowds leave, the two temples are far calmer and the light on the facade is better.
- 5In Ramadan, eat early. On 22 February 2027, cafés may open late in the day; take water and snacks.
Asked often
The Sun Festival in 2027, answered
- When is the Abu Simbel Sun Festival in 2027?
- On Monday 22 February 2027 and Friday 22 October 2027, at sunrise: about 06:20 local time in February and about 06:53 in October, when Egypt is still on summer time.
- Which statues does the sun light at Abu Simbel?
- Three of the four in the sanctuary: Amun-Ra, the deified Ramesses II and Ra-Horakhty. Ptah, associated with the underworld, stays in shadow.
- Is the February 2027 Sun Festival during Ramadan?
- Yes. Ramadan 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 8 March, so the festival on 22 February falls inside it. The temple and the festival go ahead as normal.
- How early should I arrive for the Sun Festival?
- Well before dawn. Many visitors queue from the small hours; from Aswan by road, people leave around 2 to 3 am. Staying in Abu Simbel the night before is the easiest option.
- Why is the Sun Festival on 22 February and 22 October?
- Those are the mornings the sun now lines up with the sanctuary. When the temple was moved in the 1960s, the alignment is thought to have shifted by about a day, from the 21st to the 22nd.
