- Duration
- Day trip
- Starts from
- Aswan
- Group size
- Up to 12 guests
- Difficulty
- Easy
Overview
An early road trip across the Nubian desert to the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari, rescued from the waters of Lake Nasser in the 1960s, and back in Aswan by early afternoon.
Abu Simbel lies far south of Aswan, not far from the Sudanese border, and getting there is part of the adventure. We pick you up from your hotel or cruise boat in the early hours and drive south in a convoy-style road trip across the Nubian desert. If you stay awake, you'll watch the sun come up over an empty landscape of sand and dark rock.
After about three and a half hours you reach the shore of Lake Nasser and walk around the hill to face the Great Temple: four seated colossi of Ramses II, cut into the sandstone and each taller than a five-storey building. Inside, the halls lead to a sanctuary that the rising sun reaches twice a year. Next door, the Temple of Nefertari is one of the few in Egypt dedicated to a queen.
Your licensed Egyptologist guide explains how, in the 1960s, an international UNESCO campaign cut both temples into blocks and rebuilt them higher up, away from the rising waters behind the new High Dam. After your visit we drive back north, arriving in Aswan in the early afternoon. A flight version of this trip is available on request.
Highlights
- The Great Temple of Ramses II and its four colossi
- The Temple of Nefertari
- The story of the 1960s UNESCO rescue
- Views over Lake Nasser
- Sunrise on the road across the Nubian desert
- Back in Aswan by early afternoon
Itinerary
- 1
Day 1
Aswan → Abu Simbel → Aswan
Very early pickup and the drive south across the Nubian desert, with breakfast on the road. A guided visit to the Great Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of Nefertari, then the drive back to Aswan, arriving in the early afternoon.
What's included
- Pickup and drop-off at Aswan hotels or cruise boats
- Air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- Licensed Egyptologist guide
- Abu Simbel entry tickets
- Breakfast box for the road
- Bottled water in the vehicle
Not included
- Lunch
- Flights (flight version available on request)
- Tips for guide and driver
- Travel insurance
What to bring
- A warm layer for the early start
- Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Passport (needed at checkpoints on the road)
- Snacks for the drive
- Camera
Pickup & meeting point
Pickup from your hotel or cruise boat in Aswan at around 4:00. Exact time confirmed the day before.
Children up to 11 pay the child rate
Photos
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