The long road south
A private, roughly 10-hour day to Ramses II and Nefertari's temples: Aswan pickup, guide and entrance fees included.
Before you choose your departure
This is a private road trip of about 10 hours, with about 3.5 hours each way by road. Hotel or cruise pickup, a guide and temple entrance fees are included. Time inside the temples is confirmed for your departure slot, not guaranteed by subtracting the drive from the day.
Choose an early departure for cooler sightseeing, or request a later start if avoiding a pre-dawn pickup matters more. Crowd levels vary; neither slot guarantees a quiet visit.
If you are joining a Nile cruise or leaving Aswan that day, send its check-in, sailing or flight time before accepting a departure. We need to check the return fits your onward journey.
Ask about Abu Simbel by flight · Planning a Sun Festival visit?
5 stops
The long drive south is part of the point. Abu Simbel stands in Lower Nubia, where Ramesses II cut two temples into a cliff above the Nile at a time when Egyptian rule reached as far as the Fourth Cataract. It is the third chapter of how Egypt kept reimagining eternity, power carved into a cliff, and a monument that survived only because it was taken apart and rebuilt higher.
05:00–09:00
Collection from your hotel or cruise at your chosen time.
Aswan waterfront setting; meeting point and vehicle are confirmed separately.
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0. Resized for display.
Stop 2
About three and a half hours through the desert, beside the lake whose rising waters forced the temples to move.
Photo: Source photograph · Public domain. Resized for display.
Stop 3
The colossi, the halls and the sun-aligned sanctuary. Look down at the pedestals: the king's name stands above rows of foreign captives.
Photo: Source photograph · Public domain. Resized for display.
Abu Simbel: Two temples cut into a cliff above the Nile, taken apart and rebuilt higher to save them.
Stop 4
The smaller temple beside it, dedicated to Hathor and to Nefertari, whose statues on the facade stand as tall as her husband's.
Photo: Mustang Joe · CC0. Resized for display.
Stop 5
About three and a half hours back to your hotel or boat.
Aswan river setting for the return; transport is confirmed separately.
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0. Resized for display.
Day and time labels describe the planned sequence, not confirmed departures. Your written quote confirms pickup, flights, sailing and return times for your date.
Why go
This private Abu Simbel day trip from Aswan takes you to the two temples Ramses II cut into the rock above Lake Nasser, near Egypt's southern border. The roughly 10-hour day includes hotel or cruise pickup, return air-conditioned transport, a guide and temple entrance fees.
The drive from Aswan takes about three and a half hours each way through the desert. Request a departure between 5 am and 9 am. An earlier start reaches the temples earlier; a later start avoids a pre-dawn pickup. Crowd levels vary, and your written quote confirms the departure and return for your date.
At the Great Temple, four colossal seated statues of Ramses II guard the entrance, and inside, the halls lead to a sanctuary aligned with the sun. Beside it stands the smaller temple of Hathor, built for Queen Nefertari. Your guide explains both, and the story of how UNESCO cut the temples into blocks and rebuilt them on higher ground in the 1960s, when the Aswan High Dam flooded their original site.
Seven hours of the day are spent on the road. That is the price of Abu Simbel by land, and it is worth knowing before you book.
Our tip
Choose an early departure if cooler sightseeing matters most, or request a later, gentler start. Allow about 3.5 hours to reach the temples; an early pickup is not a promise of sunrise on site.
Also consider: Short of time? Flying from Aswan to Abu Simbel saves most of the road. Ask us.
The details
Before you go
Questions
About three and a half hours each way from Aswan, so roughly seven hours on the road in a 10-hour day.
Request a departure between 5 am and 9 am. An early start can avoid some midday heat; a later start avoids a pre-dawn pickup. The drive takes about 3.5 hours each way, so a 5 am pickup does not mean sunrise at the temples. Crowd levels and return times vary; your written quote confirms the slot.
Prices are per person and fall as the group grows: 1 person $200; 2–4 people $120 each; 5–7 people $117 each; 8–10 people $115 each. All prices are in US dollars.
Yes. This road tour includes pickup and drop-off at your Aswan hotel or Nile cruise, round-trip air-conditioned transport, a professional English-speaking guide, temple entrance fees, taxes and service charges. Tips, travel insurance and personal expenses are excluded. Flights are not included.
Tell us your sailing, check-in or flight time before choosing a departure. Allow about 10 hours for the road trip; traffic, stops and the confirmed temple visit affect your return. Do not assume it fits an onward connection until the timings are checked in your quote.
Light, modest clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Shoulders and knees covered is the safe choice at every site; bring a hat, sunscreen and water.
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Deluxe Trips Egypt
Send your dates and party size here. We reply with a written quote: the price for your party, what is included and the terms. Nothing is booked until you accept it.
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Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0; Marc Ryckaert, CC BY-SA 4.0; I, Rémih, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and cropped for display.
