The river temples by road
Kom Ombo and Edfu Day Tour from Aswan: the Two Great River Temples
The river temples a Nile cruise stops at, by road from Aswan: a temple built twice over, and the best preserved of them all.
Full day · about 8 hours · Nile & Aswan · Private
- Nothing is booked until you accept a written quote
- A Deluxe Travel Egypt brand: read the reviews
- Duration
- Full day · about 8 hours
- On the road
- Drives north from Aswan to Kom Ombo, on to Edfu, and back
- At the sites
- Time at both temples, with Kom Ombo first
- Format
- Private
- Pace
- Easy
Before you choose
Is this the right tour for you?
If you are not sailing between Aswan and Luxor, this private day tour is how you see the two great temples on the way. The first is Kom Ombo, on a rise above the river: a temple built twice over, side by side, for two gods who could hardly be less alike, Sobek the crocodile and Haroeris, Horus the Elder. Every part of it is doubled, from the gates to the twin sanctuaries. Pilgrims came here to be healed, scratched game boards into the floor while they waited, and mummified crocodiles were kept in a small chapel of Hathor.
Further north is Edfu, the temple of Horus, built under the Ptolemies between 237 and 57 BC. Richard Wilkinson calls it the most complete and best preserved of all Egypt's temples. It lay buried under settlement debris for centuries, which is why its pylon, halls and sanctuary still stand whole. Its walls tell how Horus defeated Seth, and every year the goddess Hathor sailed here from Dendera to celebrate their marriage.
A guide and driver collect you from your Aswan hotel at 8:00 and bring you back at the end of the day, with entrance to both temples included.
Our advice
Book this if you are travelling by road or rail rather than by boat. On a cruise, both temples are usually already on the itinerary.
Consider instead: Travelling on to Luxor the same day? Ask for the tour to end at your Luxor hotel; your quote confirms it.
4 stops
How the day runs
Morning
Pickup in Aswan
Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel at 8:00.
Morning
Kom Ombo Temple
The temple of Sobek and Haroeris, doubled from gate to sanctuary. Find the secret chamber beneath the sanctuaries, the carved ears and eyes of the listening god on the back wall, and the pilgrims' game boards in the floor.
Kom Ombo Temple: A temple built twice over, side by side, for the crocodile and the falcon.
Afternoon
Edfu Temple
Through the great pylon, past the granite falcon of Horus, to the sanctuary that still holds the granite shrine of Nectanebo II, the last native king. In the corridor behind, Horus harpoons Seth in the form of a hippopotamus.
Edfu Temple: The temple of Horus, whose walls are a library turned outwards.
End of day
Return to Aswan
Back to your hotel at the end of the day.
The details
What is included
Highlights
- Kom Ombo's doubled temple for Sobek and Haroeris
- The scene of instruments some read as surgical, and the crocodile mummies
- Edfu, the most complete temple in Egypt, with Nectanebo II's granite shrine
- The walls where Horus defeats Seth
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Aswan
- Air-conditioned transport with driver
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Entrance to Kom Ombo and Edfu temples
- Taxes and service charges
Not included
- Lunch
- Tips
- Insurance
- Personal spending
Places you visit
- Kom Ombo
- Temple of Sobek and Haroeris
- Edfu
- Temple of Horus
- Group
- Private: your party only
- Transport
- Air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- Departure
- Daily at 8:00 am from your Aswan hotel
- Meeting point
- Your hotel in Aswan
- Guide languages
- English
- Best time to go
- An early start: both temples are open from the morning, and the midday heat is strong
- Entrance tickets
- Included: entrance to both temples
- Optional extras
- Lunch
- Your price
- Set in your written quote for your party, dates and pickup, with the payment and cancellation terms.
Details checked
Add to the day
Experiences nearby
Local tips matched to this route
Complete this day
We place these around the tour’s real timing. Anything that cannot fit cleanly stays an untimed request until we confirm it.
Around Elephantine and the islands of the First Cataract
Paddle the Nile at Aswan
An hour on the water among the granite islands, quieter and closer than any boat trip; some paddles end near Philae at sunset.
Late afternoon · About 1–2 hours. Late afternoon, when the light softens and the river is calm.
We confirm the kayak operator, life jackets, the route and the water conditions on the day.
Add as a request
Photo: Hananelmahmoudy123, CC BY-SA 4.0
Questions
Before you ask
Why is Kom Ombo 'doubled'?
It was dedicated equally to two gods, Sobek the crocodile and Haroeris the falcon, so it has two entrances, two halls, two paths and two sanctuaries side by side.
Why is Edfu so well preserved?
It lay buried under the debris of the town for centuries. Auguste Mariette uncovered and restored parts of it in 1860.
Can the day end in Luxor instead of Aswan?
Ask for it when you request your quote. Kom Ombo and Edfu both lie between Aswan and Luxor, so the tour can continue north instead of returning.
I am on a Nile cruise. Do I need this?
Usually not: most cruises between Aswan and Luxor stop at both temples. Check your itinerary first.
What should I wear?
Light clothes, a hat and comfortable shoes. Shoulders and knees covered is the safe choice at every site.
Pairs well with
Tours that go with this one
Deluxe Trips Egypt
Ask for this tour, for your dates.
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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Photography credits (4)
I, Rémih, CC BY-SA 3.0; Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0; Warren LeMay, CC0; Mohammed Moussa, CC BY-SA 4.0
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