Abu Simbel Temple Day Trip from Aswan

The Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel

The Great Temple is why most people book an Abu Simbel day trip from Aswan. Carved straight into the sandstone cliff in the thirteenth century BC, it is guarded on the facade by four seated statues of Ramses II, each about twenty metres high, with smaller figures of his family at their feet. It was built to announce Egyptian power to Nubia and to honour Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty, Ptah and the king himself.

Inside, the first hall is lined with eight Osiris-style pillars and walls covered in scenes of the Battle of Kadesh. The corridor runs about sixty metres into the rock to the sanctuary, where four seated gods wait in the dark. A guide helps you read the reliefs, and the visit usually takes around an hour and a half.

The Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari

Beside the great facade stands a second, smaller temple, built by Ramses II for his chief wife Nefertari and for the goddess Hathor. It is unusual because the statues of the queen stand at the same height as the king's, each about ten metres tall, which was a rare honour in ancient Egypt.

Inside, columns topped with the face of Hathor lead to a sanctuary where the goddess appears as a cow emerging from the rock. The colours of the wall scenes are well preserved, and you can see how Nefertari is shown with the gods. It is quieter than the main temple and usually takes about thirty minutes.

The UNESCO rescue and Lake Nasser

Abu Simbel is as famous for its rescue as for its age. When the High Dam created Lake Nasser, the temples were threatened by rising water. Between 1964 and 1968 an international team cut both temples into huge blocks and rebuilt them about sixty-five metres higher and two hundred metres back from the original cliff, inside an artificial mountain.

On site you can see the dome that supports the rock and learn how the engineers matched the original alignment. The temples are part of the UNESCO site of Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae. The lake shore beside the car park gives wide views, and your guide can point out the lost Nubian villages the water covered.

The desert road from Aswan to Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel lies about 280 kilometres south of Aswan, close to the Sudanese border, and the drive takes roughly three hours each way across open desert. People who ask how to get to Abu Simbel will find that a tour is the simplest answer: our vehicle collects you at the hotel, so you do not need to organise a driver or a convoy yourself.

The early start, around four in the morning, is what lets you reach the site before the biggest crowds and the strongest heat. Sleep on the way, enjoy the sunrise over the dunes, and keep water and a light jacket handy, as the desert is cold before dawn. Returning to Aswan takes the afternoon.

Opening hours and the best time to visit Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel opening hours generally run from early morning until late afternoon, and the temples are open every day, but the first hours after arrival are the quietest and coolest. Winter, from October to April, is the most comfortable season, while summer afternoons can pass forty degrees.

Twice a year, around 22 February and 22 October, the sun reaches the innermost sanctuary and lights three of the four statues. Those dates are busy, so book early if you want to be there. On an ordinary day the morning light on the facade is already worth the trip and gives the best photographs. Bring a hat for the open ground in front of the facade.