Abu Simbel Temples tour: Rock-cut masterpiece with guide

Ancient temples carved from stone, still standing where they were moved to save them

A full-day tour of Abu Simbel Temples in southern Egypt, the rock-cut monuments built during Ramses II's reign and relocated by UNESCO in the 1960s to escape flooding from the Aswan High Dam. You travel with a guide, hotel pickup and air-conditioned transport included. The guide speaks your choice of language from a list of over 25 options. Entry fees to the temples are paid separately at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Abu Simbel Temples and return

• Travel to Abu Simbel temple
• Explore Abu Simbel temples
• See carvings and statues
• Return to hotel

The experience

Abu Simbel sits in the far south of Egypt, and the tour starts with pickup from your hotel in the morning. You travel by air-conditioned car with a guide who walks you through both temples on site. The two structures are rock-cut (carved directly into the mountainside rather than built from blocks), and both date to around 1200 BC. One temple belongs to King Ramses II himself. The second was built for his wife, Queen Nefertari. The scale is what stops people: the colossal statues of Ramses II at the entrance are the first thing you see, and the carvings inside (hand-carved pillars, wall paintings, statues and relief work covering the walls) fill the chambers as you move deeper in.

The temples nearly vanished in the 1960s when the Aswan High Dam's construction would have flooded the site. UNESCO undertook one of the largest relocation projects in history, cutting the temples into blocks and reassembling them on higher ground where they stand today. Your guide explains this history and the religious and political significance of the artwork and layout as you move through the chambers. The tour returns you to your hotel by the end of the day.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return transport in an air-conditioned car.
• a live guide in your choice of language.
• access to both Abu Simbel temples during the visit.

Before you book

Lasts 1d, runs every day at 08:00, from US$ 90.26 per person, with live guides in 50 languages and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (6 to 60 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, Cantonese, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Filipino, Finnish, Greek, Gujarati, Hakka Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Javanese, Korean, Kurdish, MNP, Malay, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wu Chinese and Xiang Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Sheba Tour company

Is this one for you?The full-day commitment means you leave early and return in the evening, which works best if Abu Simbel is your main focus for the day: the drive and the temples fill the hours, leaving little time for other stops in the region.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, Bangla, Chinese, Wu Chinese, Slovak, Serbian, Swedish, Korean, Kurdish, Cantonese, Tamil, MNP, Gujarati, Czech, Telugu, Punjabi, Thai, Polish, Hebrew, Danish, Javanese, Xiang Chinese, Chinese, Malay, Pashto, Filipino, Croatian, Hungarian, Hakka Chinese, Ukrainian, Urdu, Malayalam, Marathi, Greek, Finnish, Burmese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Japanese, Persian, Romanian, Dutch, Norwegian, Russian and Turkish.

What are the two Abu Simbel temples dedicated to?

One temple was built for King Ramses II and the other for his wife, Queen Nefertari. Both were carved during Ramses II's reign around 1200 BC and decorated with hand-carved pillars, wall paintings and statues.

Why were the Abu Simbel temples moved?

The Aswan High Dam's construction starting in 1964 would have inundated the temples. UNESCO relocated them by cutting the structures into blocks and reassembling them on higher ground, where they remain today.

Is hotel pickup included in this tour?

Yes, the tour includes pickup from your hotel and return transport in an air-conditioned car, along with the guide for the full day.

Are temple entry fees included in the tour price?

Entry fees to the temples are not included and are paid separately at checkout. Transport, the guide and hotel pickup are covered in the tour price.