Abu Simbel tour from Aswan: Private guide and hotel pickup

The temples were moved stone by stone to save them from the dam.

A private full-day tour from Aswan to Abu Simbel with hotel pickup, dedicated guide and air-conditioned vehicle. You spend two hours exploring the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari, learning how they were relocated after the Aswan High Dam flooded the Nile. The 3-hour drive each way brackets the site visit, with a breakfast box and stops for tea or rest included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private Abu Simbel Temple Tour

• Pick up from hotel in Aswan
• Drive 3 hours to Abu Simbel
• Stop for tea or restroom break
• Visit Queen Nefertari and Ramses II temples
• Learn temple history from guide
• Drive 3 hours back to Aswan
• Drop off at hotel in Aswan

The experience

The drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel takes three hours each way, so you'll want an early start: departures run from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., and your guide picks you up from your hotel. The vehicle is air-conditioned and yours alone for the day, which means you set the pace and ask as many questions as you want without waiting for a group to catch up. On the way out, you can stop to use a toilet or grab tea or coffee. A breakfast box travels with you so you're not hunting for food before the temples.

Once you arrive at Abu Simbel, your guide meets you and walks you through both temples (the massive facade of Ramses II and the smaller temple of his wife Nefertari), for about two hours. The guide explains the history of the site and, crucially, how the temples were dismantled and moved to higher ground after the Aswan High Dam threatened to flood them. That context turns the scale and precision of the carving into something you can actually understand.

You leave Abu Simbel before 2 p.m. and drive back to Aswan, arriving at your hotel by late afternoon. The whole day runs about eight hours from pickup to drop-off, which is long but structured so you're not rushed through the temples themselves.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Aswan.
• dedicated guide for both temples.
• breakfast box.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private car with driver onlyNo fixed timePickup is included in Abu Simbel

Full-day private guided tour to Abu Simbel with transportationNo fixed timePickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 19 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Mena Tours

Is this one for you?Choose your start time between 5 and 8 a.m. depending on how much time you want to spend at the temples before heading back to Aswan in the afternoon.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How far is Abu Simbel from Aswan, and how long does the drive take?

Abu Simbel is a 3-hour drive from Aswan in each direction, so you spend six hours traveling and roughly two hours at the temples themselves.

What time do I need to be ready for pickup?

You can choose a departure between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., and your guide will pick you up from your hotel at your selected time.

What exactly is inside the two temples at Abu Simbel?

The larger temple belongs to Ramses II and features his colossal statues carved into the mountainside. The smaller temple is dedicated to his wife Nefertari and sits nearby. Both are carved into the rock and filled with chambers and inscriptions your guide will explain.

Why were the Abu Simbel temples moved?

The Aswan High Dam flooded the Nile valley, so the temples were dismantled and relocated to higher ground in the 1960s to preserve them from the rising water.

Is there time to eat during the day?

You travel with a breakfast box, and there are stops on the drive where you can buy tea, coffee or other food if you want something beyond what you bring.

Can I ask the guide questions during the tour?

Yes, because it's a private tour, you have your guide's full attention and can ask as many questions as you want about the temples, the history and the relocation project.