Lake Nasser Cruise Aswan to Abu Simbel: 5-Day Nile Temple Tour

Five Days on Lake Nasser: Ancient Temples & the Relocated Wonders of Abu Simbel

You board a 5-star cruise in Aswan and spend five days sailing Lake Nasser to Abu Simbel, stopping at four major temples (Kalabsha, Wadi al-Sebua, Amada, and Abu Simbel itself) with an Egyptologist guide, all meals, and a Sound and Light show included. Transfers, entrance fees, and accommodation on the ship are part of the package, so you arrive in Cairo having seen temples most tourists miss and having slept on the water the whole time.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Aswan city tour

• Meet representative at Aswan
• Transfer to Lake Nasser cruise
• Lunch on board cruise
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Boat to Agilika Island
• Visit Temple of Philae
• Visit Unfinished Obelisk
• Return to cruise for overnight

Day 2: Kalabsha and Wadi El Sebou sailing

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Temple of Kalabsha
• Visit Bait El Wali temple
• Return to cruise for lunch
• Sail to Wadi El Sebou
• Overnight on board

Day 3: Wadi El Sebou and Amada temples

• Breakfast on board
• Visit Wadi El Sebou temple
• Return to cruise for lunch
• Sail to Amada temple
• Visit Amada temple
• Overnight on board

Day 4: Kasr Ibrim and Abu Simbel visit

• Early sail to Kasr Ibrim
• View Kasr Ibrim from sundeck
• Sail to Abu Simbel
• Visit Abu Simbel temples
• Attend Sound & Light Show
• Overnight on board

Day 5: Disembark and transfer to Cairo

• Breakfast on board
• Check out from cruise
• Transfer to airport
• Flight to Cairo

The experience

Most people see Abu Simbel as a day trip from Aswan: a quick flight, a rushed walk, back to the hotel by dinner. This cruise does the opposite. You spend five nights on the water, moving slowly south through Lake Nasser, stopping at temples most tourists never reach because they're not on the highway. The Movenpick Prince Abbas is a 5-star ship, which means real cabins, proper meals, and a sundeck where you watch the desert slide past while an Egyptologist explains what you're looking at. You board in Aswan on day one, and by day four you're at Abu Simbel itself, not arriving tired from a flight, but arriving rested, having already seen Kalabsha, Wadi al-Sebua, and the Temple of Amada along the way.

Day one moves fast: you arrive in Aswan, get transferred to the ship, and after lunch your guide takes you to the Aswan High Dam and the Temple of Philae on Agilika Island, then the Unfinished Obelisk before you return to the ship for the night. Day two is Kalabsha Temple, which sits in view of the dam itself and mixes Egyptian and Roman imagery (emperors and pharaohs side by side), because it was moved 30 miles south after the dam was built. Then Bait El Wali, rescued by Polish archaeologists. You're back on board for lunch while the ship sails toward Wadi al-Sebua, passing the Tropic of Cancer as you go. Day three takes you to Wadi al-Sebua ("Valley of the Lions" in Arabic, named for the sphinx avenue leading to the temple Ramesses II built), and then to the Temple of Amada, the oldest monument on the lake, dating back to the 18th dynasty, two hundred years before Abu Simbel even existed.

Day four is the payoff. Early sail to Kasr Ibrim, which you view from the sundeck. It was once a fortress city high above the Nile, now an island because of the dam. Then you reach Abu Simbel itself, the two massive temples carved into the mountainside by Ramesses II between the first and second cataracts. They're not in their original location. In 1968 they were dismantled and moved 64 meters up and 180 meters west to escape the rising water. In the evening there's a Sound and Light show at the temple, projections bringing the ancient world back to life, presented in multiple languages with headsets. It's the kind of thing that sounds touristy until you're standing there in the dark and the temple is glowing and the music is playing and suddenly you understand why people came here in the first place. Day five is breakfast on board, checkout, and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Cairo.

What makes this different from a day trip is the pace and the company. You're with a small group, not a bus full of strangers. Your Egyptologist guide is with you on every excursion, not just pointing out what you're seeing but explaining the history, the politics, the reasons these temples were built and then moved. Meals are on the ship (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), so you're not hunting for restaurants or worrying about food safety. The ship itself is air-conditioned, has a bar, a restaurant, and a deck where you can sit and watch the desert. All transfers are in modern air-conditioned vehicles. All entrance fees are included. By the time you leave, you've seen more of ancient Nubia than most people who visit Egypt, and you've done it without rushing.

What’s included

Your five days include accommodation on the 5-star Movenpick Prince Abbas on a full board basis (breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily), meet-and-assist service when you arrive in Aswan and depart for Cairo, entrance fees to all temples and sites between Aswan and Abu Simbel, an Egyptologist guide during all excursions, all transfers by modern air-conditioned vehicle, the Sound and Light show at Abu Simbel Temple, all service charges and taxes, and assistance from the tour staff throughout your stay.

Information

Lasts 5d, runs Monday and Friday at 11:30, from US$ 1,363 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 72 h before.

Days and timesMonday and FridayDeparts at 11:30Another time? ›

GroupUp to 151 private ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and ItalianOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.You can choose from 45 pickup points.

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 72 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Canary Tours Egypt

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to see Abu Simbel and the temples of ancient Nubia without flying in and out the same day. The five-night cruise is what lets you visit four major sites and actually rest between them, arriving at Abu Simbel refreshed rather than exhausted.

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 and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).

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 72 h before the start.

What is included in the Lake Nasser cruise from Aswan to Abu Simbel?

Accommodation on the 5-star Movenpick Prince Abbas on full board (all meals), all entrance fees to temples, an Egyptologist guide for excursions, all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, service charges, and taxes. The Sound and Light show at Abu Simbel is also included.

How long is the cruise?

Five days and four nights. You board in Aswan on day one and depart for Cairo on day five after breakfast.

Which temples do you visit?

Temple of Philae (Agilika Island), the Unfinished Obelisk, Kalabsha Temple, Bait El Wali, Wadi al-Sebua, Temple of Amada, Kasr Ibrim (viewed from the sundeck), and Abu Simbel (two temples).

Is the ship accessible for people with mobility issues?

Yes. The Movenpick Prince Abbas is wheelchair accessible, with accessible areas, surfaces, and transportation options throughout.

What is the Aswan High Dam and why is it relevant?

Built in 1960, it created Lake Nasser and flooded the original sites of many temples. Several temples on this cruise, including Kalabsha and Abu Simbel, were dismantled and relocated to higher ground in the 1960s to preserve them.

Do you need a flight to Abu Simbel, or does the cruise get you there?

The cruise gets you there by water. You sail Lake Nasser for five days, stopping at temples along the way. No flight to Abu Simbel is needed. The ship takes you directly.

What happens on the last day?

Breakfast on board, checkout, and transfer to Aswan Airport for your flight back to Cairo. The transfer is included.