Private Abu Simbel tour from Aswan: Three-hour temples visit

A private car and guide get you to the colossal temples and back in one day from Aswan

A private tour from Aswan to Abu Simbel Temples includes hotel or cruise ship pickup, a three-hour desert drive, three hours exploring the lakefront temples with a guide, and return to Aswan by late afternoon. Your Egyptologist guide walks you through the stories of Ramses II, Nefertari, and the role of the Nile's flooding in ancient history, while you examine the colossal statues and carvings at your own pace.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan

• Pickup from Aswan hotel or cruise
• Drive three hours to Abu Simbel
• Explore Abu Simbel Temples
• Return three hours to Aswan

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Aswan hotel or Nile cruise ship, then a three-hour private car ride through the desert to Abu Simbel. The drive itself crosses open terrain, so the air conditioning and comfort of a private vehicle matter on this route. Once you arrive, you have roughly three hours at the temples: enough time to walk both structures, the Great Temple of Ramses II and the smaller Temple of Nefertari, and take in the way they sit reflected in Lake Nasser.

Your private Egyptologist guide explains the historical layers as you move through the sites: the pharaoh's power, his wife's honored place in the temple, the connection to Hathor, and how the Nile's annual flooding shaped the civilization that built these monuments. The guide stays with you, but you set the pace: stop to photograph the colossal statues, linger at the carvings, or move through more quickly. The temples sit on the water's edge, and the setting itself is part of what makes the visit distinct from ruins further inland.

After your time at the temples, the return journey to Aswan takes another three hours. You arrive back in the late afternoon, ending a full day without the fatigue of navigating the route alone or waiting for a shared group to assemble. Mineral water is provided during the trip.

What’s included

• Private vehicle with air conditioning and qualified driver.
• pickup from your Aswan hotel or Nile cruise ship and return transfer.
• private Egyptologist guide in your chosen language.
• entrance tickets to Abu Simbel Temples (depending on the option selected).
• bottles of mineral water during the trip.

Options for this experience

3 options

Private excursion to the Abu Simbel Temples, departing from AswanGuide in 5 languages · 05:00, 06:00, 07:00 and 08:00Private car with driver only, pickup is included

Private car and tour guideGuide in 5 languages · 05:00, 06:00, 07:00 and 08:00Private car and tour guide, includes pickup

Car, guide and entrance feesGuide in 5 languages · 05:00, 06:00, 07:00 and 08:00Car, guide and entrance fees, pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 05:00, 06:00, 07:00 and 08:00

Book up to15h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 50

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Egypt Private Trips

Is this one for you?Book this if you're traveling solo or with one or two others and want a private guide's full attention for the historical context, rather than sharing one guide among 20+ people on a group tour.

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 (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

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

Abu Simbel lies about 280 kilometers south of Aswan, and the private car journey takes three hours each way through the desert.

What exactly will I see at the Abu Simbel Temples?

Two grand sandstone temples sit on the shore of Lake Nasser: the Great Temple of Ramses II, with its four colossal seated statues, and the smaller Temple of Nefertari dedicated to the love goddess Hathor. Both are carved into the rock face and covered in hieroglyphic carvings and reliefs depicting pharaonic scenes.

How much time do I actually spend exploring the temples themselves?

You have approximately three hours at the site to walk both temples, examine the carvings, and take photographs at your own pace, with your guide available to explain the history and details.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay extra for?

The tour includes the private vehicle, driver, guide, hotel or cruise ship pickup, return transfer, and mineral water. Entrance tickets to the temples are included in some options but not others. Check which option you select. Gratuities for the guide are separate.