Private Abu Simbel Tour from Aswan: UNESCO Temples at Your Pace

Stand before the colossal statues of Ramesses II carved into the mountainside.

A private Abu Simbel tour from Aswan pairs hotel pickup and drop-off with a dedicated vehicle and driver, letting you set the pace at the UNESCO World Heritage temples. You choose your departure time and spend as long as you need at the Great Temple and the Temple of Queen Nefertari. Entrance fees and a guide are available as add-ons at checkout. The base tour includes the vehicle, driver and bottled water for the roughly nine to ten hour journey.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Abu Simbel Temples

• Travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel
• Visit Great Temple of Ramesses II
• Visit Temple of Queen Nefertari
• Return to Aswan

The experience

Abu Simbel Temples sit 280 kilometers south of Aswan, and a private vehicle gets you there without the early-morning assembly of group tours. Your driver handles the full route while you sit back in an air-conditioned car, and hotel pickup means no negotiating transport to a meeting point. The drive itself takes several hours each way, so the full day is substantial, but that time on the road is yours to use as you want, whether you nap, read or watch the landscape change.

The temples themselves are the draw: Ramesses II built the Great Temple with four colossal statues of himself carved directly into the cliff face, and the smaller Temple of Queen Nefertari sits nearby. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and both sit right on Lake Nasser. A professional driver comes with every booking. If you add an Egyptologist guide at checkout, that person walks the temples with you and explains the carvings, the history and the engineering. Without a guide, you explore at your own pace and use the site information on your own. Bottled water is included throughout the day.

The private format means no set itinerary beyond the temples themselves. You're not locked into a group schedule or a list of secondary stops. If you want to spend three hours at Abu Simbel, you spend three hours. If you want to move through faster, that's your call. The vehicle waits, and your driver takes you back to your Aswan hotel whenever you're ready. Entrance fees to the temples are optional at checkout. Tips for the driver are not included.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Aswan.
• professional driver for the full day.
• bottled water throughout the journey.

Options for this experience

2 options

Abu Simbel private tour departing from AswanUp to 3 per booking · Guide in English · No fixed timePickup is included

With Egyptologist Guide.Up to 2 per booking · Guide in English · No fixed timeLicensed Egyptologist guide: explore Abu Simbel with a licensed Egyptologist guide. Pickup is included

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 16

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendly

Operated by Rovanio tours

Is this one for you?The private vehicle and flexible timing suit travelers who want to avoid early-morning group departures and set their own pace at the temples. If you're adding an Egyptologist guide, book that option at checkout to get the historical context. The base tour works just as well for independent explorers who prefer to wander and observe on their own.

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Top questions

How long does the drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel take?

The round-trip journey covers roughly nine to ten hours total, with several hours of driving each way. Most of that time is the vehicle itself. How long you spend at the temples is up to you.

What are the two main temples at Abu Simbel?

The Great Temple features four colossal statues of Pharaoh Ramesses II carved into the mountainside, while the Temple of Queen Nefertari is a smaller companion structure nearby. Both sit on the shore of Lake Nasser and are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Can I add a guide to explain the temples?

Yes, an Egyptologist guide is available as an add-on at checkout. With a guide, you get interpretation of the carvings, history and construction. Without one, you explore independently using the site information.

What's included in the base tour price?

The private vehicle, hotel pickup and drop-off, professional driver and bottled water are included. Entrance fees to Abu Simbel Temples and any guide service are separate add-ons you choose at checkout.

Can I pick my own departure time?

Yes, the tour is private, so you choose when your driver collects you from your hotel. That flexibility lets you set a schedule that fits the rest of your Aswan itinerary.