Lake Nasser · Destination guide
Ramses II's mountain temple in the deep south — four colossal statues facing the sunrise, carved into rock and then lifted whole above a rising lake.
Get your bearings
Abu Simbel is one of the most audacious things the pharaohs ever built, and its 1960s rescue was an engineering project of the same scale. Around 1264 BC Ramses II had two temples cut straight into a sandstone cliff near the Sudanese border — the Great Temple fronted by four 20-metre statues of himself, the smaller one dedicated to his queen, Nefertari. Twice a year the rising sun still reaches 60 metres into the mountain to light the inner sanctuary.
Three thousand years later, when the Aswan High Dam threatened to drown them under the new Lake Nasser, the temples were cut into more than a thousand blocks and reassembled on higher ground — an artificial hill built to hold them. You reach Abu Simbel today by a short flight or a road convoy from Aswan, three hours north, and most people come for the morning and leave by afternoon.
What you're really here to see
01Four seated statues of Ramses II, each as tall as a six-storey building, guard the entrance to a temple bored straight into the mountain. It was as much propaganda as worship — a warning, on the southern frontier, of exactly whose kingdom this was.
1–2 hours
02The interior runs deep into the rock past pillars carved as Ramses himself, walls of battle reliefs, and a sanctuary where four gods sit in the dark — three of whom catch the sun twice a year, while Ptah, god of darkness, stays in shadow.
Inside the Great Temple
03Beside it, the smaller temple Ramses dedicated to his favourite queen — the rare case where a pharaoh carved his wife the same height as himself on the facade. A quieter, more human counterpoint to the colossi next door.
30–45 minutes
04The whole setting is man-made: in the 1960s the temples were sawn into blocks and lifted 65 metres up, onto an artificial mountain, ahead of the rising lake. Knowing it makes the cliff behind them, and the blue water below, even stranger.
The wider story
Time to allow
Almost everyone visits as a day trip — but a night by the lake is the secret.
A short dawn flight or a road convoy from Aswan, the two temples, and back the same day — how most people see it.
A night at Abu Simbel lets you see the temples at sunset and sunrise, almost alone, and catch the sound-and-light show.
Around 22 February and 22 October the dawn sun lights the inner sanctuary — a packed, remarkable morning worth planning a trip around.
A handful of Lake Nasser cruises approach Abu Simbel from the water — the rarest and most cinematic way to arrive.
Where it fits
Abu Simbel is the deep-south exclamation mark — almost always reached from Aswan.
A 45-minute flight or a guided road convoy of about three hours each way — in and out in a morning.
It pairs naturally with Aswan and the southern end of a Luxor–Aswan Nile cruise.
Time your trip to late February or late October to catch the sun reaching the inner sanctuary.
Stay a night, or arrive on a Lake Nasser cruise, to see the temples without the midday convoy crowds.
From the catalogue
Abu Simbel lies about 280 km south of Aswan and is reached by a 40‑minute flight or a 3.5–4 hour road transfer. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we arrange private early flights and timed private‑car arrivals so clients avoid coach crowds and the hottest hours. The twin sites are the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Small Temple of Nefertari, moved to higher ground between 1964 and 1968 during an international relocation campaign and included in the Nubian Monuments UNESCO listing. Trade‑offs: a same‑day return requires an early start and either a long road journey or a small‑plane seat; shade is limited on the forecourt.
See the twice-yearly solar alignment at Abu Simbel on 22 February or 22 October when sunlight reaches the inner sanctuary. The twin rock temples were carved for Ramses II and honour Amun‑Re and Ra. They were moved in 1964–1968 and form part of the UNESCO World Heritage 'Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae'. Abu Simbel is approximately 280 km south of Aswan (about 3.5 hours by road). We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and can arrange timed-entry tickets, private road transfers and an Egyptologist briefing when available. Unlike same-day coach runs, we recommend an overnight in Aswan to avoid very early road departures and rushed visits; expect limited shade at the forecourt and large crowds on festival dates.
Travel by road from Aswan to Abu Simbel for a visit to the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the adjacent Temple of Nefertari. The Great Temple’s façade is guarded by four seated colossi, each about 20 metres high. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Both temples were relocated in the 1960s to protect them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser after construction of the Aswan High Dam. The road route offers views of the desert and Lake Nasser that a flight does not. Abu Simbel entrance fees are included; hotel transfers, lunch and drinks are not included unless your booking confirmation says otherwise.
This 5-star Lake Nasser cruise travels between Aswan and Abu Simbel, through a stretch of southern Egypt where shore excursions focus on Nubian temples and archaeological sites. The route includes Kalabsha, Wadi El Seboua, Amada, Kasr Ibrim and the temples of Abu Simbel. A restaurant, pool and gym are listed among the cruise amenities. Full Board covers lunch on embarkation day through breakfast on disembarkation day. Drinks beyond water with meals are typically extra. Discovery Tours Egypt, a licensed Egyptian tour operator, arranges the cruise; the vessel is supplied and operated by the cruise line. Compared with the busier Luxor to Aswan river route, Lake Nasser has fewer shore towns and more isolated stops.
A four-day cruise from Aswan across Lake Nasser, visiting Kalabsha, Wadi El-Seboua, Amada and Abu Simbel with an Egyptologist. You start in Aswan with guided visits to Kalabsha Temple, Beit el-Wali and the Kiosk of Kertassi, then sail into the desert to explore temples at Dakka, Meharakka, Derr and the Tomb of Penout. The voyage includes full-board dining aboard the Nubian Sea and afternoons at leisure while the vessel moves between shores. We time the Abu Simbel visit for the cooler, less crowded hours and keep guided groups intentionally small. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we arrange your transfers, onboard accommodation and shore visits, and your Egyptologist accompanies every scheduled excursion.
This day cruise follows the Lake Nasser route from Aswan towards the Abu Simbel area aboard a deluxe 5-star cruiser assigned at booking. Lake Nasser lies behind the Aswan High Dam, and its archaeological sites include Abu Simbel, Wadi El Seboua, Amada and Kasr Ibrim. Lunch is served on board, with the menu confirmed at the time of booking. The cruise is arranged by Discovery Tours Egypt, a licensed Egyptian tour operator; the vessel is owned and operated by its cruise line. Site visits and entrance fees are not included, so check the booked programme before planning time at Abu Simbel or other archaeological sites.
Abu Simbel lies about 280 km south of Aswan, where the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Small Temple of Nefertari face Lake Nasser. This full-day excursion uses a domestic flight of about 40 to 50 minutes each way, followed by a guided visit with an English-speaking Egyptologist. Allow roughly two to three hours at the temples, subject to flight and security timings. The monuments form part of the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. Compared with the 3.5 to 4-hour road journey each way, flying leaves more of the day for the site. Services are provided by Discovery Tours Egypt, a licensed Egyptian tour operator.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Abu Simbel. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Abu Simbel with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
The far south is the hottest corner of Egypt — winter is the time.
Warm, dry and clear (24–32°C) — comfortable for the early-morning visit, and proper winter sun for UK travellers. It's peak season, so flights and the Sun Festival dates book up.
Routinely above 40°C. The dawn flight beats the worst of it, but it's a hard place to linger in high summer.
Around 22 February and 22 October, sunrise penetrates the temple to light the sanctuary — Abu Simbel's most famous mornings, and its busiest.
Whether by flight or convoy, this is a dawn trip. Mornings are cooler, the light is low and golden, and the statues face it.
The practical part
Remote by any measure — getting there is half the plan.
A 45-minute flight from Aswan, in and out before lunch, is the easiest option and the one we usually recommend.
A guided road convoy crosses about three hours of desert each way — longer, but cheaper and a chance to feel the distance.
Select Lake Nasser cruises include Abu Simbel, approaching the temples from the water for the most dramatic first sight.
From the entrance it's a short walk around the artificial hill to the temple facades — bring sun protection; there's no shade until you're inside.
Common questions
From Aswan, either a 45-minute flight (in and out in a morning) or a guided road convoy of about three hours each way. A few Lake Nasser cruises also stop there. We book whichever suits your schedule and budget.
Yes — it's one of the most striking monuments on earth: four 20-metre statues of Ramses II carved into a mountain, then lifted whole above a rising lake in the 1960s. The scale and the rescue story together are why people fly an hour each way to stand in front of it.
Around 22 February and 22 October, when the dawn sun reaches 60 metres into the Great Temple to light the inner sanctuary. It's a genuine spectacle, but expect crowds if your dates align.
Yes, and it's the quiet secret — a night by Lake Nasser lets you see the temples at sunset and sunrise almost alone, and catch the sound-and-light show, away from the midday convoy crowds.
On the ground, two to three hours covers both temples comfortably. As a day trip from Aswan, allow most of the morning once you factor in the flight or the road convoy each way.
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates and what you want out of Abu Simbel – we'll send a private, tailored itinerary within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
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