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Egypta PRIVATE TOURS · EGYPT
Abu Simbel from Aswan: the temples of Ramesses and Nefertari
Private tour Full day · 12 h Moderate pace

Abu Simbel from Aswan: the temples of Ramesses and Nefertari

5.0 (143 reviews) Aswan & Abu Simbel, Upper Egypt
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Duration
Full day · 12 h
Starts
04:00
Group
Up to 8
Pace
Moderate
Guided in EnglishArabicSpanishGerman
Overview

A desert dawn drive to the colossal temples of Ramesses II, arriving early enough to have the Great Temple almost to yourselves.

  • The Great Temple of Ramesses II
  • The Temple of Hathor and Nefertari
  • The Battle of Kadesh reliefs
  • The story of the UNESCO rescue
  • Sunrise over the Nubian desert on the way

Abu Simbel is three hours south of Aswan across the Nubian desert, and it is worth every kilometre. The four 20-metre statues of Ramesses II, the Battle of Kadesh inside the Great Temple, and the smaller temple dedicated to Hathor and Queen Nefertari — and the story of how both were cut up and moved in the 1960s.

On 22 February and 22 October the rising sun reaches the inner sanctuary. Ask me about those dates.

How I run this tour

  • It is private: just you, your companions, me and a driver.
  • The timings are a plan, not a schedule — we slow down wherever you want to.
  • Questions are the point. Nothing is too basic or too nerdy.
“The stones are 4,500 years old. The stories should still feel alive.”
Hour by hour

How the day unfolds

  1. 04:00

    Pick-up

    Breakfast box for the road.

  2. 07:15

    Abu Simbel

    Arrive while it is still quiet.

  3. 07:30

    Great Temple

    Facade, hypostyle hall and the sanctuary.

  4. 08:45

    Temple of Nefertari

  5. 09:30

    The rescue

    The artificial mountain behind the temples.

  6. 10:30

    Drive back

    Coffee stop in the desert.

  7. 15:30

    Drop-off in Aswan

The fine print

What’s included

Included

  • Karim as your licensed Egyptologist guide
  • Private air-conditioned car with driver
  • Pick-up from any Aswan hotel or Nile cruise
  • Bottled water
  • Entrance tickets to both temples
  • Breakfast box

Not included

  • Lunch
  • Gratuities for driver and boatmen (optional)
Meeting point

Pick-up from your Aswan hotel or cruise

Karim sends the exact pick-up time on WhatsApp the evening before. Running late or changed hotels? Just message — plans bend.

Ask Karim
Guest reviews

In their words

4.96

143 reviews

5 2
4 1
3 0
2 0
1 0
“We have done guided tours all over the world and this was the best. Perfectly timed to avoid the crowds — at one point we had a tomb completely to ourselves.”
E Emma WhitfieldUnited Kingdom · Jul 2026
“Organised everything over WhatsApp in two messages. On the day it all just worked. Worth every dollar.”
M Mateo FernándezArgentina · Mar 2026
“Wonderful guide and a great route. The day was long and hot — go in winter if you can — but Karim adapted the pace for my mother.”
H Hannah CohenUnited States · Feb 2026
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