Visiting Abu Simbel Temple

Another iconic treasure of Egypt, the majestic temples at Abu Simbel, showcase the artistry and ambition of one of Ancient Egypt’s celebrated rulers, Ramesses II, the third Pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. This remarkable complex is stunning, another must-see in Egypt. Visiting the temples of Abu Simbel requires effort and planning, but the journey to this remote site near the Sundanese border only adds to its allure.

About Abu Simbel

The temples of Abu Simbel were built over 3,000 years ago in 13th century BC. This temple complex held multiple purposes. First, it memorialized Ramesses II, known as Ramesses the Great, and his Queen Nefertari, his beloved and favorite great royal wife. It also commemorated his victory at the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites, which resulted in the world’s first recorded peace treaty. In addition this, its imposing presence served as a reminder of Ramesses II’s strength and power.

There are two massive temples here, one devoted to Ramesses II himself and one devoted to his wife, Queen Nefertari. As an amazing testament to his power, both temples were carved out of the mountain, rather than being built with stone. This monumental task reportedly took 20 years.

Despite the grand scale of these temples, they were lost, buried in a sea of sand for centuries, until found, mostly covered, in the early 1800s.

Temple of Ramesses II

Abu Simbel honors the gods Amun, Ra-Harakhty, and Ptah, as well as a deified version of Ramesses II himself. Four colossal statues of Ramesses II,  65’ (20 m) tall, flank the entrance of the temple, leading to atriums, sanctuaries, and statues. The smaller figures on the temple represent family members.

To get a sense of its scale, note how tiny the person standing near the entrance looks.

Another remarkable feature of this temple is its solar alignment. On February 22 and October 22, Ramesses II birthday and his coronation day (the day he ascended the throne), sunlight reaches deep into the central chamber of the temple, illuminating 3 of the 4 statues. These include Ramesses II, as well as gods Amun, and Ra-Harakhty, The 4th statue, Ptah of the underworld, perpetually remains in darkness. This is event is called the Sun Festival (verify actual Festival dates before booking).

Temple of Nefertari

Ramesses II built the second, smaller temple in honor of his beloved Queen Nefertari. The facade holds 4 statues of himself and 2 of Nefertari, 32’ (10 m) tall, with hieroglyphics.

It’s important in that it’s only the second ancient Egyptian temple devoted to a Queen (the other is the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari in Luxor). Further signifying Nefertari’s importance is the fact that she is relatively equal in size to Ramesses II. Normally a Queen would be much smaller by scale.

Again, note the scale of the temple by looking at the guard by the entrance above.

Abu Simbel Preservation

An interesting fact about these temples is that they were moved, along with the other UNESCO Nubian Monuments, to save them from being submerged in Lake Nasser when the Aswan Dam was built.

This project, led by UNESCO, was Save the Nubian Monuments. It required cutting the temples into pieces, and labeling them, before moving them to their new location. This took almost 5 years, costing around $40 million in the 1960s. In today’s dollars, this would be hundreds of millions of dollars.

Abu Simbel now sits on the bank of Lake Nasser, presenting itself to those traveling via water as it would have over 3,000 years ago.

How Much Time Do You Need At Abu Simbel

You need about 1 to 2 hours to comfortably see the temples. The two temples are very close and there’s not really anything else here. There is an evening light and sound show, which if you want to see, you need to time your visit around. More on that below.

How To Get To Abu Simbel

Although there are hotels near the temples, there is not much to the town, so most people visit Abu Simbel as a day trip from Aswan.

Located 173 miles (280 km) south of Aswan (700 miles (1,128 km) south of Cairo), it’s time consuming to access, but well worth the effort. Believe it or not, it’s so far south in Egypt that it’s only about 12 miles (20 km) from the border of Sudan.

There are various ways to get here, each with their own pros and cons.

Coach Or Mini Bus From Aswan

You can take a coach or minibus tour, which takes 8-9 hours (3-4 hours each way, plus about an hour or 2 at the temple). Arrange this through your hotel or at the Aswan tourist office. Note that hotels charge a commission, which can vary by level of hotel comfort level (price), so shop around. Note that a tour with a guide will be a little more expensive.

For example, my hotel in Luxor booked my cruise from Luxor to Aswan as well as my minibus from Aswan to Abu Simbel. After his, I flew back to Cairo.

If you prefer booking a tour yourself, look at these Abu Simbel tours. Make sure to read reviews fully before selecting your tour as some have very mixed feedback.

Pros: This is a reasonably priced option.

Cons: Pick up from your hotel will likely be at 4 AM. There are no stops between Aswan and Abu Simbel, and you will most likely be responsible for your own snacks and water.

Tip: If you sit on the left side (east) you can watch the sunrise in the desert.

Hire A Private Driver

Hiring a car and driver in Aswan another option to visit Abu Simbel from Aswan. This option is even more appealing if there are multiple persons in your party, as doing this solo could be expensive. Ask your hotel if they know reputable private drivers.

Pros: Visiting by car (hiring a driver) offers a lot of flexibility. If you leave early, you can watch the sunrise in the desert.

Cons: This could be expensive if you are traveling solo.

Cruise

Taking a cruise is the most relaxing and scenic way to visit Abu Simbel. As the temples sit at the shore, you see as they were intended to be seen, on the coast as you arrive by boat.

This cruise goes from Aswan to Abu Simbel via Nasser Lake: Lake Nasser Cruise from Aswan To Abu Simbel 5-Days

Most cruises, however, are packaged with stops at other cities and temples, like this popular one: 4-Day 3-Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor & Abu Simbel Plus Ballon Ride.

Pros: This is the most relaxed option. Plus, you may have additional stops at sites along the way, like the Aswan High Dam and the Temple of Philae.

Cons: This option takes the longest and is the most expensive option.

Public Bus From Aswan

There is also a public bus from Aswan to Abu Simbel, but little information is available. If interested in this option, it’s best to ask around locally. It’s very possible that information on this is guarded as they prefer tourists to take more expensive travel options. This also may mean that you could be turned away. If you do find out more about this option, verify at the bus station that they will actually take you.

Pros: This will be the least expensive option.

Cons: It may be challenging to find information on it.

Self-Drive

You can also self-drive, although this is not recommended. If you do self-drive, only do so during daylight hours.

In the recent past, tourists were not allowed to self-drive for safety reasons. Information can be contradictory and the situation may revert back in times of instability. Also, the guards at the checkpoints may, unexpectedly, ask you to turn back. Therefore, it’s best to do more homework and have an alternate plan.

Pros: This option offers the most flexibility.

Cons: This option is the least safe of all the options, so not recommended.

Fly

Flights to and from Aswan and Abu Simbel are offered by Egyptian Airlines. Sometimes the flights also include transportation to the temple (see Egyptian Airline for more details). The airport is 3 miles (5 km) from the temple. Keep in mind that if you have luggage with you, you will need to bring it to the temple (unless you are staying in Abu Simbel overnight and checking into your room first).

I’ve read that people trying to book these airlines tickets months advance find no flights available. Some suggest that they are actually released 2-3 weeks prior, so if you’re having trouble, try searching again closer to your date.

Pros: This is the fastest method, with flights about 45-minutes from Aswan (except for travel time to the airport).

Cons: You may feel rushed if trying to fly down and back the same day, depending on flight times. Especially if there are flight delays.

Additional Information & Thoughts

Abu Simbel Light & Sound Show: The light and sound show at Abu Simbel is held after dark, but the show only goes on if enough tickets are purchased. See www.soundandlight.com for details. There is also reportedly a separate photography pass to take photos of the temple during the light show.

Convoys: Up until about 2017, bus tours and hired drivers had to drive as a convoy, for safety reasons. This could easily change back at any time. Although there is safety in numbers, it also means everyone arrives at the temple at the same time (which is less than ideal).

My Visit: I visited as part of a minibus tour with 9 others, which my hotel in Luxor booked for me. We left Aswan early (at 4 AM), so we were the very first group to arrive at Abu Simbel, having it to ourselves for a while. This was amazing, making the early morning pick-up well worth it.

On the way to Abu Simbel, there was a disagreement between our driver and the guards at the check point (in the desert). As they spoke in Egyptian, I’m not sure what the situation was, but thankfully, they finally waved us through after some tense words were exchanged.

Want To See More of Egypt?

To read more about Egypt, see out my posts on Cairo, the Pyramids, Luxor, Aswan, and Alexandria. For an overview, and to help you plan your trip, see my Egypt Travel Guide.

Note: Egypt has had known issues of terrorism for years, so always check government websites for warnings before planning a trip. If you’re a US citizen, sign up for the STEP program to be alerted if issues arise. If you’re not a US citizen, see if your country offers something similar.

Sage Travels!

Julie